Patents Assigned to Monolithic Power Systems
  • Switching regulator and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9608510
    Abstract: A switching regulator uses an over voltage comparator to compare an envelop line signal with a reference wave signal, to detect whether the system is in an over voltage condition. The envelop line signal is indicative of a peak value of an inductor current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naixing Kuang
  • Switching converter with adaptive off time control and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9608519
    Abstract: A switching converter having a power stage with a main switch to convert an input voltage to an output voltage; a current sense circuit generating a current sense signal indicative of a current flowing through the main switch; a PWM generator generating a PWM signal; an OFF time controller generating an OFF time control signal relating to the input voltage and the output voltage; and a logic circuit generating a switching signal based on the OFF time control signal and the PWM signal to control the main switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chuan Ding, Tianzhu Zhang
  • Switching converter with controllable restart delay and associated control method
    Patent number: 9608509
    Abstract: A switching converter providing an output voltage has a first switch and a control circuit. The control circuit provides an auxiliary power supply voltage, and a switching control signal to control the first switch based on the output voltage and a reference signal. The switching converter is shut down by the control circuit when a fault happens, and the switching converter restarts when the auxiliary power supply voltage decreases to a first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Li Xu, Yike Li
  • Battery discharge circuit and discharge method with over discharge protection
    Patent number: 9608516
    Abstract: A battery discharge circuit has a switching circuit and a controller. The switching circuit is coupled between a battery and a load. The controller is configured to generate a control signal to control the switching circuit. When the battery voltage drops below a first reference voltage, the controller adjusts the control signal to regulate the battery voltage to be equal to the first reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Min Xu, Qiming Zhao
  • Trans-conductance regulation circuit, trans-conductance error amplifier and power converter
    Patent number: 9606566
    Abstract: A trans-conductance regulation circuit, a trans-conductance error amplifier module and a power converter. The trans-conductance regulation circuit provides a bias current at least partially based on an output voltage of the power converter. The bias current is sent to bias a trans-conductance operational amplifier in the trans-conductance error amplifier module so that a trans-conductance of the trans-conductance operational amplifier is direct proportional to the output voltage of the power converter. The power converter regulates the output voltage based on a negative feedback loop comprising the trans-conductance error amplifier module. The trans-conductance error amplifier module may help to maintain a band width of the negative feedback loop substantially stable and immune to variations in the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Lei Li
  • DIGITALLY CALIBRATED VOLTAGE REGULATORS FOR POWER MANAGEMENT
    Publication number: 20170083649
    Abstract: A computer provides a graphical user interface for displaying a virtual representation of a voltage regulator and for accepting a user requirement for the voltage regulator. The computer automatically determines an internal calibration setting of the voltage regulator that meets the user requirement. The computer simulates operation of the voltage regulator as calibrated with the internal calibration setting. The internal calibration setting is downloaded to the voltage regulator. A calibration controller of the voltage regulator receives the internal calibration setting and outputs digital calibration bits in accordance with the internal calibration setting. The digital calibration bits works in conjunction with interface circuits to adjust circuits of a voltage regulator core to digitally calibrate the voltage regulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicant: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric YANG, Michael HSING
  • Efficient control circuit for buck-boost converters and control method thereof
    Patent number: 9602004
    Abstract: A controller used in a buck-boost converter includes a logic control circuit, a pulse width increasing circuit, a pulse width decreasing circuit, a first driving circuit and a second driving circuit. The pulse width increasing circuit generates a sum control signal based on a logic control signal generated by the logic control circuit. The pulse width increasing circuit increases the pulse width of the logic control signal by a first value to generate the pulse width of the sum control signal. The pulse width decreasing circuit generates a difference control signal based on the logic control signal. The pulse width decreasing circuit decreases the pulse width of the logic control signal by a second value to generate the pulse width of the difference control signal. The first and second driving circuit respectively generates driving signals based on the sum control signal and the difference control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chenggang Deng
  • Isolated switching mode power supply and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9595885
