Device and method for producing a dynamic reference signal for a driver circuit for a semiconductor power switch
Granted: January 1, 2019
Patent Number:
10171071
A device (442) for producing a dynamic reference signal (UREF) for a control circuit for a power semiconductor switch comprises a reference signal generator (442) for providing a dynamic reference signal (UREF), which has a stationary signal level after elapse of a predefined time following a switching process of the power semiconductor switch, a passive charging circuit (450) which is configured to increase a signal level of the dynamic reference signal in reaction to a switching of a…
Reduction of audible noise in a power converter
Granted: January 1, 2019
Patent Number:
10171000
A power converter controller includes a drive circuit to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch. The drive circuit generates the drive signal in response to a current sense signal, a current limit signal, a frequency skip signal, and a hold signal. A current limit generator generates the current limit signal in response to a load. A frequency detection circuit generates the frequency skip signal in response to the drive signal to indicate when an intended…
Static discharge system
Granted: January 1, 2019
Patent Number:
10170438
A semiconductor circuit includes a three-terminal high voltage semiconductor device, a charge distribution structure and a static discharge system. The charge distribution structure has a plurality of conductors with a floating potential. The charge distribution structure is capacitively coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device. The static discharge system removes charge that accumulates on at least a subset of the conductors. The static discharge system removes the charge…
Switched mode power converter controller with ramp time modulation
Granted: December 18, 2018
Patent Number:
10158295
A power converter includes an energy transfer element that includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, and is coupled to transfer energy between the primary winding and the secondary winding. An enable circuit is coupled to generate an enable signal in response to a feedback signal falling below a threshold. A controller is coupled to control switching of a power switch coupled to the primary winding to regulate an output of the power converter. The controller includes a drive…
Pre-distortion of sensed current in a power factor correction circuit
Granted: December 11, 2018
Patent Number:
10153689
A controller for use in a power factor correction converter includes a power factor enhancer that includes a zero-crossing detector coupled to receive an ac line input voltage signal and is coupled to output a zero-crossing signal. A peak detector is coupled to receive the ac line input voltage signal and the zero-crossing signal and is coupled to output a peak signal. A peak modulator is coupled to receive the zero-crossing signal and is coupled to generate a peak modulation function. A…
Method and apparatus for implementing a power converter input terminal voltage discharge circuit
Granted: December 11, 2018
Patent Number:
10153687
A power converter includes an energy transfer element and a circuit coupled to the input of the power converter. The circuit includes a switch and a control circuit capable of detecting whether an AC voltage source is coupled to the input, or uncoupled from the input within a first predetermined time. The control circuit is coupled to drive the switch in a first operating mode when the AC voltage source is coupled, drive the switch in a second operating mode when the AC voltage source is…
Solid state lighting control with dimmer interface to control brightness
Granted: December 4, 2018
Patent Number:
10149362
A dimmer interface circuit for reducing ringing on a drive signal to a lighting device. The dimmer interface circuit controls brightness of the lighting device and receives a brightness control voltage from a dimmer circuit. The dimmer interface includes a voltage converter and a charge store, which is coupled to receive charge from an inductive component to convert the brightness control voltage to the converter output voltage. The dimmer interface circuit also includes control…
Single pin MOSFET drive and discharge functionality
Granted: November 27, 2018
Patent Number:
10141765
A circuit for use with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) socket includes a power converter coupled to receive an input voltage at an input terminal and coupled to provide an output voltage at an output terminal. A transistor is coupled between the output terminal of the power converter and a bus voltage terminal of the USB socket. A USB communication controller is coupled to the USB socket. The USB communication controller includes an output terminal coupled to a control terminal of the…
Load responsive jitter
Granted: November 20, 2018
Patent Number:
10135343
A controller for use in a power converter that includes a current limit generator coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter and generate an initial current limit signal. The controller includes a modulation circuit coupled to output a modulation signal which is a percentage of the initial current limit signal. An arithmetic operator is coupled to receive the initial current limit and selectively receive the modulation signal and output a…
Threshold detection with tap
Granted: November 20, 2018
Patent Number:
10135357
A controller for use in a power converter includes a power switch including a drain, a source, a control input, and a tap. The power switch includes a first transistor coupled to a second transistor, a drain of the first transistor is coupled to the drain of the power switch and the source of the first transistor is coupled to the tap. A tap sense circuit is coupled to the tap. A drive circuit is coupled to receive an indicator signal from the tap sense circuit. The indicator signal is…
