Patents by Inventor Aichen Low
Aichen Low has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10938299Abstract: Various embodiments of a fault detector for a voltage converter are described. In one example embodiment, briefly, the fault detector is capable to detect one or more fault events during operation of a voltage converter. Likewise, the fault detector is capable to generate one or more fault signals with respect to the one or more to be detected fault events.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2020Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventors: Aichen Low, David M. Giuliano, Gregory Szczeszynski, Jeff Summit, Oscar Blyde
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Publication number: 20210044203Abstract: Various embodiments of charge adjustment techniques for a switched capacitor power converter are described. In one example embodiment, briefly, charge adjustment techniques may include a technique to control operation of a charge pump for a switched capacitor power converter so that the charge pump is able to adjust the charge of a selected one or more of the two or more charge pump capacitors along a charge transfer path, independent of the charge of other charge pump capacitors of the two or more charge pump capacitors. Likewise, in some instances, a charge may be adjusted in a manner that is to include at least one of the following: a current source, a voltage regulator, an adjustment of switching frequency of a charge pump, a time-based charge operation, a bypass switch with respect to at least one charge pump capacitor, on-resistance modulation for one or more switches of the charge pump, or any combination thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2020Publication date: February 11, 2021Inventors: Aichen Low, David M. Giuliano, Gregory Szczeszynski, Jeff Summit, Oscar Blyde
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Publication number: 20210006156Abstract: A step-up power-converter has stack nodes, each of which connects to a stack switch and to a pump capacitor to form a switched-capacitor network. Among the stack nodes are first and second stack-nodes. The second stack-node drives a particular stack switch from the plurality of stack switches. When all of the stack switches are open, the first voltage causes the first stack-node to have a first stack-node voltage and causes the second stack-node to have a second stack-node voltage that is less than the first stack-node voltage. During the first state, the second stack-node voltage is insufficient to drive the particular stack-switch. During the second state, the second stack-node voltage is sufficient to drive the particular stack-switch. Causing the switched-capacitor network to transition from the first state to the second state includes, among other things, causing the second stack-node voltage to become sufficient to drive the particular stack-switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2020Publication date: January 7, 2021Inventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, Oscar Blyde
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Publication number: 20210006157Abstract: Various embodiments of a fault detector for a voltage converter are described. In one example embodiment, briefly. the fault detector is capable to detect one or more fault events during operation of a voltage converter. Likewise, the fault detector is capable to generate one or more fault signals with respect to the one or more to be detected fault events. The one or more fault signals, in the example embodiment, to signal a disconnect switch of the voltage converter to electrically disconnect or otherwise via a high impedance state to limit current flow through at least one switch of a set of switches of the voltage converter. In another example embodiment, the fault detector, responsive to the one or more fault signals, capable to generate a bus interrupt signal on a pin out, such as of an integrated circuit (IC) for use with the voltage converter, or capable to toggle a fault indicator pin out of the IC. Other additional embodiments are also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2020Publication date: January 7, 2021Inventors: Aichen Low, David M. Giuliano, Gregory Szczeszynski, Jeff Summit, Oscar Blyde
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Publication number: 20200366195Abstract: Various embodiments of a fault detector for a voltage converter are described. In one example embodiment, briefly, the fault detector is capable to detect one or more fault events during operation of a voltage converter. Likewise, the fault detector is capable to generate one or more fault signals with respect to the one or more to be detected fault events.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2020Publication date: November 19, 2020Inventors: Aichen Low, David M. Giuliano, Gregory Szczeszynski, Jeff Summit, Oscar Blyde
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Publication number: 20200343808Abstract: An apparatus and method for efficient shutdown of adiabatic charge pumps. A power converter includes a charge pump, a controller, an output load and an inductor. According to one aspect, the power converter includes a switch which is connected across the inductor, where the controller is configured to sense a status of the charge pump and to correspondingly drive the switch element. According to another aspect, the charge pump includes an active discharge circuit and a current-sense circuit, where the current-sense circuit is configured to activate the active discharge circuit. According to yet another aspect, the power converter includes a cascade multiplier having a plurality of high side and low side switches, where a pair of high side and low side switches are enabled simultaneously, such that the pair of high side and low side switches act as an active discharge switch for the charge pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Inventor: Aichen Low
