# US 10,374,585 B2 · Signal calculator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,585 B2 - Document ID: US10374585B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/279,610 - Filed: 2019-02-19 - Published: 2019-06-20 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-29 - Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC - Applicants: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC - Inventors: Taesung Kim; Seunguk Yang; Youngbae Park - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374585B2 ## CPC - H03K 5/00: Manipulating of pulses not covered by one of the other main groups of this subclass (circuits with regenerative action H03K3/00, H03K4/00; by the use of non-linear magnetic or dielectric devices H03K3/45) - G06G 7/16: for multiplication or division {(G06G7/19 and G06G7/24 take precedence; measuring electric power G01R21/00)} - H03K 4/502: the capacitor being charged from a constant-current source - H03K 4/94: having trapezoidal shape - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - G06G: ANALOGUE COMPUTERS (analogue optical computing devices G06E3/00) ## Abstract A signal calculator includes a capacitor and a variable current source. The variable current source charges the capacitor and generates a current corresponding to a predetermined voltage during a first period. A first voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during an enable period of a first signal in the first period, and a second voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during the first period. The variable current source further generates a current corresponding to the second voltage during a second period. A second signal is generated according to a result of comparing the first voltage with the voltage of the capacitor during the second period, and a fourth voltage is generated by generating and sampling a third voltage which is increased according to a first current during an enable period of the second signal in the second period. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A signal calculator comprising: a capacitor; and a variable current source that is configured to: charge the capacitor, generate a current corresponding to a reference voltage during a first period, wherein a first voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during an enable period of a first signal in the first period, and a second voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during the first period, and generate a current corresponding to the second voltage during a second period, wherein a second signal is generated according to a result of comparing the first voltage with the voltage of the capacitor in the second period, and a fourth voltage is generated by generating and sampling a third voltage which is increased according to a first current during an enable period of the second signal, wherein the third voltage increases according to the first current during a third period, wherein after a period for the third voltage to reach the fourth voltage has passed, the variable current source generates a current corresponding to a predetermined voltage, and wherein the voltage of the capacitor is sampled at an end time point of the third period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The signal calculator of claim 1, wherein a switching operation of a power switch is controlled according to a voltage on the basis of a result of comparing the voltage sampled at the end time point of the third period with a predetermined reference voltage, and the predetermined voltage corresponds to a peak voltage of a current flowing in the power switch. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The signal calculator of claim 1, further comprising: a first switch coupled between the variable current source and a first end of the capacitor; and a second switch coupled between the first and second ends of the capacitor, the second end of the capacitor being coupled to a ground voltage terminal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The signal calculator of claim 3, wherein the first switch is turned off at an initial time point of the third period so that the voltage of the capacitor is sampled at the end time point of the third period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The signal calculator of claim 3, further comprising: a control circuit configured control the variable current source based on the reference voltage, the second voltage, and the predetermined voltage, wherein the reference voltage is used in the first period, the second voltage is used in the second period, and the predetermined voltage is used to the third period. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The signal calculator of claim 5, wherein the control circuit comprises: an amplifier including a non-inverting input terminal and an inverting terminal; the non-inverting input terminal receiving the reference voltage, the second voltage, and the predetermined voltage in the first, second, and third periods, respectively; a transistor having a gate coupled to an output terminal of the amplifier and a source coupled to the inverting input terminal of the amplifier; a current mirror configured to control the variable current source and coupled between a voltage supply terminal and a drain of the transistor; and a resistor coupled between the source of the transistor and a ground voltage terminal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The signal calculator of claim 6, wherein the non-inverting input terminal of the amplifier is coupled to third to fifth switches, wherein the third switch supplying the reference voltage to the non-inverting input terminal when a third reset signal is enabled in the first period, wherein the fourth switch supplying the second voltage to the non-inverting input terminal when a first reset signal is enabled in the second period, wherein the fifth switch supplying the predetermined voltage to the non-inverting input terminal when a second reset signal is enabled in the third period, and wherein the second switch is turned on when at least one of the first to third reset signals is enabled. ### Claim 8 A signal calculator comprising: a capacitor; a variable current source that is configured to: charge the capacitor, generate a current corresponding to a predetermined voltage during a first period, wherein a first voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during an enable period of a first signal in the first period, a second voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during the first period, and generate a current corresponding to the second voltage during a second period, wherein a second signal is generated according to a result of comparing the first voltage with the voltage of the capacitor during the second period, and a fourth voltage is generated by generating and sampling a third voltage which is increased according to a first current during an enable period of the second signal in the second period. