Patents by Inventor Kwan-Jen Chu

Kwan-Jen Chu 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).

  • Publication number: 20100052629
    Abstract: A switching regulator includes a low-side switch having a body diode. During the low-side switch is on, a zero-current sense circuit monitors the inductor current of the switching regulator and triggers a signal to turn off the low-side switch when the inductor current falls down to a zero-current threshold, to prevent reverse inductor current from the output terminal of the switching regulator. A body-diode turn-on time controller monitors the turn-on time of the body diode and adjusts the zero-current threshold according thereto, and the turn-on time of the body diode can be reduced to an optimal interval subsequently. The self-adjustable zero-current threshold is adaptive according to the application conditions, such as the inductor size, input voltage and output voltage of the switching regulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Kwan-Jen Chu, Nien-Hui Kung, Tzu-Huan Chiu, Chien-Ping Lu
  • Patent number: 7667530
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a charge pump down circuit which comprises three capacitors operating in three time phases. In the first time phase, the total of the voltages across the three capacitors is equal to an input voltage; in the second time phase, the voltage across the second capacitor is equal to the voltage across the third capacitor; in the third time phase, the difference between the voltages across the first and the second capacitors is equal to the voltage across the third capacitor, wherein the voltage across the third capacitor is the output voltage of the charge pump down circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Kwan-Jen Chu, Shui-Mu Lin, Jien-Sheng Chen, Tsung-Wei Huang
  • Publication number: 20100026257
    Abstract: A non-synchronous boost converter includes a low-voltage device connected between the input voltage terminal and the output voltage terminal of the converter. When the converter is shutdown, the low-voltage device disconnects the output voltage terminal and the input voltage terminal. Since it is a low-voltage device used in the converter for load disconnection, the efficiency of the converter is improved with lower cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Tsung-Wei Huang, Shun-Mu Lin, Jien-Sheng Chen, Kwan-Jen Chu
  • Patent number: 7656133
    Abstract: In a capacitor charger including a transformer having a primary winding connected with an input voltage and a secondary winding for transforming a primary current flowing through the primary winding to a secondary current flowing through the secondary winding, the primary current is adjusted according to a monitoring voltage varying with the input voltage, thereby prolonging the lifetime of the battery that provides the input voltage and improving the power efficiency of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chung-Lung Pai, Kwan-Jen Chu, Chun-Yen Huang, Jing-Meng Liu
  • Publication number: 20100019682
    Abstract: A LED driver is disclosed for providing a current for LED lighting. The LED driver includes an inductor and a controller having a power switch, and the inductor, the power switch and a LED to be driven are configured to be an asynchronous boost converter. Because the driven LED serves as a rectifier diode of the asynchronous boost converter, the controller may have fewer components and requires smaller die area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Chien-Ping Lu, Wei-Hsin Wei, Kwan-Jen Chu, Tzu-Huan Chiu
  • Patent number: 7652945
    Abstract: A switching regulator includes a low-side switch having a body diode. During the low-side switch is on, a zero-current sense circuit monitors the inductor current of the switching regulator and triggers a signal to turn off the low-side switch when the inductor current falls down to a zero-current threshold, to prevent reverse inductor current from the output terminal of the switching regulator. A body-diode turn-on time controller monitors the turn-on time of the body diode and adjusts the zero-current threshold according thereto, and the turn-on time of the body diode can be reduced to an optimal interval subsequently. The self-adjustable zero-current threshold is adaptive according to the application conditions, such as the inductor size, input voltage and output voltage of the switching regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Kwan-Jen Chu, Nien-Hui Kung, Tzu-Huan Chiu, Chien-Ping Lu
  • Publication number: 20090315527
    Abstract: For output current detection of a voltage regulator, the currents in a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor of the voltage regulator are sensed and summarized to a summed current to flow through a setting resistor. The voltage variation on the setting resistor is monitored to provide a feedback signal for feedback control in the voltage regulator. This detection scheme removes the current sensing resistor from the charging current path of the voltage regulator to prevent efficiency loss on it, and is much less sensitive to noise interference because greater voltage variation is available by using a greater setting resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Kwan-Jen Chu
  • Patent number: 7619394
    Abstract: In a capacitor charger including a transformer having a primary winding connected with an input voltage and a secondary winding for transforming a primary current flowing through the primary winding to a secondary current flowing through the secondary winding, the primary current is adjusted according to a monitoring voltage varying with the input voltage, thereby prolonging the lifetime of the battery that provides the input voltage and improving the power efficiency of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chung-Lung Pai, Kwan-Jen Chu, Chun-Yen Huang, Jing-Meng Liu
  • Publication number: 20090261654
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power path control circuit comprising: an input node for receiving an external power; a first power transistor electrically connected between the input node and a first node, for controlling power supplied from the input node to the first node; a second power transistor electrically connected between the first node and a battery, for controlling power supplied from the battery to the first node; an error amplifier including an output electrically connected with a gate of the second power transistor, a first input terminal electrically connected with the first node, and a second input terminal electrically connected with the battery, wherein a voltage difference is allocated between the two input terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Tzu-Huan Chiu, Kwan-Jen Chu, Nien-Hui Kung
  • Patent number: 7605571
