Enhanced switched capacitor filter (SCF) compensation in DC-DC converters
Granted: June 26, 2018
Patent Number:
10008928
A system, DC-DC converter, and compensation method and circuit for a DC-DC converter are disclosed. For example, a compensation circuit for a DC-DC converter is disclosed. The compensation circuit includes an integrator circuit configured to receive and integrate a first voltage signal, a differential difference amplifier circuit coupled to the integrator circuit and configured to generate a first filter transfer function associated with the integrated first voltage signal, and a…
Current sensing with RDScorrection
Granted: June 5, 2018
Patent Number:
9991792
Current sensing with RDSON correction is disclosed. In an embodiment, a method comprises: measuring an approximate temperature of a MOS transistor switch by a temperature sensor to yield a measured temperature; calculating a corrected temperature from the measured temperature using a stored temperature sensor gain and offset correction function; measuring a gate drive voltage for the MOS transistor; calculating a voltage correction factor using a stored voltage correction function,…
Open loop correction for optical proximity detectors
Granted: May 22, 2018
Patent Number:
9977512
An optical proximity detector includes a driver, light detector, analog front-end, sensor(s) that sense correction factor(s) (e.g., temperature, supply voltage and/or forward voltage drop), and a digital back end. The driver drives the light source to emit light. The light detector produces a light detection signal indicative of a magnitude and a phase of a portion of the emitted light that reflects off an object and is incident on the light detector. The analog front-end receives the…
Input current compensation during current measurement
Granted: May 22, 2018
Patent Number:
9977057
A current measurement circuit may include unbuffered inputs, and the current may be sampled directly from the input pins. The input current created from each sample may be cancelled by injecting opposite charge on the subsequent sample. This direct sampling from the pins increases the common mode input range of the sense path without having to build high linearity rail-to-rail input buffers, hence lowering cost and power consumption of the current measurement path. It also allows for…
Method of forming body contact layouts for semiconductor structures
Granted: May 1, 2018
Patent Number:
9960236
Methods for forming body contact layouts for semiconductor structures are disclosed. In at least one exemplary embodiment, a method comprises: forming a plurality of gates disposed on a semiconductor layer, each gate extending parallel to a y-axis in a coordinate space; a source region disposed between two of the plurality of gates; a plurality of body contacts disposed in each source region; and wherein a portion of each body contact, adjacent to the gate, has a width extending parallel…
Switching regulator input current sensing circuit, system, and method
Granted: April 17, 2018
Patent Number:
9948180
A Buck switching regulator includes first Buck switching regulator circuitry is operable to generate a first output voltage from an input voltage and operable to generate a first sensed voltage having a value that is proportional to an output current being provided by the first Buck switching regulator circuitry. The first Buck switching regulator circuitry receives an input current and operates at a first duty cycle determined by a duty cycle signal. Input current sensing circuitry…
Method and system for smooth video transition between video sources
Granted: March 27, 2018
Patent Number:
9930222
A method includes determining whether to switch from a first input video signal to a second input video signal. Upon switching from a first input video signal to a second input video signal, determining whether the current displayed frame has terminated. If the current displayed frame has terminated, process the second video input signal and load data corresponding to the second video input signal from the timing generator, scale and pixel clock registers correspondingly into the timing…
Systems and methods for mitigation of resistor nonlinearity errors in single or multiphase switching voltage regulators employing inductor DCR current sensing
Granted: March 6, 2018
Patent Number:
9912234
Systems and methods for mitigation of resistor nonlinearity errors in a power converter are provided. In at least one embodiment, the power converter comprises at least one power switch coupled to an input voltage, a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit for generating control pulses for the at least one power switch, at least one output inductor coupled to a respective one of the at least one power switches, a current sensor coupled in parallel with the at least one output inductor, and…
Enhanced power mode transitions in buck-boost converters
Granted: January 30, 2018
Patent Number:
9882488
An electronic system, DC-DC voltage converter, method of operating a buck-boost DC-DC converter, and method for power mode transitioning in a DC-DC voltage converter are disclosed. For example, one method includes receiving a compensated error signal associated with an output voltage of the DC-DC voltage converter, determining a power mode of operation of the DC-DC voltage converter, and if the power mode of operation is a first mode, outputting a first control signal to regulate the…
Single die output power stage using trench-gate low-side and LDMOS high-side MOSFETs, structure and method
Granted: January 23, 2018
Patent Number:
9876012
A voltage converter includes an output circuit having a high-side device and a low-side device which can be formed on a single die (a “PowerDie”). The high-side device can include a lateral diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) while the low-side device can include a trench-gate vertical diffused metal oxide semiconductor (VDMOS). The voltage converter can further include a controller circuit on a different die which can be electrically coupled to, and co-packaged with the…
