# US 9,438,222 B2 · Method, control unit and switching device for switching a cycle in a power transistor circuit

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- Number: US 9,438,222 B2
- Document ID: US9438222B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/514,589
- Filed: 2014-10-15
- Published: 2015-04-16
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-10-15
- Assignees: Continental Automotive GmbH
- Applicants: Continental Automotive GmbH
- Inventors: Martin Goetzenberger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438222B2

## CPC

- H03K 17/145: {in field-effect transistor switches}
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)

## Abstract

A method for switching a cycle in a power transistor circuit is created, especially in a parallel circuit of power transistors. The method includes the step of specifying a switching time difference and the switching of the power transistors of two switching times which are separate from one another by use of the switching time difference.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for switching a cycle in a power transistor circuit having power transistors connected in parallel with one another and including a first power transistor, a second power transistor and at least one third power transistor, which comprises the steps of:
specifying a switching time difference of greater than zero between a first switching-on time and a second switching-on time for a first switching cycle;
switching on the first power transistor at the first switching-on time;
switching on at least two other ones of the power transistors at the second switching-on time;
specifying a further switching time difference of greater than zero between a first switching-off time and a second, subsequent switching-off time for the first switching cycle;
switching-off of the first power transistor switched on at first and one of the power transistors, which were switched on at the second switching-on time, at the first switching-off time;
switching off the other one of the power transistors, which was switched-on at the second switching-on time at the second, subsequent switching-off time; and
wherein, in successive switching cycles, the power transistors to be switched at first switching-on times and second switching-off times change cyclically.

### Claim 2

A control unit for switching a cycle in a power transistor circuit, the power transistor circuit having power transistors connected in parallel with one another and including a first power transistor, a second power transistor and at least one third power transistor, the control unit programmed to perform the steps of:
specifying a switching time difference of greater than zero between a first switching-on time and a second switching-on time for a first switching cycle;
switching on the first power transistor at the first switching-on time;
switching on at least two other ones of the power transistors at the second switching-on time;
specifying a further switching time difference of greater than zero between a first switching-off time and a second, subsequent switching-off time for the first switching cycle;
switching-off of the first power transistor switched on at first and one of the power transistors, which were switched on at the second switching-on time, at the first switching-off time;
switching off the other one of the power transistors, which was switched-on at the second switching-on time at the second, subsequent switching-off time; and
wherein, in successive switching cycles, the power transistors to be switched at first switching-on times and second switching-off times change cyclically.