METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIGITAL CONTROL OF A SWITCHING REGULATOR
Granted: September 30, 2010
Application Number:
20100246222
Various techniques directed to the digital control of a switching regulator are disclosed. In one aspect, a power supply regulator includes a compare circuit to be coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output level of a power supply. This causes a feedback state signal to be generated having a first feedback state that represents an output level of the power supply that is above a threshold level and a second feedback state that represents an output level of the power…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE MAXIMUM OUTPUT POWER OF A POWER CONVERTER
Granted: September 2, 2010
Application Number:
20100220503
A controller for a power converter is disclosed. An example circuit controller according to aspects of the present invention includes an input voltage sensor to be coupled to receive an input signal representative of an input voltage of the power converter. A current sensor is also included and is to be coupled to sense a current flowing in a power switch. A drive signal generator is to be coupled to drive the power switch into an on state for an on time period and an off state for an…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO REDUCE AUDIO FREQUENCIES IN A SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY
Granted: August 12, 2010
Application Number:
20100202175
A controller for use in a power supply regulator is disclosed. One controller includes a feedback circuit coupled to generate a feedback current signal that corresponds to a peak switching current in response to a sense signal from a power supply regulator output. A comparator is coupled to compare the feedback current signal with a reference voltage. A modulation circuit is coupled to the feedback circuit to generate a pulse width modulated switching signal with fixed switching…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING AN UNREGULATED DORMANT MODE WITH AN EVENT COUNTER IN A POWER CONVERTER
Granted: August 5, 2010
Application Number:
20100194198
A control circuit for use in a power converter with an unregulated dormant mode of operation includes a drive signal generator coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch to be coupled to the control circuit to regulate a flow of energy to a power converter output in response to an energy requirement of one or more loads to be coupled to the power converter output. An unregulated dormant mode control circuit is included and is coupled to render dormant the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO REDUCE MAXIMUM POWER FROM A POWER SUPPLY WITH TRANSITION REGION REGULATION
Granted: August 5, 2010
Application Number:
20100194365
Techniques are disclosed to regulate the output power of a power supply. An example feedback circuit for use in a power supply regulator includes a voltage regulation circuit coupled to sense an output voltage of the power supply regulator. The voltage regulation circuit is coupled to generate a first regulation signal to regulate an output of the power supply regulator if an output current of the power supply is less than a first transition current. A current regulation circuit is…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO REGULATE AN OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF A POWER CONVERTER AT LIGHT/NO LOAD CONDITIONS
Granted: August 5, 2010
Application Number:
20100194367
An example apparatus to regulate an output voltage of a power converter at light/no load conditions includes a driver circuit, a feedback circuit, and an adjustable voltage reference circuit. The driver circuit is coupled to output a drive signal to switch a power switch between an ON state and an OFF state to regulate an output of the power converter. The feedback circuit is coupled to the driver circuit and is further coupled to output an enable signal to switch the power switch to an…
LEAKAGE COMPENSATION FOR SAMPLE AND HOLD DEVICES
Granted: August 5, 2010
Application Number:
20100194441
A sample and hold circuit with leakage compensation is disclosed. An example sample and hold circuit includes a first switch coupled to sample and hold an input signal value in a first capacitor coupled to the first switch in response to a sample signal. A second switch through which a second leakage current flows to a second capacitor coupled to the second switch is also included. The second leakage current through the second switch to the second capacitor is substantially equal to a…
POWER SUPPLY CONTROLLER WITH INPUT VOLTAGE COMPENSATION FOR EFFICIENCY AND MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT
Granted: August 5, 2010
Application Number:
20100194445
A controller for a power supply includes a logic block and a time-to-frequency converter. The logic block is to generate a drive signal in response to a clock signal. The drive signal is to be coupled to control switching of a power switch of the power supply to regulate an output of the power supply. The time-to-frequency converter is coupled to the logic block and generates the clock signal having a frequency responsive to a time period of the drive signal.
