Powering devices having low and high voltage circuits

• US 8,044,536 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ams Research Corporation (Endo International PLC)
• Inventors: Vaingast, Shai Moshe, Nguyen, Man Van
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTLAND WALLIS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/249,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20090096288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 307/31, 307/82
• US Class Current: 307/82
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a device that includes a battery having an output of a battery voltage, a step-up voltage converter, a high voltage circuit, a low voltage circuit and a controller. The step-up voltage converter includes an input that is coupled to the battery voltage. The step-up voltage converter is configured to produce a high supply voltage at an output. The high voltage circuit is coupled to the output of the step-up voltage converter. The controller selectively powers the low voltage circuit using either the output from the step-up voltage converter or the battery voltage.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a battery having an output of a battery voltage;

a step-up voltage converter having an input coupled to the battery voltage and configured to produce a high supply voltage at an output;

a high voltage circuit coupled to the output of the step-up voltage converter;

a low voltage circuit;

a voltage regulator having an input coupled to the output of the step-up voltage converter, the voltage regulator having an activated state, in which a low supply voltage is produced at an output of the voltage regulator that is coupled to the low voltage circuit, and a deactivated state, in which the low supply voltage is not produced at the output of the voltage regulator;

a first diode including an anode side coupled to the battery voltage and a cathode side coupled to the low voltage circuit;

a bypass circuit having an input coupled to the anode side of the first diode and an output coupled to the cathode side of the first diode, wherein power is delivered to the low voltage circuit through the bypass circuit when the bypass circuit is activated and power is blocked from being delivered to the low voltage circuit through the bypass circuit when the bypass circuit is deactivated; and

a controller selectively couples the low voltage circuit to one of the output from the step-up voltage converter and the battery voltage, deactivates the bypass circuit when the voltage regulator is activated and activates the bypass circuit when the voltage regulator is deactivated.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device further comprises a low voltage holding capacitor configured to supply power to the low voltage circuit; and

the controller selectively couples the low voltage holding capacitor to one of the output from the step-up voltage converter and the battery voltage.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second diode having an anode side coupled to the output of the voltage regulator and a cathode side coupled to the low voltage circuit.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the voltage regulator comprises;

an operational amplifier having a reference voltage input and a power input;

a reference enable circuit comprising an input coupled to a high voltage holding capacitor and a reference voltage output coupled to the reference voltage input, the reference enable circuit having an activated state, in which a high reference voltage is supplied to the reference voltage input through the reference voltage output, and a deactivated state, in which a low reference voltage is supplied to the reference voltage input through the reference voltage output; and

a regulator enable circuit comprising an input coupled to the high voltage holding capacitor and a power output coupled to the power input of the operational amplifier, the regulator enable circuit having an activated state, in which a high voltage is supplied to the power input, and a deactivated state, in which a low voltage is supplied to the power input; and

the voltage regulator produces the low supply voltage when both the reference enable circuit and the regulator enable circuit are activated.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein:

the controller comprises a first control signal output coupled to a control signal input of the reference enable circuit and a second control signal coupled to a control signal input of the regulator enable circuit;

the reference enable circuit is set in one of the activated and deactivated states responsive to the first control signal output; and

the regulator enable circuit is set in one of the activated and deactivated states responsive to the second control signal output.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device is an implantable medical device; and

the high voltage circuitry comprises a component selected from the group consisting of an electrical stimulator circuit, a pump and a valve.

7. A device comprising:

a battery having an output of a battery voltage;

a high voltage circuit powered by a high voltage holding capacitor;

a step-up voltage converter having an input coupled to the battery voltage, the step-up voltage converter having an activated state, in which the step-up voltage converter charges the high voltage holding capacitor;

a low voltage holding capacitor powered by the battery voltage when the battery voltage exceeds a threshold value, the low voltage holding capacitor powered by the voltage on the high voltage holding capacitor when the battery voltage drops below the threshold value during charging of the high voltage holding capacitor by the step-up voltage converter; and

