The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 15, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 15, 1999
Jerome Edgar Liebler, North Plains, OR (US);
Alma Stephenson Anderson, Rio Rancho, NM (US);
Philips Electronics North America Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
In a power converter for supplying a controlled output from an input supply, a plurality of transfer devices is used to selectively couple the input supply to a distribution of storage devices. In a high-current mode, each of the transfer devices and associated storage device is used to couple the input supply to the controlled output. In a minimal-current mode, each of the transfer devices and associated storage device is selectively disabled until only one transfer device and storage device is utilized, and this remaining device may also be selectively disabled. Because the storage devices are distributed, each storage device can be smaller than that required for the high-current operation, thereby minimizing the losses associated with high-current switching converters during low-current operation. In another aspect of this invention, the plurality of transfer devices is operated at different phases to one another, thereby reducing the ripple associated with high-current operation. In another aspect of this invention, the storage devices are each sized for efficient operation at a given load level.