Parallel Connected Patents (Class 323/272)
  • Patent number: 8836306
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device for delivering power to a load includes a controller circuit, a cascade circuit, and a power delivery circuit. The controller circuit generates a plurality of control signals. The cascade circuit receives the control signals from the controller circuit and sequentially outputs the control signals onto a cascade bus. The power delivery circuit receives the control signals from the controller circuit and delivers an amount of current to the load, in response to one of the control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: NetLogic Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sandeep Khanna, Maheshwaran Srinivasan, De Cai Li, Chetan Deshpande
  • Patent number: 8836301
    Abstract: A power supply unit includes first and second sub-power supply module, each having first and second inductor, first and second switching element which switches current supplied from an input power supply to the first and second inductor, first and second drive control circuit which drives the first and second switching element, and first and second sub-output terminal to which current is output from the first and second inductor respectively; and a common output terminal to which the first sub-output terminal and the second sub-output terminal are coupled, wherein an ON operation of the first switching element is controlled depending on whether or not an output voltage of the common output terminal is lower than a first voltage, and an ON operation of the second switching element is controlled depending on whether or not the output voltage is lower than a second voltage, which is different from the first voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Transphorm Japan, Inc.
    Inventor: Ken Shono
  • Publication number: 20140253066
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a power circuit includes an input terminal 1 to which a DC input voltage is applied, an output terminal 2, a first DCDC converter which receives the DC input voltage and supplies a first phase output current to the output terminal 2, a second DCDC converter which supplies an output current lower than the first phase output current to the output terminal in a second phase which is different from the first phase, and a controller which controls operations of the first and second DCDC converters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Chen Kong Teh
  • Publication number: 20140253064
    Abstract: A buck switching regulator includes a feedback control circuit including a balanced feedback network including first and second gain circuits configured to generate first and second feedback signals, respectively, indicative of the regulated output voltage; a ripple generation circuit configured to inject a first ripple signal to the first gain circuit and a second ripple signal to the second gain circuit; an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) configured to receive the second feedback signal and a reference signal and to generate an output signal being coupled to a node in the feedback control circuit; and a comparator configured to receive the first feedback signal and a comparator reference signal and to generate a comparator output signal. The output signal of the OTA is applied to the feedback control circuit to cancel a voltage offset in the regulated output voltage due to the injected ripple signal to the first gain circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventor: Leland Swanson
  • Publication number: 20140253065
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems, methods and apparatuses of a voltage regulator are disclosed. One apparatus of the voltage regulator includes a series switch element, wherein the series switch element comprises a plurality of partitioned series switch elements, a shunt switch element, and a switching controller. The switching controller is operative to control the series switch element and the shunt switch element in an idle state, wherein none of the plurality of partitioned series switch elements are active, control the series switch element and the shunt switch element in a burst state, wherein N of the plurality of partitioned series switch elements are active, and control the series switch element and the shunt switch element in a transition state, wherein M of the plurality of partitioned series switch elements are active, and wherein M is less than N.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: R2 SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: James E. C. Brown, Pablo Moreno Galbis, John O'Boyle, III
  • Patent number: 8830703
    Abstract: The power supply apparatus includes a first control part that controls a switching operation of a first converter, a second control part that controls a switching operation of a second converter, a zero crossing circuit that outputs a zero crossing signal of a voltage to be input; and a voltage supply part that supplies a DC voltage obtained by rectifying an output of an auxiliary coil of a transformer of the first converter to the first control part, the second control part, and the zero crossing circuit. When the first converter stops, the supply of the DC voltage to the second control part and the zero crossing circuit is stopped to reduce a power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuhide Murofushi
  • Patent number: 8829872
    Abstract: Methods and systems for dropping and/or adding phases in multiphase regulators according to various aspects of the present invention may operate in conjunction with multiple output circuits configured to deliver power to a load and a controller. The controller may be connected to each of the output circuits, such as to drive the output circuits. The controller may be adapted to selectively disable and/or enable phases. For example, the controller may disable one output circuit without disabling another output circuit. In addition, the controller may smoothly reduce the power delivered to the load by the output circuit prior to disabling it, for example to control output glitches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Richard Pierson, Benjamim Tang