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO CONTROL A POWER SUPPLY FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY
Granted: June 24, 2010
Application Number:
20100156378
A power supply control circuit is disclosed. In one aspect, a power supply control circuit includes a controller to be coupled to a switch to regulate an output of a power supply in response to a feedback signal and a parameter change signal. A parameter response circuit is coupled to generate the parameter change signal in response to a difference between a first value of a parameter measured before an event and a second value of the parameter measured after the event. The difference…
Method of fabricating a deep trench insulated gate bipolar transistor
Granted: June 24, 2010
Application Number:
20100159649
In one embodiment, a method comprises forming an epitaxial layer over a substrate of an opposite conductivity type, the epitaxial layer being separated by a buffer layer having a doping concentration that is substantially constant in a vertical direction down to the buffer layer. A pair of spaced-apart trenches is formed in the epitaxial layer from a top surface of the epitaxial layer down at least into the buffer layer. A dielectric material is formed in the trenches over the first and…
FLYBACK POWER SUPPLY WITH FORCED PRIMARY REGULATION
Granted: June 24, 2010
Application Number:
20100157630
A flyback converter with forced primary regulation is disclosed. An example flyback converter includes a coupled inductor including a first winding, a second winding, and a third winding. The first winding is coupled to an input voltage and the second winding is coupled to an output of the power converter. A switched element is coupled to the second winding. A secondary control circuit is coupled to the switched element and the second winding. The secondary control circuit is coupled to…
Deep trench insulated gate bipolar transistor
Granted: June 24, 2010
Application Number:
20100155831
In one embodiment, a power transistor device comprises a substrate of a first conductivity type that forms a PN junction with an overlying buffer layer of a second conductivity type. The power transistor device further includes a first region of the second conductivity type, a drift region of the second conductivity type that adjoins a top surface of the buffer layer, and a body region of the first conductivity type. The body region separates the first region from the drift region. First…
VTS insulated gate bipolar transistor
Granted: June 24, 2010
Application Number:
20100155773
In one embodiment, a power transistor device comprises a substrate that forms a PN junction with an overlying buffer layer. The power transistor device further includes a first region, a drift region that adjoins a top surface of the buffer layer, and a body region. The body region separates the first region from the drift region. First and second dielectric regions respectively adjoin opposing lateral sidewall portions of the drift region. The dielectric regions extend in a vertical…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A CIRCUIT WITH A HIGH VOLTAGE SENSE DEVICE
Granted: May 13, 2010
Application Number:
20100117718
A control circuit with a high voltage sense device. In one embodiment, a circuit includes a first transistor disposed in a first substrate having first, second and third terminals. A first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to an external voltage. A voltage provided at a third terminal of the first transistor is substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO CONTROL A POWER FACTOR CORRECTION CIRCUIT
Granted: May 13, 2010
Application Number:
20100118571
A controller for use in a power factor correction (PFC) converter is disclosed. An example controller includes an integrator coupled to receive a voltage sense signal responsive to a magnitude of an ac voltage source. The ac voltage source is coupled to an input of the PFC converter, which is coupled to an energy transfer element, which is coupled to a power switch. The integrator is further coupled to receive a current sense signal responsive to a current flowing in the power switch…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY IN A POWER FACTOR CORRECTION CIRCUIT
Granted: May 13, 2010
Application Number:
20100118573
A controller for use in a power factor correction (PFC) converter includes a power factor correction controller circuit coupled to output a drive signal to switch a power switch between an on state and an off state to transfer energy to an output of the PFC converter. The controller also includes an switching frequency adjuster coupled to output a frequency adjust signal to the power factor correction controller circuit to adjust an average switching frequency of the power switch in…
High-voltage vertical transistor with a multi-gradient drain doping profile
Granted: May 6, 2010
Application Number:
20100109077
A high-voltage transistor includes first and second trenches that define a mesa in a semiconductor substrate. First and second field plate members are respectively disposed in the first and second trenches, with each of the first and second field plate members being separated from the mesa by a dielectric layer. The mesa includes a plurality of sections, each section having a substantially constant doping concentration gradient, the gradient of one section being at least 10% greater than…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROBUST MODE SELECTION WITH LOW POWER CONSUMPTION
Granted: May 6, 2010
Application Number:
20100109741
A low power method and apparatus for selecting operational modes of a circuit. One circuit according to the teachings of the disclosed method and apparatus includes a first current limiting circuit coupled between a selector terminal and a first voltage bus. The first current limiting circuit is adapted to vary a current limit out of the selector terminal in response to a voltage on the selector terminal. The circuit also includes a second current limiting circuit coupled between the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING DISPLACEMENT CURRENT IN AN ENERGY TRANSFER ELEMENT
Granted: May 6, 2010
Application Number:
20100109832
A method includes calculating a number of turns of a shield winding included in an energy transfer element of a power supply, where the calculating is to have a low noise current in an input conductor of the power supply. The method further includes: increasing the number of turns for the shield winding; operating the power supply; and adjusting a value of a shield impedance to substantially reduce the noise current. An apparatus includes a power supply having an energy transfer element…
ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT CONTROL ELEMENT WITH TAP ELEMENT
Granted: March 25, 2010
Application Number:
20100072540
A technique for controlling a power supply with power supply control element with a tap element. An example power supply control element includes a power transistor that has first and second main terminals, a control terminal and a tap terminal. A control circuit is coupled to the control terminal. The tap terminal and the second main terminal of the power transistor are to control switching of the power transistor. The tap terminal is coupled to provide a signal to the control circuit…
