Abstract: A method is disclosed in one embodiment for discharging DC link capacitors. In one form the method includes switching a first half bridge of a first converter unit to a positive state, in which its AC output is connected with its positive DC output, and simultaneously switching a second half bridge of a second converter unit to a negative state, in which its AC output is connected with its negative DC output, such that a DC link capacitor of the first converter unit and a DC link capacitor of the second converter unit are interconnected oppositely to each other and discharged via the electrical filter.

Abstract: A discharge duty that is a duty at which a switch is conductive takes a value obtained by dividing a product of a crest value of a single-phase AC voltage and a square of a cosine value of a phase of the single-phase AC voltage by a both-end voltage across a capacitor. A sum of a product of a rectifying duty that is a duty at which a converter is conductive and a rectified voltage output from the converter and a product of the both-end voltage and the discharge duty varies in a period that is a half of the period of the single-phase AC voltage.

Abstract: Downsizing of an inductor is achieved while reducing radiation noise of an inductor current. A boosting power supply unit is, for example, provided in an ECU mounted in a vehicle or the like. The boosting power supply unit has a boosting coil, a switching element and a current control unit 16. The current control unit 16 controls the switching element 12 to turn on and off by using a clock signal CK1 with a higher frequency than a pulse signal SPL in a clamping period when the inductor current flowing in the boosting coil is clamped at a preset peak setting current, and controls the switching element to turn on and off by using the pulse signal SPL in periods other than the clamping period. By controlling the switching element to turn on and off in this manner, the inductor current flowing in the boosting coil is controlled.

Abstract: It is possible to achieve more precise power regulation in switched mode power supply systems by performing at least some control-loop processing on the secondary-side of the transformer. In particular, a secondary-side measurement is processed at least partially by a secondary-side controller to obtain a switching indication signal. The switching indication signal is then communicated from the secondary-side controller to a primary-side controller, where it is used to regulate the amount of energy applied to the primary winding. The switching indication signal may be any control signaling instruction that prompts the primary-side controller to regulate and/or modify the power applied to the primary winding. The switching indication signal may be communicated over an isolating signal path, such as a single-ended capacitive coupler, a differential capacitive coupler, an inductive coupler, or an opto-coupler.

Abstract: A power point tracking method and a power point tracking apparatus are provided. A power point tracking method, comprising obtaining, by a controller, a first operating point and a first characteristic curve according to an open-circuit voltage or an input voltage of an energy harvester; calculating, by the controller, a first duty cycle signal according to the first operating point, a converter characteristic, an output voltage and a desired operating point; operating, by a converter, after receiving the first duty cycle signal; obtaining, by the controller, a second characteristic curve by calculating a second operating point according to the input voltage, the output voltage and the first duty cycle signal; and calculating, by the controller, a second duty cycle signal for transferring to the converter for a tracking control according to the second characteristic curve, the converter characteristic, the output voltage and the desired operating point.

Abstract: A constant on-time pulse width control-based apparatus used in a voltage converter includes a comparator, a logic circuit, and a controller. The comparator is configured for generating a logic control signal to a logic circuit according to two resultant signals of the controller. The logic circuit is configured for generating a pulse control signal with an on-time pulse width to charge an output capacitor of an output stage circuit of the voltage converter according to the logic control signal. The controller is configured for generating the two resultant signals to the comparator by detecting an inductor current signal from an inductor of the output stage circuit, generating a voltage ramp signal, amplifying and generating an output voltage ripple signal based on a reference voltage.

Abstract: A self-balanced modulation method and a closed-loop magnetic flux rebalancing control method for parallel multilevel inverters. The combination of the two methods provides for balancing of the magnetic flux of the inter-cell transformers (ICTs) of the parallel multilevel inverters without deteriorating the quality of the output voltage. In various embodiments a parallel multi-level inverter modulator is provide including a multi-channel comparator to generate a multiplexed digitized ideal waveform for a parallel multi-level inverter and a finite state machine (FSM) module coupled to the parallel multi-channel comparator, the FSM module to receive the multiplexed digitized ideal waveform and to generate a pulse width modulated gate-drive signal for each switching device of the parallel multi-level inverter. The system and method provides for optimization of the output voltage spectrum without influence the magnetic balancing.

