Current measuring methods
Granted: September 3, 2002
Patent Number:
6445244
A sensor for measuring a current passing through a load. The sensor has a power transistor having a first terminal connected to substantially constant voltage and a second terminal connected to the load. The sensor can sample a voltage difference with a variable capacitor, and a controller can be configured to cause a variable capacitor in the current sensor to have a capacitance inversely proportional to a resistance of the power transistor, whereby a charge stored on the variable…
Lag compensating controller having an improved transient response
Granted: September 3, 2002
Patent Number:
6445169
A controller and apparatus for use in a control system. The controller includes a first gain element configured to provide a first predetermined gain to an output error signal describing an error in the output of the control system; a compensator including a control loop including a storage element, the control loop receiving the output error signal, a second gain element configured to provide a second predetermined gain to the output of the control loop, and a detector configured to…
MOSFET-based switch
Granted: August 13, 2002
Patent Number:
6433614
A circuit, and a method and computer program product for use with a switch having a field-effect transistor (FET). The method and computer program product include restricting the drain-source voltage of the FET to a predetermined range; and then switching the FET. In general, in one aspect, the invention features a circuit having source, drain and gate terminals. The circuit includes a first FET having a first drain coupled to the drain terminal and a first source coupled to the source…
Lag compensating controller having an improved transient response
Granted: June 25, 2002
Patent Number:
6411071
A method and computer program product for use in a control system. The controller includes a first gain element configured to provide a first predetermined gain to an output error signal describing an error in the output of the control system; a compensator including a control loop including a storage element, the control loop receiving the output error signal, a second gain element configured to provide a second predetermined gain to the output of the control loop, and a detector…
Switching regulator with multiple power transistor driving voltages
Granted: June 4, 2002
Patent Number:
6400126
A voltage regulator has an input terminal, an output terminal, a first transistor connecting the input terminal to an intermediate terminal, a second transistor connecting the intermediate terminal to ground, a controller that drives the first and second transistors to alternately couple the intermediate terminal between the input terminal and ground, and a filter disposed between the input terminal and the output terminal to provide a substantially DC voltage at the output terminal. The…
Method and apparatus for digital voltage regulation
Granted: February 26, 2002
Patent Number:
6351108
A digital voltage regulator has an input terminal coupled to an input voltage source, an output terminal coupled to a load, and a plurality of switching circuits to alternately couple and decouple the input terminal to the output terminal. An estimated current is calculated for each switching circuit, each estimated current representing a current passing through an inductor associated with the switching circuit. A total desired output current to pass through the inductors is calculated…
Switching regulator control system and method
Granted: December 11, 2001
Patent Number:
6329801
A voltage regulator with an input terminal to be coupled to an input voltage source and an output terminal to be coupled to a load. The voltage regulator has a first switch to intermittently couple the output terminal to the input terminal, a voltage sensor to detect a voltage at the output terminal, a current sensor to detect a current flowing along a circuit path between the input terminal and the output terminal, and a controller connected to the switch, the voltage sensor and the…
Flip-chip switching regulator
Granted: August 21, 2001
Patent Number:
6278264
A voltage regulator with an input terminal and an output terminal has a printed circuit board, a substrate mounted on the printed circuit board, and a first flip-chip type integrated circuit chip mounted on the substrate. The first integrated circuit chip includes a first power switch fabricated therein to alternately couple and decouple the input terminal to the output terminal. A filter is disposed to provide a substantially DC voltage at the output terminal, and a control circuit…
Inductor shorting switch for a switching voltage regulator
Granted: August 7, 2001
Patent Number:
6271651
A switching regulator has first, second, third and fourth terminals. The switching regulator includes a power switch, a rectifier switch, a filter, a shorting switch and a controller operable in a plurality of modes to open and close the switches. The power switch is disposed between the first terminal and a first node, and the rectifier switch is disposed between the first node and a second node coupling the second and fourth terminals. An inductor is disposed between the first node and…
Digital voltage regulator using current control
Granted: July 31, 2001
Patent Number:
6268716
A digitally implemented voltage regulator in which a switching circuit intermittently couples the input terminal and the output terminal in response to a digital control signal. A current sensor generates a digital first feedback signal derived from the current passing through the switching circuit, and a voltage sensor generates a digital second feedback signal derived from the output voltage. A digital controller receives and uses the digital feedback signals to generate the digital…
Discrete-time sampling of data for use in switching regulations
Granted: May 1, 2001
Patent Number:
6225795
A voltage regulator with a switch to alternately couple and decouple an input terminal to an output terminal with a variable duty cycle and a filter disposed between the input terminal and the output terminal to provide a substantially DC voltage at the output terminal. A sampling circuit makes measurements of an electrical characteristic of the voltage regulator at discrete moments of time, such as just before the opening and closing of the switch. A feedback circuit is coupled to the…
Method and apparatus for control of a power transistor in a digital voltage regulator
Granted: March 6, 2001
Patent Number:
6198261
A digital control system for a voltage regulator calculates an estimated current representing a current passing through each inductor associated with a switching circuit. A desired total output current is calculated which will maintain an output voltage at the output terminal at a substantially constant level. Upper current limit and a lower current limit are calculated and the switching circuit to is caused couple an input terminal to an output terminal when the estimated current falls…
Sensors for measuring current passing through a load
Granted: December 12, 2000
Patent Number:
6160441
A sensor for measuring a current passing through a load. The sensor has a power transistor having a first terminal connected to substantially constant voltage and a second terminal connected to the load. The sensor can sample a voltage difference with a variable capacitor, and a controller can be configured to cause a variable capacitor in the current sensor to have a capacitance inversely proportional to a resistance of the power transistor, whereby a charge stored on the variable…
Method and apparatus for digital voltage regulation
Granted: August 8, 2000
Patent Number:
6100676
A digital voltage regulator has an input terminal coupled to an input voltage source, an output terminal coupled to a load, and a plurality of switching circuits to alternately couple and decouple the input terminal to the output terminal. An estimated current is calculated for each switching circuit, each estimated current representing a current passing through an inductor associated with the switching circuit. A total desired output current to pass through the inductors is calculated…
Voltage regulation using an estimated current
Granted: February 29, 2000
Patent Number:
6031361
A method of estimating a current passing through an inductor in a voltage regulator in which an initial estimated current is stored representing the current flowing through the inductor, and the initial estimated current is adjusted based on the status of the switching circuit in the voltage regulator to generate a new estimated current. An incremental current is added to the initial estimated current if an output terminal is coupled to an input terminal, and a decremental current is…
Discrete-time sampling of data for use in switching regulators
Granted: February 1, 2000
Patent Number:
6020729
A voltage regulator with a switch to alternately couple and decouple an input terminal to an output terminal with a variable duty cycle and a filter disposed between the input terminal and the output terminal to provide a substantially DC voltage at the output terminal. A sampling circuit makes measurements of an electrical characteristic of the voltage regulator at discrete moments of time, such as just before the opening and closing of the switch. A feedback circuit is coupled to the…
Switched capacitor current source for use in switching regulators
Granted: October 19, 1999
Patent Number:
5969513
In voltage regulator with a power switch to alternately couple and decouple an input voltage source to an output terminal at a switching frequency, a current supply provides a current that is proportional to the input voltage, the capacitance of a ramp capacitor, and a switching frequency. To provide this current, a first capacitor is charged to a first voltage, the first capacitor is discharged to a second voltage through a variable current source at a rate which is controlled by a…
