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:
Aug. 19, 2003
Filed:
Jun. 24, 2002
David Henry Soo, Los Altos, CA (US);
Robert Loren Reay, Mountain View, CA (US);
Linear Technology Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
Circuits and methods for controlling load sharing by multiple power supplies are provided. In preferred embodiments, load share controllers utilize multiple voltage control loops to monitor the output voltages that are being provided by multiple power supplies connected to a load. These voltage control loops each generate a voltage control voltage that is proportional to the difference between the actual output voltage of the corresponding power supply and the desired output voltage. The voltage control loop with the highest voltage control voltage then controls a current control voltage generated in a current control loop for each power supply via a share bus. These current control loops then regulate the current provided by the corresponding power supplies so that those currents are all proportional to the voltage on the share bus. By monitoring the current control voltage in each current control loop, the voltage at the output of each power supply, and the direction of the current flowing between each power supply and the load, the circuits and methods of preferred embodiments of the invention can detect and account for out-of-regulation conditions, over voltage conditions, short circuit conditions, and hot-swapping conditions.