Tyco Electronics Corporation

Texas Instruments Corporation

Jiyuan Luan

Adrian I Cogan

James J Toth

Neill Thornton

Brian Thomas

Gilles Gozlan

Bernard Dallemange

Jean-Marc Beaufils

Adrian Mikolajczak

Michael Oye

Michael J DiVita

An input power conditioning circuit (PCC) for a switched-mode power converter includes a hybrid full wave rectifier. Hybrid rectification is provided by a main rectifier and a matched virtual junction (VJ) rectifier, both with four-transistor gate fully cross-coupled. The VJ rectifier includes a voltage divider (such as a resistive voltage divider) to generate a virtual junction reference voltage VJ_ref (which can be less than transistor Vth). A power conversion controller (such as a boost controller) includes circuitry (such as an error amplifier) to regulate the input voltage VIN (main rectifier) to be substantially equal to VJ_ref from the VJ rectifier. Hybrid rectification, with VIN regulation, can be used to eliminate reverse (flow back) current, improving power conversion efficiency.

Power conditioning circuit with hybrid full wave rectifiction using matched virtual junction rectifier

Relaxation oscillator circuitry is presented with low drift and native offset cancellation, including an amplifier amplifying a first current signal to provide a pulse amplifier output waveform, an integrator integrating a second current signal to provide a ramp output waveform, and a comparator comparing the integrator output waveform with a threshold set by the amplifier output waveform to generate an alternating oscillator output used to switch the polarities of the first and second current signals.

Relaxation oscillator with low drift and native offset cancellation

A method for protecting a circuit from a high energy pulse includes placing a PPTC resistive element in series with the circuit and placing an energy pulse clamping semiconductor diode in shunt across the circuit and further includes forming the diode to have: a substrate with carriers of a first type of conductivity in a first, high concentration level (e.g. n++), a first major face and a second major face opposite to the first major face; a layer of semiconductor material having carriers of the first type of conductivity in a second concentration level lower than the first level (e.g. n+), and an outer surface; a region formed at an outer surface having carriers of a second type of conductivity in a third concentration level (e.g. p+); at least one cell having carriers of the second type of conductivity in a fourth concentration level greater than the third concentration level (e.g. p++); and, a cathode electrode and an anode electrode. In the method, the diode region becomes a second-level bi-directional intrinsic conduction region as an intrinsic temperature of the region is approached in response to thermal energy initially generated at the diode cell in response to the high energy electrical pulse. The method includes thermally coupling the diode to the PPTC resistive element to accelerate trip thereof in response to the high energy electrical pulse.

Circuit protection method using diode with improved energy impulse rating

A protection circuit for use with a charger and a chargeable element, such as a rechargeable lithium ion battery, comprises a shunt regulator having a threshold ON voltage coupled in parallel across the chargeable element, and a temperature-dependent resistor, e.g., a positive temperature coefficient device, coupled in series between the charger and the chargeable element. The temperature dependent resistor is thermally and electrically coupled to the shunt regulator, wherein the first variable resistor limits current flowing through the shunt regulator if the current reaches a predetermined level less than that which would cause failure of the regulator, due to ohmic heating of the regulator.

Electrical device including a voltage regulator mounted on a variable resistor

Devices and methods for protection of rechargeable elements

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Jiyuan Luan