# US 10,770,976 B2 · Slew-controlled switched capacitors for AC-DC applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,976 B2 - Document ID: US10770976B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/083,654 - Filed: 2017-03-14 - Published: 2019-03-21 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-14 - Assignees: pSemi Corporation - Applicants: pSemi Corporation - Inventors: David Giuliano; David Kunst - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770976B2 ## CPC - H02M 3/33546: {with automatic control of the output voltage or current (H02M3/33561 takes precedence)} - H02M 3/07: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} - H02M 3/073: {Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type} - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02M 1/0029: {Circuits or arrangements for limiting the slope of switching signals, e.g. slew rate} - H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)} - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract In a power converter, a regulator that receives a first voltage couples to a switched-capacitor converter that provides a second voltage. Slew-control circuitry controls slew rate within the switched-capacitor converter during operation thereof. A controller controls the operation of both the regulator and the switched-capacitor converter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising slew-control circuitry, a regulator, a switched-capacitor converter, and a controller, wherein said regulator is to receives a first voltage and said switched-capacitor converter is to provide a second voltage, wherein said regulator and said switched-capacitor converter are coupled to each other, wherein said controller is to control said regulator and said switched-capacitor converter, wherein said slew-control circuitry is to control a slew rate of said second voltage, wherein said switched-capacitor converter comprises a plurality of capacitors, first switches, and second switches, wherein closing said first switches and opening said second switches arranges said capacitors into a first state, wherein closing said second switches and opening said first switches arranges said capacitors into a second state, and wherein said controller causes said switched-capacitor converter to transition between said first state and said second state, thereby transferring charge between capacitors of said switched-capacitor converter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising bypass switches, wherein said switched-capacitor converter comprises a first stage and a second stage, wherein said bypass switches are for switching said first and second stages into or out of the switched-capacitor circuit, thereby achieving different voltage conversion ratios. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said switched-capacitor converter comprises a plurality of stages and a plurality of bypass switches, wherein the stages can be switched into or out of said switched-capacitor circuit during operation thereof thereby achieving different voltage conversion ratios, and wherein the bypass switches are for switching said stages into or out of said switched-capacitor converter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said switched-capacitor converter is a single-stage switched-capacitor circuit, wherein the switches of the first switch set and the switches of the second switch set are to transition between switch states so as to cause said switched-capacitor circuit to operate at different voltage conversion ratios. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a primary side section and a secondary side section, wherein said primary side section is to control passage of current through a primary winding, wherein said secondary side section controls said switched-capacitor converter, and wherein said primary and secondary side sections of said controller are isolated from each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said switched-capacitor converter comprises a first stage and a second stage and wherein each of said first and second stages is a voltage divider. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said bypass switches comprise a first bypass switch and a second bypass switch and wherein said second bypass switch blocks flow of reverse current when said first bypass switch is closed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said slew-control circuitry comprises a charge reservoir for controlling slew rate of a switch to which said slew-control circuitry is coupled. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said slew-control circuitry comprises a capacitor and a resistor through which to discharge said capacitor when controlling slew rate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said slew-control circuitry further comprises a comparator that halts slew control upon occurrence of a condition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said slew-control circuitry is reconfigurable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said slew-control circuitry is programmable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bridge rectifier disposed to transform an AC voltage into said first voltage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a travel adapter, wherein said regulator, said switched-capacitor converter, said slew-control circuitry, and said controller are disposed in said travel adapter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said switched-capacitor converter is one that causes charge stored in at least one capacitor of said switched-capacitor converter to change by causing at least some charge that is stored in said at least one capacitor to be passed through an element that is not a capacitor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said regulator is a magnetically-isolated regulator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said regulator comprises a non-isolated regulator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said regulator comprises a galvanically-isolated regulator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said regulator comprises a first functional component and a second functional component, wherein said first and second functional components are to communicate energy therebetween in the absence of electrical conduction therebetween. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is to receive one or more feedback signals from one or more of said regulator and said switched-capacitor converter.