Active-Semi, Inc. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150318707 | Adaptive Power Source For Wireless Power Transmitter - A system includes an adaptive power source, a wireless power transmitter, and a wireless power receiver. The adaptive power source supplies a supply voltage across a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector onto the wireless power transmitter that thereby transmits energy to the wireless power receiver. The wireless power transmitter has a USB plug that is inserted into a USB port of the adaptive power source. The wireless power transmitter sends a power control command to the adaptive power source across the USB connector. The power control command determines the supply voltage to be supplied to the wireless power transmitter. If the wireless power receiver determines the power level should be adjusted, then the wireless power receiver sends a wireless control communication to the wireless power transmitter. The wireless power transmitter reads the wireless control communication and sends a power control command to set the supply voltage to a desired level. | 11-05-2015 |
20150310722 | Quality of Charge Detector for Use in Inductive Charging Systems - A quality of charge (QoC) detector for use in inductive charging systems is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes an inductor that receives a current signal to generate an electromagnetic field during a power transfer to an external device, and a quality detector to determine a quality metric associated with the power transfer. The apparatus also includes an indicator that indicates multiple states, where one of the multiple states is selected to indicate the quality metric. | 10-29-2015 |
20150138856 | POWER FACTOR CORRECTION AUTODETECT - A power supply system includes an Offline Total Power Management Integrated Circuit (OTPMIC). The OTPMIC controls a Power Factor Correction (PFC) converter, a main AC/DC converter, and a standby AC/DC converter. A PFC Autodetect circuit in the OTPMIC monitors current flow in the PFC converter. If a high power condition is detected, then the PFC Autodetect circuit enables the PFC converter. The high power condition may be a voltage drop across a current sense resistor of a predetermined voltage for a predetermined time, within one half period of the incoming AC supply voltage. If a low power condition is detected, then the PFC Autodetect circuit disables the PFC converter. The PFC Autodetect circuit stores an IMON value that determines the predetermined voltage, and a TMON value that determines the predetermined time. The IMON and TMON values are loaded into the Autodetect circuit across an optocoupler link of the standby converter. | 05-21-2015 |
20150137610 | Auto Load Switch Detection for Wireless Power Receiver - Apparatus and methods are provided to automatically detect and control a load switch for a wireless power receiver. In one novel aspect, a method is provided to adaptively control the load switch based on the output condition of a rectified output according to a predefined criteria. In one embodiment of the invention, the methods to adaptively control the load switch comprises a first stage that turns on the load switch quickly; a second stage that stops turning on the load switch and holds the load switch at its current value; a third stage that slowly pulls down the load switch; and a fourth stage that quickly turns off the load switch. In another embodiment, an integrated circuit for a wireless power pick up unit is provided to control the load switch adaptively based on a rectified output feedback and a predefined criteria. | 05-21-2015 |
20150098162 | Apparatus and Methods of Bootstrap and Over Voltage Combination Clamp for Wireless Power Receiver - Apparatus and methods are provided for bootstrap and over voltage protection (OVP) combination clamping. In one embodiment, method is provided to use the same bootstrap capacitors and bootstrap terminals for an over voltage protection circuit. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit for a wireless power receiver comprises a first rectifier input terminal RX | 04-09-2015 |
20150097439 | Apparatus and Methods of N-Type Load Switch Using Bootstrap Gate Drive for Wireless Power Receiver - Apparatus and methods are provided to power an N-type load switch using a bootstrap capacitor. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit for a wireless power receiver comprises a first rectifier input terminal RX1, a second rectifier input terminal RX2, a first bootstrap terminal HSB1, a second bootstrap terminal HSB2. A first and a second bootstrap circuit are coupled with HSB1 and HSB2 to power the rectifier circuit in a regular mode. A LSW driver circuit is coupled between the LSW terminal and either HSB1 or HSB2. In the regular mode the LSW driver circuit powers a load switch through a corresponding bootstrap circuit. In an output shutdown mode, an output shutdown circuit is turned on to turn off the load switch. In one embodiment, the load switch is external to the integrated circuit. In another embodiment, the load switch is internal to the integrated circuit. | 04-09-2015 |
20150042292 | Reversible Buck Or Boost Converter That Determines Boost Output Current From Sensed Boost Input Current - A reversible buck or boost converter is operable in a buck mode and in a boost mode. In the buck mode, the converter receives a supply voltage via an input terminal and generates a charging current that is supplied to a battery, thereby charging the battery. The supply voltage is also supplied through the converter to an output terminal. In a boost mode, the converter receives power from the battery and generates a supply current and voltage that is output onto the output terminal. The same single current sense resistor is used both to control the charging current in the buck mode and to control a constant current supplied to the output terminal in the boost mode. The output current is controlled to be constant, regardless of changes in the in the battery voltage and changes in the output voltage. | 02-12-2015 |
20140164803 | Power Management Integrated Circuit Having A Configurable Total Hibernate Mode - A Multi-Tile Power Management Integrated Circuit (MTPMIC) includes tiles including an MCU/ADC tile and a power manager tile. The power manager tile includes a hibernate circuit and a set of Configurable Switching Power Supply Pulse Width Modulator (CSPSPWM) components. The CSPSPWM, in combination with other circuitry external to the integrated circuit, form a switching power supply. The hibernate circuit is operable in a hibernate mode where the CSPSPWM is disabled and the switching power supply no longer generates a supply voltage. A processor in the MCU/ADC tile writes across a standardized bus to configure the hibernate circuit to wake up after a timer determines a configurable amount of time has lapsed, or to wake up in response to a signal present on a terminal of MTPMIC. The processor enables the hibernate mode causing the switching power supply to no longer provide power to the processor and other circuitry of MTPMIC. | 06-12-2014 |
20140125266 | POWER MANAGEMENT MULTI-CHIP MODULE WITH SEPARATE HIGH-SIDE DRIVER INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DIE - A packaged device includes a first die, a second die, and specially spaced and positioned sets of package terminals. The first die includes a pulse-width modulator (PWM), a processor, a timer, high-side drivers, low-side drivers, and a fault protection circuit. The second die includes ultra-high voltage high-side drivers. In an ultra-high voltage application, the PWM and external circuitry together form a switching power supply that generates a high voltage. The high voltage powers external high-side transistors. The processor and timer control the ultra-high voltage high-side drivers, that in turn supply drive signals to the external high-side transistors through the package terminals. External low-side transistors are driven directly by low-side drivers of the first die. If the fault protection circuit detects an excessive current, then the fault protection circuit supplies a disable signal to high-side and low-side drivers of both dice. The disable signal is generated without execution of processor instructions. | 05-08-2014 |
20130278301 | Power Management Integrated Circuit for Driving Inductive Loads - A power management integrated circuit includes pairs of high-side and low-side drivers, sensing circuitry, and a processor. The high-side and low-side drivers are used in combination with external discrete NFETs to drive multiple windings of a motor. The N-channel LDMOS transistor of each high-side driver has an associated isolation structure and a tracking and clamping circuit. If the voltage on a terminal of the integrated circuit pulses negative during a switching of current flow to the motor, then the isolation structure and tracking and clamping circuit clamps the voltage on the isolation structure and blocks current flow from the substrate to the drain. An associated ESD protection circuit allows the voltage on the terminal to pulse negative. As a result, a large surge of current that would otherwise flow through the high-side driver is blocked, and is conducted outside the integrated circuit through a body diode of an external NFET. | 10-24-2013 |
20130151919 | Programmable Fault Protect for Processor Controlled High-Side and Low-Side Drivers - A Multi-Tile Power Management Integrated Circuit (MTPMIC) includes a processor, a fault protect circuit, a first terminal, a driver that drives the first terminal, a second terminal, and detection circuitry that outputs a digital detection signal indicative of whether a predetermined condition is detected on the second terminal. The processor can program the fault protect circuit so that the fault protect circuit will later disable the driver as a function of multiple signals, including the digital detection signal. The function is programmable by the processor. In one example, if the detection circuitry detects the predetermined condition on the second terminal then the fault protect circuit disables all the high-side drivers and all low-side drivers of the MTPMIC independently of and without input from the processor. | 06-13-2013 |
20130151875 | Power Manager Tile For Multi-Tile Power Management Integrated Circuit - A Multi-Tile Power Management Integrated Circuit (MTPMIC) includes tiles including an MCU/ADC tile and a power manager tile. The power manager tile includes a set of Configurable Switching Power Supply Pulse Width Modulator (CSPSPWM) components. These components, in combination with other circuitry external to the integrated circuit, are configurable to form a selected one of a number of different switching power supply circuits. Upon power up, an internal regulator supplies power to the CSPSPWM. The CSPSPWM then controls the power supply to begin switching in a low frequency start-up mode. The CSPSPWM determines during start-up the current sensing method based on circuitry external to the integrated circuit. A supply voltage generated is then supplied via a conductor of a standardized bus to a processor in the MCU/ADC tile. The processor begins executing instructions, and as a result writes across the standardized bus to configure the various tiles of the MTPMIC. | 06-13-2013 |
20130151871 | Power Management IC Having a Power Supply PWM that is Controllable Using Either an Analog or a Digital Feedback Path - A Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) includes a pulse width modulator and driver circuit (PWMDC), a processor, and high-side and low-side driver circuitry. The PWMDC, along with components external to the PMIC, forms a switching power supply. A small linear regulator powers the PWMDC from power received via a terminal. The power supply supplies power to other on-chip circuitry, including the driver circuitry and processor. The PWMDC starts an on pulse (of a power supply switching cycle) in response to a clock signal. In a first mode, the PWMDC stops the on pulse based on a signal received from a terminal via an analog feedback signal path. In a second mode, the PWMDC stops the on pulse based on a signal received via a digital feedback signal path. In one example, the digital feedback signal path extends from a terminal, through an ADC, processor, and DAC, to an error node. | 06-13-2013 |
20130151825 | Multi-Mode Power Manager For Power Management Integrated Circuit - A Multi-Tile Power Management Integrated Circuit (MTPMIC) includes tiles including an MCU/ADC tile and a power manager tile. The power manager tile includes a set of Configurable Switching Power Supply Pulse Width Modulator (CSPSPWM) components. These components, in combination with other circuitry external to the integrated circuit, are configurable to form a selected one of a number of different switching power supply circuits. Upon power up, an internal regulator supplies power to the CSPSPWM. The CSPSPWM then controls the power supply to begin switching in a low frequency start-up mode. The CSPSPWM determines during start-up the current sensing method based on circuitry external to the integrated circuit. A supply voltage generated is then supplied via a conductor of a standardized bus to a processor in the MCU/ADC tile. The processor begins executing instructions, and as a result writes across the standardized bus to configure the various tiles of the MTPMIC. | 06-13-2013 |
20120176113 | Regulating Current Output From A Buck Converter Without External Current Sensing - A step-down (buck) switching regulator regulates output current without sensing a current external to a converter integrated circuit. The regulator generates a set current that is indicative of a predetermined current level to which the output current is regulated. The regulator generates a sense current whose magnitude is proportional to an inductor current flowing through a power switch during an on time. During a first time period, the sense current is less than the set current. During a second time period, the sense current is greater than the set current. The output current of the regulator is maintained at the predetermined current level such that the first time period is equal to the second time period when the output current equals the predetermined current level. The set current is compared to the sense current in circuitry inside a bootstrap power generator whose voltage fluctuates with the voltage across the inductor. | 07-12-2012 |