Patents Examined by Shawn Riley
  • Patent number: 7787268
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention provides a power system for providing power to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Ameritherm, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Fenton, Ian A. Paull, Leslie L. Thompson, Kenneth J. Westveer
  • Patent number: 7782634
    Abstract: A switched-mode power supply includes a converter to convert input power into output power having a predetermined voltage level by performing a switching operation; a switching controller to control the switching operation of the converter based on an indication of a voltage of the output power; and an output power voltage indicating unit to provide the indication of the voltage of the output power to the switching controller according to a characteristic of the output power voltage indicating unit that varies according to the size of a load receiving the output power converted by the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae-kwon Na
  • Patent number: 7782025
    Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of reducing an inductance is provided. In the semiconductor device in which a rectification MOSFET, a commutation MOSFET, and a driving IC that drives these MOSFETs are mounted on one package, the rectification MOSFET, a metal plate, and the commutation MOSFET are laminated. A current of a main circuit flows from a back surface of the package to a front surface thereof. The metal plate is connected to an output terminal via a wiring in the package. Wire bondings are used for wirings for connecting the driving IC, the rectification MOSFET, and the commutation MOSFET, all terminals being placed on the same plane. For this reason, the inductance becomes small and also a power source loss and a spike voltage are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Takayuki Hashimoto, Nobuyoshi Matsuura, Masaki Shiraishi, Yukihiro Satou, Tetsuya Kawashima
  • Patent number: 7781921
    Abstract: The subject matter is a voltage regulator capable of providing an indicator signal to a load, so that the load can operation under the best current-voltage relationship according to the indicator signal. To this end, the voltage regulator includes an amplifier for generating the indicator signal by amplifying a difference between a signal representative of an output voltage and a signal representative of a reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Chien-Hui Wang, Jian-Rong Huang, Kuo-Lung Tseng, Liang-Pin Tai
  • Patent number: 7782031
    Abstract: A method includes simultaneously driving a load via first and second magnetically coupled regulator phases for a first duration, uncoupling one of the phases from the load after the first duration, and, after uncoupling the one phase from the load, allowing a current through the one phase to decay. For example, such a method allows energy stored in the uncoupled phase to be recaptured to the output transient response of a power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Weihong Qiu, Shangyang Xiao, Jun Liu
  • Patent number: 7782041
    Abstract: A linear regulator is described that includes a mode selection circuit. In one implementation, the mode selection circuit is operable to receive an input voltage and to set an operation mode to one of a first mode or a second mode (e.g., based on a voltage level of the input voltage) so as to generate an output voltage. For example, when the voltage level of the input voltage is within a voltage range, the mode selection circuit can set the first mode as the operation mode to supply the input voltage as the output voltage to a load without voltage regulation. Similarly, when the voltage level of the input voltage is outside the voltage range, the mode selection circuit can set the second mode as the operation mode to regulate the output voltage to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Ying Tian Li, Sakti P. Rana, Kuong Hoo, legal representative
  • Patent number: 7778054
    Abstract: In a power switching circuit, a second commutation member has a second commutation path electrically connected in parallel to a first commutation path and a second diode provided in the second commutation path and electrically connected antiparallel to a semiconductor switching element. While the semiconductor switching element is off, the second commutation path allows a second current based on the inductive load to flow therethrough in a forward direction of the second diode within a commutation period. The second diode has a second reverse recovery time shorter than a first reverse recovery time of the first diode. A second inductance of the second commutation path is higher than a first inductance of the first commutation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takanari Sasaya, Takeshi Inoue, Tomonori Kimura
  • Patent number: 7777462
    Abstract: To provide a power supply unit capable of realizing a multiphase power supply at low cost. For example, each of a plurality of semiconductor devices DEV[1]-DEV[n] comprises a trigger input terminal TRG_IN, a trigger output terminal TRG_OUT, and a timer circuit TM that delays a pulse signal input from TRG_IN and outputs it to TRG_OUT. DEV[1]-DEV[n] are mutually coupled in a ring shape by its own TRG_IN being coupled to TRG_OUT of one semiconductor device other than itself. Each of DEV[1]-DEV[n] performs switching operation by using the pulse signal from TRG_IN as a starting point, and feeds a current into an inductor L corresponding to itself. Moreover, DEV[1] generates the above-described pulse signal only once during startup by a start trigger terminal ST being set to a ground voltage GND, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Ryotaro Kudo, Toshio Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 7777458
    Abstract: A Single Ended Primary Inductance Converter (SEPIC) fed BUCK converter includes: a first switch configured to open or close according to a first signal; a SEPIC portion coupled to the first switch and coupled to an energy source, the SEPIC portion comprising a first set of one or more passive components; a BUCK converter portion coupled to the first switch, the BUCK converter portion comprising a second set of one or more passive components. While the first switch is closed, the SEPIC portion is configured to store energy from an energy source in at least some of the first set of passive components and deliver energy to the BUCK portion, and the BUCK converter portion is configured to deliver energy to a load and to store energy in at least some of the second set of passive components. While the first switch is open, the SEPIC portion is configured to deliver at least some of its stored energy to the load, and the BUCK converter portion is configured to deliver at least some of its stored energy to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Inventor: Fred O. Barthold
  • Patent number: 7772909
    Abstract: A supply power can be fed in at a circuit arrangement for supplying power to, and clocking, clocked loads. The circuit arrangement provides a clock signal at a frequency and a supply voltage, the frequency and/or the supply voltage being able to be controlled by the circuit arrangement in such a manner that a power tapped off at the output and the supply power fed in are in a predefined relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Josef Haid, Walter Kargl, Thomas Leutgeb
  • Patent number: 7772810
