Enhanced fault reporting in voltage regulators
Granted: April 30, 2019
Patent Number:
10277127
An electronic system, voltage regulator, controller and fault reporting method and circuit for a voltage regulator or other type of DC-DC converter are disclosed. For example, a fault reporting circuit is disclosed. The fault reporting circuit includes a first transistor device configured to generate a first signal indicating an occurrence of a fault in an associated circuit, a second transistor device coupled to the first transistor device, the second transistor device configured to…
Digital voltage compensation for power supply integrated circuits
Granted: April 2, 2019
Patent Number:
10250138
Systems and methods for digital voltage compensation in a power supply integrated circuit are provided. In at least one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a digital voltage code, the digital voltage code corresponding to an output voltage value; setting an output count on a first counter to change from a present first digital count corresponding to a present voltage code value toward a target first digital count corresponding to a new voltage code value; and setting a second count…
Switchable solar cell devices
Granted: March 5, 2019
Patent Number:
10224351
Exemplary embodiments provide a solar cell device, and method for forming the solar cell device by integrating a switch component into a solar cell element. The solar cell element can include a solar cell, a solar cell array and/or a solar cell panel. The integrated solar cell element can be used for a solar sensor, while the solar sensor can also use discrete switches for each solar cell area of the sensor. Exemplary embodiments also provide a connection system for the solar cell…
Switchable solar cell devices
Granted: February 19, 2019
Patent Number:
10211241
Exemplary embodiments provide a solar cell device, and method for forming the solar cell device by integrating a switch component into a solar cell element. The solar cell element can include a solar cell, a solar cell array and/or a solar cell panel. The integrated solar cell element can be used for a solar sensor, while the solar sensor can also use discrete switches for each solar cell area of the sensor. Exemplary embodiments also provide a connection system for the solar cell…
Systems and methods for substrates
Granted: January 8, 2019
Patent Number:
10175733
One embodiment is directed towards a molded insulator substrate. The molded insulator substrate includes a first insulator having a first surface and a second surface. A recess in said first surface of the first insulator is configured to facilitate venting of a second insulator over exposed regions of the first surface. A first conductive terminal is exposed through the first surface. A second conductive terminal is exposed through the second surface and electrically coupled to the…
Remote differential voltage sensing
Granted: January 8, 2019
Patent Number:
10175272
A remote differential voltage sensing circuit having a voltage input (Vin) and a voltage output (Vout), comprises a dual differential input stage including a common-source or common-collector differential input stage in parallel with a common-gate or common-base differential input stage. The common-source or collector differential input stage has differential inputs, one coupled to the voltage input (Vin) and the other coupled to the voltage output (Vout). The common-gate or common-base…
System and method for cell balancing and charging using a serially coupled inductor and capacitor
Granted: December 25, 2018
Patent Number:
10164441
An apparatus for charging a plurality of series connected battery cells, includes a first and second input terminals for providing a charging voltage to the plurality of series connected battery cell. A transformer includes a primary side associated with the charging voltage and a secondary side includes a plurality of portions. Each of the plurality of portions is connected across at least one of the plurality of series connected battery cell. A switch in series between each of the…
Reducing a drop in a residual supply signal level on start up or restart of a power supply
Granted: December 18, 2018
Patent Number:
10158281
In an embodiment, a power-supply controller includes a control circuit, a drive circuit, and a signal-drop-reducing circuit. The control circuit is configured to generate a drive signal having a duty cycle, and the drive circuit is configured to cause a phase circuit of a power supply to generate, in response to the drive signal, an output signal having a magnitude. And the signal-drop-reducing circuit is configured to disable the driver circuit in response to the duty cycle…
USB charger using sensor-less current limit
Granted: December 4, 2018
Patent Number:
10148107
A universal serial bus charger comprises a universal serial bus connector for providing a connection to a voltage source. An output voltage connector provides a charging voltage to a connected battery. A switching voltage regulator generates the charging voltage responsive to the voltage source. Control circuitry monitors an actual charging current applied to the connected battery and provides a programmed current signal enabling the actual charging current to operate at a programmed…
Molded power-supply module with bridge inductor over other components
Granted: October 23, 2018
Patent Number:
10111333
An embodiment of a power-supply module includes a molded package, power-supply components disposed within the package, and an inductor disposed within the package and over the power-supply components. For example, for a given output-power rating, such a power-supply module may be smaller, more efficient, and more reliable than, and may run cooler than, a power-supply module having the inductor mounted outside of the package or side-by-side with other components. And for a given size,…
Method and system for DC-DC voltage converters
