Renesas Electronics America Inc.

Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Stmicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Limited

Marco Sautto

Davide Betta

Maurizio Ricci

Simone Bellisai

Turev Acar

Sercan Ipek

Eleonora Chiaramonte

Luigi Arpini

Giona Fucili

Jiangjian Huang

Kaufik Linggajaya

Valerio Lo Muzzo

Robert Waterworth

Danil Sokolov

Victor Khomenko

Filippo Maria Neri

John Padraig Hennessy

Systems and methods for runtime antenna matching for wireless power devices are described. The integrated circuit can include a controller. The integrated circuit can further include a circuit configured to sense voltage in a switching converter. The circuit can be further configured to determine whether a negative voltage spike is present or absent in the sensed voltage. The controller can be configured to, based on the presence or the absence of the negative voltage spike in the sensed voltage, tune a capacitance of an antenna interface circuit between the switching converter and an antenna to perform impedance matching.

Runtime antenna matching for near field communication wireless power transfer

Systems and devices for signal arbitration are described. A first asynchronous circuit can receive and sanitize a first non-persistent signal representing a first request to generate a first persistent signal. A second asynchronous circuit can receive and sanitize a second non-persistent signal representing a second request to generate a second persistent signal. A mutual exclusive circuit can arbitrate between the first persistent signal and the second persistent signal and output a grant signal to issue a grant. A control circuit can control an operation mode of the first and second asynchronous circuits based on a control signal, a first grant signal indicating a grant status of the first request, a second grant signal indicating a grant status of the second request, the first persistent signal and the second persistent signal.

Arbiter for non-persistent signals

Systems and methods for wireless power transfer systems are described. A controller can be coupled to a power rectifier configured to rectify alternating current power into direct current power. The power rectifier can include a first high side transistor, a second high side transistor, a first low side transistor, and a second low side transistor. The controller can be configured to operate the power rectifier in full bridge rectifier mode. The controller can be further configured to detect a misfire event between the wireless power receiver and a wireless power transmitter. The controller can be further configured to, in response to detection of the misfire event, switch an operation mode of the power rectifier from the full bridge rectifier mode to a diode mode.

Real-time misfire detection

In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a piezoelectric transducer configured to transduce mechanical vibrations into transduced electrical signals at a pair of sensor electrodes includes stimulating a resonant oscillation of the piezoelectric transducer by applying at least one pulse electrical stimulation signal to the pair of sensor electrodes; detecting, at the pair of sensor electrodes, at least one electrical signal resulting from the stimulated resonant oscillation, wherein the at least one electrical signal resulting from the stimulated resonant oscillation oscillates at a resonance frequency of the piezoelectric transducer; measuring a frequency of oscillation of the at least one electrical signal resulting from the stimulated resonant oscillation to obtain a measured resonance frequency of the piezoelectric transducer; and tuning a stopband frequency of a notch filter coupled to the piezoelectric transducer to match the measured resonance frequency of the piezoelectric transducer.

Calibration method, corresponding circuit and apparatus

Systems and methods for wireless power transfer systems are described. A controller can be coupled to a power rectifier configured to rectify alternating current power into direct current power. The power rectifier can include a first high side transistor, a second high side transistor, a first low side transistor, and a second low side transistor. The controller can be configured to selectively switch on one or more of the first high side transistor, the second high side transistor, the first low side transistor, and the second low side transistor to operate a wireless power receiver under one of a full bridge rectifier mode and a voltage doubler mode.

Voltage doubler in wireless power application

An embodiment circuit comprises first and second output nodes with an inductor arranged therebetween, and first and second switches coupled to opposing ends of the inductor. The switches are switchable between non-conductive and conductive states to control current flow through the inductor and produce first and second output voltages. The current intensity through the inductor is compared with at least one reference value. Switching control circuitry is coupled with the first and second switches, the first and second output nodes, and current sensing circuitry, which is configured to control the switching frequency of the first and second switches as a function of the output voltages and a comparison at the current sensing circuitry. The switching control circuitry is configured to apply FLL-FFWD processing to produce the reference values as a function of a timing signal, targeting maintaining a constant target value for the converter switching frequency.

Single inductor multiple output switching converter and method to control the same

An embodiment circuit comprises first and second output nodes with an inductor arranged therebetween, and first and second switches coupled to opposed ends of the inductor. The switches are switchable between non-conductive and conductive states to control current flow through the inductor and produce first and second output voltages. The current intensity through the inductor is compared with at least one reference value. Switching control circuitry is coupled with the first and second switches, the first and second output nodes, and current sensing circuitry, which is configured to control the switching frequency of the first and second switches as a function of the output voltages and a comparison at the current sensing circuitry. The switching control circuitry is configured to apply FLL-FFWD processing to produce the reference values as a function of a timing signal, targeting maintaining a constant target value for the converter switching frequency.

Methods and apparatuses for controlling a rectified voltage outputted by a rectifier circuit is described. In response to an occurrence of an overvoltage condition, an apparatus can regulate a gate-source voltage of a low-side switching element of the rectifier circuit to control the rectified voltage. The apparatus can include an operational amplifier that can compare a reference voltage and with a scaled voltage measured at a node between the low-side switching element and a high-side switching element of the rectifier circuit. The operational amplifier can output a voltage to regulate a gate-source voltage of a low-side switching element. The apparatus can further include a current sensor configured to sense current flowing through the low-side switching element. A power dissipation of the low-side switching element can be controlled based on the current being sensed by the current sensor.

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Zurich, Switzerland

Marco Sautto