Patent ID: 8618864
Filing Date: 2013-12-31
Classification: H01L,H02S,H03K,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A self-powered active rectifier circuit, comprising: an anode terminal; a cathode terminal; a power MOSFET comprising a source terminal, a drain terminal, a gate terminal, and an integral body diode; the power MOSFET arranged to conduct current from the anode terminal to the cathode terminal via the integral body diode; an oscillator subcircuit comprising a positive power supply input, a negative power supply input, and an output; the oscillator subcircuit being operable to produce a periodic voltage waveform with an amplitude relatively greater than a dc voltage potential between the oscillator subcircuit positive power supply input and the oscillator subcircuit negative power supply input; a rectifier subcircuit comprising an input, an output, and a common terminal that serves as the reference for both the rectifier subcircuit input and the rectifier subcircuit output; the rectifier subcircuit input is coupled to the oscillator subcircuit output; the rectifier subcircuit output is connected to the power MOSFET gate terminal; the rectifier subcircuit common terminal is connected to the power MOSFET source terminal; the rectifier circuit being operable to convert a periodic voltage waveform at the rectifier circuit input to a dc voltage between the rectifier circuit output and the rectifier circuit common terminal; a bleeder subcircuit disposed between the power MOSFET gate and the power MOSFET source; the bleeder subcircuit being operable to discharge the gate-to-source capacitance of the power MOSFET; and a diode arranged to allow current flow through the oscillator subcircuit power supply inputs when the voltage potential at the anode terminal is greater than the voltage potential at the cathode terminal.