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US 2014/0232189 A1Published application
Enhanced dc-dc converter, method for operating the dc-dc converter, environmental energy-harvesting system comprising the dc-dc converter, and apparatus comprising the energy-harvesting system
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsAlessandro Gasparini, Eugenio Miluzzi, Alberto Cattani, Stefano Ramorini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A DC-DC converter independently supplies electrical loads. For each load, an output load signal is compared to a reference to generate a result indicating a need to supply the respective electrical load. A first detection is made as to whether a first electrical load needs to be supplied and a second detection is made as to whether any remaining electrical loads need to be supplied. The first electrical load is supplied if the first detection is positive and the second detection is negative.
Claims23
A DC-DC converter, comprising:
- a charge switch and a discharge switch connected in series at a common node;
- an inductor having a first conduction terminal coupled to common node;
- a plurality of coupling switches, each coupling switch coupled between a second conduction terminal of the inductor and a respective electrical load output node to supply an output supply signal;
- a plurality of comparator circuits, each comparator circuit configured to receive a respective output supply signal and a respective comparison reference signal, and each comparator circuit configured to generate a respective comparison result signal indicative of a need to supply the respective electrical load output node;
- a control logic circuit operable in response to a first operating time interval and an immediately subsequent second operating time interval and configured to:
- (a) detect in a first verification instant preceding the first operating time interval whether, on the basis of the respective result signal, a first electrical output node needs to be supplied;
- (b) detect, in a second verification instant immediately subsequent to the first operating time interval but preceding the second operating time interval, whether, on the basis of the respective result signal, any other electrical output nodes need to be supplied;
- and
- (c) supply said first electrical output node during the first and second operating time intervals in the case where (a) yields a positive outcome and (b) yields a negative outcome.
6 more elements
An energy-harvesting system, comprising:
- a transducer configured to convert energy coming from an energy source external to said system into an AC electrical signal;
- a rectifier circuit configured to receive the AC electrical signal and supply a DC output signal;
- a first storage element coupled to the rectifier circuit and configured to store electrical energy from the DC output signal;
- and
- a DC-DC converter coupled between the rectifier circuit (4) and electrical output nodes, said DC-DC converter configured to receive the DC output signal generated by the rectifier circuit and supply the electrical output nodes, the DC-DC converter comprising:
- a charge switch and a discharge switch connected in series at a common node;
- an inductor having a first conduction terminal coupled to common node;
- a plurality of coupling switches, each coupling switch coupled between a second conduction terminal of the inductor and a respective electrical load output node to supply an output supply signal;
- a plurality of comparator circuits, each comparator circuit configured to receive a respective output supply signal and a respective comparison reference signal, and each comparator circuit configured to generate a respective comparison result signal indicative of a need to supply the respective electrical load output node;
- a control logic circuit operable in response to a first operating time interval and an immediately subsequent second operating time interval and configured to:
- (a) detect in a first verification instant preceding the first operating time interval whether, on the basis of the respective result signal, a first electrical output node needs to be supplied;
- (b) detect, in a second verification instant immediately subsequent to the first operating time interval but preceding the second operating time interval, whether, on the basis of the respective result signal, any other electrical output nodes need to be supplied;
- and
- (c) supply said first electrical output node during the first and second operating time intervals in the case where (a) yields a positive outcome and (b) yields a negative outcome.
11 more elements
A method for operating a DC-DC converter which supplies a plurality of electrical loads, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) for each electrical load, comparing a respective output supply signal with a respective comparison reference signal;
- (b) generating a respective result signal obtained from the comparison of step (a) indicating a need to supply the respective electrical load;
- (c) generating a first operating time interval and an immediately subsequent second operating time interval during which the DC-DC converter supplies a respective electrical load of the plurality of electrical loads;
- (d) detecting, in a first verification instant preceding the first operating time interval whether, on the basis of the respective result signal, a first electrical load from among the plurality of electrical loads needs to be supplied;
- (e) detecting, in a second verification instant immediately subsequent to the first operating time interval but preceding the second operating time interval whether, on the basis of the respective result signals, the remaining electrical loads of the plurality of electrical loads need to be supplied;
- and
- (f) supplying said first electrical load during the first and second operating time intervals in the case where step (d) yields a positive outcome and step (e) yields a negative outcome.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.