Current regulator with current threshold dependent duty cycle
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorHeimo Hartlieb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A regulator and a method for regulating a current through a load. The regulator may include, for example, a first circuit portion configured to alternately apply and remove a voltage across the load in accordance with a first signal, the voltage causing a current to flow, and a second circuit portion configured to generate the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon an amount of the current and a second signal when the amount of current is below a threshold amount, and to generate the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon the amount of the current but not the second signal when the amount of current exceeds the threshold amount.
Claims23
A regulator for regulating a current through a load, the regulator comprising:
- a first circuit portion configured to alternately apply and remove a voltage across the load in accordance with a first signal, the voltage causing a current to flow;
- and
- a second circuit portion configured to generate the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon an amount of the current and a second signal when the amount of current is below a threshold amount, and to generate the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon the amount of the current but not the second signal when the amount of current exceeds the threshold amount.
A method for regulating a current through a load, the method comprising:
- alternately applying and removing a voltage across the load in accordance with a first signal, the voltage causing a current to flow;
- generating the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon an amount of the current and a second signal when the amount of current is below a threshold amount;
- and
- generating the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon the amount of the current but not the second signal when the amount of current exceeds the threshold amount.
A regulator for regulating a current through a load, the regulator comprising:
- a switch configured to switch between an off state and an on state in accordance with a first signal;
- a first circuit portion configured to measure a current;
- and
- a second circuit portion configured to receive a second signal, to generate the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon the second signal and an average of the measured current when the average of the measured current is below a threshold amount, and to generate the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon the average of the measured current, but not the second signal, when the average of the measured current exceeds the threshold amount.
A regulator for regulating a current through a load, the regulator comprising:
- means for alternately applying and removing a voltage across the load in accordance with a first signal, the voltage causing a current to flow;
- and
- means for generating the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon an amount of the current and the second signal when the amount of current is below a threshold amount, and for generating the first signal so as to have a duty cycle that depends upon the amount of the current but not the second signal when the amount of current exceeds the threshold amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.