Granted: October 23, 2018
Patent Number:
10110127
On embodiment pertains to an apparatus including a control loop configured to receive an output voltage sense signal. The control loop includes a compensator; a PWM signal generator coupled to an output of the compensator; a reference circuit configured to receive a tracking signal, and which is configured to low bandwidth low pass filter the tracking signal when the tracking signal amplitude becomes substantially constant and representative of an output voltage that is substantially…
Systems and methods for an open wire scan
Granted: October 16, 2018
Patent Number:
10101403
Systems and methods for an open wire scan are provided. In certain embodiments, An apparatus comprising a circuit includes a plurality of inputs for connecting with a plurality of outputs of a multi-cell battery pack; and an open connection detection circuit, formed within the circuit, for detecting an open connection on at least one of the plurality of inputs connected to the multi-cell battery pack and generating a fault condition responsive thereto. The open connection detection…
Overcurrent protection in a battery charger
Granted: October 2, 2018
Patent Number:
10090688
Systems and methods for overcurrent protection in a battery charger are provided. For example, a method for overcurrent protection may include controlling a switching regulator to direct electrical current between the switching regulator and a battery port; sensing a voltage drop that is related to the electrical current passing between the switching regulator and the battery port; applying a first ramp voltage to the sensed voltage drop generating a modified sensed voltage drop;…
Method and system for reducing transients in DC-DC converters
Granted: September 11, 2018
Patent Number:
10073507
One embodiment pertains to a method including determining the duty cycle of a PWM signal, operating in valley current control mode when the duty cycle is greater than fifty percent, operating in peak current control mode when the duty cycle is less than fifty percent, and including, commencing a PWM pulse upon the occurrence of a pulse of a first clock signal pulse, and terminating the PWM pulse upon a level of a signal exceeding a positive window threshold.
Multi-stage amplifier
Granted: August 28, 2018
Patent Number:
10063130
In an embodiment, an amplifier includes first, second, and third stages, and a feedback network. The first stage has a first passband and is configured to generate a first output signal in response to first and second input signals, and the second stage has a second passband that is higher in frequency than the first passband and is configured to generate a second output signal in response to third and fourth input signals. The third stage has a first input node coupled to receive the…
Transient suppression for boost regulator
Granted: August 21, 2018
Patent Number:
RE47005
A circuit for generating an output voltage to a top node of a plurality of LED strings. The circuit includes an inductor having a load current flowing therethrough and a switching transistor responsive to a switching control signal. An integrator generates a compensation voltage responsive to a voltage at a bottom node of the LED string and a reference voltage. Circuitry for combining an a correction offset with the compensation voltage is responsive to the compensation voltage and the…
Reducing a drop in a residual supply-signal level on start up or restart of a power supply
Granted: August 7, 2018
Patent Number:
10044256
In an embodiment, a method includes generating a pulse-width-modulated signal having a duty cycle, and isolating a power-supply output node in response to the duty cycle corresponding to a signal magnitude that is less than a magnitude of an output signal on the power-supply output node. For example, where a power supply has a non-zero residual output signal (e.g., output voltage) on its output node after the power supply is deactivated, a power-supply controller can use such a technique…
Current mode 3-state buck-boost PWM control architecture
Granted: July 31, 2018
Patent Number:
10038382
A voltage regulator including a converter and a modulator. The converter includes a switching circuit coupled to an inductor for converting an input voltage to an output voltage. The modulator controls the switching circuit in a buck mode of operation, a boost mode of operation, and an intermediate buck-boost mode of operation. During the buck-boost mode of operation, the modulator controls the switching circuit during each switching cycle to sequentially switch between three different…
Audio frequency deadband system and method for switch mode regulators operating in discontinuous conduction mode
Granted: July 31, 2018
Patent Number:
10038379
A controller for controlling operation of a switching regulator including a modulator, a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) controller, an audible DCM (ADCM) controller, and a sub-sonic discontinuous conduction mode (SBDCM) controller. The modulator generally operates in a continuous conduction mode. The DCM controller modifies operation to DCM during low loads. The ADCM controller detects when the switching frequency is less than a super-sonic frequency threshold and modifies operation…
Distance sensing by IQ domain differentiation of time of flight (TOF) measurements
Granted: July 24, 2018
Patent Number:
10031078
A system and method for identifying a position of a moving object, regardless of static objects present in the optical field of an active infrared (IR) proximity detector, is provided. Moreover, a modulated light emitting diode (LED) signal is captured and processed through I/Q demodulation. Specifically, the reflections received at an IR sensor are demodulated to generate in-phase (I) and quadrature phase (Q) signals and the derivative of I/Q signals is obtained to isolate motion. For…
