Line voltage compensation AC LED driving device
Granted: November 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9832822
Disclosed is a line voltage compensation AC LED driving device. The line voltage compensation AC LED driving device comprises a line voltage compensation module and an AC LED driving module. The line voltage compensation module detects an output voltage of a rectifier bridge, and outputs a corresponding line voltage compensation reference voltage to the AC LED driving module according to the change of the output voltage of the rectifier bridge, and the AC LED driving module adjusts a…
Noise cancellation for a magnetically coupled communication link utilizing a lead frame
Granted: November 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9831188
An integrated circuit package includes an encapsulation and a lead frame with a portion of the lead frame disposed within the encapsulation. The lead frame includes first and second conductive loops. A first voltage is induced between first and second ends of the first conductive loop in response to an external magnetic field that passes through the integrated circuit package. A second voltage is induced between third and fourth ends of the second conductive loop of the lead frame in…
Method and apparatus for a control circuit with multiple operating modes
Granted: November 7, 2017
Patent Number:
9812973
A method for controlling a power converter switch to regulate power delivered to an output of a power converter includes operating the power converter switch in first, second, and third duty cycle control modes in response to a feedback signal. The first duty cycle control mode includes modulating a peak switch current of the power converter switch in response to the feedback signal, and switching the power converter switch at a substantially fixed first switching frequency value. The…
Current sense ratio compensation
Granted: October 31, 2017
Patent Number:
9804205
A method for sensing the current in a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) that compensates for changes in a drain-to-source resistance of the HEMT. The method includes receiving a sense voltage representative of the current in the HEMT, receiving a compensation signal representative of a drain-to-source voltage of the HEMT, and outputting as a compensated sense voltage a linear combination of the sense voltage and the compensation signal.
Control circuit and control method for turning on a power semiconductor switch
Granted: October 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9787300
A control circuit for turning on a power semiconductor switch comprises an input which is configured to receive a signal that characterizes the switch-on behavior of the power semiconductor switch, a variable current source which is configured to supply a current with a variable level to a control input of the power semiconductor switch in order to switch on the power semiconductor switch, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the variable current source in a closed…
Power converter controller with stability compensation
Granted: October 3, 2017
Patent Number:
9780666
A switch mode power converter includes a primary side, an energy transfer element, and a secondary side. The secondary side includes output terminals coupled to a load and an output capacitance across the output terminals. The secondary side further includes a compensation signal generator—configured to generate a compensation signal. The compensation signal compensates charging the output capacitance with power transferred from the primary side to the secondary side. The secondary…
Method and apparatus for implementing an unregulated dormant mode with an event counter in a power converter
Granted: September 26, 2017
Patent Number:
9774268
A method for controlling an output of a power converter includes switching a switching element with drive signals that are generated for switching a switching element during normal operation when an energy requirement of one or more loads at the output are above a low-load threshold. A non-regulated dormant mode of operation is entered when the flow of energy to the output is detected to be less than the low-load threshold value for more than a first period of time. The control circuit…
Introducing jitter to a switching frequency by way of modulating current limit
Granted: September 26, 2017
Patent Number:
9774248
A controller for use in a power converter includes a switch controller coupled to a power switch coupled to an energy transfer element. The switch controller is coupled to receive a current sense signal representative of a drain current through the power switch. The switch controller is coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of the power switch in response to the current sense signal and a modulated current limit signal to control a transfer of energy from an input to an…
Laterally-graded doping of materials
Granted: September 19, 2017
Patent Number:
9768274
A method includes defining, on a surface of a material, a plurality of discrete portions of a surface as surface elements having at least one of a laterally-varying size, a laterally-varying shape, and a laterally-varying spacing. A plurality of portions of the material beneath the surface elements are doped with a single quantity of dopant material per element area. The dopant material within the material beneath the surface elements expands to provide a lateral gradient of dopant…
Variable bleeder circuit
Granted: September 19, 2017
Patent Number:
9769901
A bleeder circuit includes an input current sense circuit, coupled to one of first and second input terminals of a driver circuit, to output a bleeder on/off signal in response to an input current through the first and second input terminals of the driver circuit. A variable current circuit is coupled between the first and second input terminals of the driver circuit and coupled to the input current sense circuit. The variable current circuit is coupled to conduct a bleeder current…
