HIGH-EFFICIENCY POWER CONVERTERS WITH INTEGRATED CAPACITORS
Granted: April 26, 2012
Application Number:
20120098090
A power converter device comprises a substrate, a power die mounted on the substrate, and a capacitor die mounted over the power die in a stacked configuration. The capacitor die is electrically coupled to the power die. A packaging material encapsulates the power die and the capacitor die. An integrated circuit die can also be mounted to the substrate and electrically coupled to the power die to receive power signals from the power die, with the packaging material also encapsulating the…
CONFIGURABLE PHOTO DETECTOR CIRCUIT
Granted: April 19, 2012
Application Number:
20120091320
A configurable photo detector circuit comprises a photo detector array including a plurality of photo detectors coupled to a plurality of amplifiers. A method for programming a detection pattern of the configurable photo detector circuit comprises selecting a first detection pattern for the photo detector array, generating first signals to create the first selected detection pattern, and applying the first generated signals to the photo detector circuit to implement the first selected…
DYNAMIC CONVERTER TOPOLOGY
Granted: April 19, 2012
Application Number:
20120092899
Methods and apparatus of dynamic topology power converters are provided. One method includes monitoring at least one variable of the power converter and based on the at least one monitored variable, using a converter topology selected between at least a full-bridge converter topology and a half-bridge converter topology to achieve an efficient operation at a then current operational load.
CELL BALANCING CIRCUIT FOR USE IN A MULTI-CELL BATTERY SYSTEM
Granted: April 12, 2012
Application Number:
20120086401
An apparatus for balancing a multi-cell battery pack has a plurality of switchable loads. Each of the plurality of switchable loads are associated with one of a plurality of cells of a multi-cell battery. The plurality of switchable loads discharge an associated cell in a first mode and diverts part of a charging current away from the associated cell in a second mode responsive to a drive signal. A plurality of current mode driver circuits applies the drive signal to each of the…
LED DRIVER WITH ADAPTIVE DYNAMIC HEADROOM VOLTAGE CONTROL
Granted: April 5, 2012
Application Number:
20120081016
A multi-channel LED driver includes a plurality of linear current regulators, each connected to a bottom of a string of series connected LEDs of a multi-channel LED that controls a bias current and the string of series connected LEDs responsive to an LED bias reference voltage. A dynamic headroom regulation voltage control circuit monitors the headroom regulation voltage at the bottom of each string of the series connected LEDs in the multi-channel LED and generates a reference voltage…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONVERTING AN AC INPUT VOLTAGE TO A REGULATED OUTPUT CURRENT
Granted: April 5, 2012
Application Number:
20120081081
A converter according to one embodiment converts an AC voltage to a regulated output current provided to a DC load of a Z-type configuration. A filter capacitor is provided to average current flowing through the load. The converter includes a rectifier network for rectifying the AC voltage and for providing a rectified voltage, and a smoothing capacitor for smoothing the rectified voltage. The converter includes a hysteretic current mode controller which controls a switching transistor…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTION OF OPEN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND A MULTI-CELL BATTERY PACK
Granted: April 5, 2012
Application Number:
20120081128
An apparatus comprises an integrated circuit and an open connection detection circuit within the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of inputs for connecting with a plurality of outputs of a multi-cell battery pack. The open connection detection circuit within the integrated circuit detects an open connection on at least one of the plurality of inputs from the multi-cell battery and generates a fault condition responsive thereto.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONVERTING AN AC INPUT VOLTAGE TO A REGULATED DC OUTPUT VOLTAGE USING A Z-TYPE CONVERTER WITH RECTIFIED SWITCHES
Granted: April 5, 2012
Application Number:
20120081936
An AC to DC converter for converting an AC input voltage to a regulated DC output voltage using a Z-type converter and rectified switches. The Z-type converter includes first and second inductors, a capacitor, two rectified switches and a load device coupled in a cross-coupled configuration. The Z-type converter may be configured according to a Z-source or a quasi-Z-source rectifier network. The AC input voltage is applied to an input and the DC output voltage is developed across the…
CALIBRATION OF IMPAIRMENTS IN A MULTICHANNEL TIME-INTERLEAVED ADC
Granted: March 29, 2012
Application Number:
20120075129
Techniques for correcting component mismatches in an M-channel time-interleaved Analog to Digital Converter (ADC). A number, M, of clock signals drive a corresponding number of main ADC elements with a selected plurality of different clock phases. Each of the ADCs has at least one of an offset correction input, a gain correction input, or a phase correction input. The M digital values output by the ADCs are interleaved to form a digital representation of the input signal. Also provided…
ZERO PIN SERIAL INTERFACE
Granted: March 29, 2012
Application Number:
20120075006
A method for controlling performance of an integrated circuit using a zero-pin serial interface is provided. The method comprises identifying a desired performance characteristic of the circuit, and transmitting a first change mode signal to the circuit on a first pin to cause the circuit to enter an instruction reception mode, with the first pin performing differently during a normal operation mode. The method also comprises transmitting a performance adjusting instruction to the…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPEN LOOP MODULATION TO DETECT NARROW PWM PULSE
Granted: March 29, 2012
Application Number:
20120074924
