Patent ID: 8462525

Claim:
A power supply for supplying a dc output current to a load through a pair of output terminals ( 238 , 239 ; 387 , 388 ; 510 , 511 ; 610 , 611 ), comprising: a source of high-frequency alternating current ( 90 , 400 ); and a multiplying circuit ( 200 , 300 , 500 , 600 ) having a plurality of multiplier input terminals coupled to the source of high-frequency alternating current, the multiplying circuit comprising one or more branch multiplier circuits ( 260 , 390 , 501 , 601 ), each branch multiplier circuit comprising at least one multiplier input terminal ( 201 , 311 , 561 , 661 ) and a plurality of bypass rectifiers ( 205 , 320 , 567 , 627 ), one of the bypass rectifiers of each branch multiplier circuit being connected between each one of said pair of output terminals and a multiplier input terminal, each branch multiplier circuit comprising a plurality of multiplier cells ( 205 ), at least two of the multiplier cells being coupled to a multiplier common terminal ( 250 , 384 , 521 , 619 ), each multiplier cell comprising at least two diodes and a driving capacitor, one of the bypass rectifiers of each branch multiplier circuit being connected between each one of said pair of output terminals and a multiplier input terminal; said multiplier cells providing said dc output current when said dc output current is below a conduction threshold level, said bypass rectifiers providing a portion of said dc output current when said dc output current is equal to or greater than said conduction threshold level.