    Abstract: An isolated switching mode power supply, having: an input terminal; an output terminal; a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; a primary power switch coupled to the primary winding; a secondary power switch coupled between the secondary winding and the output terminal of the power supply; a secondary controller configured to generate a frequency modulation signal based on the output voltage and the first feedback signal; a coupled device configured to provide a frequency control signal based on the output voltage and the frequency modulation signal; and a primary controller configured to provide a switching signal to control the primary power switch based on the current sense signal and the frequency control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Siran Wang, Junming Zhang, Yuancheng Ren
  • Switching circuit and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9595952
    Abstract: A switching circuit having a low side driver providing a three-level low side drive signal keeps a low side power switch slightly on during a dead time between the low side power switch turn off and a high side power switch turn on, thus a current flowing through a body diode is mostly distributed to the slightly on low side power switch instead of the body diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Eric Braun
  • Switching converter and associated discharge method
    Patent number: 9590503
    Abstract: A switching converter has an input port for receiving an input voltage and an output port for providing an output voltage. The switching converter has a power stage, an energy stored circuit, a power conversion circuit and a control circuit. The power stage has an input terminal coupled to the input port and an output terminal coupled to the output port. The energy stored circuit is charged by the input voltage and provides a first bias voltage which maintains a predetermined time period after the input voltage is less than a predetermined voltage level. The power conversion circuit provides a second bias voltage. The control circuit provides a control signal to control the power stage and discharges the output voltage based on a discharge control signal, wherein the control circuit is powered by either the first bias voltage or the second bias voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Pengjie Lai, Jian Jiang
  • Bootstrap refresh control circuit, voltage converter and associated method
    Patent number: 9590608
    Abstract: A voltage converter having a bootstrap refresh control circuit and a method for controlling the voltage converter. The bootstrap refresh control circuit monitors a bootstrap voltage across a bootstrap capacitor and provides a high side driving signal to a high side switch of the voltage converter. The bootstrap refresh control circuit also controls the charging of the bootstrap capacitor through decreasing the output voltage of the voltage converter once the bootstrap voltage is dropped to be smaller than a bootstrap refresh threshold. When the output voltage of the voltage converter is decreased enough, the bootstrap refresh control circuit switches the high side switch and the low side switch on and off to refresh the bootstrap voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Li Xu
  • Schottky diodes with mesh style region and associated methods
    Patent number: 9583561
    Abstract: A Schottky diode comprising a cathode region, an anode region and a guard ring region, wherein the anode region may comprise a metal Schottky contact, and the guard ring region may comprise an outer guard ring and a plurality of inner open stripes inside the outer guard ring, and wherein the inner open stripes has a shallower junction depth than the outer guard ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Ji-Hyoung Yoo
  • Power converter with bootstrap circuit
    Patent number: 9577520
    Abstract: A power converter with bootstrap circuit, the power converter has a high side switch, a low side switch, a bootstrap circuit and a bootstrap capacitor for providing a bootstrap voltage to supply a high side driver of the high side switch. The power converter receives an input voltage and provides an output voltage based on driving the high side switch and the low side switch to switch on and off. The bootstrap circuit has a first comparing circuit, a first comparing circuit, a boost circuit and a second charging circuit. The second charging circuit charges the bootstrap capacitor when a voltage difference between the input voltage and the output voltage is smaller than a voltage threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Liping Xiu, Yike Li
  • Peak sample circuit for AC voltage and method thereof
    Patent number: 9577514
    Abstract: A peak sample circuit for AC voltage, including: a rectifier coupled to receive an AC voltage and to rectify the AC voltage to generate a rectified signal; a delay circuit coupled to receive the rectified signal and to delay the rectified signal to generate a delayed rectified signal; a comparison circuit coupled to receive the delayed rectified signal and to generate a square signal based on the comparison of the rectified signal and the delayed rectified signal; and a sample output circuit coupled to receive the rectified signal, wherein the sample output circuit samples the rectified signal under the control of the square signal and provides a peak sample signal representative of the peak value of the AC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Siran Wang, Yike Li, Kun Yi, Yuancheng Ren, Junming Zhang, En Li
  • Switch mode power supply, control circuit and associated control method
