Patents by Inventor Daniel Leonescu

Daniel Leonescu 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).

  • Patent number: 8841897
    Abstract: The regulated output voltage of a voltage regulator is maintained up to a current limit, Ilimit, then as the load impedance continues to decrease the output current does not increase past the current limit, Ilimit, but rather the output voltage decreases forcing the output current to also decrease to satisfy Ohm's Law: IOUT=VOUT/ZLoad. When the output voltage drops below the regulated voltage value because of current limiting the voltage regulator shifts from a current limit mode to a current foldback mode wherein the output current decreases with the decrease in output voltage until the output current reaches a current foldback minimum, Ifoldback, at an output voltage of substantially zero volts. As the load impedance increases so will the output voltage and current until the output voltage is back at substantially the regulation voltage value, and the output current is less than or equal to the current limit, Ilimit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Matthew Williams, Daniel Leonescu, Scott Dearborn, Christian Albrecht
  • Patent number: 8786266
    Abstract: A high voltage switching regulator has significantly reduced current sensing delay between measurement of input current and generation of sensed current values, while maintaining good accuracy of the current through a power transistor using current replication and a current conveyor. High sensing accuracy of the input current ensures good load regulation, and low sensing delay ensures fixed duty cycle over a wide range of output currents and high input to output voltage ratios. A current conveyor is used to transfer high side current values to low side control circuits, e.g., pulse width modulation (PWM) control. The current conveyor is always on, e.g., some current flow is always present, thus minimizing any current measurement delay. This is accomplished by dynamically biasing the current conveyor by draining to ground a current equal to the sensed current. Wherein balancing of the current conveyor is ensured and offset at the input of the current conveyor is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Philippe Deval, Philippe Gimmel, Marius Budaes, Daniel Leonescu, Terry Cleveland, Scott Dearborn
  • Publication number: 20120187930
    Abstract: The regulated output voltage of a voltage regulator is maintained up to a current limit, Ilimit, then as the load impedance continues to decrease the output current does not increase past the current limit, Ilimit, but rather the output voltage decreases forcing the output current to also decrease to satisfy Ohm's Law: IOUT=VOUT/ZLoad. When the output voltage drops below the regulated voltage value because of current limiting the voltage regulator shifts from a current limit mode to a current foldback mode wherein the output current decreases with the decrease in output voltage until the output current reaches a current foldback minimum, Ifoldback, at an output voltage of substantially zero volts. As the load impedance increases so will the output voltage and current until the output voltage is back at substantially the regulation voltage value, and the output current is less than or equal to the current limit, Ilimit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Matthew Williams, Daniel Leonescu, Scott Dearborn, Christian Albrecht
  • Publication number: 20110187340
    Abstract: A high voltage switching regulator has significantly reduced current sensing delay between measurement of input current and generation of sensed current values, while maintaining good accuracy of the current through a power transistor using current replication and a current conveyor. High sensing accuracy of the input current ensures good load regulation, and low sensing delay ensures fixed duty cycle over a wide range of output currents and high input to output voltage ratios. A current conveyor is used to transfer high side current values to low side control circuits, e.g., pulse width modulation (PWM) control. The current conveyor is always on, e.g., some current flow is always present, thus minimizing any current measurement delay. This is accomplished by dynamically biasing the current conveyor by draining to ground a current equal to the sensed current. Wherein balancing of the current conveyor is ensured and offset at the input of the current conveyor is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Philippe Deval, Philippe Gimmel, Marius Budaes, Daniel Leonescu, Terry Cleveland, Scott Dearborn