METHOD AND APPARATUS TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY IN A POWER FACTOR CORRECTION CIRCUIT
Granted: December 29, 2011
Application Number:
20110316491
A power factor correction (PFC) controller includes a first integrator coupled to integrate an input current of a PFC converter. A first signal is generated in response to the first integrator to end an on time of a power switch of the PFC converter. A second integrator is coupled to integrate a difference between a constant voltage and an input voltage of the PFC converter. A second signal is generated in response to the second integrator to end an off time of the power switch of the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO CONTROL A POWER FACTOR CORRECTION CIRCUIT
Granted: December 15, 2011
Application Number:
20110305052
An example power factor correction (PFC) converter includes an energy transfer element, a power switch, and a controller. The controller includes an integrator and on/off logic. The integrator generates an integrator output signal in response to a voltage sense signal and a current sense signal. The on/off logic drives the power switch on and off to control a transfer of energy through the energy transfer element to an output of the PFC converter and terminates an on time of the power…
MOSFET having a JFET embedded as a body diode
Granted: December 8, 2011
Application Number:
20110298016
A field effect transistor, in accordance with one embodiment, includes a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) having a junction field effect transistor (JFET) embedded as a body diode.
Temperature independent reference circuit
Granted: December 8, 2011
Application Number:
20110298529
A temperature independent reference circuit includes first and second bipolar transistors with commonly coupled bases. First and second resistors are coupled in series between the emitter of the second bipolar transistor and ground. The first and second resistors have first and second resistance values, R1 and R2, and third and second temperature coefficients, TC3 and TC2, respectively. The resistance values being such that a temperature coefficient of a difference between the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A CONTROL CIRCUIT RESPONSIVE TO AN IMPEDANCE COUPLED TO A CONTROL CIRCUIT TERMINAL
Granted: December 8, 2011
Application Number:
20110299306
An example power supply controller includes a regulation circuit, a current sense circuit, and a response circuit. The regulation circuit is coupled to regulate a sense terminal to a voltage level. The current sense circuit is coupled to the sense terminal to sense a current through the sense terminal a measurement delay period after a magnitude of the current through the sense terminal reaches a first threshold current level. The response circuit is coupled to the sense circuit and is…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING A CONSTANT LOAD CURRENT WITH LINE VOLTAGE IN A SWITCH MODE POWER SUPPLY
Granted: November 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110285374
A method and apparatus of reducing peak current variation with changing input line voltage in a switch mode power supply is disclosed. An example method includes sensing a current through a switching device of the switch mode power supply. A variable current limit threshold is generated, which increases from a first level to a second level during an on time of the switching device. The current is compared to the variable current limit threshold. A feedback signal representative of an…
Integrated transistor and anti-fuse as programming element for a high-voltage integrated circuit
Granted: November 10, 2011
Application Number:
20110272758
A semiconductor device comprises an N type well region in a P type substrate. A source region of a MOSFET is laterally separated from a boundary of the well region, which comprises the drain of the MOSFET. An insulated gate of the MOSFET extends laterally from the source region to at least just past the boundary of the well region. A polysilicon layer, which forms a first plate of a capacitive anti-fuse, is insulated from an area of the well region, which forms the second plate of the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A CONTROL CIRCUIT WITH MULTIPLE OPERATING MODES
Granted: November 10, 2011
Application Number:
20110273910
An example controller for use in a power converter includes an oscillator and a logic circuit. The oscillator is to be coupled to a switch of the power converter and determines a switching cycle period of the switch. The logic circuit is also to be coupled to the switch to control a duty cycle of the switch in response to a magnitude of a feedback signal to regulate an output of the power converter. The logic circuit controls the duty cycle of the switch such that a control loop gain of…
Method and apparatus for programming an anti-fuse element in a high-voltage integrated circuit
Granted: November 10, 2011
Application Number:
20110273950
A method for programming a programmable block of a power IC device includes selecting an anti-fuse element of the programmable block to be programmed. The anti-fuse element includes first and second capacitive plates separated by a dielectric layer. A voltage pulse is then applied to a pin of the power IC device. The pin is connected to a drain of a high-voltage field-effect transistor (HVFET) that drives an external load via the pin during a normal operating mode of the power IC device.…
Method and apparatus for reading a programmable anti-fuse element in a high-voltage integrated circuit
Granted: November 10, 2011
Application Number:
20110276292
In a method for reading a programmable anti-fuse block of a high-voltage integrated circuit a first voltage is applied to a first pin of the HVIC, the first voltage being lowered to a second voltage at a first node. Current is shunted from the first node, thereby lowering the second voltage to a third voltage. An isolation circuit block is then activated to couple the third voltage to a common node of the programmable anti-fuse block, the common node being coupled to a plurality of…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO LIMIT OUTPUT POWER IN A SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110267843
