Abstract: A battery powered electronic device can include a battery to power one or more loads, a first DC-DC converter having an input coupled to the battery and an output, and a second DC-DC converter cascaded with the first DC-DC converter and coupled to a second load subject to pulsed operation. The first and second converters may be configured so as to isolate the one or more loads from transients associated with the pulsed operation of the second load. The second converter may have an input coupled to the output of the first converter and an output coupled to the second load. Alternatively, the second converter may be a bidirectional converter having first terminals coupled to the output of the first converter and second terminals coupled to an energy storage device.

Abstract: Power converters can include a plurality of switching devices and a combination of one or more inductors and one or more flying capacitors. Both boost and buck converters may employ such topologies, and can achieve high efficiency and small size in at least some applications, including those with high conversion ratios. A control circuit can generate a first pair of complementary gate drive signals to drive a first complementary switch pairs and a second pair of complementary gate drive signals to drive a second complementary switch pair. The control circuit can vary a phase shift between the first pair of complementary gate drive signals and the second pair of complementary gate drive signals to regulate the flying capacitor voltage.

Abstract: Power converters can include a plurality of switching devices and a combination of one or more inductors and one or more flying capacitors. Both boost and buck converters may employ such topologies, and can achieve high efficiency and small size in at least some applications, including those with high conversion ratios. A control circuit can generate a first pair of complementary gate drive signals to drive a first complementary switch pairs and a second pair of complementary gate drive signals to drive a second complementary switch pair. The control circuit can vary a phase shift between the first pair of complementary gate drive signals and the second pair of complementary gate drive signals to regulate the flying capacitor voltage.

Abstract: A battery powered electronic device can include a battery to power one or more loads, a first DC-DC converter having an input coupled to the battery and an output, and a second DC-DC converter cascaded with the first DC-DC converter and coupled to a second load subject to pulsed operation. The first and second converters may be configured so as to isolate the one or more loads from transients associated with the pulsed operation of the second load. The second converter may have an input coupled to the output of the first converter and an output coupled to the second load. Alternatively, the second converter may be a bidirectional converter having first terminals coupled to the output of the first converter and second terminals coupled to an energy storage device.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a switching regulator having a dual mode control. The switching regulator includes an error amplifier configured to receive an output voltage of a power source, and to generate an error voltage based on a difference between the output voltage of the power source and a reference voltage. The switching regulator additionally includes a PFM controller configured to receive the error voltage from the error amplifier, and to generate a clock signal having a switching frequency based on a difference between the error voltage and a modulation voltage. Moreover, the switching regulator includes a PWM controller configured to receive the clock signal and an error signal determined based on a load current sensed at an output of the power source, and to generate a control signal to control the power source.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices having a display. The display includes a channel of light emitting diodes (LEDs) having controllable brightness levels and control circuitry coupled to the channel of LEDs. The control circuitry provides a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal having a duty cycle to control the brightness levels. An adaptive headroom control circuitry is configured to sense a headroom voltage signal for the channel of LEDs and apply a first time period for blanking the headroom voltage signal during the first time period that is associated with a settling time for the headroom voltage signal.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to an electronic device with a display. The display includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes and first and second driver circuits coupled to the plurality of light-emitting diodes. The first driver circuit is configured to receive a first pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal to control a first current mirror branch and the second driver circuit to receive a second PWM signal to control a second current mirror branch to provide an extra N bits of resolution for controlling the plurality of the light-emitting diodes.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a switching regulator having a dual mode control. The switching regulator includes an error amplifier configured to receive an output voltage of a power source, and to generate an error voltage based on a difference between the output voltage of the power source and a reference voltage. The switching regulator additionally includes a PFM controller configured to receive the error voltage from the error amplifier, and to generate a clock signal having a switching frequency based on a difference between the error voltage and a modulation voltage. Moreover, the switching regulator includes a PWM controller configured to receive the clock signal and an error signal determined based on a load current sensed at an output of the power source, and to generate a control signal to control the power source.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inhalable pharmaceutical composition comprising a glucocorticoid and a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified interleukin-2 for treating a respiratory disease. The invention further provides an application of a PEG-modified interleukin-2 for preparing a pharmaceutical composition for enhancing the efficacy of a glucocorticoid in treating the respiratory disease. The invention also provides a method for treating the respiratory disease.

Abstract: A display may have display layers that form an array of pixels. The array of pixels may be illuminated using a backlight unit. The backlight unit may include multiple strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The multiple LED strings may be controlled by one or more backlight driver integrated circuits (ICs). In a multi-driver IC architecture, an enable signal may be used to set a desired phase delay between the multiple ICs. One or more of the LED strings may exhibit a short fault. Depending on the number of faulty LED strings, the backlight unit can selectively throttle the maximum brightness of the display. The LED strings may receive an output voltage from a DC/DC converter and may be driven using a current driver. The DC/DC converter may be controlled by a headroom feedforward control circuit to ensure sufficient headroom for the current driver while suppressing acoustic noise.

