Patent ID: 6107862
Filing Date: 2000-08-22
Classification: H02M

Abstract:
A charge pump circuit comprising: an input terminal receptive of a power source voltage; one or more first capacitors having a capacitance value sufficient to permit charging to the power source voltage level; first and second switch elements connected to the one or more first capacitors and the input terminal; one or more second capacitors to which a charge can be transferred from the one or more first capacitors; third and fourth switch elements connected to the first and second capacitors; and a control circuit for controlling the first and second switch elements to transfer a charge from the input terminal to charge the one or more first capacitors and for controlling the third and fourth switch elements to transfer a charge from the one or more first capacitors to the one or more second capacitors; wherein at least one of the first through fourth switch elements has a variable ON resistance and is receptive of a time-varying signal comprising successive pulses each having a time-varying amplitude for varying the ON resistance of the at least one switch element during the application of each pulse to thereby control an output voltage of the one or more second capacitors.