Patent ID: 11922979
Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. A circuit, comprising:
a resistive heater element configured to produce heat based on an electric energy dissipated therein;
a heater drive node coupled to the resistive heater element to provide a drive current thereto, wherein the energy dissipated in the resistive heater element varies over time as a function of an intensity of the drive current provided to the resistive heater element;
an input node configured to receive a digital control signal indicative of a target intensity of the drive current; and
control circuitry coupled to the input node and to the heater drive node, the control circuitry configured to vary the intensity of the drive current of the resistive heater element based on the digital control signal, wherein the control circuitry comprises:
a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the input node to receive the digital control signal therefrom, the DAC configured to produce, based on the digital control signal, an analog target intensity of the drive current;
driver circuitry coupled to the DAC and configured to produce an analog target voltage based on the analog target intensity of the drive current from the DAC; and
an output circuit coupled to the driver circuitry to receive therefrom the analog target voltage, the output circuit configured to produce the drive current provided to the resistive heater element based on the analog target voltage, wherein the output circuit is configured to control the energy dissipated in the resistive heater element independently of a resistance value of the resistive heater element.