  • Patent number: 8829868
    Abstract: A power converter provides current limit/current share functionality, allowing use in a point-of-load architecture and/or in parallel with one or more other power converters. An inner current control loop may sense output current over only a portion of a duty cycle, for example at a low side active switch. The resulting signal is compensated, and may be level shifted, for example via a resistor divider network, and supplied to a current control amplifier. An outer voltage control loop may sense output voltage, and provide a voltage error signal from a voltage error amplifier to the resistor divider network. Power converters are operable as masters or slaves, and include sense input and trim input terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Crane Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry F. Waltman, Reid Adriance, Jay Allen Kuehny, Stefan Jon Kristjansson
  • Patent number: 8816656
    Abstract: An electronic device for switched DC-DC conversion of an input voltage level into an output voltage level, comprising a first power switch and a second power switch, being connected in parallel and having a different gate width, and a driving stage that is configured to selectively drive the first power switch and/or second power switch depending on a load current output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Couleur, Neil Gibson, Christophe Vaucourt
  • Patent number: 8817506
    Abstract: A converter circuit including a step-up converter including a rectifier, a step-up reactor, a switching element, and a reverse current prevention element; a step-up converter having a step-up reactor, a switching element, and a reverse current prevention element and connected in parallel with the step-up converter; a switching control unit that controls switching elements; and a smoothing capacitor that is provided at the output of the step-up converters. The switching control unit switches the current mode of the current flowing through the step-up reactors into any of a continuous mode, a critical mode, and a discontinuous mode based on a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Shimomugi, Yosuke Shinomoto, Kazunori Sakanobe, Michio Yamada, Kazunori Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 8816657
    Abstract: A multi-phase DC-DC power converter including a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller and a plurality of output stage circuits is provided. The output stage circuits convert an input voltage into an output voltage. The PWM controller includes a PWM generation module, a ramp generator and a feedback circuit. The feedback circuit generates a trigger signal according to the output voltage and a ramp signal. The PWM generation module generates a PWM signal with a constant on time, and adjusts a duty cycle of the PWM signal according to the trigger signal, the input and output voltages, so as to control phase channels of the multi-phase DC-DC power converter in order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: uPI Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Han-Pang Wang
  • Patent number: 8810217
    Abstract: A power converter system disclosed herein includes first and second voltage converting modules, for converting input current to output voltage, and a current share controller configured to establish a master-slave relationship between the first and second voltage converting modules. As a result, one of the first and second voltage converting modules acts as a master module, and the other acts as a slave module. The first and second voltage converting modules are arranged to operate in a current share configuration so as to share a load of the power converter system. The master module determines its output current and sends a signal indicative of its output current to the slave module via at least one signaling line connecting the master and modules to the current share controller. The slave module adjusts its output current in dependence on the signal from the master module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventors: Jonas Malmberg, Mikael Hàkan Appelberg, Anders Kullman
  • Patent number: 8803489
    Abstract: Light load efficiency of a power factor correction circuit is improved by adaptive on-time control and providing for selection between a continuous conduction mode and a discontinuous conduction mode wherein the discontinuous conduction mode increases time between switching pulses controlling connection of a cyclically varying voltage to a filter/inductor that delivers a desired DC voltage and thus can greatly reduce the switching frequency at light loads where switching frequency related losses dominate efficiency. The mode for controlling switching is preferably selected for each switching pulse within a half cycle of the cyclically varying input voltage. A multi-phase embodiment allows cancellation of EMI noise at harmonics of the switching frequency and adaptive change of phase angle allows for cancellation of dominant higher order harmonics as switching frequency is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Qian Li, Fred C. Lee, Ming Xu, Chuanyun Wang
  • Patent number: 8803499
    Abstract: A control circuitry can be configured to receive an error signal indicating a difference between an output voltage of the power supply and a desired setpoint for the output voltage. According to one configuration, depending on the error signal, the control circuitry initiates switching between operating the control circuitry in a pulse width modulation mode and operating the control circuitry in a pulse frequency modulation mode to produce an output voltage. Operation of the control circuitry in the pulse frequency modulation mode during a transient condition, such as when a dynamic load instantaneously requires a different amount of current, enables the power supply to satisfy current consumption by the dynamic load. Subsequent to the transient condition, the control circuitry switches back to operation in the pulse width modulation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: International Recifier Corporation
    Inventors: Venkat Sreenivas, Robert T. Carroll
