Patents Assigned to Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
  • Symmetrical power stages for high power integrated circuits
    Patent number: 10361631
    Abstract: A circuit assembly for a power converter includes power stage blocks. A power stage block includes a power stage IC die, an output inductor that is connected to a switch node of the power stage IC die, and capacitors that form an output capacitor of the power stage block. The output capacitors of the power stage blocks are symmetrically arranged. The output inductors can be placed on the same side of the substrate as the power stage IC dies, or on a side of the substrate that is opposite to the side where the power stage IC dies are disposed. A power stage block may generate two output phases of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Jinghai Zhou, Chia-Hsin Chang
  • Charging circuit and the method thereof
    Patent number: 10348111
    Abstract: A charging circuit adopts a plurality of feedback control circuits, a constant time signal generator and a logic circuit to control the operation of a power switch. The charge circuit needs no oscillator with high frequency, error amplifier with high speed and high accuracy, or compensation circuit with complicated structure, so the system portability is highly improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Min Xu, Xiaoqing Li, Qiming Zhao
  • DC-DC converter with transient control and the method thereof
    Patent number: 10348197
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter with transient control. The DC-DC converter includes a power switching circuit, a current to voltage converter, a PI circuit 403, a voltage to current converter 404 and a logic and control circuit 405. The DC-DC converter obtains the transient information of a current flowing through the power switching circuit, to slow down the variation of the output voltage, so as to eliminate the overshot issue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Chao Liu, Lijie Jiang, Qian Ouyang, Xiaokang Wu
  • Current driving control for high brightness LED matrix
    Patent number: 10342083
    Abstract: A LED driving system for a LED matrix having a plurality of LEDs connected in parallel. The LED driving system includes a plurality of driving modules. Each one of the plurality of driving modules drives a corresponding one of the plurality of LEDs. Each one of the plurality of driving modules can include a local current driver receiving a reference current and providing a driving current to the corresponding one LED, and a local current tuning module receiving a U-bit current tuning command to tune the driving current for the corresponding one LED to reach a desired driving current using the U-bit current tuning command which provides a predetermined number of tuning steps ranging from 0 to 2U.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Zheng Luo, Junjian Zhao, Tong Chen, Yu-Huei Lee
  • Boost converter and the method thereof
    Patent number: 10284086
    Abstract: A boost converter having an inductor having a first terminal coupled to an input port to receive the input voltage; a high side switch coupled between the inductor and an output port; a low side switch coupled between the inductor and a ground reference; and a control circuit configured to receive a feedback signal indicative of the output voltage and a reference signal, and to provide a high side control signal and a low side control signal based on the feedback signal and the reference signal; wherein the low side switch on time period is controlled to be constant by the low side control signal when the input voltage and the output voltage are fixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Yike Li
  • Multiphase power supply with constant on-time DC-DC converters
    Patent number: 10270343
    Abstract: A multiphase power supply includes several constant ON-time (COT) DC-DC converter integrated circuits (ICs), with each COT DC-DC converter IC providing an output voltage of a phase of the multiphase power supply. The COT DC-DC converter ICs are sequentially turned ON one after another in interleaved fashion. A COT DC-DC converter IC receives a control signal at a take pin and, in response, turns ON its output switch. The COT DC-DC converter IC generates another control signal at a pass pin. The next COT DC-DC converter IC turns ON its output switch in response to receiving the other control signal from the previous COT DC-DC converter IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James Nguyen, Yan Dong, Jinghai Zhou, Rohan Samsi
  • Bi-directional snapback ESD protection circuit
    Patent number: 10263420
    Abstract: An ESD protection circuit having a discharging transistor and a body snatching circuit. The discharging transistor is electrically coupled between a first node and a second node. The gate and the body of the discharging transistor are electrically coupled together. The body snatching circuit receives the voltages at the first and second nodes and outputs either the voltage at the first node or the voltage at the second node based on which of these two voltages have a lower value. The output voltage of the body snatching circuit is provided to the body of the discharging transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Braun
  • SYMMETRICAL POWER STAGES FOR HIGH POWER INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
    Publication number: 20190109538
