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).
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Patent number: 11714108Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 7, 2022Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited CompanyInventors: Michael D. Petersen, Kalin V. Lazarov, Gregory J. Manlove, Robert Chiacchia
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Publication number: 20220365112Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2022Publication date: November 17, 2022Inventors: Michael D. Petersen, Kalin V. Lazarov, Gregory J. Manlove, Robert Chiacchia
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Patent number: 11378595Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 30, 2019Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited CompanyInventors: Michael D. Petersen, Kalin V. Lazarov, Gregory J. Manlove, Robert Chiacchia
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Publication number: 20210382091Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2019Publication date: December 9, 2021Inventors: Michael D. Petersen, Kalin V. Lazarov, Gregory J. Manlove, Robert Chiacchia
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Patent number: 10641837Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 12, 2016Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: Linear Technology CorporationInventors: Bernhard Helmut Engl, Robert Chiacchia, Robert C. Dobkin
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Patent number: 10534384Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 3, 2017Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: Linear Technology CorporationInventors: Gregory Manlove, James McKenzie, Robert Chiacchia, Yi Ding Gu, Jian Li
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Publication number: 20170237345Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2017Publication date: August 17, 2017Inventors: Gregory MANLOVE, James MCKENZIE, Robert CHIACCHIA, Yi Ding GU, Jian LI
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Publication number: 20170153296Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2016Publication date: June 1, 2017Applicant: LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Bernhard Helmut Engl, Robert Chiacchia, Robert C. Dobkin
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Patent number: 7420359Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 17, 2006Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Linear Technology CorporationInventors: Michael B. Anderson, Andrew J. Gardner, Robert Chiacchia