Patent ID: 7400064

Claim:
A power converter comprising: at least two switch devices coupled to receive electrical energy from a common energy storage device, each of the at least two switch devices being coupled to regulate an associated output; and a control system that after causing electrical energy to be stored in the common energy storage device during a first portion of a given cycle, controls the at least two switch devices consecutively to deliver the stored electrical energy to the associated output during a second portion of the given cycle and to provide a discontinuous mode prior to beginning the first portion of a next cycle, wherein the control system adjusts a duration of the first portion of the given cycle for providing current through the common energy storage device as a function of input signals that define regulated electrical energy requirements for each associated output so that sufficient energy is stored in the common energy storage device, the duration of the discontinuous mode changing to accommodate variations in the duration of the first portion and the second portion of the given cycle.