Active filtering

• US 7,944,273 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2008
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VLT Incorporated (Vicor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Picor Corporation (Vicor Corporation)
• Inventors: Dumas, Jeffrey Gordon, Briere, Michael, Vinciarelli, Patrizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Dinh T.
• Application Number:
  US12/143,364
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 327530-532, 327/551, 323281-285, 361/18
• US Class Current: 327/531
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection

Abstract

Techniques for adjusting the voltage across an active filter element include a controlled circuit element and a control circuit element adapted to control the voltage across the controlled circuit element to increase transient load response and to reduce power dissipation.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a circuit adapted to be connected in parallel with a similar circuit to adjust a load current, the circuit comprising;

an input terminal for receiving an input voltage from a source;

a first amplifier to sense the load current; and

a second amplifier to generate a control signal to adjust the load current, wherein an output of the first amplifier is coupled to first and second signal paths, the first signal path being coupled to a first input of the second amplifier, the second signal path being coupled to a second input of the second amplifier, wherein the first and second signal paths are portions of a feedback mechanism that enables the voltages at the first and second inputs of the second amplifier to change in response to a change in the load current through the circuit, wherein the second input of the second amplifier is coupled to a reference terminal in common with one or more parallel circuits, and the reference terminal has a voltage that is derived from the input voltage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a series pass device controlled by an output of the second amplifier.

3. Apparatus comprising:

a power sharing array having a common input terminal for receiving power from a power source;

a common output terminal for delivering a load current and a load voltage to a load; and

a common reference terminal;

the array including a plurality of N first circuits, where N is an integer greater than 1;

each first circuit comprising an input for receiving power from the power source, an output for supplying an output voltage and an output current to the load, a control circuit for controlling a headroom voltage defined as the voltage difference between the input and the output, and a controlled circuit element connected between said input and said output and configured to provide said output current, wherein the control circuit is coupled to said input and said output and configured to compare the headroom voltage to a reference signal and output a signal to the controlled circuit element to adjust the headroom voltage, wherein adjusting the headroom voltage comprises decreasing the headroom voltage in response to an increase in the output current; and

further comprising a reference terminal for receiving a reference signal;

wherein the input of each first circuit is connected to the common input terminal, the output of each first circuit is connected to the common output terminal, and the reference terminal of each first circuit is connected to the common reference terminal; and

wherein the control circuit is constructed and arranged to automatically set the output current of its respective first circuit to an equal share, 1/N, of the load current.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of the first circuits is constructed and arranged to adjust the headroom voltage as a function of the reference signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each first circuit is constructed and arranged to adjust the reference signal at the reference terminal as a function of its respective output current.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

each of the first circuits is constructed and arranged to adjust the headroom voltage as a function of the reference signal and to adjust the reference signal at the reference terminal as a function of its respective output current.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

a resistance is connected to the common reference terminal;

the first circuits are constructed and arranged to output a reference current to the reference terminal as a function of its respective output current;

the reference currents from the first circuits are summed by the common reference terminal and a reference voltage is developed at the common reference terminal;

the reference signal is the reference voltage; and

the first circuits are constructed and arranged to adjust the headroom voltage as a function of the reference voltage.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the reference currents are also as a function of the output voltage.

9. Apparatus comprising:

a first circuit having;

an input terminal for receiving an input voltage from a source;

an output terminal for supplying an output voltage and an output current to a load;

a reference terminal for connecting to a circuit external to the first circuit; and

a controller;

wherein the first circuit is constructed and arranged to develop a headroom voltage defining a voltage difference between the input and output terminals, and the controller includes circuitry to

compare a controlled voltage to a voltage at the reference terminal derived from the input voltage,

adjust the comparing as a function of a current flowing between the input and output terminals, and

adjust, in response to the adjusted comparing, an impedance between the input and output terminals in direct relation to changes in the current flowing between the input and output terminals;

wherein the circuitry is adapted to set the output current of the first circuit to a level equal to a total current delivered to the load divided by a number N of first circuits connected in parallel to supply the total current, the first circuit being among the N first circuits.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first circuit comprises exactly three terminals for making electrical connections to the first circuit:

the input terminal, the output terminal, and the reference terminal.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the controlled voltage is dependent on the output voltage.

12. A method comprising:

providing a number N of filter circuits connected in parallel to deliver a total current to a load, each of the N filter circuits receiving an input voltage from a respective filter input and delivering a filter output current from a respective filter output and having a respective reference terminal connected to a common reference;

wherein each of the N filter circuits comparing a controlled voltage to a voltage at the common reference terminal derived from the input voltage, adjusting the comparing as a function of current flowing between its respective filter input and filter output, and in response to the adjusted comparing, adjusting an impedance between its respective filter input and filter output in direct relation to changes in the current flowing between its respective filter input and filter output terminals, adjusting its respective filter output current to substantially match the filter output current delivered by the other filter circuits.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising

developing an impedance in each of the N filter circuits between its respective filter input and filter output;

and

each of the N filter circuits increasing its respective impedance when its respective output current is higher than the output current divided by N.