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a switching regulator, which comprises: a first and a second transistors electrically connected with each other; a pulse width modulation control circuit for turning ON and OFF the first transistor and turning ON the second transistor; and a current source control circuit for controlling the second transistor so that the second transistor becomes a current source, wherein the second transistor has only two states: ON and low current, and wherein when the first transistor is ON, the second transistor is in the low current state; and when the first transistor is OFF, the second transistor is ON or in the low current state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Kwan-Jen Chu
  • Publication number: 20090237035
    Abstract: A circuit and method for detecting absent battery condition in a linear charger apply a detecting signal onto an output terminal of the charger and monitor the output terminal to receive a detected signal. The capacitance at the output terminal is significantly different between the presence and absence of a battery connected to the output terminal, and it is thus available to determine from the detected signal, if no battery is connected to the output terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Kwan-Jen Chu
  • Publication number: 20090219078
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a charge pump down circuit which comprises three capacitors operating in three time phases. In the first time phase, the total of the voltages across the three capacitors is equal to an input voltage; in the second time phase, the voltage across the second capacitor is equal to the voltage across the third capacitor; in the third time phase, the difference between the voltages across the first and the second capacitors is equal to the voltage across the third capacitor, wherein the voltage across the third capacitor is the output voltage of the charge pump down circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Kwan-Jen Chu, Shui-Mu Lin, Jien-Sheng Chen, Tsung-Wei Huang
  • Publication number: 20090212841
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a level shift circuit which comprises: an input driver circuit; a capacitor having a first end electrically connected with the output of the input driver circuit; an output driver circuit electrically connected with a second end of the capacitor; and a feedback latch circuit electrically connected between the output of the output driver circuit and the second end of the capacitor, for maintaining the voltage level at the second end of the capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventors: Kwan-Jen Chu, Chien-Ping Lu
  • Patent number: 7580271
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for suppressing the input current inrush for a voltage converter in a pre-charge stage. The voltage converter comprises a power input for receiving an input current, a power output for supplying an output voltage for a load, and an output capacitor connected to the power output. In a pre-charge stage, a current limiting device is connected between the power input and the output capacitor to limit the input current to flow therethrough, and a variable current limiting control circuit provides a control signal to the current limiting device to determine a variable maximum value for the input current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yun-Chi Chiang, Kwan-Jen Chu, Jien-Sheng Chen
  • Publication number: 20090195191
    Abstract: A current regulator includes a first current source to provide a reference current varying with a dimming step, and a second current source to generate a drive current for a white LED according to the reference current. The reference current and the dimming step have a relationship identical to or approximating a relationship between luminance and lightness perceived by human eyes. Thus, the white LED is controlled to have a linear variation of the luminance perceived by human eyes when the dimming step is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Shui-Mu Lin, Tsung-Wei Huang, Jien-Sheng Chen, Kwan-Jen Chu
  • Publication number: 20090195221
    Abstract: In a capacitor charger including a transformer having a primary winding connected with an input voltage and a secondary winding for transforming a primary current flowing through the primary winding to a secondary current flowing through the secondary winding, the primary current is adjusted according to a monitoring voltage varying with the input voltage, thereby prolonging the lifetime of the battery that provides the input voltage and improving the power efficiency of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Chung-Lung Pai, Kwan-Jen Chu, Chun-Yen Huang, Jing-Meng Liu
  • Publication number: 20090174388
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a dual power switch and a voltage regulator using the dual power switch. The dual power switch comprises a PMOS power switch and an NMOS power switch connected in parallel and operating according to corresponding predetermined conditions, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Kwan-Jen Chu, Chun-Tsung Chen, Tzu-Huan Chiu
  • Publication number: 20090128238
    Abstract: A single-ended operational amplifier includes an output stage, a first transconductance amplifier and a second transconductance amplifier. In an offset cancellation mode, two inputs of the first transconductance amplifier are supplied with a reference voltage to sink two currents from two inputs of the output stage respectively, the output stage generates a third current according to the difference between the two currents to charge a capacitor, and the second transconductance amplifier generates two currents according to the voltage in the capacitor to make currents in the two inputs of the output stage equal to each other, thereby canceling the offset of the single-ended operational amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Shui-Mu Lin, Tsung-Wei Huang, Jien-Sheng Chen, Kwan-Jen Chu
  • Publication number: 20090115389
    Abstract: A pulse width modulation (PWM) Regulator System with automatically switching pulse skipping mode (PSM) is disclosed. The PWM regulator system comprises a PWM regulator, a PSM switching module and a pulse generator. The PWM regulator converts the input voltage by PWM. The PSM switching module determines to enter or exit the PSM. The pulse generator adaptively produces pulse signal for the switching regulator to operate in PSM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Kwan-Jen Chu, Chung-Lung Pai, Po-Shun Chung, Jing-Meng Liu
  • Publication number: 20090102431
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a universal serial bus (USB) charging circuit, comprising: a charging path for charging a battery from a USB host; a charging switch located on the charging path; a current sensing circuit for sensing current information on the charging path; a maximum available current detection circuit for detecting the maximum available current from the USB host; and a loop controller circuit for controlling the charging switch so that the charging current on the charging path is substantially equal to the maximum available current detected by the maximum available current detection circuit, wherein the maximum available current detection circuit detects the maximum available current during circuit initialization and stores it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Kwan-Jen Chu, Jing-Meng Liu