Abstract: A single inductor multiple-output DC-DC converter includes an inductor coupled to a first input switch and a second input switch to store energy from supply source, wherein the first input switch is coupled to an input supply node, and the second input switch is coupled to ground, the first and the second switches controlling current through the inductor; a plurality of output switches, each output switch coupled to a common inductor node and to a corresponding output supply node, each of the output supply node having a voltage converted from an input voltage received at an input supply node; a freewheel switch coupled between the common inductor node and ground; a control circuit receiving a sensed inductor current and a plurality of feedback signals indicating error signals between output voltages and their corresponding reference voltages, the control circuit being configured to control timing and charging current of the inductor.

Abstract: Illustrated are a switched-capacitor DC-DC convertor and a control method thereof. The switched-capacitor DC-DC convertor includes a switched-capacitor circuit, a latched comparator and a clock generating module. The switched-capacitor circuit converts an input voltage into an output voltage through a phase switching operation. The latched comparator receives a clock signal, and compares the output voltage and a reference voltage according to the clock signal, to generate the control signal, which triggers a phase switching operation of the switched-capacitor circuit. The clock generating module generates the clock signal, and adjusts a frequency of the clock signal according to variation of the control signal.

Abstract: A structure and method is provided for DC to DC conversion using switched-capacitors. The DC-DC converter uses an optimized configuration of capacitors and switches that maximize the number of attainable ideal conversion ratios for the given number of capacitors. A method is provided for controlling the converter, wherein the control circuitry generates a multiphase switching sequence which turns the switches on and off in a cyclical manner. Sample switching sequences are provided to generate a set of attainable ideal conversion ratios, for up to three floating capacitors. The converter is programmable, modular and capable of dynamically varying its ideal conversion gain. It can be used to both step-up and step-down the input voltage.

Abstract: A power conversion device includes a reactor, a single-phase inverter, and a single-phase converter which are connected in series to each other between an AC power supply and a smoothing capacitor, and performs power conversion between AC voltage of the AC power supply and DC voltage of the smoothing capacitor. The power conversion device includes a control unit which controls switch elements of the single-phase inverter and switch elements of the single-phase converter so that charging operation and discharging operation of the DC capacitor are performed in one switching cycle of the single-phase inverter and the charging amount and the discharging amount thereof are equal to each other.

Abstract: A battery pack includes an arrangement of battery cells organized in battery groups connected in series, with each group having one or more battery units connected in parallel, and each battery unit comprising one or more series-connected battery cells connected to a battery switch. Charging of the battery pack uses pulse charging. The charging pulses provided to the battery units can be determined based on one or more measured characteristics of battery cells comprising the battery unit so that charging of the battery units can be optimized according to those characteristics. The charging pulses provided to each battery group are timed so that there is an uninterrupted flow of charging current through all the battery groups at all times.

Abstract: An electronic device includes: a clock booster including a doubler capacitor, the clock booster configured to precharge the doubler capacitor and provide a boosted intermediate voltage greater than an input voltage; a secondary booster including a booster capacitor, the secondary booster configured to use the voltage stored on the doubler capacitor to generate a stage output greater than the boosted intermediate voltage; and a connecting switch connected to the clock booster and the secondary booster, the connecting switch configured to electrically connect the doubler capacitor and the booster capacitor during a direct charging duration for charging the booster capacitor using source-secondary current from an input voltage supply instead of or in addition to the voltage stored on the doubler capacitor.

Abstract: A voltage converter can be switched among two or more modes to produce an output voltage tracking a reference voltage that can be of an intermediate level between discrete levels corresponding to the modes. One or more voltages generated from a power supply voltage, such as a battery voltage, can be compared with the reference voltage to determine whether to adjust the mode. The reference voltage can be independent of the power supply voltage. Further, the voltage converter may implement frequency modulation and a pulse skipping mode to improve the efficiency of switching operational states of the voltage converter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a radioisotope and a composition of matter including the radioisotope. The radioisotope is made by exposing a material to neutrons from a portable neutron source. More specifically, a solution includes a particular isotope. The neutron source is completely surrounded by the solution. The solution is exposed to the neutrons. Generated radioisotopes are extracted from the solution.

Abstract: A voltage regulator package includes a voltage regulator module that outputs a voltage signal of a particular voltage level through an output terminal is provided. The voltage regulator module may be switched on according to a periodic signal having a periodic signal frequency as a variable. The periodic signal frequency may be tuned to reduce impedance, jitter, or noise.