  • Publication number: 20140210548
    Abstract: Techniques for reducing ringing arising from L-C coupling in a boost converter circuit during a transition from a boost ON state to a boost OFF state. In an aspect, during an OFF state of the boost converter circuit, the size of the high-side switch coupling a boost inductor to the load is gradually increased over time. In this manner, the on-resistance of the high-side switch is decreased from a first value to a second (lower) value over time, which advantageously reduces ringing (due to high quality factor or Q) when initially entering the OFF state, while maintaining low conduction losses during the remainder of the OFF state. Further techniques are provided for implementing the high-side switch as a plurality of parallel-coupled transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Song S. Shi, Pengfei Li, Lennart Karl-Axel Mathe
  • Patent number: 8792253
    Abstract: A voltage conversion system and methods are disclosed. Phase-shift modulation signals are generated and interleaved to provide interleaved phase-shift modulation signals. A plurality of voltage converters are controlled using the interleaved phase-shift modulation signals to convert an input electrical current at an input voltage to an output electrical current at an output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Duanyang Wang, Dariusz Czarkowski, Francisco de Leon, Kamiar J. Karimi, Lijun Gao, Shengyi Liu
  • Patent number: 8787040
    Abstract: A voltage-regulating circuit according to the present invention includes a power conversion circuit, an input voltage detecting circuit and a feedback circuit. The power conversion circuit includes at least one switch element, wherein during operation of the at least one switch element, an input voltage is converted into a transition voltage. The input voltage detecting circuit is connected to the power conversion circuit for outputting a detected voltage signal corresponding to the input voltage. The feedback circuit is connected to the power conversion circuit and the input voltage detecting circuit for generating a feedback control signal. In such way, as the input voltage is changed, the feedback circuit will adjust to make the transition voltage changed as with the change of the detected voltage signal corresponding to the input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Guisong Huang, Yahong Xiong
  • Patent number: 8786264
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus comprising a DCDC converter having a plurality of converter modules each configured to convert current from a first voltage level to another voltage form. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the converter modules are configured to be dynamically enabled or disabled such that only each converter module that has been enabled converts current for an output of the DCDC converter. Any inefficiency that would have been introduced by converter modules that are not needed are mitigated or eliminated altogether. The effect is that efficiency can be improved during low load conditions when there is no need to enable all of the converter modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Khurram Muhammad
  • Publication number: 20140197810
    Abstract: A multi-phase DC-DC converter and a controlling method thereof are provided. The multi-phase DC-DC converter includes a plurality of output units, a sensing unit, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller. Each of the output units is coupled to one corresponding output inductance of a plurality of output inductances, and each of the output units and the corresponding output inductance have a phase node therebetween. The sensing unit is coupled to the phase nodes to acquire output currents of all phases and provide a plurality of difference voltages that respectively represent current differences of the phases, wherein a value of each of the difference voltages is not zero. The PWM controller adjusts a duty cycle of a PWM signal of the corresponding output unit according to each difference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: UPI SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
    Inventor: Hua-Chiang Huang
  • Patent number: 8779738
    Abstract: The invention improves the voltage regulation rate of the switching regulator in lag control. A divided output voltage divided by the first resistor and the second resistor is input to a first polarity input terminal of a comparator. A driver is used for controlling a switching transistor and a synchronous rectified transistor according to an output pulse of the comparator. A feedback circuit is used for outputting a switching signal to the reverse input terminal of the comparator according to the output pulse, wherein the switching signal is used for switching two voltage levels between the input voltage and a ground voltage. The error amplifier is used for amplifying an error between the divided output voltage and a first reference voltage and generating a second reference voltage to output to a second polarity input terminal of the comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Manabu Oyama
  • Publication number: 20140191737
    Abstract: A power-supply apparatus according to an aspect includes an inductor, a transistor that supplies, in an on-state, a current to the input side of the inductor, a second transistor that becomes, when the first transistor is in an off-state, an on-state and thereby brings the input side of the inductor to a predetermined potential, a signal generation unit that generates voltage signals corresponding to a current flowing to the inductor, an amplifier that outputs a current according to the voltage signals, a converter that converts the current output from the amplifier into a voltage signal, and a control unit that controls the transistors based on a first feedback signal corresponding to the voltage on the output side of the inductor and the voltage signal, which is used as a second feedback signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshio NAGASAWA, Yoshitaka ONAYA, Koji SAIKUSA, Shin CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20140191738