Heterostructure power transistor with AlSiN passivation layer
Granted: September 12, 2017
Patent Number:
9761704
A heterostructure semiconductor device includes a first active layer and a second active layer disposed on the first active layer. A two-dimensional electron gas layer is formed between the first and second active layers. An AlSiN passivation layer is disposed on the second active layer. First and second ohmic contacts electrically connect to the second active layer. The first and second ohmic contacts are laterally spaced-apart, with a gate being disposed between the first and second…
Techniques for controlling a power converter using multiple controllers
Granted: September 12, 2017
Patent Number:
9762129
A power converter controller includes a primary controller coupled to operate in a first mode to control a power switch with a primary switching pattern. A secondary controller is galvanically isolated from the primary controller. The secondary controller is coupled to initiate a transition operation with the primary controller to take control of the power switch with one or more control signals through a communication link. The primary controller is coupled to acknowledge receipt of the…
Switch current control to shape input current
Granted: August 29, 2017
Patent Number:
9750102
A controller for use in a power converter includes a first edge detection circuit that receives a first input sense signal representative of an input of the power converter coupled to a dimmer circuit, and generates a first edge detection signal in response to the first input sense signal. A shaping circuit receives the first edge detection signal from the first edge detection circuit. The shaping circuit generates a first shape signal in response to the first edge detection signal. A…
Waveform shape discriminator
Granted: August 22, 2017
Patent Number:
9742309
A waveform shape discriminator includes a running maximum finder circuit coupled to receive a sense signal. The running maximum finder circuit is coupled to update a running maximum signal in response to the sense signal. A first comparator is coupled to receive the sense signal and a running maximum threshold signal that is representative of the running maximum signal. A search window block is coupled to receive the input signal to detect a search window in the sense signal. An output…
Power converter controller utilizing external resistor for programming operating paramater during startup
Granted: August 22, 2017
Patent Number:
9742294
A controller for use in a power converter includes an initialization circuit coupled to a sense terminal coupled to an external resistor to receive a sense voltage from external resistor during a startup mode of the power converter. The sense terminal is coupled to sense an output current of the power converter after the startup mode of the power converter is complete. A decoder circuit is coupled to receive the sense voltage from the initialization circuit during the startup mode of the…
Output-side controller with switching request at relaxation ring extremum
Granted: August 22, 2017
Patent Number:
9742288
A control circuit for use in an isolated power converter includes an output-side first controller having a switch control signal generator and an extremum locator. The switch control signal generator communicates a control signal to a second controller on the input side of the power converter via an isolated interface to initiate a transition of a switch from an OFF state to an ON state. The extremum locator enables the switch control signal generator to communicate the control signal in…
Method and apparatus for implementing a power converter input terminal voltage discharge circuit
Granted: August 15, 2017
Patent Number:
9735665
A circuit for use in a power converter includes a control circuit coupled to detect whether an electrical energy source is coupled to an input of the power converter. A switch is coupled to the control circuit, and is coupled to transfer energy from the input of the power converter to an output of the power converter during a first operating mode. The control circuit is coupled to drive the switch in the first operating mode when the electrical energy source is coupled to the input of…
BJT drive scheme
Granted: August 15, 2017
Patent Number:
9735663
The invention generally relates to switch mode power converters (SMPCs). and methods for providing supplementary base drive to a bipolar transistor of an SMPC, and more particularly to a switching control circuit for a SMPC, a said SMPC having an inductive component coupled to receive power from an input to the SMPC, a bipolar transistor coupled to control current flow in the inductive component, an auxiliary power rail, a charge store for supplying power via the auxiliary rail to a…
Protective insulator for HFET devices
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9722063
A high-voltage field effect transistor (HFET) includes a first semiconductor material, a second semiconductor material, and a heterojunction. The heterojunction is disposed between the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material. The HFET also includes a plurality of composite passivation layers, where a first composite passivation layer includes a first insulation layer and a first passivation layer, and a second composite passivation layer includes a second…
Energy transfer element with capacitor compensated cancellation and balance shield windings
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9722499
Energy transfer element circuitry for use in a power converter includes a cancellation shield winding wound around an energy transfer element core. A first trimming capacitor is coupled to a first end of the cancellation shield winding to adjust a shield response of the cancellation shield winding. A second end of the cancellation shield winding is unconnected. A primary winding is wound around the energy transfer element core. A balance shield winding is wound around the energy transfer…
