Power supply apparatus

• US 20040165407A1
• Filed: 02/20/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroyuki Umeda, Toshikazu Kuwano
• Original Assignee: Hiroyuki Umeda, Toshikazu Kuwano
• Inventors: Umeda, Hiroyuki, Kuwano, Toshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 6,903,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/65
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/073 Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A DC/DC converter and a series regulator are connected in parallel between an input terminal and an output terminal. At the time of a heavy load, the DC/DC converter is operated. Although the DC/DC converter has a large current consumption of its own, it has a high power conversion efficiency. Accordingly, since a load current increases at the time of a heavy load, it is effective to use the DC/DC converter whose power conversion efficiency is high, and its current consumption can be neglected since the load current is large. On the other hand, at the time of a light load, the series regulator is operated. Although the series regulator has a small current consumption of its own, it has a low power conversion efficiency. Accordingly, at the time of a light load, even when the series regulator is used, its low power conversion efficiency can be neglected because its current consumption is small. Accordingly, the current consumption of its own can be lowered at the time of a light load, and the power conversion efficiency as a whole can be improved when it is used both at a heavy load and a light load.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

an input terminal;

an output terminal;

a charge pump DC/DC converter provided between the input terminal and the output terminal to convert an input voltage that is input in the input terminal into a given output voltage to be outputted toward the output terminal using charge and discharge of a capacitor; and

a series regulator connected in parallel with the charge pump DC/DC converter between the input terminal and the output terminal to continuously control the input voltage so that the input voltage becomes the given output voltage to be outputted toward the output terminal,

wherein the charge pump DC/DC converter and the series regulator are selectively operated depending on an operation command signal which is pre-generated based on change of a predicted or scheduled load, whereby the output voltage on an operation side is taken out from the output terminal.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC converter and series regulator are selectively operated using a load detection signal which is obtained from detecting size of a load in addition to the operation command signal.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC converter is operated when the load is large and wherein the series regulator is operated when the load is small.

4. A power supply apparatus comprising:

an input terminal;

an output terminal;

a switching regulator provided between the input terminal and the output terminal to switch and convert an input voltage that is input in the input terminal into a given output voltage to be outputted toward the output terminal; and

a series regulator connected in parallel with the switching regulator between the input terminal and the output terminal to continuously control the input voltage so that the input voltage becomes the given output voltage to be outputted toward the output terminal,

wherein the switching regulator and the series regulator are selectively operated depending on an operation command signal which is pre-generated based on change of a predicted or scheduled load, whereby the output voltage on an operation side is taken out from the output terminal.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the switching regulator and series regulator are selectively operated using a load detection signal which is provided by detecting size of a load in addition to the operation command signal.

6. The power supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the switching regulator is operated when the load is large and wherein the series regulator is operated when the load is small.

7. A power supply apparatus comprising:

an input terminal;

an output terminal;

a charge pump DC/DC converter provided between the input terminal and the output terminal to convert an input voltage that is input in the input terminal into a given output voltage to be outputted toward the output terminal using charge and discharge of a capacitor; and

a series regulator connected in parallel with the charge pump DC/DC converter between the input terminal and the output terminal to continuously control the input voltage so that the input voltage becomes the predetermined output voltage to be outputted toward the output terminal,

wherein the series regulator is operated at all times and the DC/DC converter is operated depending on size of a load.

8. The power supply apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operation of the DC/DC converter is controlled using an operation control signal which is pre-generated based on predicted or scheduled change of a load.

9. The power supply apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operation of the DC/DC converter is controlled using a load detection signal which is obtained from detecting size of a load in addition to the operation control signal.

10. A power supply apparatus comprising:

an input terminal;

an output terminal;

a switching regulator provided between the input terminal and the output terminal to switch and convert an input voltage that is input in the input terminal into a given output voltage to be outputted toward the output terminal; and

a series regulator connected in parallel with the switching regulator between the input terminal and the output terminal to continuously control the input voltage so that the input voltage becomes the given output voltage to be outputted toward the output terminal,

wherein the series regulator is operated at all times and the switching regulator is operated depending on size of a load.

11. The power supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the operation of the switching regulator is controlled using an operation control signal which is pre-generated based on predicted or scheduled change of a load.

12. The power supply apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operation of the switching regulator is controlled using a load detection signal which is obtained from detecting size of a load in addition to the operation control signal.