Granted Patent B2

US 8,587,278 · App. 13/290,260 · Granted Nov 19, 2013

Abstract

Claims (11)

1. A method of controlling an output current of a power supply circuit comprising a first converter stage for receiving an input voltage, a second converter stage delivering a regulated output current, a controlled switch for conducting the input current and the output current, the method comprising:

detecting a portion of the input current conducted by the controlled switch by measuring a current of a conductive element of the first converter stage;

detecting a current in the controlled switch by measuring a combined value of the current of the conductive element of the first converter stage and a current in an inductive element of the second stage;

deriving a difference between the current in the controlled switch and the portion of the input current conducted by the controlled switch; and

maintaining the difference at a reference level.

2. The control method of claim 1 , further comprising turning the controlled switch off when the difference exceeds the reference level.

3. The control method of claim 1 , further comprising modulating a switching frequency rate of the controlled switch in accordance with the input voltage.

4. The control method of claim 3 , wherein a switching frequency rate is modulated by a signal inverse proportional to said input voltage.

5. The control method of claim 2 , wherein turning the controlled switch off when the difference exceeds the reference level comprises:

comparing the current in the inductive element of the second stage to the reference level; and

turning the controlled switch off when the current in the inductive element of the second stage exceeds the reference level.

Assignments (9)