Current mode control regulator with load resistor emulation
Granted: January 16, 2018
Patent Number:
9871446
A current mode control regulator including a control circuit and a current generator. The control circuit regulates an output voltage based on a reference voltage using current mode control. The current generator applies an adjust current to a feedback current signal, in which the adjust current is proportional to a difference between a voltage indicative of the output voltage and the reference voltage to emulate an AC load resistance at an output of the current mode regulator. A load…
Over voltage and over current protection integrated circuit
Granted: January 16, 2018
Patent Number:
RE46673
An integrated circuit is disclosed including a primary input for receiving an input voltage, a battery voltage input for receiving a battery voltage signal and an output for providing an output voltage higher than the battery voltage. First circuitry responsive to the input voltage is provided for turning off the output voltage responsive to an input over voltage condition. Second circuitry responsive to the battery voltage signal is provided for turning off the output voltage responsive…
Transitioning a power supply from a mode to another mode in response to a length of a portion of a current pulse
Granted: January 9, 2018
Patent Number:
9866114
An embodiment of a power-supply controller includes a switching circuit and a transition circuit. The switching circuit is configured to generate a regulated output voltage by generating first current pulses at an approximately fixed frequency during a first mode, and generating second current pulses at a variable frequency during a second mode. And the transition circuit is configured to transition the switching circuitry from the first mode to the second mode in response to a length of…
Overcurrent protection in a battery charger
Granted: December 26, 2017
Patent Number:
9853467
Systems and methods are provided for overcurrent protection in a battery charger. In certain embodiments, a method includes turning on an adapter switch to receive electrical power from an adapter connected to the battery charger; controlling a switching regulator to direct electrical current between the switching regulator and a battery port. Further, the method includes sensing a voltage drop that is related to the electrical current passing between the switching regulator and the…
DC-to-DC converter input node short protection
Granted: November 14, 2017
Patent Number:
9819257
Embodiments described herein relate to a circuit including a DC-to-DC converter and a switching device to selectively isolate an input voltage from an input node of the DC-to-DC converter. The circuit also includes a controller coupled to the input node and to the switching device. The controller is configured to apply a test voltage to the input node, to enable the switching device to be switched from a non-conductive state to a conductive state if a voltage on the input node is above a…
Method and system for increasing efficiency and controlling slew rate in DC-DC converters
Granted: November 7, 2017
Patent Number:
9812962
One embodiment pertains to a method including transitioning a logic state of at least one enable signal. A first power transistor begins to turn off. A parameter level of the input of the first power transistor is directly sensed. A second power transistor is turned off when the parameter level is less than a threshold level.
Method and structure for reducing switching power losses
Granted: October 24, 2017
Patent Number:
9799763
One embodiment is directed towards a method. The method includes forming a drift region of a first conductivity type above or in a substrate. The substrate has first and second surfaces. A first insulator is formed over a first portion of the channel, and which has a first thickness. A second insulator is formed over the second portion of the channel, and which has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. A first gate is formed over the first insulator. A second gate is…
Method and system for DC-DC voltage converters
Granted: October 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9785166
On embodiment pertains to a method including determining if an amplitude of an error signal has entered steady state. If the amplitude of the error signal has not entered steady state, then amplify with a high gain the amplitude of the AC component of the error signal. If the amplitude of the error signal has entered steady state, then initiate a timer. Determining if the amplitude of the error signal has remained in steady state while the timer runs. If the amplitude of the error signal…
Optical proximity sensors with reconfigurable photodiode array
Granted: September 26, 2017
Patent Number:
9772398
Optical proximity sensors, methods for use therewith, and systems including optical proximity sensor are described herein. Such an optical proximity sensor includes a light source and a light detector, wherein the light detector includes a plurality of individually selectable photodiodes (PDs). During a calibration mode, individual PDs of the plurality of PDs of the light detector are tested to identify which PDs are crosstalk dominated. During an operation mode, the PDs of the light…
Coupled-inductor power-supply controller for operating a power supply in a reduced-power-dissipation mode
Granted: September 5, 2017
Patent Number:
9755520
An embodiment of a power-supply controller includes first and second circuits. The first circuit is operable to cause a first current to flow through a first phase of a power supply. And the second circuit is operable to cause the second phase of the power supply to operate in a reduced-power-dissipation mode for at least a portion of a time period during which a second current magnetically induced by the first current flows through the second phase.
