Voltage applying circuit

• US 20060097776A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Wada, Masaharu
• Application Number:
  US11/066,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20060097776A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/544
• 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: 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 voltage applying circuit is provided between a DC/DC converter which lowers a first voltage to generate a second voltage and a load circuit to which the second voltage is to be applied. The voltage applying circuit includes a first terminal to which the first voltage is to be applied, a second terminal connected to the load circuit, a plurality of capacitors, and a switch circuit. The switch circuit connects the capacitors in series between the first terminal and a point of a ground voltage, when the load circuit is in a standby state, and connects the capacitors in parallel between the second terminal and the point of the ground voltage, when the load circuit is in an active state.

Claims

1. A voltage applying circuit provided between a DC/DC converter which lowers a first voltage to generate a second voltage and a load circuit to which the second voltage is to be applied, comprising:

a first terminal to which the first voltage is to be applied;

a second terminal connected to the load circuit;

a plurality of capacitors; and

a switch circuit which connects the plurality of capacitors in series between the first terminal and a point of a ground voltage, when the load circuit is in a standby state, and which connects the plurality of capacitors in parallel between the second terminal and the point of the ground voltage, when the load circuit is in an active state.

2. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 1, which further comprises a first switch element which electrically disconnects the DC/DC converter and the load circuit from each other, when the load circuit is in the standby state, and which electrically connects the DC/DC converter and the load circuit to each other, when the load circuit is in the active state.

3. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 2, which further comprises a second switch element which applies the first voltage to the plurality of capacitors when the load circuit is in the standby state, and which stops applying of the first voltage to the plurality of capacitors, when the load circuit is in the active state.

4. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of capacitors have substantially the same capacitance value.

5. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 4, wherein the number of the plurality of capacitors is set to cause an output voltage from the second terminal to be substantially equal to the second voltage when the plurality of capacitors are connected in parallel between the second terminal and the point of the ground voltage.

6. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 5, wherein the number of the plurality of capacitors is set to cause a voltage of each of the plurality of capacitors to correspond to the second voltage when the plurality of capacitors are connected in series between the first terminal and the point of the ground voltage.

7. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of capacitors have a function of smoothing the second voltage applied from the DC/DC converter when the load circuit is in the active state.

8. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of capacitors are first to third capacitors;

the switch circuit includes third to ninth switch elements, one of terminals of the third switch element is connected to the second terminal, and the other terminal of the third switch element is connected to one of electrodes of the first capacitor;

one of terminals of the fourth switch element is connected to the other electrode of the first capacitor, and the other terminal of the fourth element is connected to the point of the ground voltage;

one of terminals of the fifth switch element is connected to the other electrode of the first capacitor, and the other terminal of the fifth switch element is connected to one of electrodes of the second capacitor;

one of terminals of the sixth switch element is connected to the second terminal, and the other terminal of the sixth switch element is connected to said one of the terminals of the second capacitor;

one of terminals of the seventh switch element is connected to the other electrode of the second capacitor, and the other terminal of the seventh switch element is connected to the point of the ground voltage;

one of terminals of the eighth switch element is connected to the other electrode of the second capacitor, and the other terminal of the eighth switch element is connected to one of electrodes of the third capacitor; and

one of terminals of the ninth switch element is connected to the second terminal, and the other terminal of the ninth switch element is connected to said one of the electrodes of the third capacitor.

9. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 8, wherein each of the first to ninth switch elements is formed of a MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistor.

10. A voltage applying circuit provided between a DC/DC converter which lowers a first voltage to generate a second voltage and a load circuit to which the second voltage is to be applied, comprising:

a first terminal to which the first voltage is to be applied;

a second terminal connected to the load circuit;

a first group of capacitors;

a first switch circuit which connects the first group of capacitors in series between the first terminal and a point of a ground voltage, when the load circuit is in a standby state, and which connects the first group of capacitors in parallel between the second terminal and the point of the ground voltage, when the load circuit is in an active state;

a second group of capacitors; and

a second switch circuit which connects the second group of capacitors in series between the first terminal and the point of the ground voltage, when the load circuit is in the standby state, and which connects the second group of capacitors in parallel between the second terminal and the point of the ground voltage, when the load circuit is in the active state.

11. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 10, which further comprises a first switch element which electrically disconnects the DC/DC converter and the load circuit from each other, when the load circuit is in the standby state, and which electrically connects the DC/DC converter and the load circuit to each other, when the load circuit is in the active state.

12. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 11, which further comprises a second switch element which applies the first voltage to the first and second groups of capacitors, when the load circuit is in the standby state, and which stops applying of the first voltage to the first and second groups of capacitors, when the load circuit is in the active state.

13. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 10, wherein the first group of capacitors have substantially the same first capacitance value, and the second group of capacitors have substantially the same second capacitance value.

14. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 13, wherein the number of the first group of capacitors is different from the number of the second group of capacitors.

15. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 14, the number of the first group of capacitors and the number of the second group of capacitors are set to cause an output voltage from the second terminal to be equal to the second voltage, when the first group of capacitors are connected in parallel between the second terminal and the point of the ground voltage, and the second group of capacitors are connected in parallel between the second terminal and the point of the ground voltage.

16. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 10, wherein the first and second groups of capacitors have a function of smoothing the second voltage applied from the DC/DC converter when the load circuit is in the active state.

17. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 12, wherein:

the first group of capacitors are first to third capacitors;

the second group of capacitors are forth and fifth capacitors;

the first switch circuit includes third to ninth switch elements;

one of terminals of the third switch element is connected to the second terminal, and the other terminal of the third switch element is connected to one of electrodes of the first capacitor;

one of terminals of the fourth switch element is connected to the other electrode of the first capacitor, and the other terminal of the fourth switch element is connected to the point of the ground voltage;

one of terminals of the fifth switch element is connected to the other electrode of the first capacitor, and the other terminal of the fifth switch element is connected to one of electrodes of the second capacitor;

one of terminals of the sixth switch element is connected to the second terminal, and the other terminal of the sixth switch element is connected to said one of the electrodes of the second capacitor;

one of terminals of the seventh switch element is connected to the other electrode of the second capacitor, and the other terminal of the seventh switch element is connected to the point of the ground voltage;

one of terminals of the eighth switch element is connected to the other electrode of the second capacitor, and the other terminal of the eighth switch element is connected to one of electrodes of the third capacitor;

one of terminals of the ninth switch element is connected to the second terminal, and the other terminal of the ninth switch element is connected to said one of the electrodes of the third capacitor;

the second switch circuit includes tenth to thirteenth switch elements;

one of terminals of the tenth switch element is connected to the second terminal, and the other terminal of the tenth switch element is connected to one of electrodes of the fourth capacitor;

one of terminals of the eleventh switch element is connected to the other electrode of the fourth capacitor, and the other terminal of the eleventh switch element is connected to the point of the ground voltage;

one of terminals of the twelfth switch element is connected to the other electrode of the fourth capacitor, and the other terminal of the twelfth switch element is one of electrodes of the fifth capacitor; and

one of terminals of the thirteenth switch element is connected to the second terminal, and the other terminal of the thirteenth switch element is connected to said one of the electrodes of the fifth capacitor.

18. The voltage applying circuit according to claim 17, wherein each of the first to thirteenth switch elements is formed of a MOS transistor.