Abstract: A reconfigurable bipolar output charge pump circuit includes an input terminal configured to receive an input voltage. First and second terminals are connected to a first flying capacitor, and third and fourth terminals are connected to a second flying capacitor. First and second output terminals are respectively connected to first and second output capacitors and configured to respectively provide a positive output voltage and a negative output voltage. A switch network includes switches configured to connect the input terminal, the first to fourth terminals, and the first and second output terminals to each other in response to switch control signals. The switch network is configured to provide one of multiple potential charge pump modes. A controller generates the switch control signals in response to a mode control signal indicating one of the charge pump modes so that a magnitude of the positive output voltage and the negative output voltage becomes one of multiple predefined voltage levels.

Abstract: A charge pump method and apparatus is described having various aspects. Noise injection from a charge pump to other circuits may be reduced by limiting both positive and negative clock transition rates, as well as by limiting drive currents within clock generator driver circuits, and also by increasing a control node AC impedance of certain transfer capacitor coupling switches. A single-phase clock may be used to control as many as all active switches within a charge pump, and capacitive coupling may simplify biasing and timing for clock signals controlling transfer capacitor coupling switches. Any combination of such aspects of the method or apparatus may be employed to quiet and/or simplify charge pump designs over a wide range of charge pump architectures.

Abstract: A power conversion device includes a switching element, a gate drive unit, a switch circuit unit, a DC power supply unit, and a control unit. The control unit controls a plurality of switch circuit units and a plurality of gate drive units. During a normal period, the control unit causes a first switch and a second switch to be closed, and causes a signal from the gate drive unit to continue a high level or a low level. Furthermore, during a switching period, the control unit causes the first switch and the second switch to open, and switches a signal from the gate drive unit from a low level to a high level or from a high level to a low level.

Abstract: A GFCI circuit that includes an electronically controllable main switch that can turn on, and turn off, the delivery of electrical power from the GFCI circuit. The main switch is controlled and monitored by a microcontroller unit using at least digital input and digital output signals, and which includes analog to digital converter. The microcontroller unit may also use the on-off functionality of the main switch in connection with repeatable detection of miswiring of the GFCI circuit. The GFCI circuit can further be adapted to conduct a self-test that can temporarily disable the ability of a trip signal generated by a GFCI integrated circuit in response to a test fault to cause the tripping of the main switch. The microcontroller unit further monitors one or more characteristics of the GFCI circuit, including the main switch and trip signal(s), and can determine whether the GFCI circuit has reached its end-of-life stage.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a switched capacitor DC-DC converter configured for converting a DC input voltage into a higher or lower DC output voltage. The switched capacitor DC-DC converter comprises an output voltage regulator utilizing a feedback loop with a multi-level quantizer configured to convert a lowpass filtered control signal into a corresponding digital control signal.

Abstract: A compact radiation generator for use in a downhole well-logging tool is disclosed. The compact radiation generator comprises a housing with a cavity, a linear acceleration tube in the cavity that generates radiation when supplied with a sufficiently high voltage, and a first voltage multiplier ladder in the cavity configured to supply the sufficiently high voltage to the acceleration tube. The first voltage multiplier ladder is folded into two linear parts that are collocated to each other.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a reconfigurable charge pump including pump units that can be arranged differently for varying an output voltage generated by the reconfigurable charge pump; a pump regulator coupled to the reconfigurable charge pump, the pump regulator configured to monitor the output voltage and turn the reconfigurable charge pump on or off based on the output voltage; and an arrangement control mechanism coupled to the pump regulator, the arrangement control mechanism configured to control operation of the pump regulator based on the output voltage to generate arrangement control output, wherein the arrangement control output controls electrical connections between the pump units.

Abstract: A charge pump circuit suitable for low input voltages is presented. The charge pump circuit has a first clock signal generator, a second clock signal generator, and n voltage doubler circuits. The voltage doubler has an input, an output, a first capacitor connected to the first clock signal generator, a second capacitor connected to the second clock signal generator, a first NMOST having the source connected to the input and the drain connected to the first capacitor, a second NMOST having the connected to the source of the first NMOST and the drain connected to second capacitor, a first PMOST having the drain connected to the first capacitor and the source connected to the output, a second PMOST having the source connected to the source of the first PMOST and the drain connected to the second capacitor.

