Patent · US Expired

Potential and rate adjust header switch circuitry reducing transient current

US7570100B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
3References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 16, 2004
Grant dateAug 4, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 16, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K17/167
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

System and method for providing power to circuitry while avoiding a large transient current. A preferred embodiment comprises a distributed switch (such as switch arrangement 400) with a plurality of switches (such as switch 405) coupling a power supply to the circuitry. Each switch is individually controlled by a control signal and is turned on sequentially. Also coupled to each switch is a pre-driver circuit (such as pre-driver circuit 410). The pre-driver circuit comprises a potential adjust circuit (such as potential adjust circuit 505) that rapidly adjusts a voltage potential at the switch and a rate adjust circuit (such as the rate adjust circuit 520) that accelerates the power ramp-up across the switch once transient currents are no longer a concern. Adjusting the voltage potential so that the switch operates in a saturation mode increases an effective capacitance across the switch and thereby retarding the power ramp-up across the switch.

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