IP Library Granted Patent US 8,686,657
Granted Patent B2
US 8,686,657 · App. 13/623,498 · Granted Apr 1, 2014

Power supply device and light-emitting element drive device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,686,657
App. No.
13/623,498
Granted
Apr 1, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power supply device includes a convertor and an arithmetic circuit. The convertor supplies electric power by performing an ON and OFF operation of a switching element. The arithmetic circuit calculates a control command value at predetermined intervals based on a digital value, which reflects an output voltage of the convertor, from a conversion circuit. Based on the control command value, a pulse signal generation circuit determines a duty ratio of a pulse signal to make the output voltage of the convertor stable. A driving signal with a finely adjusted duty ratio can be generated by an operation clock signal having a lower frequency than a conventional device. As a result, the number of output lines is appropriate if there is at least a single output line for the pulse signal from the pulse signal generation circuit.

Claims (39)

1. A power supply device, comprising:

a converter that supplies electric power by performing an ON and OFF operation of a switching element;

a voltage detector that detects a voltage value of a first output voltage of the converter;

a conversion circuit that converts the voltage value into a digital value;

an arithmetic circuit that receives an operation clock signal and that calculates a control command value based on the digital value from the conversion circuit;

a pulse signal generation circuit that outputs a pulse signal of a duty ratio that is determined based on the control command value;

a ramp signal generation circuit that outputs a ramp signal synchronized to a clock signal generated based on the operation clock signal;

an integration circuit that receives the pulse signal and that outputs a second output voltage; and

a driving signal generation circuit that generates a driving signal based on a comparison result of the ramp signal with the second output voltage from the integration circuit, wherein

the switching element performs the ON and OFF operation according to the driving signal.

2. The power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein

the second output voltage from the integration circuit either increases or decreases based on the duty ratio determined based on the control command value.

3. The power supply device according to claim 2 , wherein

when the control command value becomes larger, the duty ratio becomes larger, and

when the control command value becomes smaller, the duty ratio becomes smaller.

4. The power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein

the switching element has a gate,

the driving signal has a pulse width corresponding to the duty ratio of the pulse signal, and

the driving signal is input to the gate at a cycle that is the same as a cycle of the ramp signal output from the ramp signal generation circuit.

5. A light emitting element drive device, comprising:

a converter that supplies electric power by performing an ON and OFF operation of a switching element;

a light emitting element that is driven by the electric power supplied from the converter;

a current detector that detects a current value of a current flowing in the light emitting element;

a conversion circuit that converts the current value into a digital value;

an arithmetic circuit that receives an operation clock signal and that calculates a control command value based on the digital value from the conversion circuit;

a pulse signal generation circuit that outputs a pulse signal of a duty ratio that is determined based on the control command value;

a ramp signal generation circuit that outputs a ramp signal synchronized to a clock signal generated based on the operation clock signal;

an integration circuit that receives the pulse signal and that outputs an output voltage; and

a driving signal generation circuit that generates a driving signal based on a comparison result of the ramp signal with the output voltage from the integration circuit, wherein

the switching element performs the ON and OFF operation according to the driving signal.

6. The light emitting element drive device according to claim 5 , wherein

the output voltage from the integration circuit either increases or decreases based on the duty ratio determined based on the control command value.

7. The light emitting element drive device according to claim 6 , wherein

when the control command value becomes larger, the duty ratio becomes larger, and

when the control command value becomes smaller, the duty ratio becomes smaller.

8. The light emitting element drive device according to claim 5 , wherein

the switching element has a gate,

the driving signal has a pulse width corresponding to the duty ratio of the pulse signal, and

the driving signal is input to the gate at a cycle that is the same as a cycle of the ramp signal output from the ramp signal generation circuit.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 12, 2013
From: TDK CORPORATION
To: TDK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030651/0687 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2012
From: OSHIMA, KAZUNORI; MASUOKA, HIRONOBU; TSUJISAKA, MITSUYUKI
To: TDK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028997/0578 →