    Abstract: An embodiment of a power supply includes an output node, inductively coupled phase paths, and a sensor circuit. The output node is configured to provide a regulated output signal, and the inductively coupled phase paths are each configured to provide a respective phase current to the output node. And the sensor circuit is configured to generate a sense signal that represents the phase current flowing through one of the phase paths. For example, because the phase paths are inductively coupled to one another, the sensor circuit takes into account the portions of the phase currents induced by the inductive couplings to generate a sense signal that more accurately represents the phase current through a single phase path as compared to conventional sensor circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Intersil Americas LLC
    Inventors: Shangyang XIAO, Weihong QIU, Jun LIU
  • Publication number: 20140191594
    Abstract: A DC/DC converter including a control unit configured to control a voltage variation mechanism, the voltage variation mechanism including a plurality of variable voltage regulator circuits each controlled by a switching signal. The variable voltage regulator circuits are grouped together in plural modules each controlled by a control signal sent by the control unit and the switching signals of the variable voltage regulator circuits of a same module are phase shifted in relation to each other, and the control signals of the modules are also phase shifted in relation to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Belenos Clean Power Holding AG
    Inventor: Antoine Toth
  • Patent number: 8773094
    Abstract: An alternating current (AC) line emulator includes an AC power supply and an automatic regulating load. The AC power supply is used for providing an AC line frequency and an AC line voltage. The automatic regulating load is coupled between the AC power supply and a grid-connected power generation system for functioning as a test load of the grid-connected power generation system, and preventing current from reversing to the AC power supply and shutting down the AC power supply. When the grid-connected power system is tested, power consumption of the automatic regulating load is equal to a sum of output power of the grid-connected power generation system and output power of the AC power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Motech Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Yung-Hsiang Liu, Kuo-Hsin Chu, Hsu-Chin Wu, Hwai-Ching Shi, Wei-Kang Liang
  • Patent number: 8766478
    Abstract: A power system and a control method thereof are disclosed. The power system comprises: providing a plurality of power sources; electrically connecting a plurality of converters between the power sources and at least one load, wherein the converters are electrically connected to the power sources respectively in a one-to-one manner; and positive feed-forward controlling each of the converters by using a positive feed-forward control circuit electrically connected to one of the power sources in a one-to-one manner, for the use to protect the input voltage source from over-current drawing by reducing the input current of the converter when the source voltage drops, regardless constant output-voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Inventor: Ching Hsiung Liu
  • Publication number: 20140176097
    Abstract: A multi-phase DC-DC power converter is provided, which includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller and a plurality of output stage circuits. The plurality of output stage circuits converts an input voltage into an output voltage. The PWM controller includes a feedback circuit and a PWM generation module. The feedback circuit outputs a trigger signal according to the output voltage and a ramp signal. The PWM generation module at least generates a first PWM signal and a second PWM signal. In addition, a waveform of the first PWM signal partially overlaps a waveform of the second PWM signal at a logic high level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: uPI Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Hua-Chiang Huang
  • Publication number: 20140167717
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to sufficiently reduce the level of EMI which occurs from a switching FET in a DC/DC converter and minimize deterioration in efficiency of a power supply. A DC/DC converter includes a switching circuit for driving a switching FET for increasing or decreasing voltage, and a switching circuit for driving a ringing frequency changing circuit. One end of a capacitor is connected to a drain of the switching FET for increasing or decreasing voltage, and the other end of the capacitor is connected to a drain of an FET for the ringing frequency changing circuit. A source of the FET for the ringing frequency changing circuit is connected to GND, and a control circuit is provided which makes the ringing frequency changing circuit valid so that a ringing frequency becomes low only in a ringing frequency component exerting large influence on deterioration in EMI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: NLT Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kouichi OOGA
  • Patent number: 8754618
    Abstract: A multi-phase DC-DC controller. The multi-phase DC-DC controller comprises converter channels, a channel control device and a power control device. Each converter channel comprises a switch device, a first output node and an inductor coupled between the switch device and the first output node. The channel control device generates adjusted pulse width modulation signals according to control signals of the converter channels to respectively control operation of the switch device in each converter channel. The power control device generates the control signals according to sensed currents in the converter channels so as to dynamically turn on or off each converter channel according to the sensed currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: UPI Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Hua-Chiang Huang
  • Patent number: 8754619
