IP Library Granted Patent US 7,474,084
Granted Patent B2
US 7,474,084 · App. 11/449,837 · Granted Jan 6, 2009

Circuit arrangement and method for driving a gate of a transistor, in particular a MOSFET

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,474,084
App. No.
11/449,837
Granted
Jan 6, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to a circuit arrangement for driving a gate of a transistor, in particular a MOSFET, which is arranged in an electronic ballast, the circuit arrangement ( 2 ) being designed for the variable driving of the gate ( 221 ) as a function of the operating state of the electronic ballast. The invention also relates to a method for driving a gate of such a transistor.

Claims (37)

1. A circuit arrangement for driving a gate of a transistor, in particular a MOSFET, which is arranged in an electronic device,

said circuit arrangement ( 2 ) being designed for variably driving the gate ( 221 ) as a function of an operating state of the electronic device, in which the transistor ( 23 ) is arranged,

the circuit arrangement including:

a control unit ( 21 ), which is designed for variably driving the gate ( 221 ); and

a gate driver circuit ( 22 ), which is connected to the control unit ( 21 ) and can be parameterized by the control unit ( 21 ), the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) being electrically connected to the gate ( 221 ) of the transistor ( 23 ),

wherein the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) has a circuit which is graduated in binary fashion and has pull-up resistors ( 226 a to 226 d ) and pull-down resistors ( 223 a to 223 d ), and

a NAND element ( 224 a to 224 d ) is connected to each pull-up resistor ( 226 a to 226 d ) via a corresponding pull-up switching transistor ( 225 a to 225 d ), an AND element ( 221 a to 221 d ) is connected to each pull-down resistor ( 223 a to 223 d ), via a corresponding pull-down switching transistor ( 222 a to 222 d ), and the gate driving signal and the parameterization signal are input to the NAND elements ( 224 a to 224 d ) and AND elements ( 221 a to 221 d ).

2. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) is connected between the control unit ( 21 ) and the gate ( 221 ) of the transistor ( 23 ), and rho control unit ( 21 ) is designed for transmitting a gate driving signal ( 211 ) and a parameterization signal ( 212 ) to the gate driver circuit ( 22 ).

3. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) operates on a fixed gate series resistor and is designed such that a pulse-width-modulated output signal can be provided at the output of the gate driver circuit ( 22 ).

4. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) operates on a fixed gate series resistor and is designed such that an analog-controlled output signal can be provided at the output of the gate driver circuit ( 22 ).

5. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) has an internally controlled series resistor.

6. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the electronic device is in the form of an electronic ballast.

7. A method for driving a gate of a transistor, in particular a MOSFET, which is arranged in an electronic device, comprising:

driving the gate ( 221 ) of the transistor ( 23 ) in variable fashion as a function of an operating state of the electronic device; and

variably driving the gate ( 221 ) with a control unit ( 21 ),

wherein a gate driver circuit ( 22 ) is connected so the control unit ( 21 ) and can be parameterized by the control unit ( 21 ), the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) being electrically connected to the gate ( 221 ) of the transistor ( 23 ),

the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) is connected between the control unit ( 21 ) and the gate ( 221 ) of the transistor ( 23 ), the control unit ( 21 ) is designed for transmitting a gate driving signal ( 211 ) and a parameterization signal ( 212 ) to the gate driver circuit ( 22 ), and the gate driving signal and the gate driving signal select at least one of a plurality of pull-up resistors ( 226 a to 226 d ) and pull-down resistors ( 223 a to 223 d ) connected to the gate of the transistor, and

a NAND element ( 224 a to 224 d ) is connected to each pull-up resistor ( 226 a to 226 d ) via a corresponding pull-up switching transistor ( 225 a to 225 d ), an AND element ( 221 a to 221 d ) is connected to each pull-down resistor ( 223 a to 221 d ) via a corresponding pull-down switching transistor ( 222 a to 222 d ) and the gate driving signal and the parameterization signal are input to the NAND elements ( 224 a to 224 d ) and AND elements ( 221 a to 221 d ).

8. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 2 ,

wherein the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) operates on a fixed gate series resistor and is designed such that a pulse-width-modulated output signal can be provided at the output of the gate driver circuit ( 22 ).

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein

the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) has an internally controlled series resistor.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the gate driver circuit ( 22 ) has a circuit which is graduated in binary fashion and has pull-up resistors ( 226 a to 226 d ) and pull-down resistors ( 223 a to 223 d ).

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a transistor;

a circuit arrangement configured to drive a gate of the transistor; and

a control unit configured for supplying a signal to said circuit arrangement for variably driving the gate,

said circuit arrangement comprising a gate driver circuit connected to the control unit, the control unit parameterizing the gate driver circuit based on an operating state of the device,

wherein the gate driver circuit is connected between the control unit and the gate of the transistor, the control unit is configured for transmitting a gate driving signal and a parameterization signal to the gate driver circuit, and the gate driving signal and the parameterization signal select at least one of a plurality of pull-up and pull-down resistors connected to the gate of the transistor, and

a NAND element is connected to each pull-up resistor via a pull-up switching transistor, an AND element is connected to each pull-down resistor via a pull-down switching transistor, and the and the gate driving signal and the parameterization signal are input to the NAND elements and AND elements.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11 ,

wherein the transistor is a MOSFET.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Dec 16, 2008
From: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUER ELEKTRISCHE GLUEHLAMPEN MBH
To: OSRAM GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRAENKTER HAFTUNG
Reel/Frame 021988/0561 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2006
From: LOTT, JORG
To: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ELEKTRISCH GLUHLAMPEN MBH
Reel/Frame 018193/0438 →