Patents by Inventor Salvatore Rosario Musumeci

Salvatore Rosario Musumeci 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).

  • Publication number: 20230389159
    Abstract: A LED driver chip includes driver circuits, each being coupled to a different pin and including a fault-detection circuit. Each fault-detection circuit includes a force circuit forcing current to a force node, and a sense circuit including a current sensor coupled to the force node, and a comparator comparing a voltage at the force node to a reference voltage to generate a comparison output. Control circuitry, in a pin-to-pin short detection mode, activates the force circuit of a first of the driver circuits and activates the sense circuit of a second of the driver circuits, in a pin-to-ground short detection mode, activates the force and the sense circuit of the same driver circuits. The comparison output of the comparator of the activated sense circuit, if is higher or if lower of the reference voltage, indicates if short between pin or to ground, respectively, is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Maria Francesca SEMINARA, Salvatore Rosario MUSUMECI
  • Publication number: 20230135666
    Abstract: An embodiment LED driver system comprises a power transistor configured to be selectively activated for generating a driving current for an array of LEDs, the power transistor having a first conduction terminal coupled to the array of LEDs and a second conduction terminal coupled to a reference resistor; an operational amplifier having a non-inverting input for receiving a reference voltage, an inverting input coupled to the second conduction terminal of the power transistor, and an output terminal coupled to a first conduction terminal of a transmission gate having a second conduction terminal coupled to a control terminal of the power transistor and a control terminal for receiving an enable signal; and a slew rate control unit configured to control the slew rate of the driving current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Maria Francesca Seminara, Salvatore Rosario Musumeci
  • Patent number: 11546980
    Abstract: An embodiment LED driver system comprises a power transistor configured to be selectively activated for generating a driving current for an array of LEDs, the power transistor having a first conduction terminal coupled to the array of LEDs and a second conduction terminal coupled to a reference resistor; an operational amplifier having a non-inverting input for receiving a reference voltage, an inverting input coupled to the second conduction terminal of the power transistor, and an output terminal coupled to a first conduction terminal of a transmission gate having a second conduction terminal coupled to a control terminal of the power transistor and a control terminal for receiving an enable signal; and a slew rate control unit configured to control the slew rate of the driving current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Maria Francesca Seminara, Salvatore Rosario Musumeci
  • Publication number: 20210385924
    Abstract: An embodiment LED driver system comprises a power transistor configured to be selectively activated for generating a driving current for an array of LEDs, the power transistor having a first conduction terminal coupled to the array of LEDs and a second conduction terminal coupled to a reference resistor; an operational amplifier having a non-inverting input for receiving a reference voltage, an inverting input coupled to the second conduction terminal of the power transistor, and an output terminal coupled to a first conduction terminal of a transmission gate having a second conduction terminal coupled to a control terminal of the power transistor and a control terminal for receiving an enable signal; and a slew rate control unit configured to control the slew rate of the driving current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Maria Francesca Seminara, Salvatore Rosario Musumeci
  • Publication number: 20170034886
    Abstract: An integrated device for adjusting dimming of LEDs includes a law memory storing a switching control law for LEDs. A modulated-clock generator coupled to an output of the law memory generates a modulated-clock signal having a parameter that varies according to the stored switching control law. A count stage coupled to an output of the modulated-clock generator generates a variable-frequency count signal. A comparator has an input coupled to an output of the count stage and compares the count signal with a setting value to generate a control signal for a LED channel that switches when the count signal reaches the setting value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Edmondo Gangi, Salvatore Rosario Musumeci, Fabio Occhipinti
  • Patent number: 9431905
    Abstract: A multiphase buck converter (10) is disclosed, comprising: —a first buck converter branch (SD1, L1) comprising a first core section (COR1), a first power section (PWR1) having a first output node (LX1), a first coil (11) having a first end connected to the first output node (LX1), the first power section (PWR1) being adapted to be controlled by the first core section (COR1) for providing to the coil (L1) a coil current (I1), the first core section (COR1) and the first power section (PWR1) being integrated in a chip (IC); —a second buck converter branch (SD2, L2) comprising a second core section (COR2), a second power section (PWR2) having a second output node (LX2), a second coil (L2) having a first end connected to the second output node (LX2), the second power section (PWR2) being adapted to be controlled by the second core section (COR2) for providing to the second coil (L2) a second coil current (I2), the second core section (COR2) and the second power section (PWR2) being integrated in said chip (IC); —a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: ST-ERICSSON SA
    Inventors: Maria Francesca Seminara, Patrizia Milazzo, Salvatore Rosario Musumeci
  • Publication number: 20150022533
    Abstract: A multiphase buck converter (10) is disclosed, comprising: —a first buck converter branch (SD1, L1) comprising a first core section (COR1), a first power section (PWR1) having a first output node (LX1), a first coil (11) having a first end connected to the first output node (LX1), the first power section (PWR1) being adapted to be controlled by the first core section (COR1) for providing to the coil (L1) a coil current (I1), the first core section (COR1) and the first power section (PWR1) being integrated in a chip (IC); -a second buck converter branch (SD2, L2) comprising a second core section (COR2), a second power section (PWR2) having a second output node (LX2), a second coil (L2) having a first end connected to the second output node (LX2), the second power section (PWR2) being adapted to be controlled by the second core section (COR2) for providing to the second coil (L2) a second coil current (I2), the second core section (COR2) and the second power section (PWR2) being integrated in said chip (IC); -a
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Maria Francesca Seminara, Patrizia Milazzo, Salvatore Rosario Musumeci
  • Patent number: 8427008
    Abstract: An electronic power supply circuit for a load composed of at least two independent circuit branches connected in parallel to each other, where a first branch requires a different power supply voltage from the power supply voltage of a second branch. The circuit includes a step-up converter, a timer circuit connected to the step-up converter so that the converter generates, alternately, at least a first output voltage able to power the first circuit branch and a second output voltage able to power a second circuit branch, a regulation circuit able to regulate the overvoltages at the ends of an output capacitor of the converter during commutations between the different output voltages; and a commutation circuit able to activate the step-up converter, according to the timer signals coming from the timer circuit, when the output voltage at the ends of the output capacitor has reached the level needed to power the activated branch and regulate the current flowing thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Salvatore Rosario Musumeci, Maria Francesca Seminara, Marianna Sanza, Patrizia Milazzo
  • Publication number: 20100159999
    Abstract: An electronic power supply circuit for a load composed of at least two independent circuit branches connected in parallel to each other, where a first branch requires a different power supply voltage from the power supply voltage of a second branch. The circuit includes a step-up converter, a timer circuit connected to the step-up converter so that the converter generates, alternately, at least a first output voltage able to power the first circuit branch and a second output voltage able to power a second circuit branch, a regulation circuit able to regulate the overvoltages at the ends of an output capacitor of the converter during commutations between the different output voltages; and a commutation circuit able to activate the step-up converter, according to the timer signals coming from the timer circuit, when the output voltage at the ends of the output capacitor has reached the level needed to power the activated branch and regulate the current flowing thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Salvatore Rosario Musumeci, Maria Francesca Seminara, Marianna Sanza, Patrizia Milazzo