Abstract: Provided is use of a pharmaceutical composition in treating a glucocorticoid-resistant tumor characterized by an increased level of Akt2 expression. The pharmaceutical composition comprises an Akt2 inhibitor, a glucocorticoid, and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient and/or diluent. Also provided are use of an Akt2 detecting agent in detecting a glucocorticoid-resistant tumor, and use of an Akt2 inhibitor in the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for treating a tumor.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for light-emitting diodes. The control circuitry may operate a light-emitting diode using a multi-peak pulse-width-modulation signal. The control circuitry may include a multi-stage driver having a relatively larger driver stage for providing a direct current through a light-emitting diode and a relatively smaller driver stage configured to cooperate with a pulse-width-modulation controller to pulse-width-modulate a current through the light-emitting diode.

Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels illuminated using a backlight unit. The backlight unit may include multiple strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a boost converter for providing an output voltage to the multiple LED strings. The boost converter may have a single-phase single-switch, single-phase multi-switch, and/or multi-phase multi-switch configuration, where the switches are turned off when the peak current is reached. When transitioning from a single phase to a dual phase operation, the second (slave) phase current may be slowly ramped up. When transition from the dual phase to the single phase operation, the output voltage may be elevated while slowing ramping down the slave phase current. The boost converter may include a current detection circuit for adjusting the peak current of each phase to balance the average current levels. The boost converter may also include an in-rush current controller configured to sense a short fault.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to display circuitry such as backlight control circuitry for operating parallel strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). A voltage supply circuit of the backlight control circuitry provides a common supply voltage to the strings of LEDs. Headroom control circuitry samples a residual voltage at the end of each string, determines a minimum of the residual voltages, and provides feedback, based on the determined minimum voltage, to the voltage supply circuit. A headroom control feedback loop may be provided including sampling lines coupled to the second end of each string of LEDs for sampling a residual voltage of each string. Headroom control circuitry may modify the supply voltage based on the minimum residual voltage. Sample-and-hold circuitry may be provided that holds the sampled residual voltages until the voltage supply circuit is ready for an update.

Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels illuminated using a backlight unit. The backlight unit may include multiple strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a boost converter for providing an output voltage to the multiple LED strings. The boost converter may have a single-phase single-switch, single-phase multi-switch, and/or multi-phase multi-switch configuration, where the switches are turned off when the peak current is reached. When transitioning from a single phase to a dual phase operation, the second (slave) phase current may be slowly ramped up. When transition from the dual phase to the single phase operation, the output voltage may be elevated while slowing ramping down the slave phase current. The boost converter may include a current detection circuit for adjusting the peak current of each phase to balance the average current levels. The boost converter may also include an in-rush current controller configured to sense a short fault.

Abstract: A display may have display layers that form an array of pixels. The array of pixels may be illuminated using a backlight unit. The backlight unit may include multiple strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The multiple LED strings may be controlled by one or more backlight driver integrated circuits (ICs). In a multi-driver IC architecture, an enable signal may be used to set a desired phase delay between the multiple ICs. One or more of the LED strings may exhibit a short fault. Depending on the number of faulty LED strings, the backlight unit can selectively throttle the maximum brightness of the display. The LED strings may receive an output voltage from a DC/DC converter and may be driven using a current driver. The DC/DC converter may be controlled by a headroom feedforward control circuit to ensure sufficient headroom for the current driver while suppressing acoustic noise.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to display of an electronic device. The display includes a backlight unit having a voltage source, a string of light-emitting diodes and a bypass switch for each light-emitting diode in the string. The string of light-emitting diodes can receive, at a first end, a supply voltage from the voltage source. The bypass switch for each light-emitting diode is controllable to pulse-width-modulate that light-emitting diode. The headroom voltage feedback circuit is coupled to a second end of the string.

Abstract: Provided is use of a pharmaceutical composition in treating a glucocorticoid-resistant tumor characterized by an increased level of Akt2 expression. The pharmaceutical composition comprises an Akt2 inhibitor, a glucocorticoid, and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient and/or diluent. Also provided are use of an Akt2 detecting agent in detecting a glucocorticoid-resistant tumor, and use of an Akt2 inhibitor in the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for treating a tumor.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for light-emitting diodes. The control circuitry may include a feedforward loop and a feedback loop for a power supply for the light-emitting diodes. The light-emitting diodes may be arranged in strings that are individually controllable by a current control transistor on the string. The feedforward loop may determine a total upcoming load current for the power supply based on reference voltages for controlling each of the current control transistors. The output of the power supply may be modified based on a combination of a current from the feedforward loop and a current from the feedback loop.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for light-emitting diodes. The control circuitry may operate a light-emitting diode using a multi-peak pulse-width-modulation signal. The control circuitry may include a multi-stage driver having a relatively larger driver stage for providing a direct current through a light-emitting diode and a relatively smaller driver stage configured to cooperate with a pulse-width-modulation controller to pulse-width-modulate a current through the light-emitting diode.