Patents by Inventor Robert Chiacchia

Robert Chiacchia has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11714108
    Abstract: A system current sensor module can accurately sense or measure system current flowing through a sense current resistor by shunting current through a gain-setting resistor and using an amplifier to measure a resulting voltage, with an output transistor controlled by the amplifier controlling current through the gain setting resistor in a manner that tends to keep the amplifier inputs at the same voltage. The resistors can be thermally coupled to maintain similar temperatures when a system current is flowing. The thermal coupling can include conducting heat from a first resistor layer carrying the current sense resistor to a thermal cage layer located beyond a second resistor layer carrying the gain-setting resistor. This preserves accuracy, including during aging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Michael D. Petersen, Kalin V. Lazarov, Gregory J. Manlove, Robert Chiacchia
  • Publication number: 20220365112
    Abstract: A system current sensor module can accurately sense or measure system current flowing through a sense current resistor by shunting current through a gain-setting resistor and using an amplifier to measure a resulting voltage, with an output transistor controlled by the amplifier controlling current through the gain setting resistor in a manner that tends to keep the amplifier inputs at the same voltage. The resistors can be thermally coupled to maintain similar temperatures when a system current is flowing. The thermal coupling can include conducting heat from a first resistor layer carrying the current sense resistor to a thermal cage layer located beyond a second resistor layer carrying the gain-setting resistor. This preserves accuracy, including during aging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Michael D. Petersen, Kalin V. Lazarov, Gregory J. Manlove, Robert Chiacchia
  • Patent number: 11378595
    Abstract: A system current sensor module can accurately sense or measure system current flowing through a sense current resistor by shunting current through a gain-setting resistor and using an amplifier to measure a resulting voltage, with an output transistor controlled by the amplifier controlling current through the gain setting resistor in a manner that tends to keep the amplifier inputs at the same voltage. The resistors can be thermally coupled to maintain similar temperatures when a system current is flowing. The thermal coupling can include conducting heat from a first resistor layer carrying the current sense resistor to a thermal cage layer located beyond a second resistor layer carrying the gain-setting resistor. This preserves accuracy, including during aging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Michael D. Petersen, Kalin V. Lazarov, Gregory J. Manlove, Robert Chiacchia
  • Publication number: 20210382091
    Abstract: A system current sensor module can accurately sense or measure system current flowing through a sense current resistor by shunting current through a gain-setting resistor and using an amplifier to measure a resulting voltage, with an output transistor controlled by the amplifier controlling current through the gain setting resistor in a manner that tends to keep the amplifier inputs at the same voltage. The resistors can be thermally coupled to maintain similar temperatures when a system current is flowing. The thermal coupling can include conducting heat from a first resistor layer carrying the current sense resistor to a thermal cage layer located beyond a second resistor layer carrying the gain-setting resistor. This preserves accuracy, including during aging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Michael D. Petersen, Kalin V. Lazarov, Gregory J. Manlove, Robert Chiacchia
  • Patent number: 10641837
    Abstract: A ripple monitoring circuit may generate information indicative of a failing component in a power supply. At least one input may receive a ripple signal from the power supply that has a ripple component. A quantization circuit may repeatedly quantize the amplitude of the ripple component. A ripple amplitude statistics counter bank may count and store the number of times that different quantized amplitudes or different ranges of quantized amplitudes of the ripple component occurred. A ripple monitoring circuit may generate information about a power supply. At least one input may receive a ripple signal from the power supply that has a ripple component. A ripple measurement circuit may measure a characteristic of the ripple component. A storage circuit may store information about the measurement. A comparison circuit may compare information stored in the storage circuit with a threshold value and indicate when the stored information meets or exceeds this threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Linear Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Bernhard Helmut Engl, Robert Chiacchia, Robert C. Dobkin
  • Patent number: 10534384
    Abstract: A current mode switching regulator circuit and operating method includes a variable duty cycle power switch controller, a voltage feedback loop that provides a feedback signal based on the output voltage, a current feedback loop that provides a current sense signal based on the output current, and an offset circuit having an external signal input and coupled to the current feedback loop. The power switch controller controls the switching regulator circuit to generate an output voltage and an output current. The offset circuit is configured to provide an offset output control signal, independently of the voltage feedback loop, to control the power switch controller so as to vary a duty cycle of the power switch controller based on the current sense signal and an external offset signal applied to the external signal input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Linear Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Manlove, James McKenzie, Robert Chiacchia, Yi Ding Gu, Jian Li
  • Publication number: 20170237345
    Abstract: A current mode switching regulator circuit and operating method includes a variable duty cycle power switch controller, a voltage feedback loop that provides a feedback signal based on the output voltage, a current feedback loop that provides a current sense signal based on the output current, and an offset circuit having an external signal input and coupled to the current feedback loop. The power switch controller controls the switching regulator circuit to generate an output voltage and an output current. The offset circuit is configured to provide an offset output control signal, independently of the voltage feedback loop, to control the power switch controller so as to vary a duty cycle of the power switch controller based on the current sense signal and an external offset signal applied to the external signal input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Gregory MANLOVE, James MCKENZIE, Robert CHIACCHIA, Yi Ding GU, Jian LI
  • Publication number: 20170153296
    Abstract: A ripple monitoring circuit may generate information indicative of a failing component in a power supply. At least one input may receive a ripple signal from the power supply that has a ripple component. A quantization circuit may repeatedly quantize the amplitude of the ripple component. A ripple amplitude statistics counter bank may count and store the number of times that different quantized amplitudes or different ranges of quantized amplitudes of the ripple component occurred. A ripple monitoring circuit may generate information about a power supply. At least one input may receive a ripple signal from the power supply that has a ripple component. A ripple measurement circuit may measure a characteristic of the ripple component. A storage circuit may store information about the measurement. A comparison circuit may compare information stored in the storage circuit with a threshold value and indicate when the stored information meets or exceeds this threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Applicant: LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bernhard Helmut Engl, Robert Chiacchia, Robert C. Dobkin
  • Patent number: 7420359
    Abstract: A bandgap voltage reference circuit having temperature curvature correction, comprises a bandgap voltage source configured to generate an output voltage, and a novel curvature correction circuit. The correction circuit is responsive to the bandgap voltage source output voltage and connected to apply a curvature correction signal to the bandgap voltage source to compensate for output voltage temperature dependency of the bandgap voltage source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Linear Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Michael B. Anderson, Andrew J. Gardner, Robert Chiacchia