US 12,597,866 B2Granted

Dynamic current rectifier

AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Systems Corporation

InventorsBouchaib Cherif, Philippe Olivier-Marie Pouliquen

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Abstract

A dynamic current rectifier includes an input terminal for receiving an input current, an output terminal for outputting a rectified output current, a first current mirror, a second current mirror, a first switch having a first terminal coupled to the input terminal and a second terminal coupled to the first current mirror, a second switch having a first terminal coupled to the output terminal and a second terminal coupled to the first current mirror, a third switch having a first terminal coupled to the input terminal and a second terminal coupled to the second current mirror, and a fourth switch having a first terminal coupled to the output terminal and a second terminal coupled to the second current mirror.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A dynamic current rectifier, comprising:

an input terminal configured to receive an input current;
an output terminal configured to output a rectified output current;
a first current mirror configured to generate a mirrored current;
a second current mirror configured to generate a mirrored current;
a first switch comprising a first terminal coupled to the input terminal and a second terminal coupled to the first current mirror;
a second switch comprising a first terminal coupled to the output terminal and a second terminal coupled to the first current mirror;
a third switch comprising a first terminal coupled to the input terminal and a second terminal coupled to the second current mirror;
a fourth switch comprising a first terminal coupled to the output terminal and a second terminal coupled to the second current mirror;
a fifth switch comprising a first terminal coupled to the output terminal, a second terminal coupled to the input terminal, and a gate terminal;
a sixth switch comprising a first terminal coupled to the output terminal, a second terminal coupled to the first terminals of the second and fourth switches, and a gate terminal;
and
a controller configured to provide control signals to the first through sixth switches, wherein:
the controller provides the gate terminal of the fifth switch with a first output control signal, and the fifth switch is configured to be turned on at a polarity of the input current and to be turned off at an opposite polarity of the input current, and
the controller provides the gate terminal of the sixth switch with a second output control signal.

11 more elements

A method for rectifying an alternating electrical current, comprising:

supplying an input current to an input terminal of a dynamic current rectifier;
supplying a first control signal to a first and fourth switches of the dynamic current rectifier to turn on and off the first and fourth switches at the same time;
supplying a second control signal to a second and third switches of the dynamic current rectifier to turn on and off the second and third switches at the same time;
supplying a first current mirror control signal to a first current mirror of the dynamic current rectifier to switch the first current mirror between an input mode and an output mode, wherein the first and second switches are coupled to the first current mirror, and wherein the first switch is turned on and the second switch is turned off while the first current mirror is in the input mode;
supplying a second current mirror control signal to a second current mirror of the dynamic current rectifier to switch the second current mirror between an input mode and an output mode, wherein the third and fourth switches are coupled to the second current mirror, and wherein the third switch is turned on and the fourth switch is turned off while the second current mirror is in the input mode;
supplying a first output control signal to a gate terminal of a fifth switch to turn on the fifth switch at a polarity of the input current and to turn off the fifth switch at an opposite polarity of the input current, wherein the fifth switch comprises a first terminal coupled to an output terminal and a second terminal coupled to the input terminal;
supplying a second output control signal to a gate terminal of a sixth switch, wherein the sixth switch comprises a first terminal coupled to the output terminal and a second terminal coupled to a first terminals of the second and fourth switches;
and outputting, at the output terminal of the dynamic current rectifier the input current, an output current from the second switch or an output current from the fourth switch.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/384,547Filed 27 Oct 2023
Published: US 2025/0141364 A11 May 2025
Granted: 7 Apr 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H02M 7/05
By static converters: capacitor coupled rectifiers
H02M 7/217
Using devices of a triode or transistor type requiring continuous application of a control signal: using semiconductor devices only
G05F 3/262
Current mirrors: using field-effect transistors only
H02M 1/088
Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters: for the…

Family

US 2025/0141364 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 May 2025
US 12,597,866 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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