Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Stmicroelectronics S.a.

Sgs-thomson Microelectronics S.r.l.

St-ericsson Sa

Consorzio Per La Ricerca Sulla Microelettronica Nel Mezzogiorno

Other

Optis Circuit Technology, LLC

Stmicroelectronics Design Application Gmbh

Oct Circuit Technologies International Limited

Patrizia Milazzo

Giuseppe Platania

Francesco Pulvirenti

Salvatore Rosario Musumeci

Calogero Ribellino

Alexandre Balmefrezol

Vincenzo Polisi

Angelo Alzati

Gregorio Bontempo

Maria Francesca Seminara

Jerome Nebon

Gianluca Ragonesi

Vanni Poletto

Pascal Urard

Philippe Sirito-Olivier

Sergio Lecce

Giona Fucili

Alberto Gola

Salvatore Vincenzo Capici

Marcello Leone

Angelo Nagari

Séverin Trochut

Marianna Sanza

David Chesnau

Giacomo Mercadante

Christopher Bernard

Salvatore Tricomi

Christophe Planat

Fabien Todeschini

Gioacchino Lo Iacono

An output stage configuration with four configurable input/output terminals and four switches is specified. Each switch has a first main terminal, a second main terminal and a control terminal, which receives a control signal for controlling the open or closed state of the switch. The output stage is included in a circuit together with a first control apparatus and a second control apparatus. When a control stage of the first control apparatus is connected to the output stage, a control stage of the second control apparatus is electrically disconnected from the output stage, and the output stage operates in a first operating state. When the control stage of the second control apparatus is connected to the output stage, the control stage of the first control apparatus is electrically disconnected from the output stage, the output stage then operating in a second operating state.

Reconfigurable output stage

A driver device is for switching on and off a transistor for supplying a load by driving a control electrode of the transistor. The driver device includes a first terminal connected to the control electrode of the transistor, a second terminal connected between the transistor and the load, and a current-discharge path coupled to the first terminal. The current-discharge path includes a diode and is activated when the transistor is switched off. The diode becomes non-conductive to interrupt the current-discharge path when the voltage on the second terminal reaches a threshold value.

Driver device for transistors, and corresponding integrated circuit

A power management circuit including, between a first terminal intended to be connected to an electric power generation source and a second terminal intended to be connected to a load to be powered, a linear regulator and a circuit capable of activating the linear regulator when the power supplied by said source is greater than a first threshold.

Power management circuit for a self-powered sensor

A multiphase buck converter () is disclosed, comprising: &#x2014;a first buck converter branch (SD, L) comprising a first core section (COR), a first power section (PWR) having a first output node (LX), a first coil () having a first end connected to the first output node (LX), the first power section (PWR) being adapted to be controlled by the first core section (COR) for providing to the coil (L) a coil current (I), the first core section (COR) and the first power section (PWR) being integrated in a chip (IC); &#x2014;a second buck converter branch (SD, L) comprising a second core section (COR), a second power section (PWR) having a second output node (LX), a second coil (L) having a first end connected to the second output node (LX), the second power section (PWR) being adapted to be controlled by the second core section (COR) for providing to the second coil (L) a second coil current (I), the second core section (COR) and the second power section (PWR) being integrated in said chip (IC); &#x2014;a feedback loop adapted to balance said coil currents (I,I). The feedback loop comprises a control block (C_B) that, in order to balance said coil currents, is adapted to compare a first average voltage at the first output node (LX) with a second average voltage at the second output node (LX) and control the first (SD, L) and second branch (SD, L) in order to make said first and second average voltages equal to each other. The control block (C_B) is integrated in said chip (IC) and has a first input directly connected to said first output node (LX) and a second input directly connected to said second output node (LX). The control block (C_B) is adapted to directly obtain said first and second average voltages from the instantaneous voltages of the first (LX) and second (LX) output nodes.

Multiphase buck converter and multiphase buck conversion method

A DC-DC converter controls a supply current (I) provided to a rechargeable battery. The converter comprises an electrical input terminal that receives supply current (I). An electrical output terminal is connected to the battery through a coil with a resistor in series therebetween. A controllable selector connects the input terminal to the output terminal during a first time interval in order to supply the battery and to connect the input terminal to a ground potential during a successive second time interval. Also, a feedback module generates a control signal for the selector from a resistor feedback signal, indicative of a variation of a battery charge current (I). The feedback module has an electronic block that receives the feedback signal. The electronic block processes the feedback signal to measure a variation of the supply current (I) and provide the control signal to adjust the duration of the first time interval.