Abstract: A battery charging circuit has a first switching circuit and a second switching circuit coupled in parallel between an input port and a node, a first switch coupled between the node and a system ground, a second switch coupled between the node and an output port, and a control circuit. When an input voltage is higher than a system voltage, the control circuit controls the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit turned ON and OFF with interleaving, the first switch maintains OFF and the second switch maintains ON. When the input voltage is lower than the system voltage, the control circuit controls the first switch and the second switch turned ON and OFF, and at least one of the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit maintains ON.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flexible thermoelectric module apparatus, and more particularly, to a flexible thermoelectric module apparatus including a heat sink longitudinally extending and a thermoelectric module disposed in the heat sink, in which the heat sink has a pipe-shaped body constituting a main body and a hole longitudinally formed through the center portion of the body, the thermoelectric module has a plurality of thermoelectric plates, the thermoelectric plates are plates having predetermined length and width, are arranged longitudinally in parallel with the heat sink, with a first side in the width direction connected to the inner side of the body and a second side disposed inside the hole, are arranged in parallel with each other at circumferentially predetermined distances from each other in the hole, and have a predetermined angle to the radial direction of the heat sink such that they are inclined at a predetermined angle therebetween.

Abstract: According to some implementation, a charge pump includes a boost charge pump circuit and a buck charge pump circuit sharing a common flying capacitance. In some implementations, the boost pump circuit includes an input node and a boosted-voltage output node, and the buck charge pump circuit includes the input node and a divided-voltage output node. In some implementations, the charge pump of claim 3 wherein the boosted-voltage includes 2×Vin, and the divided-voltage includes Vin/2, Vin being an input voltage at the input node. In some implementations, the boost pump circuit further includes a first holding capacitance that couples the boosted-voltage output node to a ground. In some implementations, the buck pump circuit further includes a second holding capacitance that couples the divided-voltage output node to the ground.

Abstract: A switched capacitor power converter includes multiple switching transistors in a default switching path, and an auxiliary soft-charge bypass circuit which includes one or more auxiliary transistors and an impedance element, and provides an auxiliary circuit path through the auxiliary transistor(s) to charge a plurality of capacitors within the converter circuit when the auxiliary soft-charge bypass circuit is activated and at least one of the switching transistors is deactivated. A corresponding control circuit switches the converter circuit from a soft-charging mode in which the auxiliary soft-charge bypass circuit is activated and a switching transistor is deactivated, to an operational mode in which the auxiliary soft-charge bypass circuit is deactivated, the control circuit periodically switching the one or more auxiliary transistors during the soft-charging mode in place of the deactivated switching transistor(s).

Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion includes a switching network that controls interconnections between pump capacitors in a capacitor network that has a terminal coupled to a current source, and a charge-management subsystem. In operation, the switching network causes the capacitor network to execute charge-pump operating cycles during each of which the capacitor network adopts different configurations in response to different configurations of the switching network. At the start of a first charge-pump operating cycle, each pump capacitor assumes a corresponding initial state. The charge-management subsystem restores each pump capacitor to the initial state by the start of a second charge-pump operating cycle that follows the first charge-pump operating cycle.

Abstract: A power converter, which comprises a resonant Switched Capacitor Converter (SCC) that consists of an input connected to an input voltage source, from which power is delivered to a load; a resonant tank circuit formed by a capacitor connected in series with an inductor and defining a resonant cycle; a first switch connected in series between a first contact of the input voltage source and a first contact of the resonant tank circuit; a second switch connected in series between the first contact of the resonant tank circuit and a first contact of the load; a conducting path connecting between a second contact of the input voltage source, a second contact of the resonant tank circuit and a second contact of the load and a third switch connected in parallel to the resonant tank circuit.

Abstract: Some embodiments include apparatus and methods using a charge pump coupled to a first supply power node and a second supply power node. The charge pump is arranged to transfer charge from the first supply power node to the second supply power node during a first time interval and to transfer charge from the second supply power node to the first supply power node during a second time interval.

Abstract: The present document relates to power transformers for electronic computing devices. In particular, a power converter configured to convert electrical power at a DC input voltage Vin into electrical power at a DC output voltage is described. The power converter comprises a plurality of flying capacitors, and a plurality of switches which are configured to arrange the plurality of flying capacitors in accordance to a sequence of operation phases. The power converter comprises a control unit configured to control the plurality of switches to repeat the sequence of operation phases at a duty cycle frequency. The plurality of flying capacitors is arranged in series during the operation phases of the sequence of operation phases. The sequence of operation phases comprises at least two operation phases during which the plurality of flying capacitors is arranged in a different order.

Abstract: A DC-to-DC voltage converter comprising a differential charge pump that utilizes a differential clocking scheme to reduce output electrical noise by partial cancellation of charge pump glitches (voltage transients), and a corresponding method of operating a differential charge pump. The differential charge pump can be characterized as having at least two charge pump sections that initiate charge pumping in opposite phases of a clock signal to transfer (pump) charge to storage capacitors. The differential charge pump is particularly well suited for implementation in integrated circuit chips requiring negative and/or positive voltages, and multiples of such voltages, based on a single input voltage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a driving circuit for display panel, which comprises a power supply circuit and a driving unit. The power supply circuit outputs a driving power supply voltage. The driving unit produces a driving signal according to a data signal and the driving power supply voltage for driving the display panel. In addition, the voltage level of the driving power supply voltage increases to a predetermined level. Thereby, during the process of charging the display panel by the data driving circuit, the driving power supply voltage output by the power supply circuit increases from a low level to a predetermined level for reducing the power consumption of the driving circuit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a buck-boost converter including a converter power stage, a first mode control unit, and a second mode control unit. In the buck-boost converter, the converter power stage may include at least one inductor and a plurality of switching devices. Further, the first mode control unit may operate the converter power stage in a buck mode and regulate an output voltage of the converter power stage as a first voltage. Further, the second mode control unit may operate the converter power stage in a boost mode or a buck-boost mode, and regulate an output voltage of the converter power stage as a second voltage higher than the first voltage.

Abstract: The detailed description described embodiments of highly efficient power management systems configurable to simultaneously generate various output voltage levels for different components, sub-assemblies, and devices of electronic devices, sub-systems, and systems. In particular, the described embodiments include power management systems that substantially reduce or eliminate the need for inductors, large numbers of capacitors, and complex switching techniques to transform an available voltage level from a system power source, such as a battery, to more desirable power supply voltages. Some described embodiments include a charge pump that uses only two flying capacitors to simultaneously generate multiple supply outputs, where each of the multiple supply outputs may provide either the same or a different output voltage level.

Abstract: A power conversion circuit includes an input terminal, a first switching element, a second switching element, a third switching element, a fourth switching element, a capacitor; an inductor; and a controller configured to control the switching elements to be switched ON/OFF, such that a voltage at the load is regulated by repetitively (1) charging the inductor with a first current before charging the capacitor causing a second current to flow in the inductor and (2) charging the inductor with a third current before discharging the capacitor causing a fourth current to flow in the inductor.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for detecting unanticipated consumption of power by a device. A first set of power consumption data is selected, followed by the collection of a second set of power consumption data, which respectively correspond to the consumption of a first and second amount of power by a device when it performs an authorized operation. The first and second sets of power consumption data are then compared to detect whether the second amount of power consumed is greater than the first amount of power consumed. If so, then a notification is generated, stating that the device has consumed an unanticipated greater amount of power as a result of performing the authorized operation.

Abstract: The charge pump circuit includes multiple boosting stages, and each stage includes following units. A first switch circuit is controlled by a first clock signal to couple a second terminal of a first capacitor to a first input terminal or a second input terminal. A third switch circuit is controlled by a second clock signal to couple a second terminal of a second capacitor to the first input terminal or the second input terminal. A second switch circuit is controlled by electric potentials on the second capacitor to couple a first terminal of the first capacitor to the first input terminal or an output terminal. The fourth switch circuit is controlled by electric potentials on the first capacitor to couple a first terminal of the second capacitor to the first input terminal or the output terminal.

Abstract: A charge pump circuit, and associated method and apparatuses, for providing a split-rail voltage supply, the circuit having a network of switches that is operable in a number of different states and a controller for operating the switches in a sequence of said states so as to generate positive and negative output voltages together spanning a voltage approximately equal to the input voltage and centered on the voltage at the common terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion includes a switching network that controls interconnections between pump capacitors in a capacitor network that has a terminal coupled to a current source, and a charge-management subsystem. In operation, the switching network causes the capacitor network to execute charge-pump operating cycles during each of which the capacitor network adopts different configurations in response to different configurations of the switching network. At the start of a first charge-pump operating cycle, each pump capacitor assumes a corresponding initial state. The charge-management subsystem restores each pump capacitor to the initial state by the start of a second charge-pump operating cycle that follows the first charge-pump operating cycle.

