Electricity: power supply or regulation systems inventions 10/06

20060238173 - Power supply system and device testing apparatus having the same: A power supply system has a judging circuit for judging occurrence of an overload condition by monitoring a power supply voltage applied to a device under test. The judging circuit detects, as reverse insertion of the device under test into a socket, occurrence of overload immediately after application of the...

20060238174 - Led current bias control using a step down regulator: A step down switching regulator circuit that is particularly well-suited to drive high power LEDs includes a crossover conduction mode (XCM) control circuit that maintains operation at the crossover point between continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). This XCM operation provides an inductor current waveform that ramps...

20060238175 - Apparatus to generate high voltage using digital control and method thereof: An apparatus to generate a high voltage includes an outputting part having a power transforming part formed with a primary and a secondary coil, a switching part to control an output voltage induced in the secondary coil of the power transforming part, by interrupting a current in the primary coil...

20060238176 - Method for regulating the time constant matching in dc/dc converters: A method regulates the time constant matching of a DC/DC converter phase, further to a variation of a load applied to an output of said phase. Such phase being associated with a coil network, with a series RL circuit and a reading network 10, with a series RC circuit connected...

20060238177 - Apparatus for power control in lighting systems: Apparatus for power control, in particular for lighting installations, provided with an autotransformer (11), to be connected to a supply unit (20) to draw a predetermined voltage therefrom, and with a first transformer (30) having a first winding (31) connected to the autotransformer (11) and through which a control current...

20060238178 - Constant-voltage circuit capable of reducing time required for starting, semiconductor apparatus including constant-voltage circuit, and control method of constant-voltage circuit: A constant-voltage circuit includes a switching regulator and a series regulator each configured to start operating according to a selection signal input from outside the integrated circuit for exclusively causing one of the switching or the series regulators to operate, convert an input voltage to a rated voltage and to...

20060238179 - Semi-clockless, cascaded, current-mode power regulator having high noise immunity and arbitrary phase count: A semi-clockless, cascaded, current-mode regulator has a first regulator that receives a clock signal from a controller. By ‘semi-clockless’ is meant that a clock signal is applied to the first of a cascaded plurality of regulators, and that as a result of the cascading of clock delay circuits in each...

20060238182 - Circuit and method for controlling step-up/step-down dc-dc converter: A step-up/step-down DC-DC converter for reducing loss caused by activation and inactivation of transistors. An error amplifier included in a control circuit generates an error signal in accordance with voltage difference between an output voltage and a reference voltage. A PWM comparator compares a triangular wave signal and the error...

20060238180 - Circuit and method for increasing the stability of switch-mode power supplies: An improved circuit and method for increasing the stability of switch-mode power supplies via frequency fold-back is disclosed. For example, a circuit for increasing the stability of a switch-mode power supply using the compensation signal to control the frequency of the oscillator is disclosed, which includes an operational amplifier that...

20060238181 - System and method for managing negative voltage in a power supply overvoltage failure event: A synchronous Buck voltage regulator accepts an input voltage to provide a regulated output voltage to an information handling system processing component, such as a CPU. Input voltage is regulated by a control MOSFET, a synchronous MOSFET and a regulator controller that controls the output by controlling the control and...

20060238183 - Apparatus and method to compensate for effects of load capacitance on power regulator: A power regulator has an output for regulated power that is connected to supply power to a load. The load can have various electrical characteristics, including requiring a rapid transient response. The transient response amplitude for the power regulator is decreased by adding capacitance at the output, but that slows...

20060238184 - True low voltage bandgap reference with improved power supply rejection: An improved bandgap reference generation circuit utilizes two feedback loops to maintain the voltage at across the current sources to be essentially the same, such that the reference voltage remains constant over variations in process, temperature, and supply voltage. The accuracy of the reference voltage is maintained even at low...