Output-side controller with switching request at relaxation ring extremum
Granted: November 13, 2018
Patent Number:
10128763
A method for regulating a power converter includes initiating a transition of a switch coupled to an input side of the power converter from an OFF to an ON state to regulate a transfer of energy from the input to an output side of the power converter after a switch control signal generator receives an enable signal and if a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter indicates a change in an output of the power converter. The enable signal is generated to…
Protective insulator for HFET devices
Granted: November 6, 2018
Patent Number:
10121885
A high-voltage field effect transistor a heterojunction is disposed between the first and second semiconductor material. A first composite passivation layer includes a first insulation layer and a first passivation layer, and a second composite passivation layer includes a second insulation layer and a second passivation layer. The first insulation layer is disposed between the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer, and the second passivation layer is disposed between…
Modulating jitter frequency as switching frequency approaches jitter frequency
Granted: October 2, 2018
Patent Number:
10088854
A controller for use in a power converter includes a jitter generator circuit coupled to receive a drive signal from a switch controller and generate a jitter signal. The switch controller is 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 the drive signal to control switching of the power switch in…
BJT driver with dynamic adjustment of storage time versus input line voltage variations
Granted: September 25, 2018
Patent Number:
10084386
A controller for a power converter includes a driver circuit that generates a control signal to switch a power switch in response to an output, and a control circuit that controls the switching of the power switch. The control circuit includes a storage time reference circuit generates a storage time reference signal responsive to an input. A first comparator generates a collector off signal in response to a comparison of a switch current sense signal and a collector off reference…
Method and apparatus for implementing an unregulated dormant mode with an event counter in a power converter
Granted: September 18, 2018
Patent Number:
10079544
A method for controlling an output of a power converter with a control circuit includes generating a drive signal to control switching of a switch to regulate the output of the power converter. It is detected if a switching period of one switching cycle of the drive signal exceeds a threshold switching period. The drive signal is disabled when a period of a switching cycle of the drive signal exceeds the threshold switching period for a threshold consecutive number of switching cycles.
Storage time control
Granted: August 28, 2018
Patent Number:
10063152
A controller for use in a power converter includes a first terminal to provide a turn on signal to initiate turning on of a power switch and a second terminal to provide a turn off signal to initiate turning off the power switch. A detection circuit is coupled to detect a turn off time delay. The turn off time delay is the duration of time between an initiating of a turn off of the power switch by the turn off signal and an actual turn off of the power switch. A control circuit is…
Control circuit and control method for turning on a power semiconductor switch
Granted: July 31, 2018
Patent Number:
10038439
A control circuit for turning on a power semiconductor switch includes an input that receives a signal characterizing a switch-on behavior of the power semiconductor switch. A phase detection circuit detects two or more phases of the switch-on behavior of the power semiconductor switch in response to the signal that characterizes the switch-on behavior of the power semiconductor switch. The phase detection circuit is coupled to generate a phase signal that indicates which of the two or…
Soft shutdown modular circuitry for power semiconductor switches
Granted: July 31, 2018
Patent Number:
10038434
Circuitry for soft shutdown of a power switch and a power converters that includes circuitry for soft shutdown are described. In one aspect, circuitry for soft shutdown of a power switch includes a sense input to be coupled to a power switch receive a signal representative of current passing through the power switch, a comparator to compare the signal with an overcurrent threshold indicative of an overcurrent condition of the power switch and to output a triggering signal in response to…
Power supply with power factor correction and output-referenced energy reservoir
Granted: July 24, 2018
Patent Number:
10033284
An ac-dc power supply includes a dc-dc converter coupled to an input of the ac-dc power supply. The input of the ac-dc power supply is coupled to receive an ac input voltage and an ac input current. The dc-dc converter includes a regulated output and a reservoir output. A controller is coupled to receive sense signals from the dc-dc converter. The controller is coupled to control the dc-dc converter to regulate the regulated output in response to the sense signals. The controller is…
Controlled power circuit with adjusted voltage feedback to regulate the output power
Granted: July 17, 2018
Patent Number:
10027236
A controller for use in a power converter includes a sense circuit coupled to generate a feedback signal representative of an output voltage of the power converter. A feedback reference circuit coupled to generate a drive signal in response to the feedback signal. An output power control circuit coupled to receive a current sense signal representative of an output current of the power converter and a power signal representative of a desired value of an output power of the power converter…
