# US 12,191,848 B2 · Control circuit and switch device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,191,848 B2 - Document ID: US12191848B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/916,743 - Filed: 2021-04-05 - Published: 2023-05-11 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-07 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ryosuke Maeda; Yusuke Kinoshita; Hidetoshi Ishida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191848B2 ## CPC - H03K 17/166: {Soft switching} - H02H 3/202: {for DC systems} - H02M 1/0054: {Transistor switching losses (periodically suspending operation of switching converter in low power mode H02M1/0035)} - H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters - H02M 1/088: for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices - H02M 1/346: {Passive non-dissipative snubbers} - 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) - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) - 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 A control circuit controls a switching element including a gate and a source corresponding to the gate. The control circuit includes an inductor, a circuit element, and a resistor. The inductor is connected between the gate and the source of the switching element. The circuit element is connected in series to the inductor between the gate and the source. The circuit element allows an electric current to flow therethrough in response to generation of electromotive force in the inductor. The resistor is connected in parallel to the inductor and the circuit element between the gate and the source. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control circuit configured to control a switching element, the switching element including a gate and a source corresponding to the gate, the control circuit comprising: an inductor connected between the gate and the source of the switching element; a circuit element connected in series to the inductor between the gate and the source and configured to allow an electric current to flow therethrough in response to generation of electromotive force in the inductor; and a resistor connected in parallel to the inductor and the circuit element between the gate and the source, wherein the circuit element includes a resistor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control circuit of claim 1, wherein when the switching element turns OFF, an electric current flowing through the source of the switching element decreases to generate electromotive force in the inductor, cause an electric current corresponding to the electromotive force to flow through the circuit element and the resistor, and thereby cause an increase in a potential at a reference potential point included in a path between a point of connection where the circuit element and the resistor are connected together and the gate, and an amount of an electric current flowing through the path from the gate varies according to a potential difference between a potential at the gate and the potential at the reference potential point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control circuit of claim 1, further comprising a protective diode, the protective diode including an anode and a cathode, having the anode connected between the source of the switching element and a node located between the inductor and the resistor, and having the cathode connected to the gate of the switching element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A switch device comprising: the control circuit of claim 1; and the switching element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The switch device of claim 4, wherein the switch device includes two switching elements, each of the two switching elements being the switching element, the switch device includes two control circuits, each of the two control circuits being the control circuit, the two switching elements are connected in series, and the two control circuits are associated one to one with the two switching elements. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The switch device of claim 5, wherein each of the two switching elements includes a drain corresponding to the gate, and the respective drains of the two switching elements are connected to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The switch device of claim 5, wherein the respective sources of the two switching elements are connected to each other. ### Claim 8 A control circuit configured to control a switching element, the switching element including a gate and a source corresponding to the gate, the control circuit comprising: an inductor connected between the gate and the source of the switching element; a circuit element connected in series to the inductor between the gate and the source and configured to allow an electric current to flow therethrough in response to generation of electromotive force in the inductor; a resistor connected in parallel to the inductor and the circuit element between the gate and the source; and a protective diode, the protective diode including an anode and a cathode, having the anode connected to a point of connection between the circuit element and the resistor, and having the cathode connected to the gate of the switching element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The control circuit of claim 8, wherein the circuit element includes a capacitor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The control circuit of claim 8, wherein the circuit element includes a diode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The control circuit of claim 8, wherein the circuit element includes a resistor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The control circuit of claim 8, wherein when the switching element turns OFF, an electric current flowing through the source of the switching element decreases to generate electromotive force in the inductor, cause an electric current corresponding to the electromotive force to flow through the circuit element and the resistor, and thereby cause an increase in a potential at a reference potential point included in a path between a point of connection where the circuit element and the resistor are connected together and the gate, and an amount of an electric current flowing through the path from the gate varies according to a potential difference between a potential at the gate and the potential at the reference potential point. ### Claim 13 A control circuit configured to control a switching element, the switching element including a gate and a source corresponding to the gate, the control circuit comprising: an inductor connected between the gate and the source of the switching element; a circuit element connected in series to the inductor between the gate and the source and configured to allow an electric current to flow therethrough in response to generation of electromotive force in the inductor; a resistor connected in parallel to the inductor and the circuit element between the gate and the source; a first terminal connected to the switching element at a point, located opposite from the source, of the switching element; a second terminal connected to the inductor at a point, located opposite from the switching element, of the inductor; a second inductor connected between a first node and the circuit element, the first node being located between a first inductor serving as the inductor and the second terminal; a voltage clamping element connected in parallel to the switching element, the first inductor, and the second inductor; and a third inductor connected between a second node and the voltage clamping element, the second node being located between the second inductor and the circuit element, wherein no electric current flows through the third inductor while the switching element is in ON state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The control circuit of claim 13, wherein the circuit element includes a resistor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The control circuit of claim 13, wherein when the switching element turns OFF, an electric current flowing through the source of the switching element decreases to generate electromotive force in the inductor, cause an electric current corresponding to the electromotive force to flow through the circuit element and the resistor, and thereby cause an increase in a potential at a reference potential point included in a path between a point of connection where the circuit element and the resistor are connected together and the gate, and an amount of an electric current flowing through the path from the gate varies according to a potential difference between a potential at the gate and the potential at the reference potential point. ### Claim 16 A switch device comprising: a control circuit configured to control a switching element, the switching element including a gate and a source corresponding to the gate; and the switching element, the control circuit comprising: an inductor connected between the gate and the source of the switching element; a circuit element connected in series to the inductor between the gate and the source and configured to allow an electric current to flow therethrough in response to generation of electromotive force in the inductor; and a resistor connected in parallel to the inductor and the circuit element between the gate and the source; the switching element is a dual-gate bidirectional switch including two gates and two sources, each of the two gates being the gate, each of the two sources being the source, the switch device includes two control circuits, each of the two control circuits being the control circuit, and one control circuit out of the two control circuits is connected to a gate, associated with the one control circuit, out of the two gates of the bidirectional switch, and the other control circuit out of the two control circuits is connected to a gate, associated with the other control circuit, out of the two gates of the bidirectional switch.