CONSTANT-VOLTAGE POWER CIRCUIT

• US 20080265856A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Takada, Shuichi, Abiru, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,928,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/280
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/565 sensing a condition of the system or its load in addition to means responsive to deviations in the output of the system, e.g. current, voltage, power factor G05F1/563 takes precedence

Abstract

A differential amplifier receives a reference voltage and a divided voltage dividing an output voltage, and outputs a control voltage in accordance with the difference between the reference voltage and the divided voltage. The control voltage output from the differential amplifier is supplied to an output amplifier. The output amplifier generates a stabilized output voltage from a high-potential-side power supply voltage in accordance with the control voltage. A P-type MOS transistor is connected to a node of the output voltage, and the MOS transistor carries a current from the node of the output voltage. A current control circuit controls a gate of the P-type MOS transistor so that the current flowing through the P-type MOS transistor becomes a constant value.

Claims

1. A constant-voltage power circuit comprising:

a control voltage output circuit receiving a reference voltage and a divided voltage dividing an output voltage, and outputting a control voltage in accordance with the difference between the reference voltage and the divided voltage;

an output circuit receiving the control voltage to generate a stabilized output voltage from a high-potential-side power supply voltage;

a first P-type MOS transistor carrying a current from a node of the output voltage;

a capacitor connected between the node of the output voltage and a supply node of low-potential-side power supply voltage; and

a P-type MOS transistor current control circuit controlling a gate of the first P-type MOS transistor so that a current flowing through the first P-type MOS transistor becomes a constant value.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the P-type MOS transistor current control circuit includes:

a constant-current source having one terminal and the other terminal, and whose one terminal is connected to the supply node of low-potential-side power supply voltage; and

at least one second P-type MOS transistor having gate and drain mutually connected, and a current path between source and drain, which is interposed between a supply node of the high-potential-side power supply voltage and the other terminal of the constant-current source,

wherein the gate of the first P-type MOS transistor is connected to the other terminal of the constant-current source.

3. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the output circuit includes a third P-type MOS transistor having a current path between source and drain, and a gate, and whose current path is interposed between the supply node of the high-potential-side power supply voltage and the node of the output voltage, and further, whose gate receives the control voltage.

4. The circuit according to claim 3, wherein the output circuit further includes a pair of resistors connected in series between the node of the output voltage and the supply node of the low-potential-side power supply voltage, and the divided voltage is generated in a serial connection node of the paired resistors.

5. The circuit according to claim 2, wherein said at least one second P-type MOS transistor is two P-type MOS transistors having a current path between source and drain, which is interposed in series between the supply node of the high-potential-side power supply voltage and the node of the output voltage.

6. The circuit according to claim 2, wherein said at least one second P-type MOS transistor is one P-type MOS transistors having a current path between source and drain, which is interposed between the supply node of the high-potential-side power supply voltage and the node of the output voltage.

7. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control voltage output circuit is a differential amplifier, which has a pair of input terminals receiving the reference voltage and the divided voltage.

8. A constant-voltage power circuit comprising:

a control voltage output circuit receiving a reference voltage and a divided voltage dividing an output voltage, and outputting a control voltage in accordance with the difference between the reference voltage and the divided voltage;

an output circuit receiving the control voltage to generate a stabilized output voltage from a high-potential-side power supply voltage;

a first N-type MOS transistor carrying a current into a node of the output voltage;

a capacitor connected between the node of the output voltage and a supply node of low-potential-side power supply voltage; and

an N-type MOS transistor current control circuit controlling a gate of the first N-type MOS transistor so that a current flowing through the first N-type MOS transistor becomes a constant value.

9. The circuit according to claim 8, wherein the N-type MOS transistor current control circuit includes:

a constant-current source having one terminal and the other terminal, and whose one terminal is connected to the supply node of high-potential-side power supply voltage; and

at least one second N-type MOS transistor having gate and drain mutually connected, and a current path between source and drain, which is interposed between a supply node of the low-potential-side power supply voltage and the other terminal of the constant-current source,

wherein the gate of the first N-type MOS transistor is connected to the other terminal of the constant-current source.

10. The circuit according to claim 8, wherein the output circuit includes a first P-type MOS transistor having a current path between source and drain, and a gate, and whose current path is interposed between the supply node of the high-potential-side power supply voltage and the node of the output voltage, and further, whose gate receives the control voltage.

11. The circuit according to claim 10, wherein the output circuit further includes a pair of resistors connected in series between the node of the output voltage and the supply node of the low-potential-side power supply voltage, and the divided voltage is generated in a serial connection node of the paired resistors.

12. The circuit according to claim 9, wherein said at least one second N-type MOS transistor is two N-type MOS transistors having a current path between source and drain, which is interposed in series between the supply node of the low-potential-side power supply voltage and the node of the output voltage.

13. The circuit according to claim 9, wherein said at least one second N-type MOS transistor is one N-type MOS transistors having a current path between source and drain, which is interposed between the node of the output voltage and the supply node of the low-potential-side power supply voltage.

14. The circuit according to claim 8, wherein the control voltage output circuit is a differential amplifier, which has a pair of input terminals receiving the reference voltage and the divided voltage.

15. A constant-voltage power circuit comprising:

a control voltage output circuit receiving a reference voltage and a divided voltage dividing an output voltage, and outputting a control voltage in accordance with the difference between the reference voltage and the divided voltage;

an output circuit receiving the control voltage to generate a stabilized output voltage from a high-potential-side power supply voltage;

a first P-type MOS transistor carrying a current from a node of the output voltage;

a first N-type MOS transistor carrying a current into a node of the output voltage;

a capacitor connected between the node of the output voltage and a supply node of low-potential-side power supply voltage;

a P-type MOS transistor current control circuit controlling a gate of the first P-type MOS transistor so that a current flowing through the first P-type MOS transistor becomes a constant value; and

an N-type MOS transistor current control circuit controlling a gate of the first N-type MOS transistor so that a current flowing through the first N-type MOS transistor becomes a constant value.

16. The circuit according to claim 15, wherein the P-type MOS transistor current control circuit includes:

a first constant-current source having one terminal and the other terminal, and whose one terminal is connected to the supply node of low-potential-side power supply voltage; and

at least one second P-type MOS transistor having gate and drain mutually connected, and a current path between source and drain, which is interposed between a supply node of the high-potential-side power supply voltage and the other terminal of the first constant-current source,

the N-type MOS transistor current control circuit includes;

a second constant-current source having one terminal and the other terminal, and whose one terminal is connected to the supply node of high-potential-side power supply voltage; and

at least one second N-type MOS transistor having gate and drain mutually connected, and a current path between source and drain, which is interposed between a supply node of the low-potential-side power supply voltage and the other terminal of the second constant-current source,

wherein the gate of the first P-type MOS transistor is connected to the other terminal of the first constant-current source, and the gate of the first N-type MOS transistor is connected to the other terminal of the second constant-current source.

17. The circuit according to claim 16, wherein the output circuit includes a third P-type MOS transistor having a current path between source and drain, and a gate, and whose current path is interposed between the supply node of the high-potential-side power supply voltage and the node of the output voltage, and whose gate receives the control voltage.

18. The circuit according to claim 17, wherein the output circuit further includes a pair of resistors connected in series between the node of the output voltage and the supply node of the low-potential-side power supply voltage, and the divided voltage is generated in a serial connection node of the paired resistors.

19. The circuit according to claim 16, wherein said at least one second P-type MOS transistor is two P-type MOS transistors having a current path between source and drain, which is interposed in series between the supply node of the high-potential-side power supply voltage and the node of the output voltage, and said at least one second N-type MOS transistor is two N-type MOS transistors having a current path between source and drain, which is interposed in series between the supply node of the low-potential-side power supply voltage and the node of the output voltage.

20. The circuit according to claim 15, wherein the control voltage output circuit is a differential amplifier, which has a pair of input terminals receiving the reference voltage and the divided voltage.