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power converter that includes a first cell having an output connected at a first node in parallel with a second cell includes sensing a voltage signal at the first node, defining a current set point associated with the converter, processing the current set point associated with the converter to define a current set point associated with the first cell, sensing a current output by the first cell, controlling the first cell such that the first cell outputs a current substantially similar to the current set point associated with the first cell, processing the current set point associated with the converter to define a current set point associated with the second cell, sensing a current output by the second cell, and controlling the second cell such that the second cell outputs a current substantially similar to the current set point associated with the second cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Robert A. Mauss, James D. Kueneman, Jeff L. Vollin
  • Patent number: 8749213
    Abstract: Methods and circuits for power supply arrangement and control are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a switching regulator controller can include: (i) a first feedback circuit for sensing an output of a switching regulator to compare against a regulation reference, and to generate a control signal suitable for matching the output of the switching regulator to the regulation reference during a steady state operation of the switching regulator; and (ii) a second feedback circuit for sensing a regulation difference between the output and the regulation reference, and to generate an adjustment signal in response to the regulation difference, where the adjustment signal adjusts the control signal under transient conditions to improve transient responses of said switching regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignees: Silergy Technology, Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) Ltd
    Inventor: Wei Chen
  • Publication number: 20140152278
    Abstract: Power controller includes an output terminal having an output voltage, at least one clock generator to generate a plurality of clock signals and a plurality of hardware phases. Each hardware phase is coupled to the at least one clock generator and the output terminal and includes a comparator. Each hardware phase is configured to receive a corresponding one of the plurality of clock signals and a reference voltage, combine the corresponding clock signal and the reference voltage to produce a reference input, generate a feedback voltage based on the output voltage, compare the reference input and the feedback voltage using the comparator and provide a comparator output to the output terminal, whereby the comparator output determines a duty cycle of the power controller. An integrated circuit including the power controller is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Shepard, Noah Andrew Sturcken
  • Patent number: 8742738
    Abstract: A method and system control the adding or dropping of phases in a multiphase voltage regulator. The regulator has an efficiency and this efficiency of the regulator is calculated for a given number of phases being activated from an output voltage, input voltage, output current, and duty cycle of the regulator. The efficiency of the regulator is also calculated if a phase is added using the derivative of the duty cycle as a function of the output current. The efficiency of the regulator is further calculated if a phase is dropped using the derivative of the duty cycle as a function of the output current. From these operations of calculating, a phase is either added, dropped, or the phase is maintained at its current value to thereby optimize the efficiency of the regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Jason Houston
  • Patent number: 8736242
    Abstract: A buck circuit of a computer includes a voltage input terminal, a voltage output terminal, first and second electronic switches, and first to third field effect transistors (FETs). When the computer is powered on, the signal control terminal of the computer outputs a first control signal to control the first FET to be turned on through the first and second electronic switches, and simultaneously controls the first and third FETs with a pulse width modulation (PWM) control chip. After the computer is powered off, the signal control terminal of the computer outputs a second control signal to control the first FET to be turned off through the first and second electronic switches, and to control the third FET through the PWM control chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teng-Feng Zou
  • Patent number: 8729870
    Abstract: A current-driven load such as LEDs or laser diodes is driven by a current driver having a two stages (or phases), the outputs of which have ripple which is forced to be out-of-phase with one another. In analog embodiments, an output (ripple or switching) of a master stage hysteresis controller is phase-shifted and scaled, and modulates the input of a slave stage hysteresis controller so that the slave stage pulls into a ripple-canceling phase. In digital embodiments, a faster of the two phases is designated “master”, maximum and minimum thresholds are set, and the slave phase's on time is based on a previous cycle's slave phase ON time, the master stage OFF time and an offset. The slave controller may “lock” to the anti-phase of the master stage (or phase). The ripple currents at the summed output of the master and slave stages substantially cancel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Analog Modules, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian D. Crawford, Jeffrey T. Richter, Steven L. Pickles, John A. Harwick, Noal Chandler
  • Publication number: 20140132233
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus, a power supply apparatus, and a power supply method. The electronic apparatus may include a controller to provide a control signal to generate a multiphase signal through conversion of an input power and to receive a feedback of an output voltage that is generated using the multiphase signal; and a power supply including a plurality of unit converters having upper and lower switching elements of a half or full-bridge type, being operated by the control signal, and configured to provide the output voltage by the multiphase signal generated according to driving of the plurality of unit converters, wherein the power supply detects whether the upper and lower switching elements are simultaneously turned on in the plurality of unit inverters and turns off the operation of the unit converters according to the detection result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Jeong-gyu PARK
