Digital auto compensation for voltage regulators
Granted: September 5, 2017
Patent Number:
9755512
Auto-compensation—for compensating voltage regulators generating a regulated output voltage—may be performed dynamically by determining various coefficients of a compensation function used in compensating the power regulator, based at least on assumptions about the structure of the regulator and corresponding filters. At least the DC loop gain and the position of the compensation zeros may be determined without requiring any prior knowledge of the values of the various components of…
Power supply with droop control feedback for enhanced phase current sharing
Granted: August 29, 2017
Patent Number:
9748846
A system, power supplies, controller and method for enhanced phase current sharing are disclosed. For example, a power supply for enhanced phase current sharing is disclosed, which includes a plurality of power modules, a communication bus coupled to an input of each power module of the plurality power modules, and an output voltage node coupled to a first side of an inductor of each power module of the plurality of power modules, wherein each power module of the plurality of power…
Voltage converters and methods for use therewith
Granted: August 29, 2017
Patent Number:
9748781
A voltage error signal VERR is provided to a PWM controller of a voltage regular and used to produce a PWM signal that drives a power stage of the regulator. When operating in an adaptor current limit regulation mode, an adaptor current sense voltage VACS, indicative of an adapter current IA, is compared to an adapter current reference voltage VAC_REF to produce an adapter current error signal VAC_ERR. A compensator receives the adapter current error signal VAC_ERR and outputs a…
Limiting a current
Granted: August 22, 2017
Patent Number:
9740218
In an embodiment, a power-supply controller includes a switching regulator and a current limiter. The switching regulator is configured to generate an input current such that an output voltage is generated in response to the input current and an input voltage, and the current limiter is configured to limit the input current in response to a quantity that is related to a ratio of the output voltage divided by the input voltage. For example, an embodiment of such a power-supply controller…
Systems and methods for lead frame locking design features
Granted: August 8, 2017
Patent Number:
9728491
Systems and methods for lead frame locking design features are provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises: fabricating a lead frame for a chip package, the lead frame having a paddle comprising a step-out bottom locking feature profile across at least a first segment of an edge of the paddle that provides an interface with a mold compound; etching the paddle to have at least a second segment of the edge having either an extended-step-out bottom locking feature profile or an…
Power supply module with electromagnetic-interference (EMI) shielding, cooling, or both shielding and cooling, along two or more sides
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9723766
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,…
Smooth transition of a power supply from a first mode, such as a pulse-frequency-modulation (PFM) mode, to a second mode, such as a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) mode
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9722490
In an embodiment, an apparatus, such as a power-supply controller, includes a generator and an adjuster. The generator is configured to provide a switching signal that causes a power supply to generate a regulated output signal, and the adjuster is configured to impart a condition to the power supply while the power supply is operating in a first mode, the condition being approximately equal to a condition that the power supply would have if the power supply were operating in a second…
Wafer level optoelectronic device packages with crosstalk barriers and methods for making the same
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9721837
A method for wafer level fabricating a plurality of optoelectronic devices, starting with a wafer that includes a plurality of light detector sensor regions, includes attaching each of a plurality of light source dies to one of a plurality of bond pads on a top surface of the wafer that includes the plurality of light detector sensor regions. The method also includes attaching, to the wafer, a preformed opaque structure made off-wafer from an opaque material, wherein the preformed opaque…
Sensing a switching-power-supply phase current
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9720429
In an embodiment, a coupled-inductor structure includes first and second windings. The first winding is configured to conduct a phase current, has a first node configured for coupling to a phase node of a power supply, and has a second node configured for coupling to an output node of the power supply and to a first node of a sense impedance that is configured to generate a sense signal representative of the phase current. And the second winding is configured for magnetic coupling with…
Circuit module such as a high-density lead frame array (HDA) power module, and method of making same
Granted: July 25, 2017
Patent Number:
9717146
A circuit module includes a plurality of electronic components and a single-layer conductive package substrate. The single-layer conductive package substrate is adapted to physically support and electrically interconnect the electronic components. The substrate has a peripheral portion and an interior portion. The peripheral portion includes a plurality of peripheral contact pads coupled to corresponding electronic components. The interior portion includes a plurality of floating contact…
