Patents Assigned to Monolithic Power Systems
  • Multi-phase switching converter with over current protection and control method thereof
    Patent number: 9263876
    Abstract: A multi-phase switching converter includes a plurality of switching circuits and a controller. The output terminals of the plurality of switching circuits are coupled together to provide an output voltage to a load. The controller is configured to generate a plurality of control signals to control the plurality of switching circuits. When an over current condition of a current switching circuit of the plurality of switching circuits is detected, the controller skips the current switching circuit and successively turns on the remaining plurality of switching circuits that have not yet been turned on and where an over current condition has not been detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lijie Jiang, Xiaokang Wu, Qian Ouyang
  • LED power supply with small dimming ratio control and control method thereof
    Patent number: 9265110
    Abstract: A LED driving control circuit for controlling a power switch in a LED power supply includes: a feedback circuit coupled to a LED load and generating a feedback signal indicative of an output voltage of the LED power supply; an enabling circuit generating an enable signal according to the feedback signal, a first reference signal and a PWM dimming signal, wherein when the feedback signal is higher than the first reference signal, the enable signal synchronizes with the PWM dimming signal, and when the feedback signal is lower than the first reference signal, the duty cycle of the enable signal is higher than the duty cycle of the PWM dimming signal; and a feedback loop control circuit generating a control signal for controlling the power switch according to the feedback signal only when the enable signal is in an active state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhijiang Yang
  • Load detecting circuits and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9252766
    Abstract: A no-load detecting circuit and the method thereof are disclosed. The no-load detecting circuit may be applied in switching mode power supplies or other circuits. The no-load detecting circuit comprises: a variable resistance circuit coupled in series to a load of the switching mode power supply; and a first comparison circuit coupled to the variable resistance circuit to receive the voltage across the variable resistance circuit, wherein based on the comparison of the voltage across the variable resistance circuit and a first threshold, the first comparison circuit generates a no-load detecting signal indicative of the load status; wherein the equivalent resistance of the variable resistance circuit varies based on the varying of the load of the switching mode power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuancheng Ren, En Li, Naixing Kuang, Yike Li
  • Power converter with active bleeding and ramp up-down delay and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9246404
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a power converter providing a low output voltage from an offline AC. The power converter defines a voltage window for the input AC signal. Inside the voltage window, the rectified DC waveform is passed through to the output and the storage capacitor; outside the voltage window, the power converter is idle (or the output is blocked from input) and let the output storage capacitor alone supply the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Urienza, Yiqing Jin
  • One-time programmable memory cell and circuit
    Patent number: 9245647
    Abstract: An OTP memory cell and an OTP memory circuit. The OTP memory cell having a memory module, a write module, a read module, and a load module. Data may be written into the memory module once the write module is active; and data may be read out of the memory module once the read module is active. The OTP memory cell may also have a first latch module and a second latch module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eric Braun, Da Chen
  • LED driving circuit, control circuit and associated current sensing circuit
    Patent number: 9241381
    Abstract: A LED driving circuit, a control circuit and associated current sensing circuit. The control circuit has a sensing circuit, an estimation circuit, an amplifying circuit, a comparing circuit, a zero-cross detection circuit and a logic circuit. The sensing circuit is configured to sense a switching current flowing through at least one switch of a switching circuit to provide a first sensing signal. The estimation circuit is configured to process the first sensing signal to provide a feedback signal, wherein the feedback signal is indicative of a average current signal flowing through a LED. An average current flowing through the LED is regulated by sensing a switching current flowing through at least one switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lin Feng, Yuedong Chen
  • Charge pump and method of having negative output voltage tracking positive output voltage thereof
    Patent number: 9236796
    Abstract: A method having a negative output voltage at a negative output terminal of a charge pump tracking a positive output voltage at a positive output terminal of the charge pump. The charge pump comprises a plurality of switches and each of the plurality of switches has a serially coupled resistance. The method comprises selecting the serially coupled resistance for at least one of the plurality of switches to be different to each of the other respective serially coupled resistances associated to the other switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bairen Liu, Hongqiang Qin, Eric Yang, Song Qu, Paul Ueunten
  • Switch mode power supply, control circuit and associated control method
    Patent number: 9236801
    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, a second switch and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to provide a first switching control signal to turn ON and turn OFF the first switch, and when the switch mode power supply works in a power saving mode, the first switch is turned ON if a voltage feedback signal is less than a reference voltage and a current flowing through the second switch is less than a bias current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Qian Ouyang
  • Switch-mode power supply, control circuit and associated dimming method
    Patent number: 9232606
    Abstract: A switch-mode power supply and associated control circuit for a light-emitting device are disclosed. The switch-mode power supply having a first switch which is turned ON or OFF by a control signal. The control circuit having an error amplifier, a minimum-off time control circuit and a logic circuit, wherein the error amplifier is configured to provide a compensation signal based on a dimming signal and a feedback signal. The minimum-off time control circuit is configured to provide a minimum-off time control signal to adjust a minimum-off time period of the first switch based on the compensation signal. The logic circuit is configured to provide the control signal based on the minimum-off time control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naixing Kuang
  • Power converter, clock module and associated control method
    Patent number: 9231574
    Abstract: A power converter and a clock module employed for providing a clock signal to the power converter. The power converter converts an input voltage to an output voltage based on at least the switching on and off of a main switch. The clock module monitors a deviation of the output voltage from its desired value and compares the deviation with a predetermined threshold window to provide a clock control signal. The clock module further regulates the clock signal in response to the clock control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: James Nguyen, Yike Li
