US5945815A — Current sharing apparatus and method for controll…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 202 words

A current sharing apparatus for use in a power device system having a plurality of power devices disposed in parallel relationship, said power devices each including a programmable current source, a capacitive element coupled to said current source to generate a reference voltage, a power device configured to generate an output voltage following that of said reference voltage, and a slew rate controller having an input disposed in sensed communication with said output voltage to generate an error signal and control current from said current source, said current sharing apparatus including: a system output drawer connected to the respective power supply outputs to collect a total system output; and a system output detector coupled to said system output drawer to measure the total output through said drawer, said detector operative to generate a signal indicative of said total output and having respective parallel connections to said respective slew rate controller inputs to further modify said error signals, whereby said respective slew rate controllers are each independently operative to compare said system output to said corresponding power device outputs and, when said corresponding power device output is less than a predetermined fraction of said system output, to increase said corresponding power device output.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 202 words

A current sharing apparatus for use in a power device system having a plurality of power devices disposed in parallel relationship, said power devices each including a programmable current source, a capacitive element coupled to said current source to generate a reference voltage, a power device configured to generate an output voltage following that of said reference voltage, and a slew rate controller having an input disposed in sensed communication with said output voltage to generate an error signal and control current from said current source, said current sharing apparatus including: a system output drawer connected to the respective power supply outputs to collect a total system output; and a system output detector coupled to said system output drawer to measure the total output through said drawer, said detector operative to generate a signal indicative of said total output and having respective parallel connections to said respective slew rate controller inputs to further modify said error signals, whereby said respective slew rate controllers are each independently operative to compare said system output to said corresponding power device outputs and, when said corresponding power device output is less than a predetermined fraction of said system output, to increase said corresponding power device output.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 24 words

A power supply according to claim 1 wherein: said system output drawer comprises a current bus, and said total system output comprises current flow.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 16 words

A power supply according to claim 2 wherein: said system output detector comprises a current sensor.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 188 words

A power device system including: a system output drawer; a plurality of power devices disposed in parallel relationship and having respective current outputs coupled to said system output drawer, said power devices each including a programmable current source, a capacitive element coupled to said current source to generate a reference voltage, a power device configured to generate an output voltage following that of said reference voltage, and a slew rate controller having an input disposed in sensed communication with said output voltage to generate an error signal and control current from said current source; and a system output detector coupled to said system output drawer to measure the total output through said drawer, said detector operative to generate a signal indicative of said total output and having respective parallel connections to said respective slew rate controller inputs to further modify said error signals, whereby said respective slew rate controllers are each independently operative to compare said system output to said corresponding power device outputs and, when said corresponding power device output is less than a predetermined fraction of said system output, to increase said corresponding power device output.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 188 words

A power device system including: a system output drawer; a plurality of power devices disposed in parallel relationship and having respective current outputs coupled to said system output drawer, said power devices each including a programmable current source, a capacitive element coupled to said current source to generate a reference voltage, a power device configured to generate an output voltage following that of said reference voltage, and a slew rate controller having an input disposed in sensed communication with said output voltage to generate an error signal and control current from said current source; and a system output detector coupled to said system output drawer to measure the total output through said drawer, said detector operative to generate a signal indicative of said total output and having respective parallel connections to said respective slew rate controller inputs to further modify said error signals, whereby said respective slew rate controllers are each independently operative to compare said system output to said corresponding power device outputs and, when said corresponding power device output is less than a predetermined fraction of said system output, to increase said corresponding power device output.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 26 words

A power supply according to claim 4 wherein said programmable current source comprises: an operational amplifier disposed in a bi-polar current source for grounded load configuration.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 21 words

A power supply according to claim 4 wherein: said capacitive element comprises a capacitor having respective positive and negative voltage terminals.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 17 words

A power supply according to claim 6 wherein: said output is referenced to said capacitor negative terminal.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 14 words

A power supply according to claim 4 wherein: said power device comprises a MOSFET.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 138 words

A method of sharing current between a plurality of power supplies disposed in parallel relationship, said power supplies each including a programmable current source, a capacitive element coupled to said current source, a power device connected to said capacitive element, and a slew rate controller, said method including the steps of: generating respective power device outputs with said respective power supplies; collecting said respective outputs into a system output drawer; sampling said respective power device outputs with said respective slew rate controllers; detecting said system output; comparing said sampled power device outputs with said detected system output; and generating respective error signals for feeding back to said respective current sources, based on said comparison, when said respective power device outputs are respectively less than a predetermined fraction of said system output, to increase the corresponding power device output.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 138 words

A method of sharing current between a plurality of power supplies disposed in parallel relationship, said power supplies each including a programmable current source, a capacitive element coupled to said current source, a power device connected to said capacitive element, and a slew rate controller, said method including the steps of: generating respective power device outputs with said respective power supplies; collecting said respective outputs into a system output drawer; sampling said respective power device outputs with said respective slew rate controllers; detecting said system output; comparing said sampled power device outputs with said detected system output; and generating respective error signals for feeding back to said respective current sources, based on said comparison, when said respective power device outputs are respectively less than a predetermined fraction of said system output, to increase the corresponding power device output.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 71 words

A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of generating respective power supply outputs includes the steps of: charging said capacitive element to generate a reference voltage; sensing said reference voltage with said control element; and generating an output voltage at said power device output that follows said sensed reference voltage whereby changes in said charging adjust said reference voltage to correspondingly create a proportional change in said output voltage.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-08-30	2003-03-01	2003-08-31	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-08-30	2007-03-01	2007-08-31	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-08-30	2011-03-01	2011-08-31	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Current sharing apparatus and method for controlling parallel power devices

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