System and method for determining adapter current limit
Granted: July 25, 2017
Patent Number:
9715244
An electronic device that determines an adapter current limit for a power adapter, including a regulator, a voltage comparator, and a controller. The regulator regulates an adapter output current level to prevent it from exceeding the adapter current limit, and provides a regulation signal during regulation. The voltage comparator provides an under-voltage signal when adapter output voltage level falls below a low voltage threshold. The controller initially sets the adapter current limit…
Sensing a switching-power-supply phase current
Granted: July 4, 2017
Patent Number:
9696739
In an embodiment, a coupled-inductor structure includes first and second windings. The first winding is configured to conduct a phase current, has a first node configured for coupling to a phase node of a power supply, and has a second node configured for coupling to an output node of the power supply and to a first node of a sense impedance that is configured to generate a sense signal representative of the phase current. And the second winding is configured for magnetic coupling with…
Adjusting a current threshold of a power supply in response to a portion of a current-pulse period
Granted: June 27, 2017
Patent Number:
9692297
An embodiment of a power-supply controller includes switching circuitry and an adjuster circuit. The switching circuitry is configured to cause a charging current to flow until the charging current has a predetermined relationship to a threshold, and to cause a discharging current to flow after the charging current. The adjuster circuit is configured to adjust the threshold in response to at least one of a charging period during which the charging current flows and a discharging period…
Digital voltage compensation for power supply integrated circuits
Granted: June 20, 2017
Patent Number:
9685861
Systems and methods for digital voltage compensation in a power supply integrated circuit are provided. In at least one embodiment, a method includes 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…
Systems and methods for optical proximity detection with multiple field of views
Granted: June 6, 2017
Patent Number:
9671495
An optical proximity detector includes a plurality photodetectors (PDs) and a winner-take-all (WTA) circuit. Each of the PDs has a respective field of view (FOV) and produces a respective analog current detection signal indicative of light incident on and detected by the PD. In an embodiment, the WTA circuit includes a comparator and a multiplexor (MUX). The comparator compares the analog current detection signals produced by the PDs and produces a selection signal in dependence thereon.…
Current synthesizer correction
Granted: May 30, 2017
Patent Number:
9667260
An adjustable current-synthesizer may generate synthesized current representative of an actual current, according to a model of a circuit that produces the actual current. The current synthesizer may under-sample a current sense signal derived from the actual current to obtain a few samples of the actual current, which are then used to adjust the synthesized current, thereby ensuring accuracy of the synthesized current. Sample values of the actual current are compared with corresponding…
Active pulse positioning modulator
Granted: May 30, 2017
Patent Number:
RE46419
An adaptive pulse positioning modulator including a sense circuit which provides a compensation signal indicative of output voltage error, a filter circuit having an input receiving the compensation signal and an output providing an adjust signal, a leading ramp circuit which provides a repetitive first leading edge ramp signal having a slope which is adjusted by the adjust signal, a comparator circuit which provides a first start trigger signal when the first leading edge ramp signal…
Scanning projectors that use multiple pulses per pixel period to reduce color shifts, and methods and controllers for use therewith
Granted: May 16, 2017
Patent Number:
9654747
A scanning projector system includes a controller, a driver and one or more micro-mirror(s). The controller produces first, second and third pixel data in dependence on a video signal. The driver drives first, second and third light emitting elements in dependence on the first, second and third pixel data, to thereby emit light of first, second and third colors. The micro-mirror(s) project an image in dependence on light beams produced in dependence on the light of the first, second and…
System and method for maintaining a constant output voltage ripple in a buck converter in discontinuous conduction mode
Granted: May 9, 2017
Patent Number:
9647558
The system and method creates a substantially constant output voltage ripple in a buck converter in discontinuous conduction mode by varying the on-time of a pulse width modulator (PWM) signal driving the buck converter when the buck converter is operating in discontinuous conduction mode. A first signal is generated that is a function of the switching frequency of the buck converter. This signal is low-pass filtered and compared with a second signal that is a function of the switching…
Optical sensors that compensate for ambient light and interference light
Granted: May 2, 2017
Patent Number:
9642215
Certain embodiments described herein relate to optical sensors including a light detector and including and/or for use with a light source, and methods for use with such optical sensors. Certain embodiments involve detecting an amount of ambient light that is incident on the light detector and producing ambient light detection data indicative thereof. Additionally, such embodiments involve detecting interference light and producing interference light detection data indicative thereof.…