    Abstract: A circuit assembly for a power converter includes power stage blocks. A power stage block includes a power stage IC die, an output inductor that is connected to a switch node of the power stage IC die, and capacitors that form an output capacitor of the power stage block. The output capacitors of the power stage blocks are symmetrically arranged. The output inductors can be placed on the same side of the substrate as the power stage IC dies, or on a side of the substrate that is opposite to the side where the power stage IC dies are disposed. A power stage block may generate two output phases of the power converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jinghai ZHOU, Chia-Hsin CHANG
  • AC-DC converting apparatus and method thereof
    Patent number: 10250143
    Abstract: An AC/DC converting apparatus having first and second input nodes for receiving an AC input voltage Vin, a first pair of switches for coupling a first terminal of a first inductor to the first input node and ground, a second pair of switches for coupling a second terminal of the first inductor to an output node for providing a DC output voltage Vout and ground, a third pair of switches for coupling a first terminal of a second inductor to the second input node and ground, and a fourth pair of switches for coupling a second terminal of the second inductor to the output node and ground. The first pair of switches is turned ON when Vin is in a first portion having a first polarity, the third pair of switches is turned ON when Vin is in a second portion having a second polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jian Jiang, Eric Yang, Di Han
  • Method for fabricating LDMOS with self-aligned body
    Patent number: 10090409
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a LDMOS device, including: forming a semiconductor substrate; forming a dielectric layer atop the semiconductor substrate and an electric conducting layer on the dielectric layer; forming a first photoresist layer on the electric conducting layer; patterning the first photoresist layer through a first mask to form a first opening; etching the electric conducting layer through the first opening; implanting dopants of a first doping type into the semiconductor substrate through the first opening to form a first body region adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a second body region located beneath the first body region; removing the first photoresist layer; etching the electric conducting layer using a second photoresist layer and a second mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Joel M. McGregor, Deming Xiao, Zeqiang Yao, Ji-Hyoung Yoo, Jeesung Jung
  • Semiconductor device reducing parasitic loop inductance of system
    Patent number: 10083930
    Abstract: A semiconductor device reducing parasitic loop inductance of system for the switching converter. The semiconductor device has an input voltage pin, a ground reference pin, a switching pin, and a semiconductor die, wherein the semiconductor die comprises a high-side power switch and a low-side power switch and a metal connection. The metal connection directly connects the high-side power switch and the first terminal of the low-side power switch, and is along and proximity to an edge of the semiconductor device to which the input voltage pin is distributed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Huaifeng Wang, Eric Braun, Hunt Hang Jiang, Francis Yu
  • High voltage current source with short circuit protection
    Patent number: 10079542
    Abstract: A current source generating a charging current and a supply voltage by charging a capacitor with the charging current. The current source has a conversion circuit converting a line voltage into a second voltage, a current generation circuit generating the charging current based on the second voltage, and a control circuit controlling the current generation circuit based on the supply voltage. The charging current is controlled to be at a first current value when the supply voltage is lower than a first threshold voltage, the charging current is controlled to be at a second current value when the supply voltage is higher than a second threshold voltage. The first threshold voltage is lower than the second threshold voltage, and the first current value is lower than the second current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bin Xiao, Yuedong Chen
  • VID-controlled voltage regulator with audible noise correction
    Patent number: 10003255
    Abstract: A method for correcting audible noise from a voltage regulator due to a change of a VID indicated by a series of VID commands. A VID difference between a current value and a target value of the VID is compared with a VID threshold when a VID command for changing the VID from the current value to the target value is received. The VID is held at the current value if the VID difference is larger than the VID threshold. And the VID command is executed if a holding duration for holding the VID at the current value expires and no new VID command for changing the VID is received before the expiration of the holding duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Jull, Qian Li
  • Clock circuit and control method thereof
    Patent number: 9998127
