Patent US7315157B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US7315157B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
ADC transfer function providing improved dynamic regulation in a switched mode power supply
Assignee: Pwer Bridge LLC
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Filing: 2006-02-07
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Granted: 2008-01-01
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Expires: 2026-02-07
Abstract
Abstract A power supply comprises at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of the power supply, and a digital controller adapted to control operation of the at least one power switch responsive to an output measurement of the power supply. The digital controller comprises an analog-to-digital converter providing a digital error signal representing a voltage difference between the output measurement and a reference value, a digital filter providing a digital control output based on a sum of previous error signals and previous control outputs, an error controller adapted to modify operation of the digital filter upon an error condition, and a digital pulse width modulator providing a control signal to the power switch having a pulse width corresponding to the digital control output. The analog-to-digital converter further comprises a windowed flash analog-to-digital converter having a transfer function defining a relationship between the voltage difference and corresponding digital values. The transfer function provides a substantially linear region at a center of a corresponding error window, including a first step size in the center of the error window and at least one other step size in a peripheral region of the error window that is larger than the first step size. The first step size and the other step sizes may each reflect a linear relationship between the voltage difference and the corresponding digital values. Alternatively, the first step size reflects a linear relationship between the voltage difference and the corresponding digital values, and the other step sizes each reflect a non-linear relationship between the voltage difference and the corresponding digital values.
Inventors
- 👤 Alain Chapuis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 19:13
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02M; H02M3/00; H02M3/02; H02M3/04; H02M3/10; H02M3/145; H02M3/155; H02M3/156; H02M3/157; G; G05; G05F; G05F1/00; G05F1/10; G05F1/46; G05F1/618
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
202 words
A switched mode power supply comprising: at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of said power supply; and a digital controller adapted to control operation of said at least one power switch responsive to an output measurement of said power supply, said digital controller comprising: an analog-to-digital converter providing a digital error signal representing a voltage difference between said output measurement and a reference value, said analog-to-digital converter further comprises a windowed flash analog-to-digital converter having a transfer function defining a relationship between said voltage difference and corresponding digital values, said transfer function having a substantially linear region at a center of a corresponding error window, said transfer function further comprises a first step size in said center of said error window and at least one additional step size in a peripheral region of said error window, each said at least one additional step size being larger than said first step size; a digital filter transforming the digital error signal to a digital control output; and a digital pulse width modulator providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
202 words
A switched mode power supply comprising: at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of said power supply; and a digital controller adapted to control operation of said at least one power switch responsive to an output measurement of said power supply, said digital controller comprising: an analog-to-digital converter providing a digital error signal representing a voltage difference between said output measurement and a reference value, said analog-to-digital converter further comprises a windowed flash analog-to-digital converter having a transfer function defining a relationship between said voltage difference and corresponding digital values, said transfer function having a substantially linear region at a center of a corresponding error window, said transfer function further comprises a first step size in said center of said error window and at least one additional step size in a peripheral region of said error window, each said at least one additional step size being larger than said first step size; a digital filter transforming the digital error signal to a digital control output; and a digital pulse width modulator providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The power supply of claim 1 , wherein said first step size and said at least one additional step size each reflect a linear relationship between said voltage difference and said corresponding digital values.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The power supply of claim 1 , wherein said first step size reflects a linear relationship between said voltage difference and said corresponding digital values, and said at least one additional step size reflects a non-linear relationship between said voltage difference and said corresponding digital values.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The power supply of claim 1 , wherein said windowed flash analog-to-digital converter provides a HIGH signal reflecting a negative saturation of said analog-to-digital converter and a LOW signal reflecting a positive saturation of said analog-to-digital converter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
213 words
A switched mode power supply comprising: at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of said power supply; and a digital controller adapted to control operation of said at least one power switch responsive to an output measurement of said power supply, said digital controller comprising: an analog-to-digital converter providing a digital error signal representing a voltage difference between said output measurement and a reference value, said analog-to-digital converter further comprises a windowed flash analog-to-digital converter having a transfer function defining a relationship between said voltage difference and corresponding digital values, said transfer function having a substantially linear region at a center of a corresponding error window, said transfer function further comprises a first step size in said center of said error window and at least one additional step size in a peripheral region of said error window, each said at least one additional step size being larger than said first step size; a digital filter transforming the digital error signal to a digital control output; and a digital pulse width modulator providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output; wherein said digital filter further comprises an infinite impulse response filter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
213 words
A switched mode power supply comprising: at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of said power supply; and a digital controller adapted to control operation of said at least one power switch responsive to an output measurement of said power supply, said digital controller comprising: an analog-to-digital converter providing a digital error signal representing a voltage difference between said output measurement and a reference value, said analog-to-digital converter further comprises a windowed flash analog-to-digital converter having a transfer function defining a relationship between said voltage difference and corresponding digital values, said transfer function having a substantially linear region at a center of a corresponding error window, said transfer function further comprises a first step size in said center of said error window and at least one additional step size in a peripheral region of said error window, each said at least one additional step size being larger than said first step size; a digital filter transforming the digital error signal to a digital control output; and a digital pulse width modulator providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output; wherein said digital filter further comprises an infinite impulse response filter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
120 words
The power supply of claim 5 , wherein said infinite impulse response filter provides the following transfer function G(z): G ( z ) = PWM ( z ) VEd ( z ) = C 0 + C 1 · z - 1 + C 2 · z - 2 + … + C n · z - n 1 - B 1 · z - 1 - B 2 · z - 2 - … - B n · z - n wherein PWM(z) is the digital control output, VEd(z) is the error signal, C 0 . . . C n are input side coefficients, and B 1 . . . B n are output side coefficients.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The power supply of claim 1 , wherein said digital filter further comprises a range limiter adapted to clip said digital control output if upper or lower range limits are reached.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The power supply of claim 7 , wherein said range limiter provides a limit signal to said error controller if said upper or lower range limits are reached.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
