David F Swanson

6362578, Mar 26, 2002

Dec 23, 1999

09/470900

David F. Swanson - Howell MI
Marcello Criscione - Ragusa, IT

STMicroelectronics, Inc. - Carrollton TX

H05B 3702

315307, 315209 R, 315308, 363 89

An LED driver circuit and method are disclosed where an array of light emitting diodes have a transistor connected to each respective array of light emitting diodes. A PWM controller has an input for receiving a voltage reference and an output connected to selected transistors for driving selected transistors and setting a PWM duty cycle for the selected arrays of light emitting diodes to determine the brightness of selected light emitting diodes. An oscillator is connected to the PWM controller for driving the PWM controller.

6392577, May 21, 2002

Oct 5, 1999

09/412534

David F. Swanson - Howell MI
Mauro Merlo - Pavia, IT
Franco Cocetta - Premariacco Udine, IT

STMicroelectronics, Inc. - Carrollton TX
STMicroelectronics S.r.l. - Agrate Brianza

H03M 166

341144, 323263

A system and method regulates an alternator and includes a circuit for digitally generating a sawtooth waveform. An error amplifier circuit generates a divided down and error amplified alternator system voltage. A comparator circuit receives and compares to each other the digitally generated sawtooth waveform and the error amplified alternator system voltage and has an output to produce an alternator field input signal used for driving the field of an alternator.

6426607, Jul 30, 2002

Nov 4, 1999

09/434051

Mauro Merlo - Pavia, IT
David F. Swanson - Howell MI

STMicroelectronics, Inc. - Carrollton TX
STMicroelectronics, Srl. - Agrate Brianza

H02J 704

320150, 320137

A system and method regulates an alternator charging system and includes a memory for storing and regulating voltages used at specific temperatures for the specific alternator charging system requirements of an alternator. A circuit generates a digital signal indicative of both temperature of a battery supplied by the alternator charging system and the charging system voltage. A digital comparator receives the digital signal and compares the digital signal with the regulating voltage stored within the memory for the specific temperature that is indicative of the temperature of the battery supplied by the alternator charging system to generate a regulator control signal.

6836081, Dec 28, 2004

Oct 31, 2001

09/999157

David F. Swanson - Howell MI
James W. Stewart - San Jose CA
Michael K. Lam - San Jose CA
Marcello Criscione - Ragusa, IT

STMicroelectronics, Inc. - Carrollton TX
STMicroelectronics Srl
LumiLeds Lighting U.S., LLC - San Jose CA

H05B 3702

315307, 315224, 315308, 315309

An LED driver circuit and method are disclosed where a plurality of arrays of light emitting diodes each have a transistor connected to each respective array of light emitting diodes. A PWM controller has an input for receiving a voltage reference and an output connected to selected transistors for driving the selected transistors and setting a PWM duty cycle for the selected arrays of light emitting diodes to determine the brightness of selected light emitting diodes. An oscillator is connected to the PWM controller for driving the PWM controller.

7072778, Jul 4, 2006

Jun 17, 2004

10/870252

David F. Swanson - Novi MI, US

STMicroelectronics, Inc. - Carrollton TX

G01R 25/00

702 57, 702 65

A method for determining a rotor position in a DC motor having a plurality of windings, including a rotor winding and a plurality of stator windings begins with producing a changing current flow in a pulsed winding to induce a response signal in other windings of the motor. The pulsed winding may be the rotor winding or selected ones of the stator windings. If the pulsed winding is the rotor winding, response signals induced in at least two of the stator windings are analyzed compute the rotor position. If the pulsed winding is the stator winding, response signals induced from pulsing at least two stator windings are sensed in the rotor winding and analyzed compute the rotor position. A system for computing a rotor position may include comparators for comparing induced response signals in stator windings.

56660367, Sep 9, 1997

May 31, 1995

8/456060

David Frank Swanson - Howell MI

SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, Inc. - Carrollton TX

H02P 122

318295

A circuit for driving a motor used to control the HVAC blend door in an automobile is disclosed. The circuit includes an amplifier circuit, an motor, and a three state driver circuit. The driver circut includes three NPN bipolar transistors and two PNP bipolar transistors configured such that the output of the three state driver circuit is turned off if the input is at a intermediate voltage. The output of the three state driver circuit is at a high voltage if the input is at a low voltage. Conversely, the output of the three state driver circuit is at low voltage when the input is at a high voltage.

58874798, Mar 30, 1999

Dec 31, 1996

8/775642

David F. Swanson - Howell MI

STMicroelectronics, Inc. - Carrolltonl TX

G01F 2300

73290R

A liquid level sensor unit outputs a voltage value, which corresponds to a measured liquid level, to an anti-slosh circuit that provides a fast timing rate during the initial condition of the circuit and a slow timing rate during the normal operation of the circuit. The anti-slosh circuit further includes a low liquid level warning circuit and a power-on-reset circuit. The system timing rate can be externally controlled by connecting an RC circuit to the improved anti-slosh circuit. A customer defined reference level for low liquid warning is also possible. The entire circuit is included on a single, monolithic integrated circuit. An input pin receives the signal from the fuel tank. An output pin drives a liquid level gauge.

57813906, Jul 14, 1998

Dec 21, 1996

8/771644

Joseph Notaro - Northville MI
David Frank Swanson - Howell MI

SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, Inc. - Carrollton TX

H02H 318

361 84

An electrical power protection integrated circuit provides protection against reverse battery and overvoltage conditions that is particularly of value in automotive applications in which reverse battery and overvoltage conditions are commonplace. The electrical power protection integrated circuit device contains a reverse battery condition protection element, supplied either directly or indirectly from a battery power source, that protects against a reverse battery condition of the battery power source and an overvoltage protection element coupled to the reverse battery condition protection device that protects against an overvoltage condition of the battery power source and produces a protected power output that is isolated from both battery overvoltage and reverse battery voltage conditions. Additionally, the integrated circuit device can further produce an auxiliary protected power output that is isolated from reverse battery voltage conditions.