# US 11,451,129 B1 · Gate driver circuit for a power supply voltage converter

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- Number: US 11,451,129 B1
- Document ID: US11451129B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/220,976
- Filed: 2021-04-02
- Published: 2022-10-06
- Granted: 2022-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-02
- Assignees: AES Global Holdings PTE Ltd.
- Applicants: AES Global Holdings PTE Ltd.
- Inventors: Robert Ryan; Diarmuid Hogan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451129B1

## CPC

- H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
- H03K 17/063: {in field-effect transistor switches}
- H02M 1/0006: {Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters}
- H02M 1/36: Means for starting or stopping converters
- H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
- H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
- H03K 2217/0063: High side switches, i.e. the higher potential [DC] or life wire [AC] being directly connected to the switch and not via the load
- H03K 2217/0081: Power supply means, e.g. to the switch driver
- Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
- 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)
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A gate driver circuit comprises an auxiliary winding, a voltage summer, an auxiliary voltage bus, a gate driver integrated circuit (IC), and a controller. The auxiliary winding is positioned adjacently to the inductor and configured to inductively couple with the inductor. The voltage summer comprises a pair of diodes coupled to the auxiliary winding and a pair of capacitors coupled to the pair of diodes. The auxiliary voltage bus is configured to receive a summed voltage from the voltage summer based on a sum of voltages stored in the pair of capacitors. The gate driver IC is configured to receive a voltage from a positive rail of the auxiliary voltage bus and to output a gate control signal to control a switching device based on the received voltage and based on a pulse signal generated by the controller.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gate driver circuit for a voltage converter having a voltage input, a voltage output, a switching device coupled to the voltage input, and an inductor coupled between the switching device and the voltage output, the gate driver circuit comprising:
an auxiliary winding positioned adjacently to the inductor and configured to inductively couple with the inductor;
a voltage summer comprising:
a pair of diodes coupled to the auxiliary winding; and
a pair of capacitors coupled to the pair of diodes;
an auxiliary voltage bus coupled in parallel with the voltage summer and configured to receive a summed voltage from the voltage summer based on a sum of voltages stored in the pair of capacitors;
a gate driver integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the auxiliary voltage bus, the gate driver IC comprising:
a logic input configured to receive a pulse signal;
an output stage supply input configured to receive a voltage from a positive rail of the auxiliary voltage bus; and
a drive output configured to output a gate control signal based on the voltage received from the positive rail and based on the pulse signal received at the logic input; and
a controller configured to:
generate the pulse signal; and
supply the pulse signal to the logic input.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gate driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary winding comprises a tapped winding.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The gate driver circuit of claim 2, wherein the tapped winding is a center-tapped winding.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The gate driver circuit of claim 2, wherein a first auxiliary winding is formed between a first end of the auxiliary winding and the tapped winding; and
wherein a second auxiliary winding is formed between a second end of the auxiliary winding and the tapped winding.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The gate driver circuit of claim 4, wherein:
the pair of diodes comprises a first diode and a second diode;
the pair of capacitors comprises a first capacitor and a second capacitor;
the first diode is coupled between the first end of the first auxiliary winding and a first terminal of the first capacitor;
the second diode is coupled between the second end of the first auxiliary winding and a first terminal of the second capacitor; and
a second terminal of the first capacitor and a second terminal of the second capacitor are coupled together and to the tapped winding.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The gate driver circuit of claim 5, wherein:
the first and second auxiliary windings, are configured to:
generate a first auxiliary voltage in response to a first inductor voltage generated in the inductor; and
generate a second auxiliary voltage in response to a second inductor voltage generated in the inductor;
the first capacitor is configured to store a first charge voltage in response to the first auxiliary voltage being generated in the first auxiliary winding; and
the second capacitor is configured to store a second charge voltage in response to the second auxiliary voltage being generated in the second auxiliary winding.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The gate driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the gate driver circuit further comprises a switching startup circuit coupled to the auxiliary voltage bus and configured to provide a startup voltage to the auxiliary voltage bus prior to the auxiliary voltage bus receiving the summed voltage.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The gate driver circuit of claim 7, wherein the switching startup circuit comprises:
a first terminal coupled to the positive rail of the auxiliary voltage bus;
a second terminal coupled to a negative rail of the auxiliary voltage bus;
a first diode coupled to the first terminal;
a second diode coupled to the first diode at a first node and coupled to the second terminal; and
a resistor coupled to the first node and configured to receive a voltage based on an input voltage received by the voltage input.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The gate driver circuit of claim 8, wherein the switching start-up circuit further comprises an enable circuit coupled between the resistor and the voltage input.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The gate driver circuit of claim 9, wherein the enable circuit comprises:
a switching device coupled between the resistor and the voltage input; and
a control network coupled to the switching device and configured to control switching of the switching device into conducting and non-conducting states, the control network comprising:
a resistor divider coupled to a control terminal of the switching device;
a switching device coupled to the resistor divider; and
an enable input configured to receive a signal for controlling the switching device into an on state or into an off state.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The gate driver circuit of claim 8, wherein the second diode comprises a Zener diode.

### Claim 12

A voltage converter comprising:
a voltage input configured to receive a bulk voltage;
a voltage output configured to provide an output voltage to a load;
a controlled switching device coupled to the voltage input;
a transformer comprising:
a primary winding coupled between the controlled switching device and the voltage output; and
a secondary winding inductively coupled with the primary winding;
a voltage summer comprising:
first and second diodes coupled to the secondary winding; and
first and second capacitors coupled to the first and second diodes;
an auxiliary voltage bus coupled in parallel with the voltage summer and configured to receive a summed voltage from the voltage summer based on a sum of voltages stored in the first and second capacitors;
a gate driver integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the auxiliary voltage bus and configured to control a conducting state of the controlled switching device based on a voltage from a positive rail of the auxiliary voltage bus and based on a pulse signal received by a logic input; and
a controller configured to:
generate the pulse signal; and
supply the pulse signal to the logic input.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The voltage converter of claim 12, wherein the secondary winding comprises a center-tapped winding;
wherein a first auxiliary winding is formed between a first end of the secondary winding and the center-tapped winding; and
wherein a second auxiliary winding is formed between a second end of the secondary winding and the center-tapped winding.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The voltage converter of claim 13, wherein:
the first diode is coupled between the first end of the first auxiliary winding and a first terminal of the first capacitor;
the second diode is coupled between the second end of the first auxiliary winding and a first terminal of the second capacitor; and
a second terminal of the first capacitor and a second terminal of the second capacitor are coupled together and to the center-tapped winding.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The voltage converter of claim 14, wherein:
the first and second auxiliary windings, are configured to:
generate a first auxiliary voltage in response to a first inductor voltage generated in the primary winding; and
generate a second auxiliary voltage in response to a second inductor voltage generated in the primary winding;
the first capacitor is configured to store a first charge voltage in response to the first auxiliary voltage being generated in the first auxiliary winding; and
the second capacitor is configured to store a second charge voltage in response to the second auxiliary voltage being generated in the second auxiliary winding.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The voltage converter of claim 12, wherein the gate driver circuit further comprises a switching startup circuit coupled to the auxiliary voltage bus and configured to provide a startup voltage to the auxiliary voltage bus prior to the auxiliary voltage bus receiving the summed voltage.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The voltage converter of claim 16, wherein the switching startup circuit comprises:
a first terminal coupled to the positive rail of the auxiliary voltage bus;
a second terminal coupled to a negative rail of the auxiliary voltage bus;
a first diode coupled to the first terminal;
a second diode coupled to the first diode at a first node and coupled to the second terminal; and
a resistor coupled to the first node and configured to receive a voltage based on an input voltage received by the voltage input.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The voltage converter of claim 17, wherein the switching start-up circuit further comprises an enable circuit coupled between the resistor and the voltage input, the enable circuit comprising:
a switching device coupled between the resistor and the voltage input; and
a control network coupled to the switching device and configured to control switching of the switching device into conducting and non-conducting states, the control network comprising:
a resistor divider coupled to a control terminal of the switching device;
a switching device coupled to the resistor divider; and
an enable input configured to receive a signal for controlling the switching device into an on state or into an off state.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The voltage converter of claim 17, wherein the voltage converter comprises a non-synchronous buck converter.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The voltage converter of claim 17, wherein the bulk voltage is greater than 100 V.