Power supply apparatus

• US 20030071602A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ando, Toshizumi
• Granted Patent: US 6,693,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/465 Internal voltage generators for integrated circuits, e.g. step down generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters

Abstract

A power supply apparatus includes an interface microcomputer driven by the output voltage from a first voltage transducer circuit for boosting the output voltage of a DC power supply. The interface microcomputer outputs an activation signal for activating a control IC. When a switch receives the activation signal from the control IC, the switch becomes conducting and applies the output voltage from the first voltage transducer circuit to the control IC. A delay circuit delays the activation signal from the interface microcomputer for a predetermined period of time and supplies the delayed activation signal to the control IC, thus causing the control IC to start controlling the operation of a voltage output unit. A second voltage transducer circuit for boosting the output voltage of the DC power supply and outputting a voltage of 5 V includes a charge pump circuit at the output stage thereof.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus for regulating a voltage generated by a DC power supply and for outputting the voltage to a predetermined load, comprising:

first voltage transducer means for boosting the voltage generated by the DC power supply;

second voltage transducer means for converting the voltage generated by the DC power supply to a predetermined voltage and for outputting the converted voltage to the predetermined load;

operation control means driven by an output voltage from the first voltage transducer means, the operation control means outputting a switching pulse in accordance with reception of an activation signal and controlling the operation of the second voltage transducer means; and

activation control means for inputting the output voltage from the first voltage transducer means to the operation control means and, after a predetermined period of time, inputting the activation signal to the operation control means.

2. A power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the activation control means comprises:

activation signal output means for outputting the activation signal;

open/close means for conducting the output voltage from the first voltage transducer means to the operation control means when the activation signal is received; and

activation signal delay means for delaying the activation signal and for outputting the delayed activation signal to the operation control means.

3. A power supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the activation signal output means is driven by the output voltage from the first voltage transducer means.

4. A power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second voltage transducer means includes a charge pump circuit arranged at the output stage in order to boost or invert the voltage generated by the DC power supply.

5. A power supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second voltage transducer means comprises:

a step-up voltage transducer circuit including a switching element having a gate receiving the switching pulse and a source being grounded, a first choke coil having a first end receiving the output voltage from the DC power supply and a second end connected to the drain of the switching element, a first diode having an anode connected to the switching element, and a first capacitor having a first end connected to the cathode of the first diode and a second end being grounded;

a first stage of the charge pump circuit including a second diode having an anode connected to the cathode of the first diode and a second capacitor having a first end connected to the drain of the switching element and a second end connected to the cathode of the second diode; and

a second stage of the charge pump circuit including a third diode having an anode connected to the cathode of the second diode and a cathode for outputting a voltage to the predetermined load and for feeding back a voltage to the operation control means and a third capacitor having a first end connected to the cathode of the third diode and a second end being grounded.

6. A power supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the charge pump circuit having three or more stages is arranged at the output stage of the second voltage transducer means.

7. A power supply apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising third voltage transducer means, the operation of the third voltage transducer means being controlled by the operation control means, and the third voltage transducer means converting an output voltage from the second voltage transducer means to a predetermined voltage and outputting the converted voltage.

8. A power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second voltage transducer means are arranged as a single semiconductor integrated circuit.

9. A power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second voltage transducer means and the operation control means are arranged as a single semiconductor integrated means.