EFFICIENT GATE DRIVERS FOR SWITCHED CAPACITOR CONVERTERS

• US 20140327479A1
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: pSemi Corporation (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Original Assignee: Arctic Sand Technologies, Inc. (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Inventors: Giuliano, David, Szczeszynski, Gregory, Barrett, Raymond Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,502,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/536
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/088 for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/073 Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type

Abstract

An apparatus for converting voltage includes terminals coupled to external circuits at corresponding voltages and a switching network having driving circuits and semiconductor switches that interconnect capacitors in successive states to one another and to the terminals. The switches interconnect some capacitors to one another through a series of switches when an activation pattern causes them to be activated. Each driving circuit has power connections, a control input, and a drive output coupled to and controlling at least one switch. A drive output of one of them couples to and drives each switch. Some of the driving circuits are powered via corresponding power connections from at least one of the capacitors such that a voltage across the corresponding power connections is less than a highest of the corresponding voltages. The terminals and the switching network are constituents of a switched capacitor converter.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. An apparatus for converting voltage, said apparatus comprising terminals and a switching network, said switching network comprising switch driving circuits and switch elements, wherein said terminals are configured for coupling to corresponding external circuits at corresponding voltages, wherein said switch elements comprise active semiconducting elements that electrically interconnect capacitors in successive states to one another and to said terminals, wherein said switch elements are configured to interconnect at least some of said capacitors to one another through a series of said switch elements when a switch activation pattern causes said series of said switch elements to be activated, wherein each switch driving circuit comprises power connections, a control input, and a drive output that is coupled to and that controls at least one switch element, wherein a drive output of one of said switch driving circuits is coupled to and drives each switch element, wherein at least one of said switch driving circuits is configured to be powered via said corresponding power connections from at least one of said capacitors such that a voltage across said corresponding power connections is less than a highest of said corresponding voltages, and wherein said terminals and said switching network are constituents of a switched capacitor converter.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising capacitors coupled to said switch elements, wherein said capacitors are controllably coupled via said switch elements.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said terminals comprise capacitor terminals coupled to corresponding ones of said switch elements for connecting to said capacitors.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said switched capacitor converter is configured to provide, to at least some of said switch driving circuits, time varying voltages relative to a lowest of said corresponding voltages.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein each switch element has a maximum voltage rating that is less than a highest of said corresponding voltages.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein a voltage across power connections of a selected one of said switch driving circuits is configured to be driven from said capacitors with less than or substantially equal to twice a lowest of said corresponding voltages.

35. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein each switch element is driven by corresponding ones of said switch driving circuits, wherein each of said switch driving circuits is configured to be powered via power connections of driving circuits from different capacitors of said capacitors that, in operation, have different voltages.

36. An apparatus for converting voltage, said apparatus comprising terminals and switching network, said switching network comprising switch driving circuits and switch elements, wherein said terminals are configured for coupling to corresponding external circuits at corresponding voltages, wherein said switch elements comprise active semiconducting elements that electrically interconnect capacitors in successive states to one another and to said terminals, thereby defining a plurality of charge transfer paths, each of which extends between said terminals, for facilitating charge transfer therebetween, wherein each switch driving circuit comprises power connections, a control input, and a drive output that is coupled to and that controls at least one switch element, wherein a drive output of one of said switch driving circuits is coupled to and drives each switch element, wherein said plurality of charge transfer paths comprises a first charge transfer path and a second charge transfer path, wherein at least one of said switch driving circuits that controls switch elements that are constituent elements of said first charge transfer path is powered via said corresponding power connections by charge stored on at least one of said capacitors that is a constituent element of said second charge transfer path, and wherein said terminals and said switching network are constituents of a switched capacitor converter.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein at least some of said switch driving circuits are configured to be powered via said power connections of said switch driving circuits from one or more of said capacitors such that a voltage across said power connections of said driving circuit is substantially less than a highest of said corresponding voltages.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising capacitors coupled to said switch elements, wherein said capacitors are controllably coupled via said switch elements.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said terminals comprise capacitor terminals coupled to corresponding ones of said switch elements for connecting to said capacitors.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said switched capacitor converter is configured to provide, to at least some of said switch driving circuits, time varying voltages relative to a lowest of said corresponding voltages.

41. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein each switch element has a maximum voltage rating that is less than a highest of said corresponding voltages.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein a voltage across power connections of a selected one of said switch driving circuits is configured to be driven from said capacitors with less than or substantially equal to twice a lowest of said corresponding voltages.

43. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein each switch element is driven by corresponding ones of said switch driving circuits, wherein each of said switch driving circuits is configured to be powered via power connections of driving circuits from different capacitors of said capacitors, wherein, in operation, said different capacitors have different voltages.

44. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising a phase generator comprising phase-generator switch elements, said phase generator being configured to provide a time-varying voltage level to one terminal of each of said the capacitors, wherein said phase generator is configured to generate a voltage level for at least one of said capacitors in said first charge transfer path using a voltage from a capacitor in said second charge transfer path.

45. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said switch elements are configured to interconnect at least some of said capacitors to one another through a series of said switch elements when a switch activation pattern causes said series of said switch elements to be activated.

46. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein each switch element has a maximum voltage rating that is less than a highest of said corresponding voltages.

47. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said switched capacitor converter comprises a cascade multiplier network.

48. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said switched capacitor converter comprises a series-parallel switched capacitor network.