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Patent number: 10797594Abstract: Power converter circuits, including DC-DC converter circuits, that conserve IC area by utilizing more area-efficient alternatives for measurement circuitry. Various embodiments include a power converter circuit including a charge pump having a plurality of stack-nodes VCXM and at least one multiplexor for coupling selected stack-nodes VCXM to a corresponding comparator circuit configured to output a signal indicative of a difference between a selected input to the multiplexor and a reference signal. The number of comparator circuits is less than (N?1)×M, where N is the conversion gain of the power converter circuit (i.e., the number of charge pump stages X plus one), and M is the number of parallel charge pump legs. Related methods include measuring voltages at stack-nodes VCXM in a charge pump, wherein the stack-nodes VCXM are selected by means of a multiplexor and an input to a comparator.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2019Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventors: Brian Zanchi, Aichen Low
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Publication number: 20200228002Abstract: Operating a charge pump in which switches from a first set of switches couple capacitor terminals to permit charge transfer between them and in which switches from a second set of switches couple capacitor terminals of capacitors to either a high-voltage or a low-voltage terminal includes cycling the switches through a sequence of states, each state defining a corresponding configuration of the switches. At least three of the states define different configurations of the switches. During each of the configurations, charge transfer is permitted between a pair of elements, one of which is a first capacitor and another of which is either a second capacitor or the first terminal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2020Publication date: July 16, 2020Inventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, David Giuliano
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Publication number: 20200195135Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion includes a switching network that controls interconnections between pump capacitors in a capacitor network that has a terminal coupled to a current source, and a charge-management subsystem. In operation, the switching network causes the capacitor network to execute charge-pump operating cycles during each of which the capacitor network adopts different configurations in response to different configurations of the switching network. At the start of a first charge-pump operating cycle, each pump capacitor assumes a corresponding initial state. The charge-management subsystem restores each pump capacitor to the initial state by the start of a second charge-pump operating cycle that follows the first charge-pump operating cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2019Publication date: June 18, 2020Inventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, David Giuliano
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Patent number: 10686367Abstract: An apparatus and method for efficient shutdown of adiabatic charge pumps. A power converter includes a charge pump, a controller, an output load and an inductor. According to one aspect, the power converter includes a switch which is connected across the inductor, where the controller is configured to sense a status of the charge pump and to correspondingly drive the switch element. According to another aspect, the charge pump includes an active discharge circuit and a current-sense circuit, where the current-sense circuit is configured to activate the active discharge circuit. According to yet another aspect, the power converter includes a cascade multiplier having a plurality of high side and low side switches, where a pair of high side and low side switches are enabled simultaneously, such that the pair of high side and low side switches act as an active discharge switch for the charge pump.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2019Date of Patent: June 16, 2020Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventor: Aichen Low
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Patent number: 10666134Abstract: Transient or fault conditions for a switched capacitor power converter are detected by measuring one or more of internal voltages and/or currents associated with switching elements (e.g., transistors) or phase nodes, or voltages or currents at terminals of the converter, and based on these measurements detect that a condition has occurred when the measurements deviate from a predetermined range. Upon detection of the condition fault control circuitry alters operation of the converter, for example, by using a high voltage switch to electrically disconnect at least some of the switching elements from one or more terminals of the converter, or by altering timing characteristics of the phase signals.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2017Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventors: Aichen Low, David M. Giuliano, Gregory Szczeszynski, Jeff Summit, Oscar Blyde
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Publication number: 20200161964Abstract: An apparatus for converting a first voltage into a second voltage includes a reconfigurable switched capacitor power converter having a selectable conversion gain. The power converter has switch elements configured to electrically interconnect capacitors to one another and/or to the first or second voltage in successive states. The switch elements are configured to interconnect at least some capacitors to one another through the switch elements. A controller causes the reconfigurable switched capacitor power converter to transition between first and second operation modes. The controller minimizes electrical transients arising from transition between modes. In the first operating mode, the power converter operates with a first conversion gain. In the second operating mode, it operates with a second conversion gain.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2019Publication date: May 21, 2020Inventors: Aichen Low, David Giullano, Gregory Szczeszynski, Jeff Summit, Oscar Blyde
