Patent ID: 6469569
Filing Date: 2002-10-22
Classification: H02M

Abstract:
A voltage booster circuit comprising:a plurality of booster stages connected in series, each stage comprising: a rectifying element having one terminal coupled to an input to the stage and a second terminal connected to a first terminal of a capacitor and coupled to an output of the stage; a drive circuit having an output coupled to a second terminal of the capacitor, wherein the drive circuit comprises first and second charge/discharge circuits each having an output coupled to the second terminal of the capacitor and each being responsive to a control signal; a signal generating circuit generating a first control signal for controlling the drive circuits of odd-numbered stages and a second control signal for controlling the drive circuits of even-numbered stages; a disable circuit coupled to the second charge/discharge circuit of each of the stages for disabling the second charge/discharge circuits in response to a third control signal and; an output voltage monitoring circuit coupled to an output of the booster circuit for monitoring an output voltage of the booster circuit, the output voltage monitoring circuit generating the third control signal in response to the output voltage reaching a predetermined threshold.