    Abstract: A clock circuit and control method thereof to avoid missing the clock signal generated by the clock circuit when the generated clock signal is synced with an external clock signal, wherein the clock circuit comprises a current compensation circuit and a current control circuit. The clock signal is generated by alternately charging and discharging a capacitor with a charging current based on a sync current and a compensating current when an external clock signal is detected. The compensating current is generated based on a frequency of the external clock signal, and the sync current is provided based on a phase difference between the generated clock signal by the clock circuit and the external clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Lei Li
  • Single inductor dual output voltage converter and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9998005
    Abstract: A voltage converter provides a positive voltage and a negative voltage with a single inductor. The voltage converter has a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch switched periodically, wherein each switching period comprise a first time period, a second time period and a third time period, and wherein: during the first time period, the first switch and the fourth switch are turned on, whereas the second switch and the third switch are turned off; during the second time period, the first switch and the third switch are turned on, whereas the second switch and the fourth switch are turned off; and during the third time period, the second switch and the fourth switch are turned on, whereas the first switch and the third switch are turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bairen Liu, Licheng Sheng, Bo Yu
  • Switch mode power supply supporting both a bi-directional converter of a first configuration and that of a second configuration
    Patent number: 9998009
    Abstract: A switch mode power supply (SMPS) with control scheme selection for high-voltage configuration and low-voltage configuration of the SMPS. The SMPS operates in at least a charge state or a release state. The SMPS has a mode control module receiving a mode setting signal indicative of the configuration of the SMPS and a state indication signal indicative of the state of the SMPS. The SMPS selects a boost control module or a buck control module to control the SMPS according to the mode setting signal and the state indication signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Pengjie Lai, Jian Jiang
  • Buck-boost converter, the control circuit and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9966851
    Abstract: A buck-boost converter automatically chooses work mode between buck mode, boost mode and buck-boost mode, in response to an input voltage and an output voltage. The buck-boost converter is with simple structure, convenient mode transition and lower output voltage ripple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Qian Ouyang
  • Magnetic angular sensing system with side-shaft mounted sensor and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9945691
    Abstract: A magnetic angular sensing system has a magnet magnetized radially and a magnetic angular sensor for sensing the angular position of the magnet. The magnetic angular sensor is mounted in parallel to the axis of the magnet and is non-coplanar with the magnet. The magnetic angular sensor senses an angular position of the magnet based on a detected axial magnetic field component and a tangential magnetic field component of the magnetic field vector where the sensor mounted. This invention provides a flexible sensing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Serge Reymond
  • Method for fabricating LDMOS with reduced source region
    Patent number: 9941171
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device including: forming a block layer above a well region of a first doping type in a semiconductor substrate, wherein the block layer has an opening for defining a first region in an upper part of the well region and has sidewalls at sides of the opening; implanting dopants of a second doping type into the well region through the opening of the block layer to form the first region; implanting dopants of the first doping type into the first region in the manner of large-angle-tilt dopants implantation to form a second region for a first transistor, and to form a third region for a second transistor; and forming, for both of the first transistor and the second transistor, a fourth region between the second region and the third region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Ji-Hyoung Yoo, Joel M. McGregor, Eric K. Braun
  • AC switch circuit and associated control method
    Patent number: 9935630
    Abstract: An AC switch circuit coupled between an AC input signal and an AC load has a first switch, a second switch, a driving circuit, and a power generation circuit. The first switch blocks a first half-cycle of the AC input signal when turned OFF, and the second switch blocks a second half-cycle of the AC input signal when turned OFF. The driving circuit provides a driving signal to control the first switch and the second switch based on an enable signal. The power generation circuit provides a voltage signal to power the driving circuit. The power generation circuit stores energy from the AC input signal when the first switch and the second switch are turned OFF, and the power generation circuit is disconnected from the AC input signal when the first switch and the second switch are turned ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jian Jiang, Pengjie Lai, Bo Zhou, Junyong Gong, Eric Yang