  • Patent number: 8723487
    Abstract: Circuits and methods relating to the provision of a reactive current to ensure zero voltage switching in a boost power factor correction converter. A simple passive circuit using a series connected inductor and capacitor are coupled between two phases of an interleaved boost PFC converter. The passive circuit takes advantage of the 180° phase-shift between the two phases to provide reactive current for zero voltage switching. A control system for adjusting and controlling the reactive current to ensure ZVS for different loads and line voltages is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Inventors: Majid Pahlevaninezhad, Praveen Jain
  • Patent number: 8723491
    Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion comprises a voltage transformation element, a regulating element, and a controller; wherein, a period of the voltage transformation element is equal to a product of a coefficient and a period of the regulating circuit, and wherein the coefficient is selected from a group consisting of a positive integer and a reciprocal of said integer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Arctic Sand Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: David M. Giuliano
  • Patent number: 8716991
    Abstract: A switching power converter includes a first and second switching device, an air core coupled inductor, and a controller. The air core coupled inductor includes a first winding electrically coupled to the first switching device and a second winding electrically coupled to the second switching device. The first and second windings are magnetically coupled. The controller is operable to cause the first and second switching devices to repeatedly switch between their conductive and non-conductive states at a frequency of at least 100 kilohertz to cause current through the first and second windings to repeatedly cycle, thereby providing power to an output port. The switching power converter may have a topology including, but not limited to, a buck converter topology, a boost converter topology, and a buck-boost converter topology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Alexandr Ikriannikov
  • Publication number: 20140118413
    Abstract: There are provided a DC-DC converter and an organic light emitting display device using the same. A DC-DC converter includes a switching module that converts an input voltage into a first voltage through switching operations of a plurality of switches that are turned on or off in response to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and outputs the first voltage; a sensing unit that senses driving current supplied to a load to which the first voltage is provided; and a control module that controls the switching module by generating the PWM signal. The control module is configured to adaptively control the turn-on resistance of the switching module according to the sensed result of the sensing unit. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a DC-DC converter and an organic light emitting display device using the same which has optimal efficiency by adaptively operating according to a load condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sung-Cheon Park
  • Patent number: 8710810
    Abstract: A regulated, power supply system is described using multiphase DC-DC converters with dynamic fast-turnon, slow-turnoff phase shedding, early phase turn-on, and both load-voltage and drive-transistor feedback to pulsewidth modulators to provide fast response to load transients. In an embodiment, a system master can automatically determine whether all, or only some, slave phase units are fully populated. The programmable system includes fault detection with current and voltage sensing, telemetry capability, and automatic shutdown capability. In an embodiment, these are buck-type converters with or without coupled inductors, however some of the embodiments illustrated include boost configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. McJimsey, David B. Lidsky, Andrew Burstein, Giovanni Garcea, Jeremy M. Flasck, Ilija Jergovic, Andrea Pizzutelli
  • Patent number: 8704500
    Abstract: An embodiment of a power supply includes a supply output node, phase paths, and sensor circuits. The supply output node is operable to carry a regulated output voltage, and each phase path has a respective phase-path non-output node, has a respective phase-path output node coupled to the supply output node, and is operable to carry a respective phase current. And each sensor circuit has a respective sensor node coupled to the phase-path non-output nodes and is operable to generate a respective sense signal that represents the phase current flowing through a respective one of the phase paths. For example, where the phase paths are magnetically coupled to one another, the sensor circuits take into account the portions of the phase currents induced by the magnetic couplings to generate sense signals that more accurately represent the phase currents as compared to conventional sensor circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Intersil Americas LLC
    Inventors: Shangyang Xiao, Weihong Qiu, Jun Liu
  • Publication number: 20140097813
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed relating to an electric power conversion device and methods for controlling the operation thereof. One disclosed embodiment provides an electric power conversion device comprising a first current control mechanism coupled to an electric power source and an upstream end of an inductor, where the first current control mechanism is operable to control inductor current. The electric power conversion device further comprises a second current control mechanism coupled between the downstream end of the inductor and a load, where the second current control mechanism is operable to control how much of the inductor current is delivered to the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: William James Dally