Abstract: A multiphase power controller that generates a set of switching control signals to drive a set of power stages. The set of power stages generates an output that drives a load. The multiphase power controller includes a summer to generate an equivalent voltage representative of a sum of inductor currents from each of an inductor in the set of power stages. A threshold generation circuit generates a set of threshold signals in response to a set of control outputs and a reference. A set of comparators generates the set of control outputs, in response to the equivalent voltage and the set of threshold signals. A state machine generates a set of phase control signals in response to the set of control outputs. The set of control outputs changes a number of the set of switching control signals.

Abstract: A control circuit used for controlling a resonant converter. The control circuit has a setting capacitor, N up thresholds and N low thresholds. If the resonant converter operates in the inductive mode, a setting voltage signal across the setting capacitor is respectively compared with the largest one of the N up thresholds and the smallest one of the N low thresholds in each operation cycle to generate a high-side control signal and a low-side control signal for controlling a high-side switch and a low-side switch of the resonant converter. If the resonant converter enters into the capacitive mode, the setting voltage signal is respectively compared with each of the N up thresholds and each of the N low thresholds operation cycle by operation cycle to generate the high-side control signal and the low-side control signal.

Abstract: The low input voltage boost converter with peak inductor current control and offset compensated zero detection provide a boost converter scheme to harvest energy from sources with small output voltages. Some embodiments described herein includes a thermoelectric boost converter that combines an IPEAK control scheme with offset compensation and duty cycled comparators to enable energy harvesting from TEG inputs as low as 5 mV to 10 mV, and the peak inductor current is independent to first order of the input voltage and output voltage. A control circuit can be configured to sample the input voltage (VIN) and then generate a pulse with a duration inversely proportional to VIN so as to control the boost converter switches such that a substantially constant peak inductor current is generated.

Abstract: A power converter (14) can include a switching system (18) to convert a direct current (DC) input voltage to an output voltage based on a switching signal having a duty-cycle. A controller (16) can set the duty-cycle of the switching signal, depending on the DC input voltage, to one of a substantially constant value, such that the output voltage follows the DC input voltage in a normal mode, and a value that varies inversely with respect to the DC input voltage, such that the output voltage is substantially constant in another mode.

Abstract: A state machine for a multi-phase voltage converter controls cycle-by-cycle switching of the phases by: entering a first state in which a control signal for the high-side switch is activate and control signals for the low-side and SR (synchronous rectification) switches are deactivate; entering a second state in which the control signals for all switches are deactivate; entering a third state in which the control signal for the high-side switch is deactivate and the control signals for the low-side and SR switches are activate; entering a fourth state in which the control signals for the high-side and low-side switches are deactivate and the control signal for the SR switch is activate and then entering a fifth state in which the control signals for all switches are deactivate, or entering the fifth state without entering the fourth state; and entering the first state at the beginning of the next switching cycle.

Abstract: The present disclosure applies to peak current limitation and also to ensuring that a minimum current condition is not exceeded, that is, that the current through a component remains at or above a desired minimum level. A current limitation circuit compensates for time-induced errors by sampling and holding a current or voltage value at the time when a power switch changes state, deriving a rate of change of the electrical parameter and extrapolating the value over time. The extrapolated value is used for subsequent post-processing such as duty cycle modification of a switching mode DC-DC converter.

