Electronic Circuits and Techniques for Maintaining a Consistent Power Delivered to a Load
First Claim
1. An electronic circuit to provide an adjustable average current through a load, the electronic circuit comprising:
- a PWM input node coupled to receive a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal having first and second states with respective adjustable time durations;
a condition detection circuit configured to identify a condition of the electronic circuit and to generate a condition signal indicative of the condition; and
a current extension circuit comprising an input node, a control node, and an output node, the input node of the current extension circuit coupled receive the condition signal, the control node of the current extension circuit coupled to the PWM input node, wherein the current extension circuit is configured to generate, at the output node of the current extension circuit, an extended PWM signal having a first state and a second state, the first state of the extended PWM signal longer in time than the first state of the PWM signal by an amount related to a value or a state of the condition signal.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Circuits and methods used therein provide an adjustable average current through a load in accordance with a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal. A condition detection circuit is configured to identify a condition of the electronic circuit and to generate a condition signal indicative of the condition. A current extension circuit is coupled receive the condition signal and coupled to receive the PWM signal. The current extension circuit is configured to generate, at the output node of the current extension circuit, an extended PWM signal having a first state and a second state. The first state of the extended PWM signal longer in time than a first state of the PWM signal by an amount related to a value or a state of the condition signal. Current pulses through the load are extended to be longer in accordance with the extended PWM signal.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An electronic circuit to provide an adjustable average current through a load, the electronic circuit comprising:
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a PWM input node coupled to receive a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal having first and second states with respective adjustable time durations; a condition detection circuit configured to identify a condition of the electronic circuit and to generate a condition signal indicative of the condition; and a current extension circuit comprising an input node, a control node, and an output node, the input node of the current extension circuit coupled receive the condition signal, the control node of the current extension circuit coupled to the PWM input node, wherein the current extension circuit is configured to generate, at the output node of the current extension circuit, an extended PWM signal having a first state and a second state, the first state of the extended PWM signal longer in time than the first state of the PWM signal by an amount related to a value or a state of the condition signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of generating an adjustable average current through a load with an electronic circuit, the method comprising:
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receiving a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal having first and second states with respective adjustable time durations; detecting a condition of the electronic circuit; generating a condition signal related to the condition; generating an extended PWM signal having first and second states with respective time durations in accordance with the condition signal, wherein the first state of the extended PWM signal is longer than the first state of the PWM; and coupling a current regulator to the load, the current regulator coupled to receive the extended PWM signal, the current regulator circuit configured to pass a predetermined current from the input node to the output node, wherein the predetermined current is passed or not passed depending upon the first or the second state, respectively, of the extended PWM signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification