Resonant rectified discontinuous switching regulator

• US 9,300,210 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empower Semiconductor
• Original Assignee: Empower Semiconductor
• Inventors: Lidsky, David, Phillips, Timothy Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Finch, III, Fred E
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSARIO BENITEZ, GUSTAVO A
• Application Number:
  US14/635,853
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 323/235, 323/242, 323/271, 323/282, 323284-285, 323/288, 323/319, 323/326, 323/351
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• 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 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4837 Flying capacitor converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A switched-mode power regulator circuit has four solid-state switches connected in series and a capacitor and an inductor that regulate power delivered to a load. The solid-state switches are operated such that a voltage at the load is regulated by repetitively (1) charging the capacitor causing a current to flow in the inductor and (2) discharging the capacitor causing current to flow in the inductor. The power regulator circuit may be configured to operate with zero current switching at frequencies in the range of 100 MHz, enabling it to be fabricated on a unitary silicon die along with the load that it powers.

Claims

1. A power conversion circuit comprising:

a first terminal;

a first solid-state switch having a pair of first switch terminals and a first control terminal, the pair of first switch terminals connected between the first terminal and a first junction;

a second solid-state switch having a pair of second switch terminals and a second control terminal, the pair of second switch terminals connected between the first junction and a second junction;

a third solid-state switch having a pair of third switch terminals and a third control terminal, the pair of third switch terminals connected between the second junction and a third junction;

a fourth solid-state switch having a pair of fourth switch terminals and a fourth control terminal, the pair of fourth switch terminals connected between the third junction and a ground;

a capacitor coupled between the first junction and the third junction, and an inductor coupled between the second junction and a load; and

a controller transmitting first, second, third and fourth control signals to control the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switches through the first, second, third and fourth control terminals, respectively, such that a voltage at the load is regulated by repetitively (1) charging the capacitor causing a current to flow in the inductor, the current starting and ending at approximately zero during the charging and (2) discharging the capacitor causing current to flow in the inductor, the current starting and ending at approximately zero during the discharging.

2. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the first, the second, the third and the fourth solid-state switches in a repetitive switching sequence and each of the first, the second, the third and the fourth solid-state switches are turned on and off one time each sequence.

3. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 disposed on a unitary semiconductor die.

4. The power conversion circuit of claim 3 wherein the load is also disposed on the unitary semiconductor die.

5. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the first, the second, the third and the fourth solid-state switches in a repetitive switching sequence comprising:

coupling the input terminal to the load by turning on the first and the third solid-state switches;

coupling the ground to the load by turning on the second and the fourth solid-state switches.

6. The power conversion circuit of claim 5 wherein the repetitive switching sequence further comprises:

coupling the first junction to the third junction by turning on the second and the third solid-state switches.

7. The power conversion circuit of claim 6 wherein when coupling the third junction to ground by turning on the fourth solid-state switch, the fourth solid-state switch is turned on at a slower rate than a rate at which the first, the second and the third switches were turned on.

8. The power conversion circuit of claim 5 wherein the controller commands at least one solid-state switch to temporarily couple a power supply to the capacitor causing the capacitor to be precharged before coupling the input terminal to the load by turning on the first and the third solid-state switches.

9. The power conversion circuit of claim 8 wherein the power supply is disposed on a unitary die that also contains the power conversion circuit.

10. The power conversion circuit of claim 8 wherein the power supply is not disposed on a unitary die that contains the power conversion circuit.

11. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the controller transmits the first, the second, the third and the fourth control signals in response to one or more electrical characteristics of the power conversion circuit.

12. The power conversion circuit of claim 11 wherein one of the one or more electrical characteristics of the power conversion circuit represents a voltage across the capacitor.

13. The power conversion circuit of claim 11 wherein one of the one or more electrical characteristics of the power conversion circuit represents a current in the power conversion circuit.

14. The power conversion circuit of claim 11 wherein one or more comparators are used to monitor the one or more electrical characteristics of the power conversion circuit, and communicate with the controller.

15. The power conversion circuit of claim 14 wherein the one or more comparators alternate between a sleep mode and an active mode.

16. The power conversion circuit of claim 11 wherein one or more timer circuits are used to estimate at least one of the one or more electrical characteristics of the power conversion circuit, and communicate with the controller.

17. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the controller simultaneously monitors a voltage across the capacitor and a current in the inductor, and commands the first, the second, the third and the fourth solid-state switches into a first configuration if the voltage across the capacitor is approximately zero before the current in inductor is approximately zero, and commands the first, the second, the third and the fourth solid-state switches into a second configuration if the current in the inductor is approximately zero before the voltage across the capacitor is approximately zero.

18. The power conversion circuit of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to (1) continue charging the capacitor until a voltage potential on the second junction is approximately zero volts, and (2) continue discharging the capacitor until the voltage potential on the second junction is approximately zero volts.

20. The electronic power conversion component of claim 18 wherein the power conversion circuit is disposed on a unitary semiconductor die.

19. An electronic power conversion component comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of contacts for forming electrical connections to a circuit board;

one or more integrated circuit dies attached to the substrate and electrically connected to the plurality of contacts;

a power conversion circuit disposed on the one or more integrated circuit dies, the power conversion circuit comprising;

a first terminal;

a first solid-state switch having a pair of first switch terminals and a first control terminal, the pair of first switch terminals connected between the first terminal and a first junction;

a second solid-state switch having a pair of second switch terminals and a second control terminal, the pair of second switch terminals connected between the first junction and a second junction;

a third solid-state switch having a pair of third switch terminals and a third control terminal, the pair of third switch terminals connected between the second junction and a third junction;

a fourth solid-state switch having a pair of fourth switch terminals and a fourth control terminal, the pair of fourth switch terminals connected between the third junction and a ground;

an LC circuit including a capacitor coupled between the first junction and the third junction, and an inductor coupled between the second junction and a load; and

a controller transmitting first, second, third and fourth control signals to control the first, second, third and fourth solid-state switches through the first, second, third and fourth control terminals, respectively, such that a voltage at the load is regulated by repetitively (1) charging the capacitor causing a current to flow in the inductor, the current starting and ending at approximately zero during the charging and (2) discharging the capacitor causing current to flow in the inductor, the current starting and ending at approximately zero during the discharging.

21. A method of operating a power conversion circuit, the method comprising:

supplying power to the power conversion circuit with a power supply connected to a first terminal, the power conversion circuit comprising;

a first solid-state switch having a pair of first switch terminals and a first control terminal, the pair of first switch terminals connected between the first terminal and a first junction;

a second solid-state switch having a pair of second switch terminals and a second control terminal, the pair of second switch terminals connected between the first junction and a second junction;

a third solid-state switch having a pair of third switch terminals and a third control terminal, the pair of third switch terminals connected between the second junction and a third junction;

a fourth solid-state switch having a pair of fourth switch terminals and a fourth control terminal, the pair of fourth switch terminals connected between the third junction and a ground;

a capacitor coupled between the first junction and the third junction, and an inductor coupled between the second junction and a load; and

changing the configuration of the first, the second, the third and the fourth solid-state switches, such that a voltage at the load is regulated by repetitively (1) charging the capacitor causing a current to flow in the inductor, the current starting and ending at approximately zero during the charging and (2) discharging the capacitor causing current to flow in the inductor, the current starting and ending at approximately zero during the discharging.