Controlling power loss in a switched-capacitor power converter
First Claim
1. A method for actively controlling a power loss in a switched-capacitor power converter, the method comprising:
- operating the switched-capacitor power converter, wherein the switched-capacitor power converter includes one or more switched-capacitor blocks (SCBs) and a clocking circuit which produces gate drive signals for switching transistors in the one or more SCBs; and
while the switched-capacitor power converter is operating, actively controlling the gate drive signals from the clocking circuit to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter;
wherein actively controlling the gate drive signals involves controlling a voltage of the gate drive signals; and
wherein controlling the voltage of the gate drive signals involves, measuring a power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter, and using the measured power loss as an input to a control system which controls the voltage of the gate drive signals to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that implements a switched-capacitor power converter which is configured to actively control power loss while converting an input voltage to an output voltage. This system includes one or more switched-capacitor blocks (SCBs), wherein each SCB includes a first capacitor and a set of switching devices configured to couple a constant-potential terminal and a time-varying-potential terminal of the first capacitor between the input voltage, the output voltage and a reference voltage. The system also includes a clocking circuit which produces gate drive signals for switching transistors in the one or more SCBs. The system additionally includes a controller configured to actively control the gate drive signals from the clocking circuit to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter.
31 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for actively controlling a power loss in a switched-capacitor power converter, the method comprising:
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operating the switched-capacitor power converter, wherein the switched-capacitor power converter includes one or more switched-capacitor blocks (SCBs) and a clocking circuit which produces gate drive signals for switching transistors in the one or more SCBs; and while the switched-capacitor power converter is operating, actively controlling the gate drive signals from the clocking circuit to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter; wherein actively controlling the gate drive signals involves controlling a voltage of the gate drive signals; and wherein controlling the voltage of the gate drive signals involves, measuring a power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter, and using the measured power loss as an input to a control system which controls the voltage of the gate drive signals to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for actively controlling a power loss in a switched-capacitor power converter, the method comprising:
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operating the switched-capacitor power converter, wherein the switched-capacitor power converter includes one or more switched-capacitor blocks (SCBs) and a clocking circuit which produces gate drive signals for switching transistors in the one or more SCBs; and while the switched-capacitor power converter is operating, actively controlling the gate drive signals from the clocking circuit to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter; wherein actively controlling the gate drive signals involves using one or more tapped inductors in the clocking circuit to a frequency of the gate drive signals.
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8. A switched-capacitor power converter configured to actively control a power loss involved in converting an input voltage to an output voltage, comprising:
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one or more switched-capacitor blocks (SCBs), wherein each SCB includes a first capacitor and a set of switching devices configured to couple a constant-potential terminal and a time-varying-potential terminal of the first capacitor between the input voltage, the output voltage and a reference voltage; a clocking circuit which produces gate drive signals for switching transistors in the one or more SCBs; and a controller configured to actively control the gate drive signals from the clocking circuit to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter; wherein the controller is configured to actively control the gate drive signals by controlling a voltage of the gate drive signals; wherein while controlling the voltage of the gate drive signals, the controller is configured to, measure a power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter, and use the measured power loss as an input to a control system which controls the voltage of the gate drive signals to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A switched-capacitor power converter configured to actively control a power loss involved in converting an input voltage to an output voltage, comprising:
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one or more switched-capacitor blocks (SCBs), wherein each SCB includes a first capacitor and a set of switching devices configured to couple a constant-potential terminal and a time-varying-potential terminal of the first capacitor between the input voltage, the output voltage and a reference voltage; a clocking circuit which produces gate drive signals for switching transistors in the one or more SCBs; and a controller configured to actively control the gate drive signals from the clocking circuit to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter; wherein the controller is configured to actively control the gate drive signals by using one or more tapped inductors in the clocking circuit to control a frequency of the gate drive signals, wherein increasing the frequency of the gate drive signals decreases conduction losses in the one or more SCBs but increases switching losses in the one or more SCBs and the clocking circuit, and wherein decreasing the frequency of the gate drive signals decreases switching losses in the one or more SCBs and the clocking circuit but increases conduction losses in the one or more SCBs.
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15. A power supply, comprising:
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a battery that provides an input voltage; an output that provides an output voltage; and a switched-capacitor power converter configured to actively control a power loss while converting the input voltage to the output voltage, wherein the switched-capacitor power converter comprises, one or more switched-capacitor blocks (SCBs), wherein each SCB includes a first capacitor and a set of switching devices configured to couple a constant-potential terminal and a time-varying-potential terminal of the first capacitor between the input voltage, the output voltage and a reference voltage; a clocking circuit which produces gate drive signals for switching transistors in the one or more SCBs; and a controller configured to actively control the gate drive signals from the clocking circuit to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter; wherein the controller is configured to actively control the gate drive signals by controlling a voltage of the gate drive signals; and wherein while controlling the voltage of the gate drive signals, the controller is configured to, measure a power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter, and use the measured power loss as an input to a control system which controls the voltage of the gate drive signals to substantially minimize the power loss for the switched-capacitor power converter. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification