Switching Circuits For Extracting Power From An Electric Power Source And Associated Methods
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit chip, comprising:
- a first input port and a first output port;
first and second transistors electrically coupled in series across the first input port, the second transistor also electrically coupled across the first output port and adapted to provide a path for current flowing through the first output port when the first transistor is in its non-conductive state;
first driver circuitry for driving gates of the first and second transistors to cause the transistors to switch between their conductive and non-conductive states; and
first controller circuitry for controlling the first driver circuitry such that the first and second transistors switch between their conductive and non-conductive states to at least substantially maximize an amount of electric power extracted from an electric power source electrically coupled to the first input port.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated circuit chip includes a first input port, a first output port, and first and second transistors electrically coupled in series across the first input port. The second transistor is also electrically coupled across the first output port and is adapted to provide a path for current flowing through the first output port when the first transistor is in its non-conductive state. The integrated circuit chip additionally includes first driver circuitry for driving gates of the first and second transistors to cause the transistors to switch between their conductive and non-conductive states. The integrated circuit chip further includes first controller circuitry for controlling the first driver circuitry such that the first and second transistors switch between their conductive and non-conductive states to at least substantially maximize an amount of electric power extracted from an electric power source electrically coupled to the first input port.
237 Citations
69 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit chip, comprising:
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a first input port and a first output port; first and second transistors electrically coupled in series across the first input port, the second transistor also electrically coupled across the first output port and adapted to provide a path for current flowing through the first output port when the first transistor is in its non-conductive state; first driver circuitry for driving gates of the first and second transistors to cause the transistors to switch between their conductive and non-conductive states; and first controller circuitry for controlling the first driver circuitry such that the first and second transistors switch between their conductive and non-conductive states to at least substantially maximize an amount of electric power extracted from an electric power source electrically coupled to the first input port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A photovoltaic system, comprising:
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N first photovoltaic devices, N being an integer greater than one; and N integrated circuit chips, each integrated chip including; a first input port and a first output port, first and second transistors electrically coupled in series across the first input port, the second transistor also electrically coupled across the first output port and adapted to provide a path for current flowing through the first output port when the first transistor is in its non-conductive state, first driver circuitry for driving gates of the first and second transistors to cause the transistors to switch between their conductive and non-conductive states, and first controller circuitry for controlling the first driver circuitry such that the first and second transistors switch between their conductive and non-conductive states to at least substantially maximize an amount of power extracted from a respective one of the N first photovoltaic devices. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A photovoltaic system, comprising:
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a multi junction photovoltaic cell including at least a first and second photovoltaic junction; and an integrated circuit chip, including; first and second transistors, driver circuitry for driving gates of the first and second transistors to cause the transistors to switch between their conductive and non-conductive states, and controller circuitry for controlling the driver circuitry such that the first and second transistors switch between their conductive and non-conductive states to at least substantially maximize power extracted from both of the first and second photovoltaic junctions. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A photovoltaic system, comprising:
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a photovoltaic cell; and an integrated circuit chip, including; an output port for electrically coupling to a load, first and second transistors electrically coupled in series across the photovoltaic cell, the second transistor also electrically coupled across the output port and adapted to provide a path for current flowing through the output port when the first transistor is in its non-conductive state, driver circuitry for driving gates of the first and second transistors to cause the transistors to switch between their conductive and non-conductive states, and controller circuitry for controlling the driver circuitry such that the first and second transistors switch between their conductive and non-conductive states to at least substantially maximize an amount of electric power extracted from the photovoltaic cell. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69)
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Specification