Patents by Inventor Simone Gambini

Simone Gambini 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: 20230082519
    Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry with processor circuitry, a transceiver circuit, a front-end module, and an antenna. The front-end module may include amplifier circuitry such as low noise amplifier circuitry for amplifying received radio-frequency signals. The amplifier circuitry may include an amplifier having an input and an output, an adjustable load component coupled to the input, and an adjustable feedback component coupled across the input and output. A control circuit may simultaneously adjust the load and feedback components to tune the gain of the amplifier circuitry while maintaining the input resistance at a desired target level. The load and feedback components can be the same or different types of adjustable passive components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Long Kong, Simone Gambini, Utku Seckin
  • Publication number: 20230084706
    Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry with processor circuitry, a transceiver circuit, a front-end module, and an antenna. The front-end module may include amplifier circuitry such as low noise amplifier circuitry for amplifying received radio-frequency signals. The amplifier circuitry may include an amplifier having an input and an output, an adjustable load component coupled to the input, and an adjustable feedback component coupled across the input and output. A control circuit may simultaneously adjust the load and feedback components to tune the gain of the amplifier circuitry while maintaining the input resistance at a desired target level. The load and feedback components can be the same or different types of adjustable passive components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Long Kong, Simone Gambini, Utku Seckin
  • Publication number: 20210336624
    Abstract: A computer system may periodically calibrate an oscillator subsystem, which includes a voltage-controlled oscillator circuit configured to generate an oscillator signal using code signal. In response to activation of a calibration mode, an iterative calibration operation may be performed on the voltage-controlled oscillator circuit. In some cases, performing a given iteration of the calibration operation includes determining a value of the code signal using a number of pulses in the oscillator signal sampled during a particular time period, along with previous values of the code signal and a slope of an error function associated with the difference between a desired frequency and a current frequency of the oscillator signal. In other cases, iterations may employ variable sampling times with error handling, in order to decrease the duration of the calibration operation while maintaining a target accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Long Kong, Simone Gambini, Cristian Marcu, Nachum M. Kanovsky
  • Patent number: 11139817
    Abstract: A computer system may periodically calibrate an oscillator subsystem, which includes a voltage-controlled oscillator circuit configured to generate an oscillator signal using code signal. In response to activation of a calibration mode, an iterative calibration operation may be performed on the voltage-controlled oscillator circuit. In some cases, performing a given iteration of the calibration operation includes determining a value of the code signal using a number of pulses in the oscillator signal sampled during a particular time period, along with previous values of the code signal and a slope of an error function associated with the difference between a desired frequency and a current frequency of the oscillator signal. In other cases, iterations may employ variable sampling times with error handling, in order to decrease the duration of the calibration operation while maintaining a target accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Long Kong, Simone Gambini, Cristian Marcu, Nachum M. Kanovsky
  • Patent number: 11128328
    Abstract: A sensor circuit included in a computer system may include multiple antennas, a control circuit, a mixer circuit, a transmitter circuit and a filter circuit. The control circuit may generate a baseband signal, which the mixer circuit may modulate using a modulation signal to generate a transmit signal. The transmitter circuit may transmit the transmit signal using a first antenna. The filter circuit may be configured to track a carrier frequency of the transmit signal and filter a reflected version of the transmit signal to generate an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Simone Gambini
  • Patent number: 11031943
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer circuit included in a sensor circuit of a computer system may include a voltage-controlled oscillator circuit that may generate an oscillator signal. A three-point injection technique may be used to modulate the frequency of the oscillator signal. The three-point injection includes a low-frequency component that drives a feedback divider, and two high-frequency components that drive the voltage-controlled oscillator circuit. The strengths of the three injection points are aligned using samples of a tune signal generated using results of a comparison of a referenced signal and a frequency divided version of the oscillator signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Simone Gambini, Chin-Chi Chen, Axel D. Berny
  • Publication number: 20210028803
    Abstract: A sensor circuit included in a computer system may include multiple antennas, a control circuit, a mixer circuit, a transmitter circuit and a filter circuit. The control circuit may generate a baseband signal, which the mixer circuit may modulate using a modulation signal to generate a transmit signal. The transmitter circuit may transmit the transmit signal using a first antenna. The filter circuit may be configured to track a carrier frequency of the transmit signal and filter a reflected version of the transmit signal to generate an output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventor: Simone Gambini
  • Patent number: 10804912