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Patent number: 10574140Abstract: Operating a charge pump in which switches from a first set of switches couple capacitor terminals to permit charge transfer between them and in which switches from a second set of switches couple capacitor terminals of capacitors to either a high-voltage or a low-voltage terminal includes cycling the switches through a sequence of states, each state defining a corresponding configuration of the switches. At least three of the states define different configurations of the switches. During each of the configurations, charge transfer is permitted between a pair of elements, one of which is a first capacitor and another of which is either a second capacitor or the first terminal.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2019Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, David Giuliano
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Publication number: 20200028433Abstract: A power converter that supplies a constant output voltage includes a regulator that connects to a charge pump. The charge pump is operable in plural charge-pump modes. A controller preemptively suppress evidence of occurrence of a transition between said charge-pump modes.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski
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Publication number: 20200007033Abstract: Operating a charge pump in which switches from a first set of switches couple capacitor terminals to permit charge transfer between them and in which switches from a second set of switches couple capacitor terminals of capacitors to either a high-voltage or a low-voltage terminal includes cycling the switches through a sequence of states, each state defining a corresponding configuration of the switches. At least three of the states define different configurations of the switches. During each of the configurations, charge transfer is permitted between a pair of elements, one of which is a first capacitor and another of which is either a second capacitor or the first terminal.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2019Publication date: January 2, 2020Applicant: pSemi CorporationInventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, David Giuliano
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Publication number: 20190393776Abstract: A step-up power-converter has stack nodes, each of which connects to a stack switch and to a pump capacitor to form a switched-capacitor network. Among the stack nodes are first and second stack-nodes. The second stack-node drives a particular stack switch from the plurality of stack switches. When all of the stack switches are open, the first voltage causes the first stack-node to have a first stack-node voltage and causes the second stack-node to have a second stack-node voltage that is less than the first stack-node voltage. During the first state, the second stack-node voltage is insufficient to drive the particular stack-switch. During the second state, the second stack-node voltage is sufficient to drive the particular stack-switch. Causing the switched-capacitor network to transition from the first state to the second state includes, among other things, causing the second stack-node voltage to become sufficient to drive the particular stack-switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2018Publication date: December 26, 2019Inventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, Oscar Blyde
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Patent number: 10454368Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion includes a switching network that controls interconnections between pump capacitors in a capacitor network that has a terminal coupled to a current source, and a charge-management subsystem. In operation, the switching network causes the capacitor network to execute charge-pump operating cycles during each of which the capacitor network adopts different configurations in response to different configurations of the switching network. At the start of a first charge-pump operating cycle, each pump capacitor assumes a corresponding initial state. The charge-management subsystem restores each pump capacitor to the initial state by the start of a second charge-pump operating cycle that follows the first charge-pump operating cycle.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2018Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, David Giuliano
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Publication number: 20190296630Abstract: In a power converter having a regulator and charge pump, both of which operate in plural modes, a controller receives information indicative of the power converter's operation and, based at least in part on said information, causes transitions between regulator modes and transitions between charge-pump modes.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2018Publication date: September 26, 2019Inventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, David M. Giuliano
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Patent number: 10389236Abstract: A power converter that supplies a constant output voltage includes a regulator that connects to a charge pump. The charge pump is operable in plural charge-pump modes. A controller preemptively suppress evidence of occurrence of a transition between said charge-pump modes.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2018Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski
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Patent number: 10348195Abstract: An apparatus for coupling to capacitors to form a charge pump includes first and second sets of switch elements, and a controller. Switches in the first set couple terminals of capacitors to permit charge transfer between them. Switches in the second set couple terminals of at least some of the capacitors to either a high-voltage or a low-voltage terminal. The controller causes the switches to cycle through a sequence of states, each defining a corresponding configuration of the switch elements. At least three of the states define different configurations permitting charge transfer either between a first capacitor and a second capacitor, or between a first capacitor and one of the terminals. The configured cycle of states causes voltage conversion between the two terminals.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2018Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, David Giuliano