Abstract: A device for producing x-rays includes: a housing that includes a folded high-voltage multiplier coupled to a filament transformer, the transformer coupled to an x-ray tube for producing the x-rays. A method of fabrication and an x-ray source are disclosed.

Abstract: A switched capacitor voltage converter is provided that includes an array of switches configured to alternately switch multiple capacitors between a charge configuration in which the multiple capacitors are coupled in series with each other and in parallel with the source voltage and a discharge configuration in which a first set of capacitors having n capacitors are coupled in parallel with each other and in series with the load and a second set of capacitors having m capacitors coupled in parallel with the load.

Abstract: Dynamic power management techniques and voltage converter architectures are described to provide a secure and efficient on-chip power delivery system. In aspects of the embodiments, converter-gating adaptively turns on and off individual stages of an interleaved switched-capacitor voltage converter based on workload information to improve voltage conversion efficiency. Converter-gating is further utilized as a countermeasure against side channel power analysis attacks by pseudo-randomly controlling converter activity. The embodiments also improve the response time of converters during transient load changes by adaptively configuring the conversion ratio of a switched capacitor (SC) voltage converter.

Abstract: Various implementations described herein are directed to an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit may include a charge pump stage having multiple charge storage elements arranged to provide multiple sets of voltages in alternating phases. The integrated circuit may include a voltage multiplexing stage having multiple multiplexers arranged to receive the multiple sets of voltages in the alternating phases. Each multiplexer may provide a selected voltage from the multiple sets of voltages based on a conversion ratio. The integrated circuit may include a voltage summing stage having multiple sampling charge storage elements arranged to receive the selected voltages from each multiplexer and provide an output voltage as a sum of the selected voltages received from each multiplexer.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, computer program products, and computer readable media are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a first capacitor, a first inductor in resonance with the first capacitor, a first electronic switch and a second electronic switch. The first electronic switch may be configured to cause, when the first electronic switch is closed, the first capacitor to store a first energy, and to cause a second energy to be stored in magnetic fields of the inductor. The second energy may be transferred to a load during a resonant portion of an energy transfer cycle. The apparatus may further include a second electronic switch configured to cause the stored first energy in the first capacitor to be transferred at least in part to the magnetic fields of the inductor, and then transferred to the load during a buck portion of the energy transfer cycle.

Abstract: A DC-to-DC voltage converter comprising a differential charge pump that utilizes a differential clocking scheme to reduce output electrical noise by partial cancellation of charge pump glitches (voltage transients), and a corresponding method of operating a differential charge pump. The differential charge pump can be characterized as having at least two charge pump sections that initiate charge pumping in opposite phases of a clock signal to transfer (pump) charge to storage capacitors. The differential charge pump is particularly well suited for implementation in integrated circuit chips requiring negative and/or positive voltages, and multiples of such voltages, based on a single input voltage.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) amplification system or transmitter includes one or more power amplifiers and a controller that is configured to adjust amplitudes and phases of RF input signals of the one or more power amplifiers and supply voltages applied to the one or more power amplifiers. The system may include a single digital-to-RF modulator and a power divider to drive multiple power amplifiers. A power combiner may also be provided to combine outputs of the power amplifiers. In at least one implementation, amplitude adjustment of the RF input signals of the one or more power amplifiers may be used to provide transmit power control and/or power backoff.

Abstract: A bootstrap circuit for increasing the voltage swing of a local oscillator waveform signal. The bootstrap circuit comprises a driver stage for driving at an output thereof a local oscillator waveform signal having an increased voltage swing. The driver stage comprises a first supply voltage node and a second supply voltage node. The bootstrap circuit further comprises at least one energy storage component arranged to store energy within an energy storage element when the voltage level at the input node of the driver stage comprises the second voltage state and use the energy stored within the energy storage element to generate an increased voltage level, and to apply the increased voltage level to the first supply voltage node of the driver stage when the voltage level at the input node of the driver stage comprises the first voltage state.

Abstract: A stacked switched capacitor (SSC) energy buffer circuit includes a switching network and a plurality of energy storage capacitors. The switching network need operate at only a relatively low switching frequency and can take advantage of soft charging of the energy storage capacitors to reduce loss. Thus, efficiency of the SSC energy buffer circuit can be extremely high compared with the efficiency of other energy buffer circuits. Since circuits utilizing the SSC energy buffer architecture need not utilize electrolytic capacitors, circuits utilizing the SSC energy buffer architecture overcome limitations of energy buffers utilizing electrolytic capacitors. Circuits utilizing the SSC energy buffer architecture (without electrolytic capacitors) can achieve an effective energy density characteristic comparable to energy buffers utilizing electrolytic capacitors.

