Patent · US Expired

Charge pump

US5625544A · kind A · utility

89Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 25, 1996
Grant dateApr 29, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 25, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02M3/073
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A charge pump circuit including N stages of diode-capacitor voltage multipliers clocked so as to convert a low voltage received from a supply voltage to a high voltage at an output terminal thereof employs an output stage to improve the efficiency of the charge pump. The output stage includes first and second legs each coupled to the output terminal, where the first leg provides current to the output terminal during low transitions of the clock signal and the second stage provides current to the output terminal during high transitions of the clock signal. In some embodiments, the numerous one of the above-mentioned charge pump circuit may be connected in parallel to achieve even greater output currents. Thus, unlike conventional charge pump circuits, a substantially constant current is provided to the output terminal throughout the period of the clock signal, thereby increasing the average total current provided to the output terminal and, thus, increasing the driving capability of the charge pump circuit.

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