20060232252 - Buck converter having improved transient response to load step down: A synchronous buck converter having an improved transient response during output current includes a first switching transistor connected between an input node and a first node, a second switching transistor connected between the first node and a second node, a series inductor connected between the first node and an output...

20060232253 - Efficient in-rush current limiting circuit with dual gated bidirectional hemts: A boost converter in accordance with an embodiment of the present application includes an input rectifying bridge adapted to rectify an input AC voltage, a first inductor connected to the input rectifying bridge, a output capacitor coupled to first inductor for connection to a DC bus, a first bidirectional semiconductor...

20060232254 - Charging unit with a transmission unit: A charging-unit receiver has at least one transmission unit provided for transmitting information, and the transmission unit is configured for a teletransmission of the information....

20060232255 - Circuit arrangement for voltage adjustment: A circuit arrangement for voltage regulation having a series regulator with a regulating amplifier and a charge pump that is connected downstream of the regulating amplifier, a reference voltage unit that generates a reference voltage for the regulating amplifier, and a starter unit that generates a starter voltage in order...

20060232256 - Adaptive power control for hysteretic regulators: A hysteretic regulator may be set to an active mode when voltage at an output falls to a first threshold level. In the active mode, charge is applied to an output node by a current having a set limit value. The regulator is set to an inactive mode when the...

20060232257 - Voltage sense circuit and method therefor: In one embodiment, a voltage sense circuit receives an ac input signal and forms a rectified output voltage that is representative of the ac input signal....

20060226816 - Boost converter utilizing bi-directional magnetic energy transfer of coupling inductor: A boost converter utilizing bi-directional magnetic energy transfer of coupling inductor provides a high efficiency boost DC-DC converting with above 30 times voltage boost rate, which uses a coupling inductor and low voltage switch to absorb circuit induction voltage of a passive regenerative snubber no matter if switch is turned...

20060226817 - Metal halide lamp: The invention relates to a voltage converter, whose topology can be switched over between a boost converter and a SEPIC. According to the invention, the boost converter has ripple current compensation. As a result, the inductors used can be utilized in optimum fashion. A thyristor which is protected against breakdown...

20060226818 - Volt-second synchronization for magnetic loads: A method and device for connecting a load to an AC power source is arranged to ensure that the volt-second ratings of magnetic devices in the load are not exceeded, in order to limit in-rush currents resulting from saturation of the magnetic devices. In the case where the load is...

20060226819 - Self-driven scheme for synchronous rectifier: A voltage converter uses a component such as a JFET or four-terminal power MOSFET having no body diode and exhibiting no body diode conduction characteristic as a synchronous rectifier to reduce switching losses and body diode conduction losses and to support high frequency switching so that use of smaller components...

20060226820 - Overcurrent protection for power converters: A power converter includes a main FET and a diode parallel to the main FET. A voltage divider circuit parallel to the main FET enables current to be sensed by a controller for overcurrent protection. A second diode parallel to one element of the voltage divider circuit and in series...

20060226821 - Voltage regulator circuit with two or more output ports: A dual output voltage regulator circuit is disclosed. The output voltage regulator has a first FET and a second FET. A current source responsive to the regulated output voltage provides a current drive to the gate of the first FET in a first mode of operation and to the gate...

20060226823 - Current-sourced power supplies: A method for providing stable dc-to-dc power conversion from high impedance or pure current input sources by inverting the duty cycle control with respect to the duty cycle control used with low impedance or pure voltage input sources....

20060226822 - Input current sensing avp method for future vrm: A voltage converter provides a desired voltage droop with load while avoiding output current sensing and active control/feedback circuits and avoiding excessive power dissipation from passive components by placing a sensing resistor in the low current, switched input circuit of the voltage converter. Therefore, the resistor conducts only when a...

20060220621 - Circuit arrangement and method for controlling a pulsed power supply: Circuit arrangement for controlling a pulsed power supply having improved dynamics compared with conventional “current mode” controllers. According to the invention, the gate signal of a switch (S1) is integrated. As soon as this integral value exceeds the output signal of a control amplifier (CCL), the switch (S1) is switched...

