DC to DC converter with regulation having accelerated soft start into active control region of regulation and fast response overcurrent limiting features

Claim 2

In a signal processing system, means to accept input signals, means to regulate said signals and output means, said means to regulate including means to generate feedback pulses and logic means responsive to said feedback pulses, means to inhibit the response of said logic means for a short time period at the beginning of each cycle, and signal adjustment means to control the rate of change of said output signal during turnon and turnoff operations, said signal adjustment means comprising means to generate a ramp pulse signal whose relative position changes in each successive cycle of operation, and means to control the rate of change of said relative position including means to increase the rate of change during said short time period.

Claim 3

In a signal processing system, means to accept input signals, means to regulate said signals and output means, said means to regulate including means to generate feedback pulses and logic means responsive to said feedback pulses, means to inhibit the response of said logic means for a short time period at the beginning of each cycle, and signal adjustment means to control the rate of change of said output signal during turnon and turnoff operations, said signal adjustment means comprising means to generate a ramp pulse signal whose relative position changes in each successive cycle of operation, and means to control the rate of change of said relative position including means to increase the rate of change during said short time period.

Claim 4

In a signal processing system, means to accept input signals, means to regulate said signals and output means, said means to regulate including means to generate feedback pulses and logic means responsive to said feedback pulses, means to inhibit the response of said logic means for a short time period at the beginning of each cycle, and signal adjustment means to control the rate of change of said output signal during turnon and turnoff operations, said signal adjustment means comprising means to generate a ramp pulse signal whose relative position changes in each successive cycle of operation, and means to control the rate of change of said relative position including means to increase the rate of change during said short time period.

Claim 5

A signal processing system as defined in claim 1 wherein, said means to generate a ramp pulse signal comprises a ramp voltage generator including first and second charging circuits and said means to control the rate of change comprises means to monitor the relative sequence of said feedback pulses and said ramp pulse signal, and means to select one of said first and second charging circuits in response to the means to monitor the relative sequence of said feedback pulses and said ramp pulse.

Claim 6

In a DC to DC converter having controlled switching devices, regulating circuit means to control the switching times of said switching devices, said regulating circuit means including means to generate regulation pulses to control the duty cycle of said switching devices, and means to inhibit switching in said switching devices during an initial dead time period during each cycle, and signal adjustment circuitry to initially limit the pulse width of the switching pulse controlling the duty cycle of the switching devices of said converter and slowly increase it to the regulated value, including a ramp generator to generate a ramp signal to control the action of said signal adjustment circuitry whereby the improvement comprises, means to increase the ramp slope during the initial dead time period and subsequent to the regulation pulse, including first and second charging circuits and gating means to selectively couple one of said first and second charging circuits to the timing circuit of said ramp generator during turnup and turndown, respectively.

Claim 7

In a DC to DC converter having controlled switching devices, regulating circuit means to control the switching times of said switching devices, said regulating circuit means including means to generate regulation pulses to control the duty cycle of said switching devices, and means to inhibit switching in said switching devices during an initial dead time period during each cycle, and signal adjustment circuitry to initially limit the pulse width of the switching pulse controlling the duty cycle of the switching devices of said converter and slowly increase it to the regulated value, including a ramp generator to generate a ramp signal to control the action of said signal adjustment circuitry whereby the improvement comprises, means to increase the ramp slope during the initial dead time period and subsequent to the regulation pulse, including first and second charging circuits and gating means to selectively couple one of said first and second charging circuits to the timing circuit of said ramp generator during turnup and turndown, respectively.

Claim 8

A DC to DC converter as defined in claim 3 wherein said regulator circuit means responds only to the first arriving feedback pulse, current protection means including means to monitor an overcurrent in said converter, high frequency pulse signal generation means coupled to said means to monitor and responsive to an overcurrent, the period of said high frequency pulse signal being much less than said dead time period, and means responsive to said high frequency pulse signal to limit the switching pulse width and the corresponding switching current level of said converter.

Claim 9

A signal adjustment system to control turnup and turndown in a digitally controlled signal processing system including signal control means responsive to pulse signals, regulation means to generate regulation pulse signals to regulate, synchronizing means to generate synchronizing pulse signals to initiate each cycle of operation, starting means to generate starting pulse signals to initiate starting of regulatory control action, subsequent to said synchronizing pulses, said signal control means responsive to the first arriving regulation pulse to establish the regulation level, and said signal adjustment means comprising, ramp pulse generation means to generate a ramp pulse whose relative distance from said synchronizing pulse increases during each succeeding cycle of operation, and fast slew control means to control the rate at which said relative distance changes during each successive cycle including sequence detection means to compare the sequence of occurrence of said synchronizing pulse, said start pulse, said ramp pulse, and said regulator pulse, and rate control means responsive to said sequence detection means to alter the rate at said relative distance changes wherein said rate is greater when said ramp pulse is outside the time duration established by said start pulse and said regulation pulse.

Claim 10

A signal adjustment system to control turnup and turndown in a digitally controlled signal processing system including signal control means responsive to pulse signals, regulation means to generate regulation pulse signals to regulate, synchronizing means to generate synchronizing pulse signals to initiate each cycle of operation, starting means to generate starting pulse signals to initiate starting of regulatory control action, subsequent to said synchronizing pulses, said signal control means responsive to the first arriving regulation pulse to establish the regulation level, and said signal adjustment means comprising, ramp pulse generation means to generate a ramp pulse whose relative distance from said synchronizing pulse increases during each succeeding cycle of operation, and fast slew control means to control the rate at which said relative distance changes during each successive cycle including sequence detection means to compare the sequence of occurrence of said synchronizing pulse, said start pulse, said ramp pulse, and said regulator pulse, and rate control means responsive to said sequence detection means to alter the rate at said relative distance changes wherein said rate is greater when said ramp pulse is outside the time duration established by said start pulse and said regulation pulse.