Resonant rectified discontinuous switching regulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9780656-B2
Application number	US-201514790536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Mar 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A switched-mode power regulator circuit has four solid-state switches connected in series and a capacitor and an inductor that regulate power delivered to a load. The solid-state switches are operated such that a voltage at the load is regulated by repetitively (1) charging the capacitor causing a current to flow in the inductor and (2) discharging the capacitor causing current to flow in the inductor. The power regulator circuit may be configured to operate with zero current switching at frequencies in the range of 100 MHz, enabling it to be fabricated on a unitary silicon die along with the load that it powers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power conversion circuit comprising:
a first terminal;
a first solid-state switch having a pair of first switch terminals and a first control terminal, the pair of first switch terminals connected between the first terminal and a first junction;
a second solid-state switch having a pair of second switch terminals and a second control terminal, the pair of second switch terminals connected between the first junction and a second junction;
a third solid-state switch having a pair of third switch terminals and a third control terminal, the pair of third switch terminals connected between the second junction and a third junction;
a fourth solid-state switch having a pair of fourth switch terminals and a fourth control terminal, the pair of fourth switch terminals connected between the third junction and a ground;
a capacitor coupled between the first junction and the third junction, and an inductor coupled between the second junction and a load; and
a controller transmitting first, second, third and fourth control signals to control the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switches through the first, second, third and fourth control terminals, respectively, such that a voltage at the load is regulated by repetitively (1) charging the capacitor causing a current to flow in the inductor, (2) discharging the capacitor causing current to flow in the inductor and (3) one or both of (a) if there is current flowing in the inductor when the capacitor attains a charged state, redirecting the current flowing in the inductor to ground, and (b) if there is current flowing in the inductor when the capacitor attains a discharged state, redirecting the current flowing in the inductor to ground.

2. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the inductor is coupled to ground through at least one of the first, the second, the third or the fourth solid-state switches.

3. The power conversion circuit of claim 2 wherein the at least one solid-state switch is one or more of the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switches.

4. The power conversion circuit of claim 3 wherein the inductor is coupled to ground through the third and the fourth solid-state switches.

5. The power conversion circuit of claim 4 wherein the first solid-state switch is in an on state when the inductor is coupled to ground through the third and the fourth solid-state switches.

6. The power conversion circuit of claim 4 wherein the second solid-state switch is in an on state when the inductor is coupled to ground through the third and the fourth solid-state switches.

7. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein a comparator is used to determine a voltage drop across the capacitor to determine a state of charge of the capacitor.

8. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein a comparator is used to detect an electrical characteristic across a circuit element to determine if there is current flowing in the inductor.

9. The power conversion circuit of claim 8 wherein the circuit element is one or more of the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switches.

10. The power conversion circuit of claim 8 wherein the circuit element is the inductor.

11. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switches in a repetitive switching sequence comprising:
coupling the first terminal to the load by turning on the first and the third solid-state switches;
coupling the ground to the load by turning on the second and the fourth solid-state switches.

12. The power conversion circuit of claim 11 wherein the controller commands at least one solid-state switch to temporarily couple a voltage to the capacitor causing the capacitor to be precharged before coupling the first terminal to the load by turning on the first and the third solid-state switches.

13. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein when turning on the fourth solid-state switch to couple the third junction to ground, the fourth solid-state switch is turned on at a slower rate than a rate at which the first, the second and the third switches were turned on.

14. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switches in a repetitive switching sequence and each of the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switches are turned on and off one time each sequence.

15. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 disposed on a unitary semiconductor die.

16. The power conversion circuit of claim 15 wherein the load is also disposed on the unitary semiconductor die.

17. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein one or more timer circuits are used to estimate one or more electrical characteristics of the power conversion circuit, and communicate with the controller.

18. An electronic power conversion component comprising:
a substrate having a plurality of contacts for forming electrical connections to a circuit board;
one or more integrated circuit dies attached to the substrate and electrically connected to the plurality of contacts;
a power conversion circuit disposed on the one or more integrated circuit dies, the power conversion circuit comprising:
a first terminal;
a first solid-state switch having a pair of first switch terminals and a first control terminal, the pair of first switch terminals connected between the first terminal and a first junction;
a second solid-state switch having a pair of second switch terminals and a second control terminal, the pair of second switch terminals connected between the first junction and a second junction;
a third solid-state switch having a pair of third switch terminals and a third control terminal, the pair of third switch terminals connected between the second junction and a third junction;
a fourth solid-state switch having a pair of fourth switch terminals and a fourth control terminal, the pair of fourth switch terminals connected between the third junction and a ground;
a capacitor coupled between the first junction and the third junction, and an inductor coupled between the second junction and a load; and
a controller configured to transmit first, second, third and fourth control signals to control the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switches through the first, second, third and fourth control terminals, respectively, such that a voltage at the load is regulated by repetitively (1) charging the capacitor causing a current to flow in the inductor, (2) discharging the capacitor causing current to flow in the inductor and (3) one or both of (a) if there is current flowing in the inductor when the capacitor attains a charged state, redirecting the current flowing in the inductor to ground, and (b) if there is current flowing in the inductor when the capacitor attains a discharged state, redirecting the current flowing in the inductor to ground.

19. The electronic power conversion component of claim 18 wherein the inductor is coupled to ground through at least one of the first, the second, the third or the fourth solid-state switches.

20. A method of operating a power conversion circuit, the method comprising:
supplying power to the power conversion circuit with a power supply connected to a first terminal, the power conversion circuit comprising:
a first solid-state switch having a pair of first switch terminals and a first control terminal, the pair of first switch terminals connected between the f

Assignees

• Empower Semiconductor
• Empower Semiconductor Inc

Inventors

• Lidsky David
• Phillips Timothy Alan

Classifications

• H02M3/158 Primary

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title

• G05F1/10

  Regulating voltage or current  (G05F1/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M3/156

  with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators · CPC title

• H02M3/07

  using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} · CPC title

• Y02B70/1425

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic