Patents by Inventor Robert Wrathall

Robert Wrathall has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8896281
    Abstract: A method for controlling a switching voltage regulator that includes generating a feedback voltage that is proportional to the output voltage of the voltage regulator; generating a voltage proportional to the duty-cycle of the inductor charging and discharging phases as a function of the difference between the feedback voltage and a reference voltage; and adding a dominate pole and two zeros to the function used to generate the voltage proportional to the duty-cycle of the inductor charging and discharging phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Advanced Analogic Technologies Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert Wrathall
  • Publication number: 20140333272
    Abstract: A switching regulator that includes a high-side MOSFET, a low-side MOSFET, a high-side driver circuit, a low-side driver circuit, and a capacitive coupling circuit. An output of the high-side driver circuit is coupled to a gate of the high-side MOSFET to control the high-side MOSFET to be substantially depleted during a first operational phase and to be substantially enhanced during a second operational phase. An output of the low-side driver circuit is coupled to a gate of the low-side MOSFET to control the low-side MOSFET to be substantially enhanced during the first operational phase and to provide a regulated drain-to-source current during the second operational phase. The capacitive coupling circuit is coupled to an input of the high-side driver circuit and the gate of the low-side MOSFET and decreases the regulated drain-to-source current during a transition from the first operational phase to the second operational phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED ANALOGIC TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kevin D'Angelo, Robert Wrathall
  • Patent number: 8803494
    Abstract: A switching regulator that practices the current invention includes a high-side switch M1 connected between an input voltage and a node LX. A low-side switch is connected between the node LX and ground. An inductor L is connected between LX and an output node (VOUT). A filtering capacitor connects VOUT to ground. The switching regulator has two distinct operational phases. During the first operational phase, the high-side switch is OFF and the low-side switch is ON. During the second operational phase, the high-side switch is ON and the low-side switch acts as a current source. During transitions between the second and first operational phases, the low-side switch is controlled to momentarily decrease the regulated drain-to-source current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Advanced Analogic Technologies Incorporated
    Inventors: Kevin D'Angelo, Robert Wrathall
  • Patent number: 8354831
    Abstract: A reverse current comparator for use in switching regulators includes a differential stage configured to encode the difference in voltage between an N and a P input. The differential stage feeds one or more gain stages. At least one of the gain stages includes one or more hysteresis devices. When the voltage of the N input exceeds the voltage of the P input by a predetermined margin, the hysteresis device causes the regulator to enter a triggered state in which it outputs a non-zero output voltage. Subsequent changes to the N and P inputs do not change the regulator output until a RESET input is asserted and which point the regulator enters a reset state and is ready to be triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Wrathall
  • Publication number: 20090206808
    Abstract: A method for controlling a switching voltage regulator that includes generating a feedback voltage that is proportional to the output voltage of the voltage regulator; generating a voltage proportional to the duty-cycle of the inductor charging and discharging phases as a function of the difference between the feedback voltage and a reference voltage; and adding a dominate pole and two zeros to the function used to generate the voltage proportional to the duty-cycle of the inductor charging and discharging phases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: ADVANCED ANALOGIC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Robert Wrathall
  • Publication number: 20080253152
    Abstract: A switching regulator that practices the current invention includes a high-side switch M1 connected between an input voltage and a node Lx. A low-side switch is connected between the node Lx and ground. An inductor L is connected between Lx and an output node (VOUT). A filtering capacitor connects VOUT to ground. The switching regulator has two distinct operational phases. During the first operational phase, the high-side switch is OFF and the low-side switch is ON. During the second operational phase, the high-side switch is ON and the low-side switch acts as a current source. During transitions between the second and first operational phases, the low-side switch is controlled to momentarily decrease the regulated drain-to-source current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: ADVANCED ANALOGIC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin D'Angelo, Robert Wrathall
  • Publication number: 20080197827
    Abstract: A reverse current comparator for use in switching regulators includes a differential stage configured to encode the difference in voltage between an N and a P input. The differential stage feeds one or more gain stages. At least one of the gain stages includes one or more hysteresis devices. When the voltage of the N input exceeds the voltage of the P input by a predetermined margin, the hysteresis device causes the regulator to enter a triggered state in which it outputs a non-zero output voltage. Subsequent changes to the N and P inputs do not change the regulator output until a RESET input is asserted and which point the regulator enters a reset state and is ready to be triggered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Wrathall
  • Publication number: 20070257651
    Abstract: A reverse current comparator for use in switching regulators includes a differential stage configured to encode the difference in voltage between an N and a P input. The differential stage feeds one or more gain stages. At least one of the gain stages includes one or more hysteresis devices. When the voltage of the N input exceeds the voltage of the P input by a predetermined margin, the hysteresis device causes the regulator to enter a triggered state in which it outputs a non-zero output voltage. Subsequent changes to the N and P inputs do not change the regulator output until a RESET input is asserted and which point the regulator enters a reset state and is ready to be triggered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Applicant: Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Wrathall