Patents Assigned to Power Integrations, Inc.
  • Auxiliary recharge
    Patent number: 9531264
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to powering a switching controller of a switch mode power converter (SMPC), and more particularly to a method of providing power to a switching controller of a SMPC, to a charging circuit for supplying charge to a charge store for providing power to a switching controller of a SMPC, and to an SMPC comprising such a circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Ryan, Johan Piper
  • Power supply controller with minimum-sum multi-cycle modulation
    Patent number: 9531279
    Abstract: An example power supply controller includes a signal separator circuit that generates a feedback signal. An error signal generator generates an error signal in response to the feedback signal. A control circuit generates a drive signal in response to the error signal. The drive signal controls switching of a switch. A multi-cycle modulation circuit is included in the control circuit and generates a skip signal in response to a start skip signal, a stop skip signal and a skip mask signal. The skip mask signal is generated in response to the skip signal. The start skip and stop skip signals cause the drive signal to start skipping or stop skipping, respectively, on-time intervals of cycles. The skip mask signal disables the start skip signal from causing the drive signal to start skipping the on-time intervals of cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Mingming Mao
  • Power supply controller with input voltage compensation for efficiency and maximum power output
    Patent number: 9490706
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an ON/OFF controller for regulating an output of a switched mode power supply by selectively enabling current conduction by a power switch within enabled switching cycles and disabling current conduction by the power switch within disabled switching cycles. The controller includes a logic block and a time-to-frequency converter. The logic block generates a drive signal that enables the current conduction by the power switch within respective enabled switching cycles and disables the current conduction by the power switch within respective disabled switching cycles. The time-to-frequency converter generates a variable-frequency clock signal that defines durations of the switching cycles, where the time-to-frequency converter increases a duration of a switching cycle in response to a decrease in duration of current conduction by the power switch in a previously enabled switching cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Balu Balakrishnan, Alex B. Djenguerian, Leif Lund
  • Enable circuit for lighting drivers
    Patent number: 9485825
    Abstract: This relates to an enable driver circuit for an LED drive. In some examples, the enable driver circuit may sense an input of the LED driver and enable the LED driver when a conduction angle of the input is greater than a threshold value after a set amount of line cycles of the input of the LED driver have occurred. If the conduction angle is not greater than the threshold after the set amount of line cycles, the enable driver circuit may not enable the LED driver and power may not be delivered to the LED load. In some examples, the enable driver circuit may further enable the LED driver if the conduction angle of the input increases by a certain amount and the resultant conduction angle is greater than the threshold, regardless of the number of line cycles of the ac input voltage that have occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Vaughan
  • Method and apparatus for implementing an unregulated dormant mode with an event counter in a power converter
    Patent number: 9484822
    Abstract: A control circuit for use in a power converter includes a drive signal generator coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a switch to regulate an output of the power converter. An event detection circuit is coupled to the drive signal generator to indicate if a switching period of one switching cycle of the drive signal exceeds a threshold switching period. An event counter circuit is coupled to the event detection circuit to render dormant the drive signal generator if the event detection circuit indicates a period of a switching cycle of the drive signal exceeds the threshold switching period for a threshold consecutive number of switching cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex B. Djenguerian, Leif Lund
  • Method and apparatus for digital control of a switching regulator
    Patent number: 9484824
    Abstract: An on/off controller device includes a control circuit to generate a control signal to switch a power switch between an on state and an off state to transfer energy from a primary side to a secondary side of a switched mode power supply. A comparator is coupled to generate an enable signal that enables and disables the switching of the power switch by the control circuit. The comparator compares a feedback signal with a variable threshold and switches the enable signal between enabling and disabling the switching of the power switch. The variable threshold is modulated to increase a fundamental frequency of the switching of the power switch by the control circuit. The variable threshold is modulated with a fixed amplitude pulse that is combined with a second threshold to modulate the variable threshold between a first higher value and a second lower value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex B. Djenguerian, Andrew J. Morrish, Arthur B. Odell, Kent Wong
  • Power converter controller with analog controlled variable current circuit
    Patent number: 9484814
    Abstract: A bleeder controller for controlling a magnitude of a variable current conducted by bleeder circuitry between input terminals of a device is disclosed. The magnitude of the variable current is controllable in response to a control signal. The bleeder controller includes a dimming detector to classify a half line cycle as leading-edge-dimmed or a trailing-edge-dimmed in response to at least one of an input current sense signal and an input voltage sense signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Ricardo Luis Janezic Pregitzer, Mingming Mao, Tiziano Pastore, Michael Yue Zhang, Yury Gaknoki
