Patents by Inventor Jochen Neidhardt

Jochen Neidhardt 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: 8884599
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter has a control circuit for controlling a high-side power transistor and a low-side power transistor connected in series between supply terminals to which an input supply voltage is applied. The converter has a switching node at the interconnection of the power transistors for connection of an inductor to which a load is connected. The control circuit has a feedback loop that provides a pulse width modulated control signal, logic circuitry to which the pulse width modulated control signal is applied and gate drivers with inputs connected to outputs of the logic circuitry and outputs applying gate drive signals to the gates of the power transistors. A digital signal is obtained which is indicative of whether the converter switching node is at a potential above or below a zero reference at the time of the turn-off edge of the low-side gate drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Herzer, Sumeet P. Kulkarni, Jochen Neidhardt
  • Patent number: 8310221
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided which comprises circuitry for DC-DC conversion configured to switch an inductor current through an inductor using slope compensation, wherein the circuitry comprises a slope compensation stage configured to generate a slope compensation signal as a function of an switching frequency of the DC-DC conversion and an input voltage of the DC-DC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Herzer, Sumeet P. Kulkarni, Jochen Neidhardt, Maciej Jankowski
  • Patent number: 8203323
    Abstract: An electronic device for switched mode DC-DC conversion is provided that includes a stage for sensing an output current causing a voltage difference between a first and a second node. The current sensing stage includes a comparator being capacitively coupled with a first input to the first node and with a second input to the second node for determining a magnitude of the output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Wicht, Sumeet P. Kulkarni, Stefan Herzer, Jochen Neidhardt
  • Publication number: 20110241633
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter has a control circuit for controlling a high-side power transistor and a low-side power transistor connected in series between supply terminals to which an input supply voltage is applied. The converter has a switching node at the interconnection of the power transistors for connection of an inductor to which a load is connected. The control circuit has a feedback loop that provides a pulse width modulated control signal, logic circuitry to which the pulse width modulated control signal is applied and gate drivers with inputs connected to outputs of the logic circuitry and outputs applying gate drive signals to the gates of the power transistors. A digital signal is obtained which is indicative of whether the converter switching node is at a potential above or below a zero reference at the time of the turn-off edge of the low-side gate drive signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Herzer, Sumeet P. Kulkami, Jochen Neidhardt
  • Publication number: 20100253313
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided which comprises circuitry for DC-DC conversion configured to switch an inductor current through an inductor using slope compensation, wherein the circuitry comprises a slope compensation stage configured to generate a slope compensation signal as a function of an switching frequency of the DC-DC conversion and an input voltage of the DC-DC converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Herzer, Sumeet P. Kulkarni, Jochen Neidhardt, Maciej Jankowski
  • Publication number: 20100231187
    Abstract: An electronic device for switched mode DC-DC conversion is provided that includes a stage for sensing an output current causing a voltage difference between a first and a second node. The current sensing stage includes a comparator being capacitively coupled with a first input to the first node and with a second input to the second node for determining a magnitude of the output current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Wicht, Sumeet P. Kulkarni, Stefan Herzer, Jochen Neidhardt