Abstract: A low dropout regulator (LDO) is disclosed. The LDO includes a transistor loop including a first transistor coupled to a second transistor. The first transistor and the second transistor coupled to a first resistor and a second resistor. The first resistor being coupled to ground and second resister coupled to the first resistor. The LDO further includes an output transistor coupled to the second transistor and a power supply line. The output transistor further coupled to a pair of input transistors coupled to the power supply line. One of the input transistors coupled to a third resistor, wherein the third resistor coupled to a fourth resistor and the fourth resistor coupled to ground. The LDO also includes a fifth resistor coupled to an output of the output transistor. The fifth resistor is coupled to the first transistor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to reduce localized transistor operating temperature increases in fully integrated voltage regulator circuits are provided. Transistor self-heating effects are reduced by dispersing heat more evenly over the integrated circuit die, via use of nested voltage regulator circuits and/or use of more than one transistor in a voltage regulator circuit pass device. An electrically parallel-connected group of multiple individual integrated transistors may be laid out across cooler areas of the integrated circuit die, such as in substantially linear sets or rings of devices near the outer die perimeter. Each transistor in the group may better disperse its own heat if it is thermally segregated from other self-heating devices, as through a minimum physical layout spacing. Transistor bias voltage mismatch tolerances, load currents, and routing resistances may interrelatedly determine the number of individual transistors needed in a group.

Abstract: On embodiment pertains to a method including determining if an amplitude of an error signal has entered steady state. If the amplitude of the error signal has not entered steady state, then amplify with a high gain the amplitude of the AC component of the error signal. If the amplitude of the error signal has entered steady state, then initiate a timer. Determining if the amplitude of the error signal has remained in steady state while the timer runs. If the amplitude of the error signal has remained in steady state while the timer runs, then amplify with a low gain the amplitude of the AC component of the error signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods to generate drive current in a power supply, independent of the input voltage, are provided. The power supply includes front end circuitry, control circuitry, and drive circuitry. The front end circuitry includes protection circuitry to defend against damage from EMI, voltage spikes, and the like. The control circuitry includes startup circuitry, power factor correction (PFC) circuitry, and output power configuration circuitry. The startup circuitry provides operational voltage to the PFC circuitry, derived from an input voltage, until an internally generated operational voltage becomes available. The PFC circuitry uses the operational voltage to generate output power for the drive circuitry based on the output power configuration circuitry. The drive circuitry includes drive current configuration circuitry to generate a drive current to drive a load, coupled to the power supply, independent of the input voltage.

Abstract: Sharing content includes verifying occurrence of an event, determining participants of the event, gathering related content generated by the participants, where the related content corresponds to the event, and disseminating the related content to the participants. The event may be a business meeting. Verifying occurrence of an event may include determining scheduled participants, scheduled location, and scheduled time of the event using an electronic calendar of one of the scheduled participants. Participants may include the scheduled participants and other participants that are not listed in the electronic calendar where the other participants attend the event. Verifying occurrence of an event may also include confirming that at least an event organizer is at the scheduled location at the scheduled time and there is at least one other one of the participants. The content may include documents, photos, scanned images, audio clips, video clips, types notes, and/or handwritten notes.

Abstract: In response to a mobile computing device querying information for a product within a retail store, program code may instruct a camera of the mobile computing device to capture an image as part of a query for the product. The program code may also collect information for the query of the product, which includes information from the barcode and the mobile computing device. The program code adjusts a calculation of an approximate location of the product via use of distance vectors that are within the information that is collected for the query the product. The program code generates a query object to perform the query. The program code defines an optimal arrangement of products within the retail store. The program code updates an electronic planogram based on the optimal arrangement of products. The program code retrieves product information that is customized for an end user, based on the query object generated.

Abstract: Split phase power conversion apparatuses, methods and systems are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment includes a generator, an AC/DC converter coupled with the generator, a DC bus coupled with the AC/DC converter, and an inverter coupled with the DC bus. The inverter includes first, second, and third legs each including a plurality of switches. A first controller provides a control signal to the first leg based upon a voltage between a first system output and a second system output and a first current provided to the first system output. A second controller provides a second control signal to the second leg based upon a voltage between the second system output and a third system output and a second current provided to the third system output. A third controller controls the third leg to provide an output equal to one half of the DC bus voltage.