    Abstract: A fully digital DC/DC automatic up/down converter circuit converts an input voltage to an output voltage of a predetermined value based on a switching operation. The switching operation includes switching operation comprise-cycles having at least one switching operation phase. The converter is controlled by a digital controller having a look-up table in which a plurality of data is stored. The digital controller uses certain data from the plurality of data with respect to an actual switched operating mode for continuously adjusting the begin and the end of a switching operation. The switched operating modes are a PWM and a PFM mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Henricus C. J. Buethker, Lambert J. H. Folmer, Cornelis Stienstra
  • Patent number: 7772811
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes one or more reference voltage generators that respectively generate a time-varying output voltage reference value as well as a corresponding time-varying output current reference value. During operation, the reference voltage generators produce different step values for the time-varying output voltage reference value and the corresponding time-varying output current reference value over time such that the power supply has a substantially fixed output impedance value. According to one configuration, the time-varying output voltage reference value tracks the power supply output voltage. Via a comparison of the power supply output voltage with respect to the adaptive output voltage reference voltage value and a comparison of the output current to the corresponding time-varying output current reference value, a controller circuit associated with the power supply controls switching operation of the power supply to regulate the power supply output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Praveen K. Jain, Shangzhi Pan
  • Patent number: 7768800
    Abstract: An ac/ac converter for accepting a pulsating dc input with encoded sinusoidal modulation and providing a multiphase modulated output. The converter comprises a bridge including a plurality of switches having switch legs for modulating the pulsating dc input at a carrier frequency over a plurality of phases. The bridge is coupled at one end to a pulsating dc source and coupled at another end to a modulated signal output. A controller is provided for the plurality of switches for causing, for each of the plurality of phases, under unity power factor, one of the switch legs to modulate the pulsating dc input at the carrier frequency while the other switch legs do not modulate the pulsating dc input at the carrier frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Sudip K. Mazumder, Rongjun Huang
  • Patent number: 7768804
    Abstract: An inverter includes a counter, a PWM generator, a central controller and a power converter. The counter is used for receiving a frame switch signal to generate a frame counting signal. The PWM generator is coupled to the counter, and is used to select a specific frequency among a plurality of predetermined frequencies according to the frame counting signal, and generate a modulated signal having the specific frequency. The central controller is coupled to the PWM generator, and is used to generate a processed signal according to the modulated signal. The power converter is coupled to the central controller, and is used to generate an output signal according to the processed signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang-Xin Huang
  • Patent number: 7768243
    Abstract: A switched-mode power converter, including, between a first end of a main inductive element and a switch, a two-value inductive element automatically switching between its two values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Francis Cuellar, Bertrand Rivet
  • Patent number: 7764517
    Abstract: Detection and control circuitry are added to a conventional power supply to detect when a load, such as a portable electronic device, has been disconnected from the power supply and, when disconnected, interrupt a current path to the primary windings of a transformer within the power supply to substantially reduce the amount of reactive power that is consumed by the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Visvamohan Yegnashankaran, Peter J. Hopper
  • Patent number: 7764054
    Abstract: A voltage regulator with current-mode, dual-edge pulse width modulation (PWM) and non-linear control. The voltage regulator may include a top switch (e.g., MOSFET) configured to couple a power supply supplying an input voltage to a load. A linear control circuit of the regulator may use a first ramp signal to control turning ON of the top switch and a second ramp signal to control turning OFF of the top switch. A non-linear control circuit may turn ON the top switch upon detection of a load current step-up change to maintain an output voltage of the regulator within its regulation band. The non-linear control circuit may turn OFF the top switch upon a load current step-down change to prevent output voltage overshoot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Yigang Guo, Francesco Carobolante
  • Patent number: 7764525
    Abstract: An apparatus of dynamic feedback control charge pump is provided. The apparatus of dynamic feedback control charge pump receives an input voltage through a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator regulates the input voltage to a base voltage according to a control signal. The charge pump receives the base voltage and provides multiple of the base voltage to an output voltage. A feedback unit provides the control signal to the voltage regulator according to the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chih-Yuan Hsieh, Lan-Shan Cheng
  • Patent number: 7763991
    Abstract: A voltage generating circuit comprising: a switching device which includes a first end connected to a high potential side power source, and which becomes conductive in a first mode and becomes non-conductive in a second mode; a first transistor including a first main electrode connected to a second end of the switching device, a second main electrode connected to an output terminal, and a gate connected to a gate potential supply node; a second transistor including a first main electrode connected to the high potential side power source, a second main electrode connected to the output terminal, and a gate connected to the gate potential supply node; and a gate voltage stabilizing circuit that suppresses a fluctuation in potential of the potential supply node, the fluctuation accompanying a change between the first and second modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Ryu Ogiwara, Daisaburo Takashima
  • Patent number: RE41599
    Abstract: A user-programmable bi-directional, constant current generator circuit allows external programming of either a positive (+) or a negative (?) polarity output current, for injection into one of two locations of the PWM controller circuit of a DC-DC voltage converter. The parameters of the DC-DC converter's offset voltage will depend upon the connection of a single programming pin to one of two programming resistors. The programming resistors are respectively referenced to different supply rail voltages (VCC and VSS). The polarity of the offset additionally depends upon where, within the PWM-controlled DC-DC converter, the programmed constant current is injected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventor: Robert H. Isham