  • Patent number: 8692527
    Abstract: The invention relates to power supplies where the output current is controllable. In prior art, there is a problem to provide both high rate of change in the current output and high efficiency. The solution of the present invention is based on combining current elements, whereby the current is controlled by switching the outputs of the current elements. The current elements can be implemented with e.g. buck converters, whereby the power dissipation is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Efore Oyj
    Inventors: Seppo Ritamäki, Mika Sippola
  • Patent number: 8680893
    Abstract: A connection device for connecting a load to a power supply, comprising at least first and second current control devices arranged in parallel between the power supply and the load, and a controller arranged to switch the current control devices on in sequence for temporally overlapping on periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: George Redfield Spalding, Jr., Marcus O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8681519
    Abstract: A method of generating an output voltage from a variable input voltage with a power factor correction (PFC) system is disclosed. The PFC system includes a first power rail and a second power rail connected in parallel between an input for receiving the input voltage and an output for outputting the output voltage. The method includes operating one or both of the first power rail and the second power rail to generate the output based, at least in part, on whether the input voltage exceeds a threshold voltage. Power supplies and PFC systems suitable for performing the method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventor: Vijay G. Phadke
  • Patent number: 8680823
    Abstract: A power supply apparatus includes a front-stage power circuit, a bus capacitor, a standby power circuit, a standby power circuit, an auxiliary switching circuit and a controlling unit. The auxiliary switching circuit is electrically connected between the bus capacitor and the standby power circuit. The controlling unit is electrically connected with the auxiliary switching circuit and the front-stage power circuit for controlling operations of the front-stage power circuit and the auxiliary switching circuit. When the input voltage is normal but the front-stage power circuit is disabled, the auxiliary switching circuit is turned off under control of the controlling unit, so that electric energy of the input voltage is transmitted to an input terminal of the standby power circuit through the protecting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Sheng-Hua Li
  • Patent number: 8680826
    Abstract: A regulator apparatus having an input terminal and an output terminal, the regulator apparatus includes: a plurality of regulators arranged in parallel between the input terminal and the output terminal; an conversion efficiency characteristic information obtaining unit that obtains conversion efficiency characteristic information representing a characteristic of a conversion efficiency with respect to an output current with regard to each of the plurality of regulators; a memory that stores the conversion efficiency characteristic information of each of the plurality of regulators obtained by the conversion efficiency characteristic information obtaining unit; and a switching control unit that performs a switching control on the plurality of regulators based on a value of the output current output from the output terminal and the conversion efficiency characteristic information stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Kondo, Kazunori Kasuga, Hirofumi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8674667
    Abstract: A post regulation control circuit aims to monitor ancillary output power generated from a power supply. The power supply includes at least one primary output circuit to provide a primary output power. A post regulation circuit obtains the primary output power and regulate to an ancillary output power. The monitor circuit sets an abnormal level and obtains a detection power from the post regulation circuit to compare with the abnormal level. Determining whether to output a driving pulse wave according to the detection power is over the abnormal level or not, or stop outputting the driving pulse wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: FSP Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Kuo-Fan Lin, Hua-Ming Lu
  • Patent number: 8669749
    Abstract: A switching power supply unit of a non-insulated, synchronous rectification type converts a voltage input to an input terminal into a predetermined voltage and outputs the voltage. The unit includes an inductor, a plurality of output switching elements, a plurality of rectifying switching elements, a switching element control circuit, a switching regulator integrated circuit, and a plurality of buffer circuits. The output switching elements, the rectifying switching elements, the switching element control circuit and the buffer circuits are integrated on the switching regulator integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yohichi Shiwaya
  • Publication number: 20140055109
    Abstract: In one implementation, a power converter includes an output stage integrated circuit (IC) on a group III-V die, and a driver IC for driving the output stage IC, the driver IC fabricated on a group IV die. The power converter also includes a composite power switch split between the group III-V die and the group IV die, wherein a depletion mode group III-V transistor of the composite power switch is monolithically integrated in the group III-V die, and a group IV control switch of the composite power switch is monolithically integrated in the group IV die. As a result, the depletion mode group III-V transistor may be operated as an enhancement mode transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Alberto Guerra, Ahmed Masood