US 5,856,740 A · Shunt voltage regulator with a variable load unit

Abstract

A voltage regulator for regulating a power source that supplies an input signal includes input terminals connected across the power supply, a voltage sensor, a reference generator, a variable load unit, and a control unit. The voltage sensor is connected across the input terminals and receives the input signal and generates a scaled input signal from the input signal that is a fraction of the input signal in magnitude. The reference generator receives the scaled input signal from the voltage sensor and generates a reference signal. The variable load unit is connected across the input terminals. The control unit receives and compares the scaled input signal and the reference signal and instructs the variable load unit to dissipate a first portion of the input signal if the scaled input signal exceeds the reference signal.

Claims48

Dependent claims

A voltage regulator for regulating a power source that supplies an input signal, comprising:

input terminals connected across the power supply;
a voltage sensor connected across the input terminals that receives the input signal and generates a scaled input signal from the input signal that is a fraction of the input signal in magnitude;
a reference generator that receives the scaled input signal from the voltage sensor and generates a reference signal;
a variable load unit connected across the input terminals;
and
a control unit that receives and compares the scaled input signal and the reference signal and controls the variable load unit to dissipate a first portion of the input signal if the scaled input signal exceeds the reference signal.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Shunt voltage regulator with a variable load unit

Life of this patent

Shunt voltage regulator with a variable load unit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims48