Quick-start high-voltage boost

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10420042-B2
Application number	US-201715445730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Feb 14, 2015
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

In one implementation, a voltage boost assembly including a boost converter having a capacitive element arranged at an output, and an inductive element connectable to an electrical supply. The voltage boost assembly also includes a sensor assembly provided to generate a quick-start enable signal in response to detecting that an electrical condition relative to an electrical output of the boost converter has breached a first threshold. The voltage boost assembly further includes a quick-start module responsive to the quick-start enable signal, and configured to drive the boost converter at a relatively high duty-cycle and so that the boost converter delivers an output current that satisfies a second threshold in order to charge the capacitive element arranged at the output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of ramping up an output of a boost converter, the method comprising:
sensing, at a sensor assembly coupled to the boost converter, that an electrical condition relative to an electrical output of the boost converter has satisfied a first threshold;
generating, at the sensor assembly, a quick-start enable signal, as an output of the sensor assembly; and
driving the boost converter, by a quick-start module responsive to the quick-start enable signal, to deliver an output current that satisfies a second threshold in order to charge a capacitive element arranged at the output of the boost converter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the quick-start enable signal includes generating the quick-start enable signal in response to sensing that the electrical condition has satisfied the first threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein driving the boost converter includes charging the capacitive element by a charging circuit of the quick-start module so that an output of an error amplifier of the boost converter satisfies a third threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the third threshold is characterized in relation to a high voltage level that can be sustained at the output of the error amplifier.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein driving the boost converter includes limiting current through an inductive element of the boost converter.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein limiting current through the inductive element includes limiting current to a level characterized by a saturation condition of the inductive element.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing that an electrical condition relative to the electrical output of the boost converter has satisfied the first threshold includes sensing that a reference voltage indicates demand for an electrical output that is at least 10% higher than the current electrical output of the boost converter.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing that an electrical condition relative to an electrical output of the boost converter has satisfied the first threshold includes sensing that a reference voltage indicates demand for an electrical output that is at least 20% higher than the current electrical output of the boost converter.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein driving the boost converter includes increasing a switching frequency of the boost converter based at least in part on the quick-start enable signal.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second threshold is characterized by a current level available to charge the capacitive element.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising turning off the quick-start enable signal in response to determining that the electrical output of the boost converter has satisfied a fourth threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the fourth threshold is approximately 95% of a set-point output level.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein driving the boost converter includes driving the boost converter at a higher duty-cycle so that the boost converter delivers the output current that satisfies the second threshold.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Ng Wendy
• Yeung Yin Chun
• Scheel Michael Lee

Classifications

• H03F1/0211 Primary

  with control of the supply voltage or current · CPC title

• H03F3/19

  with semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H02M1/36 Primary

  Means for starting or stopping converters · CPC title

• H02M1/08

  Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters · CPC title

• H02M1/14

  Arrangements for reducing ripples from DC input or output · CPC title