    Abstract: A non-integer divider for dividing the frequency of a signal is disclosed. A non-integer divider includes a first divider that divides the frequency of a first signal. A mixer is coupled to receive the first signal, and a second signal having a frequency equivalent to that output by the first divider. The mixer outputs a third signal having a frequency based on respective frequencies of the first and second signal. A second divider receives and frequency divides the third signal to produce a fourth signal. A ratio of the frequency of the first signal to the fourth signal is a non-integer value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Utku Seckin, Simone Gambini, Benjamin W. Cook
  • Patent number: 10756744
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a segmented R-DAC are disclosed. In one embodiment, a segmented R-DAC includes first and second DACs arranged to receive most and least significant bits, respectively. The segmented R-DAC also includes a first capacitor coupled between an output of the first DAC and an output of the second DAC, and a second capacitor coupled between the output of the second DAC and a ground node. The capacitance of the second capacitor has a value that is a predetermined multiple of the capacitance value of the first capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Utku Seckin, Simone Gambini, Michael D. Scott
  • Patent number: 10735035
    Abstract: A sensor circuit included in a computer system may include multiple antennas, a control circuit, a mixer circuit, a transmitter circuit and a filter circuit. The control circuit may generate a baseband signal, which the mixer circuit may modulate using a modulation signal to generate a transmit signal. The transmitter circuit may transmit the transmit signal using a first antenna. The filter circuit may be configured to track a carrier frequency of the transmit signal and filter a reflected version of the transmit signal to generate an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Simone Gambini
  • Patent number: 10581447
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring phase response in a radio receiver is disclosed. A radio receiver includes a digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion unit coupled to receive a test signal. The D/A conversion unit includes a number of single-bit digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) circuits coupled to receive the test signal and configured to convert it into the analog domain. Clock signals received by each of the single-bit DAC circuits are out of phase with respect to one another. The output of the D/A conversion unit is an analog signal that is a composite of the signals output by the DAC circuits therein. The analog signal is then conveyed to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and converted into an N-bit digital signal. The N-bit digital signal is then conveyed to a correlator to determine a phase response of the radio receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Simone Gambini, Robert G. Lorenz
  • Publication number: 20200052708
    Abstract: A non-integer divider for dividing the frequency of a signal is disclosed. A non-integer divider includes a first divider that divides the frequency of a first signal. A mixer is coupled to receive the first signal, and a second signal having a frequency equivalent to that output by the first divider. The mixer outputs a third signal having a frequency based on respective frequencies of the first and second signal. A second divider receives and frequency divides the third signal to produce a fourth signal. A ratio of the frequency of the first signal to the fourth signal is a non-integer value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Utku Seckin, Simone Gambini, Benjamin W. Cook
  • Patent number: 10511323
    Abstract: An Nth-order loop filter includes N integrators (where N is an integer value). The loop filter includes an initialization path coupled between an input to the loop filter and an input of at least one of the integrators. A control circuit is coupled to the Nth order filter. During a reset phase, the control circuit causes an initialization voltage to be sampled into a capacitance of the initialization path. During an initialization phase immediately following the reset phase, the control circuit causes the initialization voltage to be conveyed to the input(s) of the at least one integrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tao Mai, Simone Gambini
  • Publication number: 20170031441
    Abstract: A minimally invasive, wireless ECoG microsystem is provided for chronic and stable neural recording. Wireless powering and readout are combined with a dual rectification power management circuitry to simultaneously power to and transmit a continuous stream of data from an implant with a micro ECoG array and an external reader. Area and power reduction techniques in the baseband and wireless subsystem result in over 10×IC area reduction with a simultaneous 3× improvement in power efficiency, enabling a minimally invasive platform for 64-channel recording. The low power consumption of the IC, together with the antenna integration strategy, enables remote powering at 3× below established safety limits, while the small size and flexibility of the implant minimizes the foreign body response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Rikky Muller, Peter Ledochowitsch, Hanh-Phuc Le, Simone Gambini, Michel Maharbiz, Jan Rabaey
  • Patent number: 8195221
    Abstract: A continuous time sigma delta analog to digital converter may use a finite impulse response filter for delay compensation. In some embodiments, the filter may be simplified by using only the first and/or second filter coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Simone Gambini, Hasnain Lakdawala
  • Publication number: 20090325632
    Abstract: A continuous time sigma delta analog to digital converter may use a finite impulse response filter for delay compensation. In some embodiments, the filter may be simplified by using only the first and/or second filter coefficients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Simone Gambini, Hasnain Lakdawala