The power supply of claim 1 , wherein said digital controller further comprises a multiplexer coupled to said error controller and to said digital filter, said error controller providing an alternative digital control output to said multiplexer that passes to said digital pulse width modulator upon said error condition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The power supply of claim 1 , further comprising an error controller adapted to modify operation of said digital filter upon an error condition.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
The power supply of claim 10 , wherein digital filter provides said digital control output based on at least one of a current error signal, a previous error signal, a current control output, and a previous control output.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said error controller is further adapted to preset at least one previous error signal with a predetermined value upon said error condition.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said error controller is further adapted to preset at least one current error signal with a predetermined value upon said error condition.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said error controller is further adapted to preset at least one previous control output with a predetermined value upon said error condition.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said error controller is further adapted to preset at least one current control output with a predetermined value upon said error condition.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said error controller is further adapted to reset at least one previous error signal to an initial value upon said error condition.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said error controller is further adapted to reset at least one previous control output to an initial value upon said error condition.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said error controller is further adapted to reset at least one current error signal to an initial value upon said error condition.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said error controller is further adapted to reset at least one current control output to an initial value upon said error condition.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
The power supply of claim 10 , wherein said error condition further comprises a saturation of said analog-to-digital converter.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The power supply of claim 10 , wherein said error condition further comprises a mathematical overflow of said digital filter.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
182 words
A method of controlling a switched mode power supply comprising at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of said power supply, said method comprising: receiving an output measurement of said power supply; sampling said output measurement to provide a digital error signal representing a voltage difference between said output measurement and a reference value in accordance with a transfer function defining a relationship between said voltage difference and corresponding digital values, said transfer function having a substantially linear region at a center of a corresponding error window, said transfer function further comprising a first step size in said center of said error window and at least one other step size in a peripheral region of said error window, each said at least one other step size being larger than said first step size; filtering said digital error signal to provide a digital control output based on said digital error signal; and providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
182 words
A method of controlling a switched mode power supply comprising at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of said power supply, said method comprising: receiving an output measurement of said power supply; sampling said output measurement to provide a digital error signal representing a voltage difference between said output measurement and a reference value in accordance with a transfer function defining a relationship between said voltage difference and corresponding digital values, said transfer function having a substantially linear region at a center of a corresponding error window, said transfer function further comprising a first step size in said center of said error window and at least one other step size in a peripheral region of said error window, each said at least one other step size being larger than said first step size; filtering said digital error signal to provide a digital control output based on said digital error signal; and providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein said sampling step further comprises providing a HIGH signal reflecting a negative saturation state and a LOW signal reflecting a positive saturation state.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
198 words
A method of controlling a switched mode power supply comprising at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of said power supply, said method comprising: receiving an output measurement of said power supply; sampling said output measurement to provide a digital error signal representing a voltage difference between said output measurement and a reference value in accordance with a transfer function defining a relationship between said voltage difference and corresponding digital values, said transfer function having a substantially linear region at a center of a corresponding error window, said transfer function further comprising a first step size in said center of said error window and at least one other step size in a peripheral region of said error window, each said at least one other step size being larger than said first step size; filtering said digital error signal to provide a digital control output based on said digital error signal; and providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output; wherein filtering step further comprises filtering said digital error signal using an infinite impulse response filter.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
198 words
A method of controlling a switched mode power supply comprising at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of said power supply, said method comprising: receiving an output measurement of said power supply; sampling said output measurement to provide a digital error signal representing a voltage difference between said output measurement and a reference value in accordance with a transfer function defining a relationship between said voltage difference and corresponding digital values, said transfer function having a substantially linear region at a center of a corresponding error window, said transfer function further comprising a first step size in said center of said error window and at least one other step size in a peripheral region of said error window, each said at least one other step size being larger than said first step size; filtering said digital error signal to provide a digital control output based on said digital error signal; and providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output; wherein filtering step further comprises filtering said digital error signal using an infinite impulse response filter.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
126 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein said filtering step further comprises filtering said digital error signal in accordance with the following transfer function G(z): G ( z ) = PWM ( z ) VEd ( z ) = C 0 + C 1 · z - 1 + C 2 · z - 2 + … + C n · z - n 1 - B 1 · z - 1 - B 2 · z - 2 - … - B n · z - n wherein PWM(z) is the digital control output, VEd(z) is the error signal, C 0 . . . C n are input side coefficients, and B 1 . . . B n are output side coefficients.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein said filtering step further comprises clipping said digital control output if upper or lower range limits are reached.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 26 , wherein said filtering step further comprises providing a limit signal indicating that said upper or lower range limit is reached.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 22 , further comprising providing an alternative digital control output upon said error condition.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein said first step size and said at least one other step size each reflect a linear relationship between said voltage difference and said corresponding digital values.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein said first step size reflects a linear relationship between said voltage difference and said corresponding digital values, and said at least one other step size reflects a non-linear relationship between said voltage difference and said corresponding digital values.
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