Mark A Crowther, 5354 Wildwood Ave, Warwick, RI 02889

7034511, Apr 25, 2006

Aug 9, 2004

10/914707

George Schuellein - Narraganfett RI, US
Dan Clavette - Greene RI, US
Mark Crowther - Saunderstown RI, US

International Rectifier Corporation - El Segundo CA

G05F 1/44

323272, 323225

A buck converter for providing an output voltage to a load, including a plurality of output switch arrangements having respective output inductors coupled to an output capacitor, the switch arrangements being controllable to provide phase output currents to the output capacitor; a plurality of phase output arrangements respectively coupled to the output switch arrangements, the phase output arrangements being controllable to set the respective phase output currents supplied by the output switch arrangements; a phase control bus communicatively coupled to each of the phase output arrangements; and a phase control arrangement communicatively coupled to the phase control bus, the phase control arrangement being configured to control the phase output arrangements to set the respective phase output currents so that the output voltage approximates the desired voltage; wherein the phase control arrangement and the phase output arrangements are provided as respective integrated circuits.

7301314, Nov 27, 2007

Sep 11, 2006

11/530539

George Schuellein - Narragansett RI, US
Danny Richard Clavette - Greene RI, US
Mark Crowther - Saunderstown RI, US

International Rectifier Corporation - El Segundo CA

G05F 1/40
G05F 1/455

323272, 323225

A multi-phase buck converter comprising a plurality of output switch arrangements each comprising a high side switch and a low side switch connected in series across a DC voltage and having a common connection coupled through a respective output inductor to a converter output node at which a converter output voltage is provided; a plurality of circuit arrangements providing pulse width modulated control signals to the high side and low side switches of each output switch arrangement for regulating the converter output voltage; a control arrangement providing a timing signal for controlling the start of conduction times of the high side and low side switches of each output switch arrangement and for providing an error signal related to a difference between the converter output voltage and a reference signal; a current sense arrangement coupled to each output inductor for providing a phase current signal related to the phase current provided by the respective output switch arrangement through the respective output inductor, there thus being provided a phase current signal for each output switch arrangement; and a circuit providing an average inductor current signal proportional to the average current through each output inductor, each current sense arrangement further comprising a current share adjusting circuit receiving the respective phase current signal and the average inductor current signal for producing a difference signal in accordance with the average inductor current signal and the respective phase current signal for the respective output switch arrangement, said difference signal adjusting the current through the respective output inductor to equalize the currents in each of the output inductors.

7477045, Jan 13, 2009

Feb 22, 2006

11/359534

George Schuellein - Narraganfett RI, US
Dan Clavette - Greene RI, US
Mark Crowther - Saunderstown RI, US

International Rectifier Corporation - El Segundo CA

G05F 1/44
G05F 1/40

323272, 323225

A buck converter for providing an output voltage to a load, including a plurality of output switch arrangements having respective output inductors coupled to an output capacitor, the switch arrangements being controllable to provide phase output currents to the output capacitor; a plurality of phase output arrangements respectively coupled to the output switch arrangements, the phase output arrangements being controllable to set the respective phase output currents supplied by the output switch arrangements; a phase control bus communicatively coupled to each of the phase output arrangements; and a phase control arrangement communicatively coupled to the phase control bus, the phase control arrangement being configured to control the phase output arrangements to set the respective phase output currents so that the output voltage approximates the desired voltage; wherein the phase control arrangement and the phase output arrangements are provided as respective integrated circuits.

7960957, Jun 14, 2011

Jul 17, 2007

11/778711

Danny Richard Clavette - Greene RI, US
Mark Crowther - Saunderstown RI, US
George Schuellein - Narragansett RI, US

International Rectifier Corporation - El Segundo CA

G05F 1/00

323284, 363 50, 323272

A headroom compensation circuit for a voltage converter for ensuring that there is adequate headroom voltage to enable accurate operation of the current sense amplifier sensing the output current of the converter, the headroom compensation circuit comprising an error amplifier for comparing an output voltage of the converter to a reference voltage to set the converter output voltage; and a circuit for providing a bias current to an input of the error amplifier when a supply voltage to the current sense amplifier within a predefined threshold of the converter output voltage to cause the error amplifier to reduce the converter output voltage thereby to increase the headroom voltage for the current sense amplifier, said headroom voltage being defined as a voltage between the supply voltage to the current sense amplifier and said converter output voltage.

