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US 2014/0241018 A1Published application
System and method for limiting output current in a switching power supply
AssigneeChampion Microelectronic Corp.
InventorsJeffrey Hwang, Alland Chee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A switching power supply comprises one or more power supply stages configured to receive power from an input power source and to generate an output voltage for powering a load by alternately opening and closing a set of switches. An output current sensor is configured to monitor a level of an output current of the switching power supply. The opening and closing of the set of switches is controlled so as to maintain the output voltage at a desired level when the level of the output current is below the threshold and so as to limit the output current when the level of the output current exceeds the threshold.
Claims27
A switching power supply comprising:
- one or more power supply stages configured to receive power from an input power source and to generate an output voltage for powering a load by alternately opening and closing a set of switches;
- an output current sensor configured to monitor a level of an output current of the switching power supply, the output current sensor comprising:
- a sensing impedance configured to receive a current that is representative of a level of the output current;
- first circuitry configured to amplify a signal formed by the sensing impedance thereby forming an amplified signal;
- and second circuitry configured to generate a current sensing signal in response to the amplified signal exceeding a threshold;
- and
- a controller configured to control the opening and closing of the set of switches so as to maintain the output voltage at a desired level when the level of the output current is below the threshold and wherein the controller is configured to control the opening and closing of the set of switches so as to limit the output current when the level of the output current exceeds the threshold.
4 more elements
A switching power supply comprising:
- one or more power supply stages configured to receive power from an input power source and to generate output voltages for powering a plurality of loads by alternately opening and closing respective sets of switches, each load provided with a respective output current;
- a multiple output current sensor configured to monitor a level of each output current, the output current sensor forming a current sense signal representative of the highest one of the output currents;
- and
- controller circuitry configured to control the opening and closing of the sets of switches so as to maintain each output voltage at a desired level when the level of the current sense signal is below a threshold and wherein the controller is configured to control the opening and closing of the set of switches so as to limit the output current when the level of the current sense signal exceeds the threshold.
1 more element
A controller for a switching power supply comprising:
- an output voltage sensor configured to monitor a level of an output voltage of a switching power supply;
- an output current sensor configured to monitor a level of an output current of the switching power supply;
- and
- control circuitry configured to control the opening and closing of a set of switches of the switching power supply in a feedback loop so as to maintain the output voltage at a desired level when the level of the output current is below a threshold and wherein the controller is configured to control the opening and closing of the set of switches so as to limit the output current when the level of the output current exceeds the threshold.
1 more element
A controller for a switching power supply comprising;
- means for generating switching signals for alternately opening and closing a set of switches using frequency modulation for forming an output voltage;
- means for monitoring a level of an output current, comprising:
- means for forming a signal that is representative of a level of the output current;
- means for amplifying the signal representative of a level of the output current thereby forming an amplified signal;
- and means for generating a current sensing signal in response to the amplified signal exceeding a threshold;
- and
- means for controlling the switching signals so as to maintain the output voltage at a desired level when the level of the output current is below the threshold and wherein the controller is configured to control the opening and closing of the set of switches so as to limit the output current when the level of the output current exceeds the threshold.
4 more elements
A method of controlling a switching power supply comprising:
- operating a set of switches of one or more power supply stages to generate an output voltage;
- monitoring a level of an output current using a sensing impedance that receives a current that is representative of a level of the output current:
- amplifying a signal formed by the sensing impedance thereby forming an amplified signal;
- generating a current sensing signal in response to the amplified signal exceeding a threshold;
- and
- controlling the opening and closing of the set of switches so as to maintain the output voltage at a desired level when the level of the output current is below the threshold and controlling the opening and closing of the set of switches so as to limit the output current when the level of the output current exceeds the threshold.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.