Patents by Inventor Todd Vacca

Todd Vacca 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: 7683594
    Abstract: A circuit for reducing switching losses in a synchronous rectifier of a switching stage including a high-side control transistor and a low-side synchronous transistor coupled at a switching node, the switching stage receiving an input voltage and providing a controlled output voltage at an output node. The circuit including a first circuit portion for sensing waveshape edges of a first signal at a gate terminal of the low-side synchronous transistor and a first voltage to determine a delay between the waveshape edge of the first signal and the waveshape edge of the first voltage; and a second circuit portion for calibrating the first signal and the first voltage to align the waveshape edge of the first signal and the waveshape edge of the first voltage, with an optional offset to achieve minimal power loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Seungbeom Kevin Kim, Todd Vacca, Jason Zhang
  • Publication number: 20080298101
    Abstract: A circuit for reducing switching losses in a synchronous rectifier of a switching stage including a high-side control transistor and a low-side synchronous transistor coupled at a switching node, the switching stage receiving an input voltage and providing a controlled output voltage at an output node. The circuit including a first circuit portion for sensing waveshape edges of a first signal at a gate terminal of the low-side synchronous transistor and a first voltage to determine a delay between the waveshape edge of the first signal and the waveshape edge of the first voltage; and a second circuit portion for calibrating the first signal and the first voltage to align the waveshape edge of the first signal and the waveshape edge of the first voltage, with an optional offset to achieve minimal power loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seungbeom Kevin Kim, Todd Vacca, Jason Zhang
  • Publication number: 20080224677
    Abstract: A method of obtaining an optimized dead time for a synchronous switching power supply comprising a control IC and two series-connected switches, comprising packaging the control IC and the series-connected switches in a co-packaged module; providing a dead time delay circuit within the control IC circuit which has variable dead time; testing the switching power supply; varying the dead time in a defined sequence during the step of testing; monitoring a parameter during testing of the switching power supply as the dead time is varied; determining an optimal dead time based upon monitoring the parameter; and setting the dead time at the optimal dead time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin Kim, Jason Zhang, Todd Vacca