  • Controller supply terminal boosting
    Patent number: 9479065
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes a power switch a first main terminal coupled to a higher potential portion, a second main terminal coupled to a lower potential portion, and a tap coupled to the first main terminal to provide a current for charging a supply terminal capacitor. A controller is coupled to a control terminal of the power switch to control switching of the power switch to produce a regulated output. A supply terminal is to be coupled to a supply terminal capacitor to store a charge for supplying power to at least some of the components of the controller. A voltage regulator is coupled to regulate the charge stored and a potential on the supply terminal capacitor. The current for charging the supply terminal capacitor is selectively drawn from the tap of the power switch in response to the supply terminal capacitor being below a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mingming Mao, Michael Yue Zhang, Tiziano Pastore, Yury Gaknoki, Ricardo Luis Janezic Pregitzer
  • Deposit/etch for tapered oxide
    Patent number: 9472630
    Abstract: A process for fabricating a tapered field plate dielectric for high-voltage semiconductor devices is disclosed. The process may include depositing a thin layer of oxide, depositing a polysilicon hard mask, depositing a resist layer and etching a trench area, performing deep silicon trench etch, and stripping the resist layer. The process may further include repeated steps of depositing a layer of oxide and anisotropic etching of the oxide to form a tapered wall within the trench. The process may further include depositing poly and performing further processing to form the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay Parthasarathy, Sujit Banerjee, Wayne B. Grabowski
  • Variable feedback signal based on conduction time
    Patent number: 9473031
    Abstract: A controller for a power converter includes conduction detection circuitry and a variable reference generator. The conduction detection circuitry is coupled to generate a conduction signal representative of conduction times that an input signal is above a threshold value. The variable reference generator is coupled to receive the conduction signal and configured to generate a count value in response to a first conduction time of the conduction signal. The variable reference generator is coupled to output a reference signal in response to the count value and in response to prior count values stored in the variable reference generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mingming Mao, Ricardo Luis Janezic Pregitzer, Tiziano Pastore, Peter Vaughan
  • Controller IC with zero-crossing detector and capacitor discharge switching element
    Patent number: 9455621
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) for controlling the discharge of a capacitor coupled across first and second input terminals of a power converter circuit, wherein the first and second terminals for receiving an ac line voltage. The IC includes a switching element coupled across the first and second input terminals and a detector circuit. The detector circuit including first and second comparators that produce first and second output signals responsive to a zero-crossing event of the ac line voltage. The first and second output signals being used to generate a reset signal coupled to a timer circuit responsive to the zero-crossing event. When the reset signal is not received within a delay time period, the timer circuit outputs a discharge signal that turns the switching element on, thereby discharging the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Leif Lund, David Kung
  • Load responsive jitter
    Patent number: 9450478
    Abstract: A controller for a power converter that may sense whether the power converter is in a light load condition. If the power converter is a light load condition, the switching frequency may be within the audible noise range. Once the controller senses the light load condition, the controller may modulate the switching frequency of the power switch such that the switching frequency is no longer within the audible noise range. The controller comprises of a current limit generator coupled to generate an initial current limit signal and receive a feedback signal. The controller may sense a light load condition of the power converter and output a light load signal. As a result of the light load signal, the controller may modulate the initial current limit in response to the light load signal indicating a light load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex B. Djenguerian, Peter Vaughan, Leif Lund
  • Active reduced voltage switching using secondary switch
    Patent number: 9444357
    Abstract: A controller includes a primary controller and a secondary controller to control switching of a power switch and a secondary switch, respectively, coupled to an energy transfer element of a power converter. A first drive circuit is coupled to generate a first drive signal to enable a first ON section of the secondary drive signal after an ON section of the primary drive signal. A second drive circuit is coupled to generate a second drive signal to enable a second ON section of the secondary drive signal to store energy in the energy transfer element. The energy stored in the energy transfer element during the second ON section is coupled to reduce a switch voltage across the power switch prior to a next ON section of the primary drive signal. The secondary drive signal is generated in response to the first drive signal and the second drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: David Michael Hugh Matthews, Balu Balakrishnan, Rajko Duvnjak, Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre
  • USB charging with data communication
    Patent number: 9444278
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for communicating digital data between a powered device and a charging device via a universal serial bus (USB). The process includes conducting a handshaking period between the powered device and the charging device via the USB. The powered device initiates a mode of normal operation of the charging device after an end of the handshaking period. The charging device communicates digital data (e.g., available power levels) between the powered device and the charging device during a time period that starts with the end of the handshaking period and ends with a beginning of the mode of normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Stefan Baurle
  • High-quality GaN high-voltage HFETs on silicon
    Patent number: 9437688
    Abstract: A GaN HFET includes a silicon substrate with an Al2O3 layer above the silicon substrate. The Al2O3 layer has voids formed therein. A plurality of alternating GaN and AlN layers are above the Al2O3 layer. The GaN and AlN layers are under continuous compressive stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Jamal Ramdani, John P. Edwards, Linlin Liu
  • Phase angle detection module for power converter
    Patent number: 9438122
    Abstract: A power converter controller asserts a leading edge signal when a leading edge of a voltage signal is detected. The voltage sense signal is representative of an input voltage of the power converter. A trailing edge signal is asserted when a trailing edge of the voltage signal is detected. A first state of a threshold signal is generated when the voltage sense signal is at or above an upper threshold and generating a second state of the threshold signal when the voltage sense signal is at or below a lower threshold. A conduction signal is updated in response to the leading edge signal, the trailing edge signal, and the threshold signal. The conduction signal is for controlling a switch coupled to regulate an output of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mingming Mao, Tiziano Pastore, Ricardo Luis Janezic Pregitzer
  • Trailing edge detector using current collapse
    Patent number: 9419528
    Abstract: A controller for a power converter includes an edge detection circuit including a first circuit coupled to coupled to compare a voltage sense signal representative of an input voltage to a first reference, and a second circuit coupled to compare a current sense signal representative of an input current to a second reference. A slope sense circuit is coupled to measure a slope of the voltage sense signal over time. An edge driver circuit is coupled to generate an edge signal that indicates that an edge has been determined when the voltage sense signal is greater than the first reference, the current sense signal is lower than the second reference, and the slope is negative. A drive circuit is coupled to output a drive signal in response to the edge signal. The drive signal is for controlling a switch coupled to regulate an output of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mingming Mao, Ricardo Luis Janezic Pregitzer, Tiziano Pastore, Michael Yue Zhang
  • Dimmer detector for bleeder circuit activation
    Patent number: 9408261
    Abstract: A circuit to be utilized for an LED driver bleeder activation. The circuit comprises a circuit block for timing a duration of any removed portion of a rectified line signal. The input of the circuit to be coupled to receive the phase controlled rectified line signal through a voltage divider. Comparing the divided rectified line signal with a threshold voltage and output a comparison result. A timer coupled to the comparator and responsive to the comparison result to time the duration of the removed portion of the rectified line signal and activate the bleeder activation circuitry to turn on the switching element of the bleeder to sink a controlled current from the input line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Pura Angeles, Marvin C. Espino
  • Saturation prevention in an energy transfer element of a power converter
    Patent number: 9401634
    Abstract: A controller for use in a power converter includes logic circuits to turn on and off a switch to regulate an output quantity. A first integrating capacitor is charged with a combination of a first current and a second current while the switch is turned on. The first current is proportional to a reset voltage and the second current is proportional to an input voltage. A reference generation circuit including a second integrating capacitor is charged with the first current during a previous switching cycle of the switch. The reference generation circuit generates a reference voltage in response to the second integrating capacitor. A comparator provides a stop signal to the logic circuits to turn off the switch in response to a comparison of a voltage across the first integrating capacitor with the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Yury Gaknoki, Mingming Mao, Robert J. Mayell
  • Input voltage sensor responsive to load conditions
    Patent number: 9401657
    Abstract: A power converter controller includes a switch driver circuit coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to an output of the power converter. An input sense circuit is coupled to receive an input sense signal representative of the input of a power converter. A sense enable circuit is coupled to receive the drive signal to generate a sense enable signal to control the input sense circuit in response to the drive signal. The sense enable signal is coupled to control the input sense circuit to sense the input sense signal continuously in response to a first load condition, and sense the input sense signal only during a fraction of a switching period of the power switch in response to a second load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhao-Jun Wang, Giao Minh Pham, Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre