IP Library Granted Patent US 9,876,421
Granted Patent B2
US 9,876,421 · App. 15/094,061 · Granted Jan 23, 2018

Power supply controller and related methods

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,876,421
App. No.
15/094,061
Granted
Jan 23, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power supply controller having a shortened reset time due to a small hiccup voltage includes an electrical circuit providing a repeated voltage hiccup of a supply voltage of the controller of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) when the controller enters a latched state. A plurality of comparators each have an input coupled with the controller supply voltage. A multiplexer and two latches are included, each coupled with one or more comparator outputs, and a restart controller is coupled with an output of one of the latches. The restart controller in various implementations toggles a switch to activate and deactivate a current sink to create the supply voltage hiccup. In other implementations, the switch is excluded and the restart controller toggles a voltage startup transistor to couple and decouple a voltage source with the supply voltage to create the voltage hiccup.

Claims (50)

1. A power supply controller, comprising:

an electrical circuit configured to provide a repeated voltage hiccup of a supply voltage of a power supply controller of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) when the power supply controller is in a latched state, the electrical circuit comprising:

a first comparator, a second comparator, a third comparator, and a fourth comparator, each of the four comparators comprising an input coupled with the supply voltage of the power supply controller;

a multiplexer comprising a first input coupled with an output of the first comparator, the multiplexer also comprising a second input coupled with an output of the second comparator;

a first latch comprising a first input coupled with an output of the multiplexer, the first latch also comprising a second input coupled with an output of the third comparator;

a second latch comprising an input coupled with an output of the fourth comparator;

a restart controller comprising an input coupled with an output of the first latch, and;

a switch configured to be toggled by the restart controller between a closed state and an open state to alternately decrease and increase the supply voltage, respectively, to create the repeated voltage hiccup.

2. The power supply controller of claim 1 , wherein the electrical circuit does not comprise a Zener diode coupled with the supply voltage of the power supply controller.

3. The power supply controller of claim 1 , wherein the multiplexer is controlled by an output signal of the second latch.

4. The power supply controller of claim 1 , wherein the second latch further comprises a second input receiving a latch input signal, the latch input signal comprising a first value when the power supply controller is in the latched state and a second value when the power supply controller is in a non-latched state.

5. The power supply controller of claim 1 , further comprising a high voltage start-up transistor configured to couple a high voltage source with the supply voltage in response to a signal from the restart controller.

6. A power supply controller, comprising:

an electrical circuit configured to provide a repeated voltage hiccup of a supply voltage of a power supply controller of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) when the power supply controller is in a latched state, the electrical circuit comprising:

a first comparator, a second comparator comprising a built-in hysteresis, and a third comparator, each of the three comparators comprising an input coupled with the supply voltage of the power supply controller;

a multiplexer comprising a first input coupled with an output of the first comparator, the multiplexer also comprising a second input coupled with an output of the second comparator;

a first latch comprising a first input coupled with an output of the multiplexer, the first latch also comprising a second input coupled with the output of the second comparator;

a second latch comprising an input coupled with an output of the third comparator;

a restart controller comprising an input coupled with an output of the first latch, and;

a switch configured to be toggled by the restart controller between a closed state and an open state to alternately decrease and increase the supply voltage, respectively, to create the repeated voltage hiccup.

7. The power supply controller of claim 6 , wherein the electrical circuit does not comprise a Zener diode coupled with the supply voltage of the power supply controller.

8. The power supply controller of claim 6 , wherein the multiplexer is controlled by an output signal of the second latch.

9. The power supply controller of claim 6 , wherein the second latch comprises a second input receiving a latch input signal, the latch input signal comprising a first value when the power supply controller is in the latched state and a second value when the power supply controller is in a non-latched state.

10. The power supply controller of claim 6 , further comprising a high voltage start-up transistor configured to couple a high voltage source with the supply voltage in response to a signal from the restart controller.

11. The power supply controller of claim 6 , wherein the second input of the multiplexer is coupled with the output of the second comparator through an inverter, the inverter receiving a signal from the second comparator and outputting an inverted signal to the multiplexer.

12. A power supply controller, comprising:

an electrical circuit configured to provide a repeated voltage hiccup of a supply voltage of a power supply controller of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) when the power supply controller is in a latched state, the electrical circuit comprising:

a first comparator, a second comparator, a third comparator, and a fourth comparator, each of the four comparators comprising an input coupled with the supply voltage of the power supply controller;

a multiplexer comprising a first input coupled with an output of the first comparator, the multiplexer also comprising a second input coupled with an output of the second comparator;

a first latch comprising a first input coupled with an output of the multiplexer, the first latch also comprising a second input coupled with an output of the third comparator;

a second latch comprising an input coupled with an output of the fourth comparator;

a restart controller comprising an input coupled with an output of the first latch, and;

a voltage start-up transistor configured to be toggled by the restart controller between an on state and an off state to alternately couple and decouple a voltage source with the supply voltage to alternately increase and decrease the supply voltage, respectively, to create the repeated voltage hiccup;

wherein, when the voltage start-up transistor is off, the supply voltage decreases through internal current consumption via an internal resistance of the power supply controller.

13. The power supply controller of claim 12 , wherein the electrical circuit does not comprise a Zener diode coupled with the supply voltage of the power supply controller.

14. The power supply controller of claim 12 , wherein the multiplexer is controlled by an output signal of the second latch.

15. The power supply controller of claim 12 , wherein the second latch comprises a second input receiving a latch input signal, the latch input signal comprising a first value when the power supply controller is in the latched state and a second value when the power supply controller is in a non-latched state.

16. A power supply controller, comprising:

an electrical circuit configured to provide a repeated voltage hiccup of a supply voltage of a power supply controller of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) when the power supply controller is in a latched state, the electrical circuit comprising:

a first comparator, a second comparator comprising a built-in hysteresis, and a third comparator, each of the three comparators comprising an input coupled with the supply voltage of the power supply controller;

a multiplexer comprising a first input coupled with an output of the first comparator, the multiplexer also comprising a second input coupled with an output of the second comparator;

a first latch comprising a first input coupled with an output of the multiplexer, the first latch also comprising a second input coupled with the output of the second comparator;

a second latch comprising an input coupled with an output of the third comparator;

a restart controller comprising an input coupled with an output of the first latch, and;

a voltage start-up transistor configured to be toggled by the restart controller between an on state and an off state to alternately couple and decouple a voltage source with the supply voltage to alternately increase and decrease the supply voltage, respectively, to create the repeated voltage hiccup;

wherein, when the voltage start-up transistor is off, the supply voltage decreases through internal current consumption via an internal resistance of the power supply controller.

17. The power supply controller of claim 16 , wherein the electrical circuit does not comprises a Zener diode coupled with the supply voltage of the power supply controller.

18. The power supply controller of claim 16 , wherein the multiplexer is controlled by an output signal of the second latch.

19. The power supply controller of claim 16 , wherein the second latch comprises a second input receiving a latch input signal, the latch input signal comprising a first value when the power supply controller is in the latched state and a second value when the power supply controller is in a non-latched state.

20. The power supply controller of claim 16 , wherein the second input of the multiplexer is coupled with the output of the second comparator through an inverter, the inverter receiving a signal from the second comparator and outputting an inverted signal to the multiplexer.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT RECORDED AT REEL 046410, FRAME 0933 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064072/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 22, 2018
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046410/0933 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2016
From: PFOF, ZDENEK; BUBLA, JIRI; VECERA, IVO
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 038227/0894 →