7982441, Jul 19, 2011

Feb 13, 2008

12/030269

Mark Crowther - Saunderstown RI, US
Wenkai Wu - East Greenwich RI, US
George Schuellein - Narragansett RI, US

International Rectifier Corporation - El Segundo CA

G05F 1/40

323237, 323225, 323272

A multiphase converter comprising a plurality of converter circuits, each converter circuit having series connected high and low side switches connected across a voltage bus with a common node provided therebetween, each of the common nodes connected through a respective inductor to an output node of the converter coupled to a load, the high and low side switches each being controlled by a control circuit to provide a desired output voltage at the output node, the control circuit including a first circuit for disabling and enabling at least one phase in response to a condition of the load, the circuit causing the high side switch to be turned on prior to the lower side switch when a disabled phase is enabled.

2003017, Sep 25, 2003

Mar 18, 2003

10/392121

George Schuellein - Narraganfett RI, US
Dan Clavette - Greene RI, US
Mark Crowther - Saunderstown RI, US

G05F001/40

323/272000

A buck converter for providing an output voltage to a load, including a plurality of output switch arrangements having respective output inductors coupled to an output capacitor, the switch arrangements being controllable to provide phase output currents to the output capacitor; a plurality of phase output arrangements respectively coupled to the output switch arrangements, the phase output arrangements being controllable to set the respective phase output currents supplied by the output, switch arrangements; a phase control bus communicatively coupled to each of the phase output arrangements; and a phase control arrangement communicatively coupled to the phase control bus, the phase control arrangement being configured to control the phase output arrangements to set the respective phase output currents so that the output voltage approximates the desired voltage; wherein the phase control arrangement and the phase output arrangements are provided as respective integrated circuits.

2019010, Apr 4, 2019

Dec 3, 2018

16/207477

- Villach OT 9500, AT
Kang Peng - East Greenwich CT, US
Keng Chen - Sudbury MA, US
Mark A. Crowther - Warwick RI, US

H02M 3/156
H03K 4/08

A power supply includes a reference voltage generator circuit, a ramp generator circuit, and control circuitry. During operation, the reference voltage generator circuit compares a magnitude of a received output voltage feedback signal to a received reference voltage. Based on the comparison, the reference voltage generator circuit produces a varying reference voltage and outputs it to the ramp generator circuit. As its name suggests, a magnitude of the varying reference voltage varies over time. The ramp generator circuit produces a ramp voltage signal, a magnitude of which is offset by the varying reference voltage. To maintain an output voltage of the power supply within regulation, the control circuitry receives the varying reference voltage and controls activation of a power converter circuit to power a load based on a comparison of the ramp voltage signal and the output voltage feedback signal of the power supply.

2018035, Dec 6, 2018

Jun 6, 2017

15/614799

- Villach, AT
Kang Peng - East Greenwich CT, US
Keng Chen - Sudbury MA, US
Mark A. Crowther - Warwick RI, US

H02M 3/156
H03K 4/08

A power supply includes a reference voltage generator circuit, a ramp generator circuit, and control circuitry. During operation, the reference voltage generator circuit compares a magnitude of a received output voltage feedback signal to a received reference voltage. Based on the comparison, the reference voltage generator circuit produces a varying reference voltage and outputs it to the ramp generator circuit. As its name suggests, a magnitude of the varying reference voltage varies over time. The ramp generator circuit produces a ramp voltage signal, a magnitude of which is offset by the varying reference voltage. To maintain an output voltage of the power supply within regulation, the control circuitry receives the varying reference voltage and controls activation of a power converter circuit to power a load based on a comparison of the ramp voltage signal and the output voltage feedback signal of the power supply.