DYNAMIC CONSTANT POWER AMPLIFIER

• US 20110148521A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockford Corporation (Patrick Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockford Corporation (Patrick Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Strickland, James C., Albers, Mark D., Baker, David Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,994,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/251
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/52 Circuit arrangements for protecting such amplifiers monitoring arrangements G01R31/28; increasing reliability in communication systems, e.g. using redundancy H04B1/74
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/03 the amplifier being designed for audio applications
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/351 Pulse width modulation being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2173 of the bridge type
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 11/00 Limiting amplitude; Limiting rate of change of amplitude ; Clipping in general

Abstract

A switching amplifier including a voltage sensor circuit connected to a high voltage supply rail for measuring the power supply voltage. A current sensor circuit is connected to the high voltage supply rail for measuring the power supply current. An error amplifier is connected to the switching amplifier and receives one or more values based on the measurements taken by the voltage sensor and current sensor, and the error amplifier produces an error signal when a predetermined power limit is exceeded. A signal limiting circuit is connected to the error amplifier and the switching amplifier and limits the output power to rated power at any rated load impedance when the error amplifier produces the error signal. This switching amplifier is capable of automatically limiting output power at rated power into all rated load impedances, and dynamically reacts to the frequency-dependant impedance of a typical audio system.

Claims

1. An amplifier device, comprising:

a switching amplifier including an input for receiving an audio input signal and an output to a load, and the switching amplifier including a high voltage supply rail;

a voltage sensor circuit connected to the high voltage supply rail and the voltage sensor circuit measures the power supply voltage of the switching amplifier;

a current sensor circuit connected to the high voltage supply rail and the current sensor circuit measures the power supply current of the switching amplifier;

an error amplifier connected to the switching amplifier receives a value based on the measurements taken by the voltage sensor and current sensor and produces an error signal when a predetermined power limit is exceeded; and

a signal limiting circuit connected to the error amplifier and the switching amplifier, and the signal limiting circuit limits an output power to rated power at any rated load impedance when the error amplifier produces the error signal;

wherein the amplifier device is capable of automatically limiting output power at rated power into all rated load impedances, and dynamically reacting to the frequency-dependant impedance of a typical audio system.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a power calculator connected between the error amplifier and the voltage and current sensor circuits, the power calculator multiplies the power supply voltage and power supply current together to calculate a scaled value of a power supply power.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the error amplifier compares the value of the power supply power supplied by the power calculator to a scaled reference representing a rated power and the error amplifier produces the error signal when the value of the power supply power exceeds the scaled reference representing the rated power.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a reciprocal calculator connected between the error amplifier and the voltage current sensor, and the reciprocal calculator produces a scaled reciprocal value of the power supply voltage.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the current sensor circuit produces a scaled value of the power supply current and the current sensor circuit is connected directly to the error amplifier.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the error amplifier compares the scaled reciprocal value of the power supply voltage from the reciprocal calculator to the scaled value of the power supply current from the current sensor circuit, and the error amplifier produces the error signal when the scaled value of the power supply current exceeds the scaled value of the power supply voltage.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching amplifier is a two-wire Class BD amplifier, a single-wire Class BD amplifier or a Class AD amplifier.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the current sensor circuit is a differential amplifier that measures the voltage across a low-impedance sense resistor of the switching amplifier.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the current sensor circuit is a single-ended amplifier that measures a voltage drop across a ground-referenced sense resistor of the switching amplifier.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the voltage sensor circuit is a resistor divider that measures the voltage directly at a positive terminal of the high voltage supply rail.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the current sensor circuit is a chopper circuit that measures the voltage across a sense resistor of the switching amplifier.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the switching amplifier is a single wire Class BD amplifier having a trinary output voltage that drives the chopper circuit.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the voltage sensor circuit is a peak hold circuit that measures the voltage of the high voltage supply rail.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching amplifier is a Class AD amplifier having a first high voltage supply rail connected to a first sense resistor and a second high voltage supply rail connected to a second sense resistor, and the current sense circuit sums the currents at the first and second high voltage supply rails measured at the first and second sense resistors.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the voltage sense circuit sums the power supply voltage of the first and second high voltage supply rails.

16. A method for delivering rated power into all rated load impedances of a switching amplifier, comprising:

measuring a power supply voltage of the switching amplifier with a voltage sensor circuit connected to a high voltage supply rail of the switching amplifier;

measuring a power supply current of the switching amplifier with a current sensor circuit connected to the high voltage supply rail of the switching amplifier;

calculating a value of a power supply power with a power calculator connected between an error amplifier and the voltage and current sensor circuits by multiplying the power supply voltage and power supply current together;

comparing the value of the power supply power to a scaled reference representing a rated power with the error amplifier connected to the switching amplifier and the power calculator;

producing an error signal from the error amplifier when the value of the power supply power exceeds the scaled reference representing the rated power; and

limiting an output power of the switching amplifier to a rated power at any rated load impedance with a signal limiting circuit connected to the switching amplifier and the error amplifier when the error amplifier produces the error signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein automatically limiting output power of the switching amplifier at rated power into all rated load impedances, and dynamically reacting to the frequency-dependant impedance of a typical audio system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the switching amplifier is a two-wire Class BD amplifier, a single-wire Class BD amplifier or a Class AD amplifier.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein measuring the power supply current with the current sensor circuit, the current sensor circuit is a differential amplifier that measures the voltage across a low-impedance sense resistor of the switching amplifier.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein measuring the power supply current with the current sensor circuit, the current sensor circuit is a single-ended amplifier that measures a voltage drop across a ground-referenced sense resistor of the switching amplifier.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein measuring the power supply voltage with the voltage sensor circuit, the voltage sensor circuit is a resistor divider that measures the voltage directly at a positive terminal of the high voltage supply rail.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein measuring the power supply current with the current sensor circuit, the current sensor circuit is a chopper circuit that measures the voltage across a sense resistor of the switching amplifier.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the switching amplifier is a single wire Class BD amplifier having a trinary output voltage that drives the chopper circuit.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein measuring the power supply voltage with the voltage sensor circuit, the voltage sensor circuit is a peak hold circuit that measures the voltage of the high voltage supply rail.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein measuring the power supply current with the current sensor circuit including summing the currents at first and second high voltage supply rails measured at first and second sense resistors of a Class AD switching amplifier having the first high voltage supply rail connected to a first sense resistor and the second high voltage supply rail connected to a second sense resistor.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein measuring the power supply voltage with the voltage sensor circuit including summing the power supply voltage of the first and second high voltage supply rails.

27. A method for delivering rated power into all rated load impedances of a switching amplifier, comprising:

measuring a power supply voltage of the switching amplifier with a voltage sensor circuit connected to a high voltage supply rail of the switching amplifier;

producing a scaled reciprocal value of the power supply voltage with a reciprocal calculator connected to the voltage sensor circuit;

measuring a power supply current of the switching amplifier with a current sensor circuit connected to the high voltage supply rail of the switching amplifier and producing a scaled value of the power supply current with the current sensor circuit;

comparing the scaled reciprocal value of the power supply voltage from the reciprocal calculator to the scaled value of the power supply current from the current sensor circuit with an error amplifier, the error amplifier being connected to the reciprocal calculator and current sensor;

producing an error signal from the error amplifier when scaled value of the power supply current exceeds the scaled reciprocal value of the power supply voltage; and

limiting an output power of the switching amplifier to a rated power at any rated load impedance with a signal limiting circuit connected to the switching amplifier and the error amplifier when the error amplifier produces the error signal.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein automatically limiting output power of the switching amplifier at rated power into all rated load impedances, and dynamically reacting to the frequency-dependant impedance of a typical audio system.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the switching amplifier is a two-wire Class BD amplifier, a single-wire Class BD amplifier or a Class AD amplifier.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein measuring the power supply current with the current sensor circuit, the current sensor circuit is a differential amplifier that measures the voltage across a low-impedance sense resistor of the switching amplifier.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein measuring the power supply current with the current sensor circuit, the current sensor circuit is a single-ended amplifier that measures a voltage drop across a ground-referenced sense resistor of the switching amplifier.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein measuring the power supply voltage with the voltage sensor circuit, the voltage sensor circuit is a resistor divider that measures the voltage directly at a positive terminal of the high voltage supply rail.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein measuring the power supply current with the current sensor circuit, the current sensor circuit is a chopper circuit that measures the voltage across a sense resistor of the switching amplifier.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the switching amplifier is a single wire Class BD amplifier having a trinary output voltage that drives the chopper circuit.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein measuring the power supply voltage with the voltage sensor circuit, the voltage sensor circuit is a peak hold circuit that measures the voltage of the high voltage supply rail.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein measuring the power supply current with the current sensor circuit including summing the currents at first and second high voltage supply rails measured at first and second sense resistors of a Class AD switching amplifier having the first high voltage supply rail connected to a first sense resistor and the second high voltage supply rail connected to a second sense resistor.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein measuring the power supply voltage with the voltage sensor circuit including summing the power supply voltage of the first and second high voltage supply rails.

38. An amplifier device, comprising:

a switching amplifier including an input for receiving an audio input signal and an output to a load, and the switching amplifier including a regulated high-voltage supply rail;

a current sensor circuit connected to the regulated high-voltage supply rail and the current sensor circuit measures the power supply current of the switching amplifier;

an error amplifier connected to the switching amplifier receives a value based on the measurement taken by the current sensor and produces an error signal when a predetermined power limit is exceeded; and

a signal limiting circuit connected to the error amplifier and the switching amplifier, and the signal limiting circuit limits the output power to rated power at any rated load impedance when the error amplifier produces the error signal;

wherein the amplifier device is capable of automatically limiting output power at rated power into all rated load impedances, and dynamically reacting to the frequency-dependant impedance of a typical audio system.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the error amplifier compares the value based on the measurement taken by the current sensor to a rated power reference and the error amplifier produces the error signal when the value based on the measurement taken by the current sensor exceeds the scaled reference representing the rated power.

40. The device of claim 38, wherein the current sensor measures and scales the power supply current of the switching amplifier.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein the error amplifier compares the scaled value of the power supply current from the current sensor to a rail reciprocal reference and the error amplifier produces the error signal when the scaled value of the power supply current exceeds the rail reciprocal reference.