Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Sgs-thomas Microelectronics S.r.l.

Mario Di Guardo

Matteo Lo Presti

Giovanni Mangraviti

Antonino Cucuccio

Antonino Milazzotto

Agatino Minotti

Luigi Fortuna

Riccardo Caponetto

Antonino Cuce'

Giuseppe D'Angelo

Francesco Di Marco

Nunzio Abbate

Giovanni Muscato

Nicola Nicosia

An intelligent power module includes a power circuit board having a plurality of power devices and fixed on a base plate of a case body able to be closed with a lid to form a protective case of the intelligent power module. The intelligent power module also includes a control circuit board suitable to drive the power devices of the power circuit board. The control circuit board is associated with the lid in such a way that the control circuit board is comprised within the case body. The control circuit board and the lid thus realizing an intelligent lid of the intelligent power module.

Intelligent power module and related assembling method

A system for the wireless transfer of power includes a first device connected to a power supply source and provided with a first resonant circuit at a first frequency, a second device comprising at least one battery, provided with a second resonant circuit at said first frequency, arranged at a distance smaller than the wavelength associated with said first frequency and not provided with wires for the electrical connection with said first device. The first device is adapted to transfer a first signal representing the power to be sent to the second device for charging said at least one battery and comprises means adapted to modulate the frequency of said first signal for transferring data from the first device to the second device simultaneously with the power transfer. The second device comprises means adapted to demodulate the received signal, corresponding to the first signal sent from the first device, to obtain the transmitted data.

Apparatus for power wireless transfer between two devices and simultaneous data transfer

A device generates a signal representative of a current flowing through a load inductor of a converter, the converter having a first transformer including a primary winding driven with a pulse width modulated (PWM) voltage signal. The device may include a sense inductor magnetically coupled to the load inductor, and an integrator configured to integrate a voltage drop on the sense inductor and to generate a first signal representative of the current flowing through the load inductor with an offset. The device may further include a second transformer to be magnetically coupled to the primary winding of the first transformer and generating a second signal representative of a current flowing through the primary winding, and a peak detector configured to sample and hold a peak value of the second signal at every cycle of the PWM voltage signal. The device may also include an adder configured to generate the signal representative of the current flowing through the load inductor as a sum of the first signal and the peak value of the second signal.

Method and device for sensing a current flowing through an output inductor of a PWM driven converter

A device for transforming an AC voltage to a lower AC voltage includes a generator of a PWM control signal and a first bidirectional switch to couple a load to the AC voltage during a conduction-phase. A second bidirectional switch discharges energy from the load during an off-phase of the first bidirectional switch. A first driving circuit of the first bidirectional switch is input with the PWM control signal and generates a first PWM signal, applied between control and conduction terminals of the first bidirectional switch. A second driving circuit for the second bidirectional switch is input with the PWM control signal and generates a second PWM signal, in phase opposition to the first PWM signal, applied between control and conduction terminals of the second bidirectional switch. An electric decoupling circuit is between the generator and second driving circuit. A transformer is between respective conduction terminals of the bidirectional switches.

Device for transforming a primary AC voltage in a lower AC voltage in a lower AC voltage for supplying an electrical load

A device coupled to a primary AC voltage and a load includes an input, an inductive element coupled thereto, and a generator of a PWM control signal. A capacitor is coupled in parallel to the load. A first bidirectional switch couples the load and primary AC voltage during conduction phases. A second bidirectional switch discharges energy from the load during off phases of the first bidirectional switch. A first driving circuit for the second bidirectional switch, input with the PWM control signal, generates a first PWM signal applied between control and conduction terminals of the second bidirectional switch. A second driving circuit for the first bidirectional switch, input with the PWM control signal, generates a second PWM signal, in phase opposition with the first PWM signal, applied between control and conduction terminals of the first bidirectional switch. An electric decoupling circuit is between the generator and the second driving circuit.

Device for transforming and stabilizing a primary AC voltage for supplying an electric load

A circuit device is provided for driving an AC electric load, of the type inserted between a terminal of an AC power supply line and a terminal of the electric load to be driven and including a generator of PWM signals to be transferred to the load. This circuit is an AC/AC converter adapted to power supply the load from any level of the power supply line sinusoid and comprising first and second voltage driven switches, the first switch to power supply the load and the second switch to enable loop-back of the current. The switches always operate in a complementary manner, i.e., when the first switch is on, the other is off, and vice versa.

Circuit device for driving an AC electric load

A control device for a focusing system of a compact disk (CD) reader is provided. The control device uses fuzzy logic incorporated to the audio data processing system of the CD reader which is adapted to detect and segregate a light beam reflected by the surface of the compact disk from an incident light beam to the surface. The fuzzy logic control device receives a focus error signal and a derivative of the focus error. It then calculates, using appropriate membership functions, output signals to provide to a focusing servo-system of the CD reader to adjust the distance of the focal plane from the light beam detecting circuitry.

Control device for a CD reader focusing system using fuzzy logic

Presented is a circuit device for driving an a.c. electric load, incorporating a rectifying bridge that has a first input connected to one terminal of the electric load and a second input connected to an outlet of an a.c. main supply. The rectifying bridge has output terminals connected to a power switch which is controlled by an electric signal. The circuit device has a circuit loop-back link connected in parallel to the electric load, and a second circuit loop-back link connected in parallel to the electric load. The first and second links are alternately activated by the positive and negative half-waves of the main supply when the switch is in its &ldquo;off&rdquo; state.

Circuit device for driving an a.c. electric load

Fuzzy logic rules are applied to a method for indirectly measuring a physical signal to be monitored which would be difficult to directly measure. The measuring method comprises the steps of obtaining a derived physical signal from the physical signal to be monitored and measuring a value of the derived physical signal and its variations over time at suitably selected check points. A first set of fuzzy logic rules are applied to ascertain the presence or absence of an index signal adapted to mark at least first, second and third operational zones of the derived physical signal. Only the second operational zone is characterized by the presence of the index signal. First and second significant values of the physical signal to be monitored are measured as start and end values, respectively, of the second operational zone. An apparatus for indirectly measuring a physical signal is also disclosed.

Fuzzy logic method for an indirect measure of a physical signal to be

In a fully digital PWM controller employing a sine-triangle modulating technique, the method includes the step of linearizing the dependence of the selected scanning frequency of the memory containing the digital samples of the modulating sinusoid, from the value of the digital selection datum, and improves regulation at low speed by improving the resolution of selectable frequency values. The PWM driving signals produced by a fully digital controller implementing the linearization step of the invention show an F.F.T. extremely close to the F.F.T. of comparable PWM driving signals produced through a conventional analog technique.

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Gravina di Catania, Italy

Mario Di Guardo