An example integrated circuit controller for a power supply includes a modulator, a drive signal generator, a comparator, and a variable current limit generator. The modulator generates an enable signal having logic states responsive to a feedback signal. The drive signal generator either enables or skips enabling a switch of the power supply during a switching period in response to the logic state of the enable signal. The comparator asserts an over current signal to disable the switch…
FLYBACK POWER SUPPLY WITH FORCED PRIMARY REGULATION
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110267849
A controller that forces primary regulation is disclosed. An example controller includes a switched element to be coupled to a second winding of an energy transfer element of a power supply. A secondary control circuit is coupled to the switched element. The secondary control circuit is to be coupled across an output of the second winding to switch the switched element in response to a difference between an actual output value at the output of the second winding and a desired output…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING A CHANGE IN OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF AN ISOLATED POWER CONVERTER
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110267847
A controller for use in a power converter to detect changes in output voltage. An example controller includes a drive circuit to generate a switching signal. The switching signal is coupled to be received by a power switch to be coupled to an energy transfer element and an input of the power converter to control a transfer of energy from the input of the power converter to an output of the power converter. An output voltage sensor is coupled to the drive circuit and coupled to receive a…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SENSING OF ISOLATED OUTPUT
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110267846
A controller for use in a power converter providing sensing of an isolated output is disclosed. An example controller includes a current controller to be coupled to an energy transfer element and an input of the power converter. A control circuit is included that generates a mode select signal coupled to be received by the current controller. A first, second or third current is enabled in the current controller in response to a selection of a first, second or third mode of operation,…
POWER SUPPLY WITH INPUT FILTER-CONTROLLED SWITCH CLAMP CIRCUIT
Granted: October 27, 2011
Application Number:
20110261594
An example power supply in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure includes a switch, an energy transfer element, a controller, an input filter, and a switch clamp circuit. The energy transfer element is coupled to the switch and the controller is coupled to control the switch to regulate an output of the power supply. The input filter is coupled to receive an input voltage of the power supply and includes a first input filter capacitor coupled to a node and a second…
POWER SYSTEM WITH SHARED CLAMP RESET
Granted: October 20, 2011
Application Number:
20110254369
An example power supply includes a first power converter, a second power converter, and a shared clamp reset circuit. The first power converter is adapted to convert an input to a first output and includes a first transformer having a first primary winding. The second power converter is also adapted to convert the input to a second output and includes a second transformer having a second primary winding. The second primary winding of the second transformer is not the first primary…
DIMMING CONTROL FOR A SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY
Granted: October 20, 2011
Application Number:
20110254525
A controller for dimming control of a switching power supply includes a phase angle measurement block and a drive logic block. The phase angle measurement block is to be coupled to receive an input sense signal. The phase angle measurement block generates a phase angle signal representative of a phase angle of an input voltage of the power supply in response to the input sense signal. The drive logic block is to be coupled to control switching of a switch included in the power supply.…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING AN UNREGULATED DORMANT MODE WITH AN EVENT COUNTER IN A POWER CONVERTER
Granted: October 20, 2011
Application Number:
20110255310
A method for controlling an output of a power converter includes generating a drive signal with a control circuit, entering a dormant mode of operation that includes powering down the control circuit if a flow of energy to an output of the power converter is less than a threshold value for more than a first period of time, and powering up the control circuit after it is in the dormant mode of operation for a second period of time.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING A DIODE CONDUCTION DUTY CYCLE
Granted: October 20, 2011
Application Number:
20110255313
A power converter control method and apparatus is disclosed. An example control circuit includes a clock signal generator coupled to generate a clock signal to control switching of a power switch to be coupled to the control circuit. A feedback circuit is coupled to receive a feedback signal which is representative of an output of a power converter during a duration of a feedback portion of an off time of the power switch. The feedback circuit is coupled to respond to the feedback signal…
High-voltage vertical transistor with a varied width silicon pillar
Granted: September 29, 2011
Application Number:
20110233657
In one embodiment, a vertical HVFET includes a pillar of semiconductor material a pillar of semiconductor material arranged in a loop layout having at least two substantially parallel and substantially linear fillet sections each having a first width, and at least two rounded sections, the rounded sections having a second width narrower than the first width, a source region of a first conductivity type being disposed at or near a top surface of the pillar, and a body region of a second…
