Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Stmicroelectronics(tours) Sas

Stmicroelectronics (rousset) Sas

Roberto Larosa

Giulio Zoppi

Natale Aiello

Laurent Gonthier

Daniele Mangano

Giuseppe Palmisano

Riccardo Condorelli

Ranieri Guerra

Giovanni Benenati

Danilo Antonio Claudio Morreale

An AC/DC converter includes a first terminal and a second terminal to receive an AC voltage and a third terminal and a fourth terminal to deliver a DC voltage. A rectifying bridge is provided in the converter. A controllable switching or rectifying element has a control terminal configured to receive a control current. A first switch is coupled between a supply voltage and the control terminal to inject the control current. A second switch is coupled between the control terminal and a reference voltage to extract the control current. The first and second switches are selectively actuated by a control circuit.

Rectifying bridge control circuit

Radiofrequency energy that is captured by a radiofrequency power harvester is stored in a storage capacitance. One or more user circuits are supplied with energy stored in the storage capacitance. The harvester operates in alternated charge and burst phases with captured radiofrequency energy stored in the storage capacitance in the charge phases and supplied to the user circuits in the burst phases to perform user circuit tasks. In response to detection of completion of the user circuit tasks in a burst phase, the harvester causes operation to shift to the next charge phase.

Method of operating radio-frequency powered devices, corresponding circuit and device

An electronic device may include a transducer configured to generate an electrical output responsive to an input, and a data storage element configured to change state responsive to the transducer. The electronic device may include a power circuit configured to turn on and supply power responsive to the data storage element changing state, and a processing circuit configured to be powered by the power circuit.

Electronic device and sensor device with low power consumption and related methods

A receiver for digital signals includes a radiofrequency stage. A feedback loop controls a variable attenuation resistance applied to a modulated radiofrequency signal passing through the radiofrequency stage as a function of a comparison of an amplitude of the modulated radiofrequency signal with a reference value. A baseband stage includes an RC network cascaded to the radiofrequency stage and coupled to a baseband detector that generates the baseband signal. The feedback loop includes a circuit for detecting a range of variation of the comparison. The value of the variable resistance is controlled as a function of an end value (e.g., maximum or minimum) of the detected range of variation.

Receiver and corresponding process

A rectifier bridge circuit includes a first SCR/IGBT switch and a second SCR/IGBT switch coupled to a circuit input to receive an ac input voltage. The first and second SCR/IGBT switches are alternatively switchable to generate a rectified voltage at a circuit output. Control currents coupled to control terminals of the first and second SCR/IGBT switches are power supply sourced from an auxiliary dc source generated by rectifying the ac input voltage. The control currents are generated by current sources coupled between the auxiliary dc source and the control terminals of the first and second SCR/IGBT switches. The current sources are selectively activatable to produce gating currents for switching on and off the first and second SCR/IGBT switches. A controller unit is provided to control the current sources via level shifter circuits. The control implements progressive conduction time of the first and second SCR/IGBT switches so as to provide inrush current limitation.

Rectifier bridge circuit, corresponding apparatus and method

A power receiver includes a resonant circuit generating an internal supply voltage. A voltage rectification circuit receives the internal supply voltage and generate a corresponding rectified voltage. A voltage regulator receives the rectified voltage and a modulation signal and is configured to generate a corresponding regulated voltage. A controlled voltage-to-current converter receives the regulated voltage and the modulation signal. The converter operates to deliver, through an output line of the power receiver, an output current having a DC value corresponding to the DC value of said regulated voltage and having an AC value corresponding to said modulation signal.

Power receiver, wireless power system and related method of transmitting information with a power receiver

A device for driving a power supply start-up circuit may include a logic unit for storing an operating state of equipment, where the logic unit is activatable by a start-up signal reaching a start-up threshold. The device may also include a detector, where the detector provides a signal to the logic unit indicating a drop in the signal below a drop threshold. The detector may enable the logic unit to continue operating in the presence of a failure of a power supply to store the operating state of the equipment upon occurrence of the failure of the power supply. In addition, the device may include a start-up circuit sensitive to a power supply signal, where the start-up circuit is activatable by the power supply signal as restored after the failure, and the start-up circuit may provide the start-up signal reaching the start-up threshold upon the power supply signal being restored.

Device for operational state recovery and corresponding equipment

A receiver for digital signals includes a radiofrequency stage. A feedback loop controls an amplitude of a modulated radiofrequency signal passing through the radiofrequency stage as a function of a comparison of a baseband signal with a reference value. A baseband stage includes an RC network cascaded to the radiofrequency stage and coupled to a baseband detector that generates the baseband signal. The feedback loop includes a circuit for detecting a range of variation of the comparison. The amplitude of the modulated radiofrequency signal is controlled as a function of an end value (e.g., maximum or minimum) of the detected range of variation. A switching circuit operates to selectively short circuit a resistive component of the RC network during receiver start-up.

A power supply apparatus includes a power supply circuit and a power-on circuit. The power-on circuit detects a remotely transmitted control signal and causes a transition of the power supply circuit to a turned on state. The power-on circuit includes a transducer configured to provide a power-on signal in response to the remote control signal. The transducer triggers transition to the turned on state through a switch driven by the power-on signal output from the transducer and arranged to supply a power supply circuit enable signal. A DC blocking capacitor is connected between an output of the transducer and a control terminal of the switch.

Power supply apparatus for an electrical appliance

A power supply includes a power supply circuit and a power-on circuit controlling transitioning of the power supply circuit to a turned-on state. The power-on circuit includes a code driver, a controller coupled to the power supply circuit and code driver, and a transducer to detect a wireless control signal and generate an enable signal based thereupon. A transistor has a first conduction terminal coupled to the code driver, a second conduction terminal coupled to the controller, and a control terminal coupled to the transducer to receive the enable signal so the transistor switches based thereupon. The code driver detects a code embedded in the wireless control signal based upon switching of the transistor, and generates a power on signal for the controller based upon the code. The controller causes the power supply circuit to transition from the turned-off state to the turned-on state based upon the power on signal.

Growing community of inventors

Catania, Italy

Roberto Larosa