Patents by Inventor Nien-Hui Kung

Nien-Hui Kung 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: 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: 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
  • Patent number: 7550932
    Abstract: A control device, which controls a power-converting module that is coupled to a light-emitting component, includes a duration detecting unit and a control signal generator. The duration detecting unit compares the duration of a predetermined logic state of a pulsating input dim control signal with a reference time period. The control signal generator is enabled by the duration detecting unit so as to generate a control signal that enables the power-converting module to generate a drive voltage for driving the light-emitting component when the duration of the predetermined logic state is not longer than the reference time period. The duration detecting unit disables the control signal generator to disable the power-converting module when the duration of the predetermined logic state is longer than the reference time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Yiu-I Lin, Der-Jiunn Wang, Chao-Hsuan Chuang, Jien-Sheng Chen, Shui-Mu Lin, Wei-Hsin Wei
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20090096434
    Abstract: In an NMOSFET-base linear charger, a pair of common gate charging NMOSFET and sensing NMOSFET have their sources coupled together or virtually shorted to each other, so that these two NMOSFETs have a same gate-source voltage and thereby the sensing NMOSFET reflects the drain-source current of the charging NMOSFET on its drain-source current. From the drain-source current of the sensing NMOSFET, a current sensing signal is generated to control the gate voltage of the charging NMOSFET. By implementing the current source with NMOSFETs, the linear charger has smaller die area and less power loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Kwan-Jen Chu
  • Patent number: 7518432
    Abstract: A low noise multiphase charge pump comprises a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of switches configured as a network, the switches are so switched that the charge pump operates in at least three phases by turns, and the operational durations and the operational currents of the phases are preferably balanced, so as to reduce the noise of the charge pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Shui-Mu Lin, Nien-Hui Kung, Jien-Sheng Chen, Tsung-Wei Huang
  • Patent number: 7508174
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an anti-ringing switching regulator, comprising a variable resistor, a transistor, and an inductor electrically connected to a common node, in which the variable resistor is electrically connected with an input voltage, the transistor is electrically connected to ground, and the inductor is electrically connected to an output terminal, whereby the input voltage is converted and transmitted to the output terminal according to the resistance variation of the variable resistor and the switching of the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Wei-Hsin Wei, An-Tung Chen, Nien-Hui Kung
  • Patent number: 7474141
    Abstract: A mode transition control method and circuit switch a charge pump to an operating mode with lower conversion ratio at a regular interval when the input voltage of the charge pump is detected close to a mode transition point, so as to prevent from misjudgment on the mode transition of the charge pump due to external noise, loading change, or inaccurate equivalent resistance of the charge pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Tsung-Wei Huang, Jien-Sheng Chen, Shui-Mu Lin, Nien-Hui Kung
  • Publication number: 20080246455
    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: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Kwan-Jen Chu, Nien-Hui Kung, Tzu-Huan Chiu, Chien-Ping Lu
  • Publication number: 20080238382
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an anti-ringing switching regulator, comprising a variable resistor, a transistor, and an inductor electrically connected to a common node, in which the variable resistor is electrically connected with an input voltage, the transistor is electrically connected to ground, and the inductor is electrically connected to an output terminal, whereby the input voltage is converted and transmitted to the output terminal according to the resistance variation of the variable resistor and the switching of the transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: Richtek Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Wei-Hsin Wei, An-Tung Chen, Nien-Hui Kung
  • Publication number: 20080211465
    Abstract: A soft-stop circuit and method are provided for a voltage regulator which converts a battery voltage to an output voltage according to a feedback voltage derived from the output voltage and a reference voltage, to control the voltage regulator to enter a soft-stop state when the battery voltage is lower than a threshold level, and in which state, and the output voltage is controlled to decrease so as for the battery voltage to have a slower decreasing speed and in turn a longer battery lifetime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Kwan-Jen Chu
  • Publication number: 20080174286
    Abstract: A quick response switching regulator comprises a power stage having a pair of high-side switch and low-side switch and an inductor connected together by a switching node, a feedback circuit for producing a feedback signal, and a control circuit producing control signals with reference to the feedback signal to control the pair of high-side switch and low-side switch. The feedback circuit is connected to the switching node to shorten the feedback path and speed up the response. The control circuit further monitors the current flowing through the inductor to keep the low-side switch off before the peak of the inductor current becomes higher than a value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Kwan-Jen Chu, Tzu-Huan Chiu, Nien-Hui Kung, Chien-Ping Lu
  • Publication number: 20080150452
    Abstract: A control device, which controls a power-converting module that is coupled to a light-emitting component, includes a duration detecting unit and a control signal generator. The duration detecting unit compares the duration of a predetermined logic state of a pulsating input dim control signal with a reference time period. The control signal generator is enabled by the duration detecting unit so as to generate a control signal that enables the power-converting module to generate a drive voltage for driving the light-emitting component when the duration of the predetermined logic state is not longer than the reference time period. The duration detecting unit disables the control signal generator to disable the power-converting module when the duration of the predetermined logic state is longer than the reference time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Nien-Hui KUNG, Yiu-I LIN, Der-Jiunn WANG, Chao-Hsuan CHUANG, Jien-Sheng CHEN, Shui-Mu LIN, Wei-Hsin WEI
  • Patent number: 7385422
    Abstract: A voltage generating circuit, which generates tri-state logic output in accordance with high, low or floating of the input node, is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Shui-Mu Lin, Chien-Sheng Chen, Nien-Hui Kung, Der-Jiunn Wang, Jing-Meng Liu, Wei-Hsin Wei
  • Publication number: 20080074092
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a switching regulator, and a control circuit and a control method therefor. The switching regulator comprises two transistors, and the two transistors are never simultaneously OFF.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Kwan-Jen Chu
  • Publication number: 20080042729
    Abstract: A mode transition control method and circuit switch a charge pump to an operating mode with lower conversion ratio at a regular interval when the input voltage of the charge pump is detected close to a mode transition point, so as to prevent from misjudgment on the mode transition of the charge pump due to external noise, loading change, or inaccurate equivalent resistance of the charge pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Tsung-Wei Huang, Jien-Sheng Chen, Shui-Mu Lin, Nien-Hui Kung
  • Patent number: 7332879
    Abstract: A control device, which controls a power-converting module that is coupled to a light-emitting component, includes a duration detecting unit and a control signal generator. The duration detecting unit compares the duration of a predetermined logic state of a pulsating input dim control signal with a reference time period. The control signal generator is enabled by the duration detecting unit so as to generate a control signal that enables the power-converting module to generate a drive voltage for driving the light-emitting component when the duration of the predetermined logic state is not longer than the reference time period. The duration detecting unit disables the control signal generator to disable the power-converting module when the duration of the predetermined logic state is longer than the reference time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Nien-Hui Kung, Yiu-I Lin, Der-Jiunn Wang, Chao-Hsuan Chuang, Jien-Sheng Chen, Shui-Mu Lin, Wei-Hsin Wei
  • Patent number: 7271802
    Abstract: A backlight power controller chip comprises a control circuit connected to two switches to turn on and off two display panels of a dual panel display handheld apparatus. The controller chip individually switches the two switches to control the backlight sources of the two display panels. The controller chip is available for various types of display panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Der-Jiunn Wang, Jing-Meng Liu, Chao-Hsuan Chuang, Nien-Hui Kung, Wen-Hung Huang