# US 2017/0290113 A1 · Biasing and driving circuit, based on a feedback voltage regulator, for an electric load > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0290113 A1 - Document ID: US20170290113A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/628,270 - Filed: 2017-06-20 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-29 - Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l. - Applicants: Stmicroelectronics S.R.L. - Inventors: Fulvio Ottavio Lissoni; Domenico Attianese; Stefano Signoria - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170290113A1 ## CPC - H02M 1/42: Circuits or arrangements for compensating for or adjusting power factor in converters or inverters - H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators - H02M 7/217: using semiconductor devices only - H05B 45/3725: Switched mode power supply [SMPS] - H05B 45/395: Linear regulators - H02M 1/0093: {wherein the output is created by adding a regulated voltage to or subtracting it from an unregulated input} - H05B 45/38: using boost topology - Y02B 20/30: Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED] - Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes - 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) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract An electronic system includes a feedback voltage regulator circuit including input terminals receiving an alternating input voltage signal and a feedback input terminal receiving a feedback voltage that is generated based on a load current through an electric load. A sensing element senses the load current through the electric load and generates and sensed voltage based upon the sensed load current. A current transducer receives the sensed voltage provides the feedback voltage based upon the sensed voltage. A current generator receives the alternating input voltage signal and provides a biasing current signal that is a function of the alternating input voltage signal to modulate the feedback voltage on the feedback input terminal based upon the alternating input voltage signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A circuit including input terminals configured to receive an alternating input voltage signal and configured to supply an output voltage signal to an electric load, the circuit configured to generate a biasing current signal that is based on the alternating input voltage signal and configured to supply the biasing current signal to a feedback input of a feedback voltage regulator to modulate a feedback voltage signal generated on the feedback input. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a current transducer coupled to the feedback input and configured to be coupled to the electric load, the current transducer configured to modulate the feedback voltage signal responsive to the biasing current signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The circuit of claim 2, wherein the current transducer comprises a resistive circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a sensing circuit configured to be coupled to the electric load to receive a supply current signal through the electric load and to generate a sensed voltage signal in response to the supply current signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit comprises a resistive circuit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a current generator configured to receive the alternating input voltage signal and coupled to the feedback input to supply the biasing current signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the current generator comprises: a rectifier configured to receive the alternating input voltage signal and to rectify the alternating input voltage signal to generate a rectified output voltage signal; a differential stage circuit having a first input, a second input, and a first output coupled to the feedback input, the differential stage circuit configured to supply the biasing current signal; a voltage-divider circuit configured to receive the rectified output voltage signal and to provide a first operating voltage signal based on the rectified output voltage signal to the first input of the differential stage circuit; and an integrator circuit configured to receive the first operating voltage signal and to provide to the second input of the differential stage circuit a second operating voltage based on integrating the first operating voltage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The circuit of claim 7, wherein the differential stage circuit includes a first transistor and a second transistor configured to receive on respective controls nodes the first and second operating voltages. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The circuit of claim 8 further comprising a charge pump coupled to the differential stage circuit and configured to receive the alternating input voltage signal and to generate a biasing voltage based on the alternating input voltage to bias the differential stage circuit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the feedback voltage regulator comprises a switching-mode power supply type feedback voltage regulator. ### Claim 11 An electronic system, comprising: a feedback voltage regulator circuit including input terminals that in operation receive an alternating input voltage signal and a feedback input terminal that in operation receives a feedback voltage that is generated based on a load current through an electric load; a sensing element that in operation senses the load current through the electric load and generates and sensed voltage based upon the sensed load current; a current transducer coupled to the sensing element to receive the sensed voltage and coupled to the feedback input terminal, the current transducer in operation providing the feedback voltage based upon the sensed voltage; and a current generator that in operation receives the alternating input voltage signal and is coupled to the feedback input terminal to provide a biasing current signal that is a function of the alternating input voltage signal to modulate the feedback voltage on the feedback input terminal based upon the alternating input voltage signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic system of claim 11, wherein the feedback voltage regulator circuit comprises one of a switching-mode power supply (SMPS) and a linear power supply. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The electronic system of claim 11, wherein the sensing element comprises a resistive circuit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The electronic system of claim 11, wherein the current transducer comprises a resistive circuit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The electronic system of claim 13 further comprising the electronic load coupled to the feedback voltage regulator circuit to receive the supply current, the electronic load comprising at least one light-emitting diode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The electronic system of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary biasing circuit is external to an integrated circuit that includes the feedback voltage regulator circuit. ### Claim 17 A method, comprising: generating a sensing voltage as a function of a supply current through an electronic load; providing a feedback voltage on a feedback input of a feedback voltage regulator based on the sensing voltage; providing an alternating input voltage to the feedback voltage regulator; generating a biasing current based on the alternating input voltage; and modulating the feedback voltage based on the generated biasing current. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein providing the alternating input voltage to the feedback voltage regulator comprises: rectifying the alternating input voltage; and providing the rectified alternating input voltage to the feedback voltage regulator circuit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising coupling a resistive element across the rectified alternating input voltage responsive to the biasing current being greater than a threshold value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein generating the sensing voltage as a function of the supply current through the electronic load comprises supplying the supply current through at least one light-emitting diode.