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The signal calculator of claim 8, wherein: the variable current source generates a current corresponding to the predetermined voltage during a third period; the signal calculator further comprises a first capacitor charged by the voltage of the capacitor from a time point at which a period for the third voltage which is increased according to the first current to reach the sampled fourth voltage has passed until an end time point of the third period in the third period; the signal calculator samples a voltage of the first capacitor at the end time point of the third period and controls a switching operation of a power switch according to a voltage on the basis of a result of comparing the sampled voltage with a predetermined reference voltage; and the predetermined voltage corresponds to a peak voltage of a current flowing in the power switch. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The signal calculator of claim 8, further comprising: a first switch coupled between first and second ends of the capacitor, the second end of the capacitor being coupled to a ground voltage terminal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The signal calculator of claim 10, further comprising: a control circuit configured control the variable current source based on the second voltage and the predetermined voltage, wherein the reference voltage is used in the first period, and the second voltage is used in the second period. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The signal calculator of claim 11, wherein the control circuit comprises: an amplifier including a non-inverting input terminal and an inverting terminal; the non-inverting input terminal receiving the predetermined voltage and the second voltage in the first and second periods, respectively; a transistor having a gate coupled to an output terminal of the amplifier and a source coupled to the inverting input terminal of the amplifier; a current mirror configured to control the variable current source and coupled between a voltage supply terminal and a drain of the transistor; and a resistor coupled between the source of the transistor and a ground voltage terminal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The signal calculator of claim 12, wherein the non-inverting input terminal of the amplifier is coupled to second and third switches, wherein the second switch supplying the reference voltage to the non-inverting input terminal when a second reset signal is enabled in the first period, wherein the third switch supplying the second voltage to the non-inverting input terminal when a first reset signal is enabled in the second period, and wherein the first switch is turned on when at least one of the first and second reset signals is enabled. ### Claim 14 A power supply comprising: a transformer; a power switch coupled to the transformer; and a switch control circuit configured to control a switching operation of the power switch based on a voltage detected when the power switch is turned on, wherein the switch control circuit comprises a signal calculator, the signal calculator comprising: a capacitor; and a variable current source that is configured to: charge the capacitor, generate a current corresponding to a reference voltage during a first period, wherein a first voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during an enable period of a first signal in the first period, and a second voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during the first period, and generate a current corresponding to the second voltage during a second period, wherein a second signal is generated according to a result of comparing the first voltage with the voltage of the capacitor in the second period, and a fourth voltage is generated by generating and sampling a third voltage which is increased according to a first current during an enable period of the second signal, wherein the third voltage increases according to the first current during a third period, wherein after a period for the third voltage to reach the fourth voltage has passed, the variable current source generates a current corresponding to a predetermined voltage, and wherein the voltage of the capacitor is sampled at an end time point of the third period. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The power supply of claim 14, wherein the switching operation of the power switch is controlled according to a voltage on the basis of a result of comparing the voltage sampled at the end time point of the third period with a predetermined reference voltage, and the predetermined voltage corresponds to a peak voltage of a current flowing in the power switch. ### Claim 16 A power supply comprising: a transformer; a power switch coupled to the transformer; and a switch control circuit configured to control a switching operation of the power switch based on a voltage detected when the power switch is turned on, wherein the switch control circuit comprises a signal calculator, the signal calculator comprising: a capacitor; a variable current source that is configured to: charge the capacitor, generate a current corresponding to a predetermined voltage during a first period, wherein a first voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during an enable period of a first signal in the first period, a second voltage is generated using a voltage of the capacitor charged during the first period, and generate a current corresponding to the second voltage during a second period, wherein a second signal is generated according to a result of comparing the first voltage with the voltage of the capacitor during the second period, and a fourth voltage is generated by generating and sampling a third voltage which is increased according to a first current during an enable period of the second signal in the second period. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The power supply of claim 16, wherein: the variable current source generates a current corresponding to the predetermined voltage during a third period; the signal calculator further comprises a first capacitor charged by the voltage of the capacitor from a time point at which a period for the third voltage which is increased according to the first current to reach the sampled fourth voltage has passed until an end time point of the third period in the third period; the signal calculator samples a voltage of the first capacitor at the end time point of the third period and controls a switching operation of a power switch according to a voltage on the basis of a result of comparing the sampled voltage with a predetermined reference voltage; and the predetermined voltage corresponds to a peak voltage of a current flowing in the power switch.