20060220622 - Multi-output type dc/dc converter operable at a current discontinuous mode or a current continuous mode: In a multi-output type DC/DC converter, a controller controls, in accordance with first and second output voltages, turning on/off of a switch circuit and selection in an output selection circuit. The controller makes the multi-output type DC/DC converter operate at a current discontinuous mode when all of the first and...

20060220623 - Switched mode power supply method and apparatus: In one or more embodiments, a switched mode power supply circuit is configured to monitor and control its output voltage during discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) operation, to prevent output over-voltage conditions. For example, in one embodiment, a switched mode power supply circuit is configured to operate selectively in continuous conduction...

20060220624 - Apparatus and method for virtually shielding a synchronous switching regulator: Virtual shielding is used to reduce the sources/origins of latchup and switching noise in a synchronous switching regulator. The regulator power stage may be split into two half stages. The ground bond wires of the half power stages may be positioned on opposite sides of the layout to substantially eliminate...

20060220628 - Current sense method for bridgeless boost (blb) pfc circuit using single current transformer: A circuit and method for improving current sensing in a bridgeless PFC boost converter. Such a converter comprises a current transformer having first and second primaries; a boost inductor having a first end connected to a first AC input terminal and a second end connected to a first junction defined...

20060220629 - Dc-dc converter: A DC-DC converter includes a switch, a rectifier, a smoothing circuit, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes an output detection circuit for outputting an error signal, a current detection circuit for outputting a current detection signal in a period in which at least the switch is OFF, a...

20060220627 - Dc-dc converter utilizing a modified schmitt trigger circuit and method of modulating a pulse width: A DC-DC converter includes a PWM modulator, a power switch and a filter. The PWM modulator positively feeds back a pulse width modulated signal of which a pulse width and a frequency are varied to generate an oscillated signal, amplifies a difference between a negatively fed-back direct current output signal...

20060220625 - Digital pulse width modulation controller with preset filter coefficients: A switched mode voltage regulator includes a digital control system having a digital filter with a plurality of preset filter coefficients that can be selectively loaded into the digital filter to achieve different operating characteristics. The voltage regulator comprises at least one power switch adapted to convey power between respective...

20060220626 - Power losses reduction in switching power converters: Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for concurrently eliminating or substantially reducing two or more switching losses in an inverter switching circuit. Embodiments of the invention concurrently reduce multiple types of switching losses under hard switching mode and soft switching mode for active switching devices and diodes. In...

20060220631 - Circuit and method for controlling dc-dc converter: A control circuit for a DC-DC converter that prevents a deficiency from occurring due to sudden interruption in power supply. The control circuit activates and inactivates a main switching output transistor and a synchronous rectification output transistor to convert the input voltage to an output voltage. The output voltage is...

20060220630 - Digital pulse width modulated power supply with variable lsb: A DC-DC digital pulse width modulated power supply is disclosed for generating a DC regulated output voltage. A digital control node has a digital control voltage disposed thereon for controlling the operation of the supply, wherein the digital control voltage has a substantially zero voltage when the output voltage of...

20060220632 - System and method for automatic power-up and power-down of an output video circuit: A system and method for configuring a video circuit into a low power consumption mode and a high power consumption mode. The system comprises an input signal detection circuit adapted to generate a first signal indicative of whether an input video signal is present at the input of the video...

20060220633 - Internal voltage generating apparatus adaptive to temperature change: An internal voltage generating apparatus adaptive to a temperature change includes a reference voltage circuit including a complementary to absolute temperature (CTAT) type transistor and a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) type transistor for generating a first to a third initial reference voltage signals. A buffer circuit for buffering a...

20060220634 - Semiconductor integrated circuit: A difference between both emitter voltages of a first transistor having an emitter through which a first current flows, and at least one second transistor having an emitter through which such a second current as to reach a current density thereof smaller than that of the emitter of the first...