Abstract: An electrical circuit for providing electrical power for use in powering electronic devices, such as monitors, televisions, white goods, data centers, and telecom circuit boards, is described herein. The electrical circuit includes an input terminal configured to receive an input power signal, an output terminal configured to provide an output power signal, and a plurality of voltage reduction circuit cells coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal. Each of the voltage reduction circuit cells includes a pair of flyback capacitors, a switching circuit, and a hold capacitor. The switching device is configured to operate the corresponding voltage reduction circuit cell at a charging phase and at a discharging phase. The plurality of voltage reduction circuit cells are configured to deliver the output power signal having a voltage level that is less than the voltage level of the input power signal.

Abstract: A bootstrap circuit of which the capacitance of a bootstrap capacitor is small and which requires a shorter precharge period is provided. The bootstrap circuit includes transistors M41 and M42, capacitors BSC1 and BSC2, an inverter INV41, and keeper circuits 43 and 44. A signal OSG with a high voltage is generated from an input signal OSG_IN. As the signal OSG_IN is made a high level, a node SWG is made a high level by BSC1. After a signal BSE1 is made a high level and the node SWG is made a low level by the keeper circuit 44, a signal BSE2 is made a high level. By the capacitance coupling of BSC2, a voltage of an output terminal 22 increases.

Abstract: The invention proposes a driver module for driving LEDs, wherein the driver module comprises: —a rectifier (D1) for generating a supply voltage by rectifying an input AC voltage (Vin), —a load path with nodes (B, C) for connecting an LED string (10) comprising one or a plurality of LEDs (D), —a current source (IS1) coupled with the load path for generating a preferably constant current for the load path, and—a capacitive unit comprising at least two capacitors (C1, C2) for storing electrical energy from the rectifier (D1) during a charging phase and for providing electrical energy to the load path during a discharging phase, wherein the capacitive arrangement (11, 11?, 11?) is configured such that the two capacitors (C1, C2) are in a parallel arrangement (11) in the charging phase and in a serial arrangement (11?) in the discharging phase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to digital circuit processing and provides a position indication device and a position indication method. In order to improve positioning accuracy of the position indication device without degrading its sensitivity, a position indication device is provided. The device comprises: a voltage dividing circuit connected with a resonant circuit and a rectifying and filtering circuit. The voltage dividing circuit obtains a predetermined proportion of a signal output from the resonant circuit and outputs it to the rectifying and filtering circuit. The present invention is applicable to digital handwriting pens.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a circuit comprises a charge pump. A gain control circuit is configured to detect an input voltage and generate a gain control signal to change a gain of the charge pump to maintain the output voltage of the charge pump in a voltage range. A voltage to frequency converter is configured to detect the input voltage and change a frequency of a frequency control signal applied to the charge pump based in the detected input voltage to maintain the frequency in a frequency range so that the output voltage of the charge pump is maintained in the voltage range.

Abstract: A locating device disposable on a surface has a housing, a capacitance sensor, a radar sensor, and an inductance sensor. The locating device also has a motion sensor disposed for detecting at least one motion parameter. A controller receives data from the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, the inductance sensor and the motion sensor, and determines from the data a presence of objects disposed within or behind the surface. A display is used for displaying a graphical representation of the objects disposed within or behind the surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an energy conversion circuit comprising a switching stage with a positive DC voltage terminal (1), a negative DC voltage terminal (3), m?1 intermediate DC voltage terminals (2) m DC bus capacitors (5); and p linked cells consisting of m+1 switches (9) and at least one capacitor (10), connecting cell 1 to the positive DC voltage terminal (1), negative DC voltage terminals (3) and intermediate DC voltage terminals (2); and a multilevel converter, the output of which is connected to the AC voltage terminal (4), with a positive voltage terminal (12) and a negative voltage terminal (14) of the multilevel converter and m?1 intermediate voltage terminals of the multilevel converter (13), which are connected to the positive output terminal of the switching stage (6), to the negative output terminal of the switching stage (8), and to the m?1 intermediate output terminals of the switching stage (7), respectively.