An open loop modulation network for a voltage regulator including a latch network, an output sense network, a timing network, and pulse control logic. The latch network latches assertion of a pulse control signal and provides a corresponding latched control pulse indication. The output sense network detects initiation of an output pulse and provides a corresponding output pulse indication. The timing network initiates a delay period in response to the output pulse indication and resets…
POWER-SUPPLY MODULE WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC-INTERFERENCE (EMI) SHIELDING, COOLING, OR BOTH SHIELDING AND COOLING, ALONG TWO OR MORE SIDES
Granted: March 15, 2012
Application Number:
20120063038
An embodiment of a power-supply module includes a package having sides, a first power-supply component disposed in the package, and an electromagnetic-interference (EMI) shield disposed adjacent to two sides of the package. For example, such a module may include component-mounting platforms (e.g., a lead frame or printed circuit board) on the top and bottom sides of the module, and these platforms may provide a level of EMI shielding specified for a particular application. Consequently,…
DETECTING AND SELECTIVELY IGNORING POWER SUPPLY TRANSIENTS
Granted: March 15, 2012
Application Number:
20120063045
Systems and methods for discriminating a negative-going load fault from a positive-going input voltage (VIN) surge are disclosed. The system includes a circuit that senses the VIN voltage to generate a disable signal, if the positive-going VIN surge is identified. Specifically, the circuit can include a high pass filter to facilitate identification of the positive-going VIN surge. Moreover, the disable signal is employed to control an overcurrent comparator that provides an overcurrent…
ADAPTIVE ANALOG INFRARED SUBTRACTION CIRCUIT FOR AN AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR
Granted: March 1, 2012
Application Number:
20120049048
A system and method for adaptive analog infrared subtraction during ambient light sensing is provided. The system employs a current mirror circuit to perform an analog subtraction of currents (IIR and IIR?AB) obtained from photodiodes. An ADC is employed to digitize the output signal from the current mirror and, the digitized signal is amplitude modulated at a chop frequency utilized by the current mirror. Further, a digital filer is employed to generate an adjustment signal by filtering…
CONTROLLING A BIDIRECTIONAL DC-TO-DC CONVERTER
Granted: March 1, 2012
Application Number:
20120049772
A system and method for regulating power flow and limiting inductor current in a bidirectional direct current (DC)-to-DC converter is provided. In one aspect, a feedback circuit is provided to control power flow and/or limit inductor current based on the input/output voltage and/or current conditions in the bidirectional DC-DC converter. During a boost mode of operation, the duty cycle of a low-side switch within the bidirectional DC-DC converter is reduced, based on an analysis of the…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CURRENT LIMITING A DC-DC CONVERTER
Granted: March 1, 2012
Application Number:
20120049810
A DC-DC voltage converter has a pair of switching transistors to provide an output voltage and are alternately switched in a boost mode of operation responsive to control signals. An inductor is connected to the pair of switching transistor and has an inductor current flowing there through. A current sensor monitors an input current and generates a current sense signal responsive thereto. Control circuitry generates the control signals to the second pair of switching transistors…
SOFT START METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A BIDIRECTIONAL DC TO DC CONVERTER
Granted: March 1, 2012
Application Number:
20120049820
A system and method for reducing negative inductor current during soft start of a bidirectional direct current (DC)-to-DC converter is provided. Typically, the bidirectional DC-to-DC converter includes an active switch and a passive switch. The system employs a soft start circuit that controls the duty cycle of the passive switch during soft start of the active switch. In one aspect, the soft start circuit gradually increases the duty cycle of the passive switch from zero to a steady…
SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ADAPTIVE SLOPE COMPENSATION FOR VOLTAGE REGULATOR WITH CONSTANT ON-TIME CONTROL
Granted: March 1, 2012
Application Number:
20120049826
A system and method including providing an error voltage indicative of output voltage error, generating an off ramp voltage while a pulse control signal is turned off and otherwise resetting the off ramp voltage, developing the off ramp voltage to have a slope which is inversely proportional to an off time of the pulse control signal, comparing the off ramp voltage with the error voltage and turning on the pulse control signal when the off ramp voltage compares favorably with the error…
CIRCUITS, METHODS, SUB-SYSTEMS AND SYSTEMS INCLUDING ADAPTIVE ANALOG SUBTRACTION FOR LIGHT SENSING
Granted: March 1, 2012
Application Number:
20120049927
Circuits, methods, sub-systems and systems including adaptive analog subtraction for light sensing are described herein. In an embodiment, an analog circuit including a current mirror is configured to replicate a first current to produce a replicated version of the first current, and to subtract the replicated version of the first current from a second current to produce a third current. A mismatch correction circuit is configured to produce an adjustment signal, indicative of a mismatch…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED OVER-CURRENT CLIPPING
Granted: February 23, 2012
Application Number:
20120044018
Systems and methods for implementing over-current protection include reducing a clip level while an over-current condition is being detected. Once the over-current condition is no longer detected, the clip level is maintained for a specified period before allowing the clip level to be increased. In an embodiment, the specified period, for which the clip level is maintained before the clip level is allowed to be increased, starts when the over-current condition is no longer detected, and…
