Patent · US Active

Variable voltage generator circuit, capacitor and method

US11496059B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
4References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 29, 2017
Grant dateNov 8, 2022
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 25, 2038

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02B70/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A variable voltage generator circuit is described for generating, from a substantially constant supply voltage VS, a variable high-voltage control voltage VC for a variable power capacitor (1) having a variable-permittivity dielectric. The control voltage generator circuit comprises a top-up circuit (10) for maintaining the voltage VCin on an input capacitor (12) at least at supply voltage VS, and a bidirectional DC-DC converter circuit (20) having a variable voltage conversion factor G controlled by control input signal (27). The bidirectional DC-DC converter (20) is arranged to convert voltage, at the voltage conversion factor G, between the input capacitor voltage VCin and the output voltage VC. When VC<G×VCin, the DC-DC converter circuit (20) uses charge stored in the input capacitor (12) to charge the capacitive load (1). When VC>G×VCin, the DC-DC converter circuit (20) uses charge stored in the load capacitance (1) to charge the input capacitor (12).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.