  • Junction field effect transistors and associated fabrication methods
    Patent number: 9230956
    Abstract: A JFET having a semiconductor substrate of a first doping type, an epitaxial layer of the first doping type located on the semiconductor substrate, a body region of a second doping type located in the epitaxial layer, a source region of the first doping type located in the epitaxial layer, a gate region of the second doping type located in the body region, and a shielding layer of the second doping type located in the epitaxial layer, wherein the semiconductor substrate is configured as a drain region, the shielding layer is in a conductive path formed between the source region and the drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Rongyao Ma, Tiesheng Li, Lei Zhang, Daping Fu
  • High voltage circuit layout structure
    Patent number: 9231121
    Abstract: A high voltage circuit layout structure has a P-type substrate; a first N-type tub, a second N-type tub, a third N-type tub, a first P-type tub with a first width and a second P-type tub with a second width formed on the P-type substrate; wherein the first P-type tub is formed between the first N-type tub and the second N-type tub; and the second P-type tub is formed between the second N-type tub and the third N-type tub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Urienza
  • Failure detector circuit and associated method
    Patent number: 9219468
    Abstract: A failure detector circuit for detecting status of a protected circuit, the failure detector circuit having an operating cycle, has an enabling signal generator, a comparator circuit, a delay circuit. The enabling signal generator enables the comparator for an enable time in each operating cycle. The comparator circuit compares an output of the protected circuit with a reference signal. The delay circuit receives an output signal of the comparator to decide whether a failure occurred within a give delay time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiangyun Zhou, Yike Li
  • High voltage PMOS and the method for forming thereof
    Patent number: 9219146
    Abstract: A high voltage PMOS replacing the lightly doped region of the drain region with a low voltage P-well adopted in the low voltage devices, so as to save a mask. In order to achieve the high breakdown voltage and the low on resistance, a thick gate oxide applied in the DMOS is inserted. The N-type well region surrounding the source region may be replaced by a low voltage N-well adopted in the low voltage device to further save a mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Ji-Hyoung Yoo, Yanjie Lian
  • LED backlight driver system and associated method of operation
    Patent number: 9215769
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present circuit and method disclose a light-emitting diode (LED) driver system. The LED driver system may comprise an isolated converter and a DC/DC converter. The isolated converter may be coupled to a first input signal, and may provide a LED current and a bus voltage. The isolated converter may be configured to regulate the LED current and the bus voltage separately in accordance with a dimming signal. The DC/DC converter may comprise an input coupled to the bus voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Frank Ren, Naixing Kuang, Bairen Liu, Licheng Sheng
  • REMOTE CONFIGURATION OF VOLTAGE REGULATOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
    Publication number: 20150356226
    Abstract: A design server provides an online service for remotely configuring a voltage regulator integrated circuit (IC). A customer may employ a customer computing device to connect to the design server. The design server may receive from the customer computing device a user requirement for the voltage regulator IC. The design server may select one or more external components to configure the voltage regular IC to meet the user requirement. The design server may automatically place an order for the external components online. The external components may be available from commercial partners of the vendor of the voltage regulator IC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Eric YANG, Michael HSING
  • AC signal detector and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9201102
    Abstract: An AC signal detector having: a rectify circuit having a first input terminal and a second input terminal configured to receive an AC signal, and an output terminal configured to provide a rectified signal based on the AC signal; a detecting circuit having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the rectify circuit to receive the rectified signal, and an output terminal configured to provide a square signal based on the rectified signal; and an unplug indicate circuit having an input terminal coupled to the detecting circuit to receive the square signal, and an output terminal configured to provide an unplug indicate signal based on the square signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Siran Wang, Yike Li, Kun Yi, Yuancheng Ren, Junming Zhang, En Li
  • Current detection and emulation circuit, and method thereof
    Patent number: 9184651
    Abstract: A current detection circuit for detecting a current in a SMPS which has a first switch and a second switch; a current sensing circuit sensing a second switch current flowing through the second switch and providing a current sensing signal; and a current emulation circuit which generates a first current according to the current sensing signal and generate a second current according to the first current source, and the current emulation circuit further providing a current emulation signal based on the first current source and the second current source; wherein a current detection signal during a first period is proportional to the current emulation signal, and the current detection signal during a second period is proportional to the current sensing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James H. Nguyen, Francis C. Yu
  • Phase-shift dimming for LED controller and the method thereof
    Patent number: 9179519
    Abstract: A phase-shift dimming circuit for LED controller having a delay signal generator configured to receive a PWM input signal, and to provide a plurality of pairs of set signal and reset signal, the set signal and the reset signal respectively having pulses; and a plurality of latches configured to respectively receive the plurality of pairs of set signal and reset signal to generate a plurality of PMW output signals, each of the PWM output signals having pulses, and wherein the rising edge of the pulses of the PWM output signals is based on the corresponding set signal pulses, and the falling edge of the pulses of the PWM output signals is based on the corresponding reset signal pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Da Chen, Zhengwei Zhang, Kaiwei Yao
  • Charge-pump voltage divider and associated control method
    Patent number: 9172300
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention disclose a charge-pump voltage divider and associated start-up method. The charge-pump voltage divider comprises a start-up circuit that can regulate an inrush current during start up. The start-up circuit comprises a switch, which operates in linear region state during start-up, and operates in switching state after the start-up completes. The charge-pump voltage divider may further comprise a load control switch configured to ensure the start-up is independent of a load current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taofeng Li, Yike Li