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Switching circuits for extracting power from an electric power source and associated methods

  • US 8,946,937 B2
  • Filed: 08/17/2011
  • Issued: 02/03/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A photovoltaic system, comprising:

  • N first photovoltaic devices, N being an integer greater than one; and

    N integrated circuit chips, each integrated chip including;

    a first input port and a first output port,first and second transistors electrically coupled in series across the first input port, the second transistor also electrically coupled across the first output port and adapted to provide a path for current flowing through the first output port when the first transistor is in its non-conductive state,first driver circuitry for driving gates of the first and second transistors to cause the transistors to switch between their conductive and non-conductive states, andfirst controller circuitry for controlling the first driver circuitry such that the first and second transistors switch between their conductive and non-conductive states to at least substantially maximize an amount of power extracted from a respective one of the N first photovoltaic devices.

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