Time division multiplexing a DC-to-DC voltage converter

• US 20090184659A1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Duque, David A., Chen, Gang, Ryf, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 8,247,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/294
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load

Abstract

An apparatus includes a DC-to-DC voltage converter. The DC-to-DC voltage converter has a plurality of pairs of outputs and is configured to apply voltages across the pairs of outputs in a time division multiplexed manner.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a DC-to-DC voltage converter having a plurality of pairs of outputs and being configured to apply voltages across the pairs of outputs in a time division multiplexed manner.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DC-to-DC voltage converter further comprises a plurality of shunt circuit paths, each shunt circuit path connecting between the outputs of a corresponding one of the pairs and having a switch there along.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the DC-to-DC voltage converter further comprises an electronic controller configured to operate the switches on the shunt circuit paths.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the electronic controller is configured to open only one of the switches at a time during operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the shunt circuit paths are electrically connected in series.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DC-to-DC voltage converter further comprising circuit paths connected in parallel, each circuit path having the outputs of a corresponding one of the pairs there along and having a controllable switch there along.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of light sources, each light source connected across a corresponding one of the pairs of outputs.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein some of the light sources are light emitting diodes, each light source being configured to emit light of a different color.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a DC-to-DC voltage converter having an electronic controller and a plurality of circuit paths; and

a plurality of electronic loads connected to share the DC-to-DC voltage converter; and

wherein the loads are either connected across corresponding ones of the circuit paths or are part of corresponding ones of the circuit paths; and

wherein each path includes a switch there along and the controller is connected to operate the switches.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the electronic controller is configured to open only one of the switches at a time during driving of the loads.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each circuit path is a shunt path for the corresponding one of the electronic loads, and the circuit paths are electrically connected in series.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the circuit paths are electrically connected in parallel and the loads are part of corresponding ones of the circuit paths.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the DC-to-DC voltage converter is one of a boost DC-to-DC voltage converter, a buck DC-to-DC voltage converter, a buck-boost DC-to-DC voltage converter, and a CUK DC-to-DC voltage converter.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of light sources, each light source being one of the electronic loads.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the DC-to-DC voltage converter is configured to apply a first voltage across a first of the loads and to apply a different second voltage across a second of the loads.

16. A method of driving a plurality of electronic components, comprising:

operating a DC-to-DC voltage converter to apply voltages across the electronic components in a time division multiplexed manner.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the operating includes having the DC-to-DC voltage converter apply a first voltage across one of the electronic components and a different second voltage across another of the electronic components.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the operating includes closing a shunt circuit path across one of the electronic components when the DC-to-DC voltage converter is not applying a voltage to the one of the electronic components.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the operating includes simultaneously closing a circuit path with one of the electronic components and opening one or more circuit paths with any other of electronic components when the DC-to-DC voltage converter is applying a voltage to the one of the electronic components, the circuit paths being connected in parallel.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

then, discharging a capacitor while the electronic components are not being driven; and

then, repeating the operating step; and

wherein charges on the capacitor drive the electronic components during the operating steps.