US 11,606,642 B2Granted

Driver circuits

AssigneeCirrus Logic, Inc.

InventorsAnthony S. Doy, Eric J. King

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The application describes a switched driver (401) for outputting a drive signal at an output node (402) to drive a load such as a transducer. The driver receives respective high-side and low-side voltages (VinH, VinL) defining an input voltage at first and second input nodes and has connections for first and second capacitors (403H, 403L). A network of switching paths is configured such that each of the first and second capacitors can be selectively charged to the input voltage, the first input node can be selectively coupled to a first node (N1) by a path that include or bypass the first capacitor, and the second input node can be selectively coupled to a second node (N2) by a path that includes or bypasses the second capacitor. The output node (402) can be switched between two switching voltages at the first or second nodes. The driver is selectively operable in different operating modes, where the switching voltages are different in each of said modes.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A driver circuit comprising a first switching driver for generating a first drive signal, the first switching driver comprising:

first and second input nodes for connection to respective high-side and low-side voltages defining an input voltage;
capacitor nodes for connection to first and second capacitors;
a driver output node for outputting the first drive signal;
and
a network of switching paths;
wherein the network of switching paths is configured such that, in use:
each of the first capacitor and the second capacitor can be selectively connected in series between the first and second input nodes to be charged to the input voltage;
the first input node can be selectively coupled to a first selective boost node by a path that includes the first capacitor in series or by a path which bypasses the first capacitor;
the second input node can be selectively coupled to a second selective boost node by a path that includes the second capacitor in series or by a path which bypasses the second capacitor;
and
the driver output node can be selectively coupled to the first selective boost node or the second selective boost node;
wherein the first switching driver is selectively operable in a plurality of different operating modes, wherein in each of said operating modes the driver output node is switched between two switching voltages and the switching voltages are different in each of said modes.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/343,479Filed 9 Jun 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 13 Aug 2020
Published: US 2022/0053267 A117 Feb 2022
Granted: 14 Mar 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H03F 3/2173
Class D power amplifiers; Switching amplifiers: of the bridge type
H04R 3/00
Circuits for transducers
H03F 3/183
Low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio preamplifiers: with semiconductor devices only
H03K 17/687
By the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices: the devices being field-effect transistors