a low voltage circuit powered by the low voltage holding capacitor.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the step-up voltage converter is configured to produce a high supply voltage at an output, which is coupled to the high voltage holding capacitor; and

the device further comprises a voltage regulator having an input coupled to the output of the step-up voltage converter, the voltage regulator configured to produce a low supply voltage at an output that is coupled to the low voltage holding capacitor.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the voltage regulator comprises first and second control signal inputs;

the device further comprises a controller having a first control signal output coupled to the first control signal input and a second control signal coupled to the second control signal input, the first and second control signal outputs each comprising an enabling state and a disabling state; and

the voltage regular produces the low supply voltage at the output when the first control signal is in the enabling state and the second control signal is in the enabling state.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the controller changes the state of the second control signal output from the disabling state to the enabling state after a predetermined period of time following the change in the state of the first control signal output from the disabling state to the enabling state.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the voltage regulator comprises;

an operational amplifier having a reference voltage input and a power input;

a reference enable circuit comprising an input coupled to the high voltage holding capacitor and a reference voltage output coupled to the reference voltage input, the reference enable circuit having an activated state, in which a high reference voltage is supplied to the reference voltage input through the reference voltage output, and a deactivated state, in which a low reference voltage is supplied to the voltage reference input through the reference voltage output; and

a regulator enable circuit comprising an input coupled to the high voltage holding capacitor and a power output coupled to the power input of the operational amplifier, the regulator enable circuit having an activated state, in which a high voltage is supplied to the power input, and a deactivated state, in which a low voltage is supplied to the power input; and

the voltage regulator produces the low supply voltage when both the reference enable circuit and the regulator enable circuit are activated.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein:

the controller comprises a first control signal output coupled to a control signal input of the reference enable circuit and a second control signal coupled to a control signal input of the regulator enable circuit;

the reference enable circuit is set in one of the activated and deactivated states responsive to the first control signal output; and

the regulator enable circuit is set in one of the activated and deactivated states responsive to the second control signal output.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein:

the first control signal output comprises an enabling state and a disabling state respectively activating and deactivating the reference enable circuit;

the second control signal output comprises an enabling state and a disabling state respectively activating and deactivating the regulator enable circuit; and

the controller changes the state of the second control signal input from the disabling state to the enabling state after a predetermined period of time following the change in the state of the first control signal from the disabling state to the enabling state.

14. The device of claim 8, further comprising a diode having an anode side coupled to the output of the voltage regulator and an cathode side coupled to the low voltage holding capacitor.

15. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

a diode including an anode side coupled to the battery voltage and a cathode side coupled to the low voltage holding capacitor; and

a bypass circuit having an input coupled to the anode side of the diode and an output coupled to the cathode side of the diode;

wherein;

the bypass circuit is activated when the step-up voltage converter is not in the activated state;

the bypass circuit is deactivated when the step-up voltage converter is in the activated state;

power is delivered to the low voltage circuit through the bypass circuit when the bypass circuit is activated; and

power is blocked from being delivered to the low voltage circuit through the bypass circuit when the bypass circuit is deactivated.

16. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the device is an implantable medical device; and

the high voltage circuitry comprises a component selected from the group consisting of an electrical stimulator circuit, a pump and a valve.

17. A method of operating a device powered by a battery, which produces a battery voltage, the device comprising a low voltage circuit powered by a low voltage holding capacitor, a high voltage circuit powered by a high voltage holding capacitor and a step-up voltage converter, the method comprising:

charging the high voltage holding capacitor using the battery voltage and the step-up voltage converter;

charging the low voltage holding capacitor using the battery voltage when the battery voltage exceeds a threshold value; and

charging the low voltage holding capacitor using the voltage on the high voltage holding capacitor when the battery voltage falls below the threshold value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein charging the low voltage holding capacitor using the battery voltage when the battery voltage exceeds a threshold value comprises selectively delivering current from the battery to the low voltage holding capacitor through one of:

a diode having an anode side coupled to the battery voltage and a cathode side coupled to the low voltage holding capacitor; and

a conductive path that bypasses the diode.