    Patent number: 9559586
    Abstract: A switch mode power supply having an output terminal configured to provide an output voltage, the switch mode power supply has a first switch and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to provide a switching control signal to turn ON and turn OFF the first switch, an on-time period of the first switch is proportional to a first value when the switch mode power supply works in a power saving mode, and the on-time period of the first switch is proportional to a second value when the switch mode power supply works in a normal mode, wherein the first value is larger than the second value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Qian Ouyang
  • Control circuit with chopping amplifier for switching converter
    Patent number: 9553513
    Abstract: A control circuit for switching converter has a chopping amplifier, a sample-hold circuit, a first comparator, an oscillator and a logic circuit. The chopping amplifier generates an amplified error signal based on a reference signal and a feedback signal. The sample-hold circuit generates a sample-hold signal based on the amplified error signal. The first comparator generates a first logic signal based on a comparison result between the sample-hold signal and a current sensing signal representing a current flowing through a power switch in the switching converter. The oscillator generates a clock signal. The logic circuit generates a control signal based on the first logic signal and the clock signal, the control signal is used to control the power switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Li Xu
  • Digitally calibrated voltage regulators for power management
    Patent number: 9541973
    Abstract: A computer provides a graphical user interface for displaying a virtual representation of a voltage regulator and for accepting a user requirement for the voltage regulator. The computer automatically determines an internal calibration setting of the voltage regulator that meets the user requirement. The computer simulates operation of the voltage regulator as calibrated with the internal calibration setting. The internal calibration setting is downloaded to the voltage regulator. A calibration controller of the voltage regulator receives the internal calibration setting and outputs digital calibration bits in accordance with the internal calibration setting. The digital calibration bits works in conjunction with interface circuits to adjust circuits of a voltage regulator core to digitally calibrate the voltage regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Yang, Michael Hsing
  • Power converter with pseudo-constant-on-time control and the control circuit and method thereof
    Patent number: 9525342
    Abstract: A control circuit for controlling a switching circuit is disclosed. The control circuit has a ramp compensation circuit, a ramp regulating circuit and a comparison circuit. The ramp compensation circuit generates a ramp compensation signal with the amplitude proportional to the difference between 1 and the duty cycle of a main switch of the switching circuit. The ramp regulating circuit generates a ramp regulating signal with the amplitude proportional to the duty cycle of the main switch. The comparison circuit compares a reference signal with the sum of the ramp compensation signal, the ramp regulating signal and a feedback signal representative of an output voltage of the switching circuit, so as to provide a comparison result to control the switching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Lei Li
  • Resonant converter, control circuit and associated control method with adaptive dead-time adjustment
    Patent number: 9525358
    Abstract: A resonant converter has a switching circuit having a first switch and a second switch, a control circuit and a resonant circuit. The control circuit has a slope sensing circuit providing a slope sense signal based on a voltage variation at the common node of the first switch and the second switch, a slope judge circuit providing a slope judge signal, and a turn-ON control circuit providing a first reset signal to adjust a first dead-time period from turning OFF the first switch to turning ON the second switch based on the slope judge signal, the slope signal, and a current flowing through the resonant tank, and providing a second reset signal to adjust a second dead-time period from turning OFF the second switch to turning ON the first switch based on the slope judge signal, the slope signal, and the current flowing through the resonant tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yiqing Jin, Yuedong Chen, Sicong Lin
  • Constant on-time switching converters with ultrasonic mode determination circuit and control methods thereof
    Patent number: 9520778
    Abstract: A control method used in a constant on-time switching converter includes: judging whether the switching converter enters into an ultrasonic mode; turning ON the low-side switch to discharge the output capacitor when the switching converter enters into the ultrasonic mode; generating an additional slope compensation signal during the discharge of the output capacitor; comparing a feedback signal indicative of the output voltage of the switching circuit with the sum of a reference voltage and the additional slope compensation signal; turning OFF the low-side switch and turning ON the high-side switch when the feedback signal decreases to reach the sum of the reference voltage and the additional slope compensation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lijie Jiang, Chia-Hsin Chang, Wenbin Lu, Wangmiao Hu, Qian Ouyang