Tamotsu Yamamoto, 61San Jose, CA

7126318, Oct 24, 2006

Aug 25, 2005

11/210846

Richard K. Oswald - San Jose CA, US
Tamotsu Yamamoto - Cupertino CA, US
Mikio Motomori - Osaka, JP

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Osaka

G05F 1/40

323288, 323285

A method of generating a slope compensation signal for use in a current mode switching regulator. The method includes the steps of summing a clock signal and a reference signal so as to generate a linear ramp signal; generating a non-linear signal from the linear ramp signal; multiplying a correction signal with an input voltage signal so as to generate a signal which varies based on a measured value of a current flowing within the current mode switching regulator; summing a first voltage signal corresponding to the non-linear correction signal and a second voltage signal indicating the difference between an actual voltage level of the current mode switching regulator and the desired voltage level of the current mode switching regulator so as to generate a first output signal which represents the second voltage signal minus the first voltage signal; and comparing the first output signal and the measured value of a current flowing within the current mode switching regulator, and generating a second output signal utilized to control current flow within the current mode switching regulator based on the result of the comparison.

7176668, Feb 13, 2007

Jul 8, 2004

10/885788

Richard K. Oswald - San Jose CA, US
Tamotsu Yamamoto - Cupertino CA, US

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Osaka

G05F 1/56

323285, 323288

A switching regulator circuit with improved slope compensation for providing a regulated voltage to a load. The regulator circuit includes a power source and a switch circuit configured to control the coupling of the power source to the load. The operation of the switch circuit is controlled by a control signal generated by a control circuit. A feedback circuit is provided for generating a feedback signal indicative of the regulated voltage provided by the switching regulator circuit to the load. A circuit is provided to generate a sensed signal indicative of the current supplied by the power source. The regulator circuit further includes a timing signal generator for generating a timing signal, a ramp signal generator for generating a ramp signal, and a current source controlled by the ramp signal for generating a compensation signal indicative of the ramp signal. The control circuit generates the control signal based on the compensation signal, the timing signal, the sensed signal and the feedback signal.

7199636, Apr 3, 2007

Mar 31, 2005

11/094369

Richard K. Oswald - San Jose CA, US
Tamotsu Yamamoto - Cupertino CA, US
Takashi Ryu - Kyoto, JP
Hideki Shirokoshi - Kyoto, JP

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Osaka

H03L 5/00

327325, 327313

An active diode including a NMOS transistor having a source terminal, a drain terminal, a gate terminal and a back gate terminal, where the source terminal is connected to the back gate terminal and forms the anode terminal of the active diode, and the drain terminal forms the cathode terminal of the active diode. The active diode further includes an offset bias voltage source having a first terminal and a second terminal; and an amplifier having a non-inverting input terminal and an inverting input terminal, and an output terminal, where the inverting input terminal is connected to the drain terminal of the transistor, the non-inverting input terminal is connected to the first terminal of the offset bias source, the output terminal is connected to the gate terminal of the transistor, and the second terminal of the offset bias source is connected to the source terminal of the transistor.

7250746, Jul 31, 2007

Mar 30, 2005

11/092814

Richard K. Oswald - San Jose CA, US
Tamotsu Yamamoto - Cupertino CA, US
Hiroshi Saito - Tokyo, JP
Takuya Ishii - Osaka, JP
Takashi Ryu - Kyoto, JP
Hiroki Akashi - Osaka, JP
Takeshi Tanaka - Kanagawa, JP

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Osaka

G05F 1/618
G05F 1/575

323284, 323286

A power supply switching regulator including a common terminal; an input terminal for supplying a direct current input; an output terminal; a recirculating diode having a first terminal connected to the common terminal; an inductor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the recirculation diode and a second terminal connected to the output terminal; a capacitor having a first terminal connected to the output terminal and a second terminal connected to the common terminal; a switch connected between the input terminal and the first terminal of the inductor, the switch operable for switching between an ON state in which the direct current input is coupled to the inductor, and an OFF state in which the direct current input is isolated from the inductor; and a controller coupled to the switch and operable for controlling the amount of time the switch is in the ON state and the OFF state such that the duration of time the switch is in the ON state is inversely proportional to the difference between the voltage at the input terminal and the voltage at the output terminal.

7282894, Oct 16, 2007

Aug 22, 2005

11/207937

Richard K. Oswald - San Jose CA, US
Tamotsu Yamamoto - Cupertino CA, US
Takashi Ryu - Kyoto, JP

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Osaka

G05F 1/613

323224, 323282, 323284, 363 25

A current sensing circuit for use in a switching regulator having a high-side switch. The current sensing circuit includes a first sensing circuit coupled to the high-side switch for measuring current flowing in a positive direction through the high-side switch. The first sensing circuit includes a first replica device for generating a current which is a scaled version of the positive current flowing through the high-side switch. The current sensing circuit further includes a second sensing circuit coupled to the high-side switch for measuring current flowing in a negative direction through the high-side switch. The second sensing circuit includes a second replica device for generating a current which is a scaled version of the negative current flowing through the high-side switch.

7282900, Oct 16, 2007

Aug 19, 2005

11/206977

Richard K. Oswald - San Jose CA, US
Tamotsu Yamamoto - Cupertino CA, US
Takashi Ryu - Kyoto, JP
Mikio Motomori - Osaka, JP
Takuya Ishii - Osaka, JP

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Osaka

G05F 1/40

323282, 323283, 363 25

A method of regulating an output voltage by utilizing a switching regulator, where the switching regulator includes a high side switch, a low side switch having an active diode, a controller coupled to the high side switch and the low side switch, and a current measuring circuit coupled to the high side switch. The method includes the steps of: measuring the output voltage and if the output voltage is below a desired level, activating the high side switch so as to provide current to a load capacitor via a load inductor, if the voltage is above the desired level, activating the low side switch so as to sink current from the load capacitor via the load inductor; and utilizing the current measuring circuit to measure the current flowing through the high side switch in either a positive direction or a negative direction, where the controller is operable for controlling the current measuring circuit and disabling active components contained in the current measuring circuit and the active diode when the active components are not utilized during operation of the switching regulator so as to reduce operational power requirements of the switching regulator.

7292015, Nov 6, 2007

Nov 18, 2005

11/281878

Richard Oswald - San Jose CA, US
Tamotsu Yamamoto - Cupertino CA, US
Takuya Ishi - Osaka, JP

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - Osaka

G05F 1/59

323268, 323274, 323284

A regulating apparatus having an output node and being operative for regulating the voltage level at the output node in response to a reference signal provided as an input to the regulating apparatus. The regulating apparatus includes a linear amplifier stage operative for receiving the reference signal and being capable of sourcing current to the output node when the reference signal indicates that a present voltage level at the output node is less than a desired voltage level at the output node. The regulating apparatus also includes a switching regulator, which is controlled by the linear amplifier stage, and which is operative for sourcing current to the output node when the amount of current being sourced to the output node by the linear amplifier stage exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7683719, Mar 23, 2010

Sep 7, 2007

11/896973

Richard Oswald - San Jose CA, US
Tamotsu Yamamoto - Cupertino CA, US
Takashi Ryu - Kyoto, JP

Panasonic Corporation - Osaka

H03F 1/14

330292

A frequency compensation circuit internal to an integrated circuit which comprises a transconductance amplifier having a first input configured to receive a reference voltage, a second input configured to receive an input voltage and an input current, a first output configured to output a first output current and a second output configured to output a second output current; and a compensation circuit connected to said second output of said transconductance amplifier, wherein said first output is connected to said second input.