DC-DC converter for the control of a battery charge current in portable electronic devices

A Power Management Circuit for a portable electronic device comprising an internal battery to be charged either through a first interface or through an AC_DC conversion circuit. The circuit comprises a first buck/boost converter having a Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS) mode which can be controlled either in a buck or a boost mode, said first buck/boost controller being associated with a first external coil for the purpose of embodying a battery charging circuit through a first interface (USB). The circuit further comprises a second buck/boost converter which can also be controlled either in a buck or a boost mode. Bypass circuits are used for performing, under control of a control circuit, the bypass of either the voltage of the battery or the voltage generated by said buck/boost controllers when in boost mode to a second interface (SIM/MMC).

Power management circuit for a portable electronic device including USB functionality and method for doing the same

A DC-DC voltage down-converter for an electronic device supplied by a battery and having a bus interface for the interconnection with another electronic device capable of supplying electric power is provided. The DC-DC voltage down-converter includes a terminal coupled to a voltage supply line of the bus interface and operable to receive a input current from the another electronic device. The DC-DC voltage down-converter further includes an electric energy storage element coupled between the battery and the terminal, the electric energy storage element being operable to storage/release electric energy and a drive circuit arranged to control the storage/release of the electric energy storage element, so as to cause an electric power generated by the input current supplied by the another electronic device through the voltage supply line to re-charge the battery. The DC-DC voltage down-converter still further includes a input current feedback control circuit coupled to the terminal and arranged to monitor a value of the input current and generate a corresponding input current indication; the drive circuit configured to control the storage/release of the electric energy storage element according to the input current indication.

Method and apparatus for controlling the transfer of electric power to an electronic device supplied by a battery

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.

Electronic power supply circuit

A power management unit for a battery-operated electronic device having a bus interface for the interconnection with another electronic device, the power management unit including an electric energy storage element coupled between a battery of the battery-operated electronic device and a voltage supply line of the bus interface, the electric energy storage element being operable to charge/discharge electric energy; a drive circuitry arranged to control a charge/discharge of the electric energy storage element. The drive circuitry is operable to cause an electric power supplied by the other electronic device through the voltage supply line to re-charge the battery; or, in case the other electronic device does not supply electric power, cause the battery supply electric power to the other electronic device through the voltage supply line. The power management unit is particularly adapted for battery-operated, mobile USB OTG devices.

Power management unit for battery-operated devices

A device includes at least two circuit branches, each of said at least two circuit branches comprising at least one LED diode. The device comprises a supply circuit that provides an electric supply of said at least two circuit branches and includes a variable resistance. The device comprises a controller coupled to said at least two circuit branches and suitable for varying said resistance in reply to a variation of the current that flows in one of said at least two circuit branches to vary the electric supply of said at least two circuit branches.

Supply device of circuit branches with LED diodes

A circuit is provided for controlling a battery-charger device with a closed-loop architecture. The circuit includes sensing means for sensing an operative quantity of the device, control means, and driving means. The control means alternately controls the sensing means to track the operative quantity during a tracking phase and to hold the operative quantity during a holding phase. The driving means provides a regulation signal that regulates the operative quantity based on a comparison between the operative quantity sensed by the sensing means and a reference value. The control means causes the driving means to hold the regulation signal during at least part of each of the holding phases. Also provided is a method of controlling a battery-charger device with a closed-loop architecture.

Battery-charger device with improved stability

A circuit apparatus with LED diodes includes a plurality of circuit branches in which each circuit branch comprises at least one LED diode. The apparatus comprises a device for the supply of said plurality of circuit branches and each circuit branch is connected singularly to the supply device. The supply device comprises a controller suitable for commanding the supply of each circuit branch of the plurality of circuit branches independently from the other circuit branches of the plurality.

Circuit apparatus with LED diodes

A switch-type regulator with a soft-start function having an output terminal supplying an output voltage, and including an error amplifier, having a first input receiving a constant reference voltage, a second input receiving a feedback voltage dependent on the output voltage, and supplying a compensation terminal with an error voltage correlated to the difference between the reference voltage and the feedback voltage. The error amplifier includes a differential amplifier. The regulator also includes a compensation network connected to the compensation terminal. A soft-start function is obtained exploiting the compensation network.

Switch-type voltage regulator with reduction of occupied space for soft-start functions

A control circuit for controlling current of batteries at the end of the charging phase, especially for lithium batteries, including an input/output circuit, placed between a battery charger and a battery, and an output stage, including two transistors, wherein the resistance of one of the two transistors is modulated to increase the value of the total resistance and to cause a lower turning off current of said output stage.

Control circuit for the charging current of batteries at the end of the charging phase, especially for lithium batteries

Static current consumption in a low-side output drive stage is eliminated by employing a switch in series with a current generator that is employed for controlling the discharge process of the driving node (gate) of the output power transistor and by controlling the switch with the voltage that is present on the driving node of the out put power transistor.

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S. Agata Li Battiati, Italy

Patrizia Milazzo