公开(公告)号：US20170104462A1

公开(公告)日：2017-04-13

申请号：US15331857

申请日：2016-10-22

Applicant: ESS Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Peter John Frith ,  Yongsheng Xu ,  A. Martin Mallinson ,  Robert Lynn Blair

IPC: H03F3/217 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H04R3/04 ,  H03F1/02

CPC classification number: H03F3/2173 ,  H03F1/0227 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H03F2200/03 ,  H04R3/04

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing output signal swings that are greater than the supply voltage in a class-D amplifier. The amplifier circuit boosts the voltage across the amplifier load, such as a loudspeaker, by using capacitors to “charge pump” the voltage across the load and thus increase the voltage temporarily. This is done by using two or more output bridges rather than one, and connecting the bridges through the capacitors. For signals of less than the supply voltage, only an inner bridge, similar to a full bridge of the prior art, operates. For signals above the supply voltage, an outer bridge charges capacitors, which are then used to ‘boost’ the voltage on the bridge output for the short period of the Class-D switching period. Thus, only relatively small value boosting capacitors are needed, as they do not need to supply charge for very long.

公开(公告)号：US11606100B1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-14

申请号：US17510035

申请日：2021-10-25

Applicant: ESS Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Yongsheng Xu ,  Dustin Dale Forman

IPC: H03M1/00 ,  H03M1/18 ,  H03M7/34 ,  H03M1/06 ,  H03M3/00

Abstract: Described herein is an apparatus and method for enhancing the dynamic range of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). In one embodiment of the present approach, an analog input signal is amplified in a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) before the ADC receives the signal, so that the gain applied to an input signal, and gain (or attenuation) later applied in order to balance the overall gain of the circuit, occurs only in either the analog domain; in the prior art, gain occurs partly in each domain. The ADC gain is then adjusted to compensate for gain of the PGA and balance the overall gain of the circuit. In another embodiment, the ADC gain is adjusted, and gain of a digital gain element that receives the signal from the ADC is adjusted to compensate for the ADC gain and balance the overall gain of the circuit, eliminating the need for a PGA.

公开(公告)号：US09973157B2

公开(公告)日：2018-05-15

申请号：US15261938

申请日：2016-09-10

Applicant: ESS Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Peter John Frith ,  Yongsheng Xu ,  A. Martin Mallinson ,  Robert Lynn Blair

IPC: H03F3/217 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H03F1/02 ,  H03F1/32 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H03F3/68 ,  H03F3/30 ,  H04R3/04

CPC classification number: H03F3/2173 ,  H03F1/0205 ,  H03F1/0233 ,  H03F1/3205 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H03F3/217 ,  H03F3/2171 ,  H03F3/2175 ,  H03F3/3061 ,  H03F3/68 ,  H03F2200/03 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R3/04

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing output signal swings that are greater than the supply voltage in a class-D amplifier. The amplifier circuit boosts the voltage across the amplifier load, such as a loudspeaker, by using capacitors to “charge pump” the voltage across the load and thus increase the voltage temporarily. This is done by using two or more output bridges rather than one, and connecting the bridges through the capacitors. For signals of less than the supply voltage, only an inner bridge, similar to a full bridge of the prior art, operates. For signals above the supply voltage, an outer bridge charges capacitors, which are then used to ‘boost’ the voltage on the bridge output for the short period of the Class-D switching period. Thus, only relatively small value boosting capacitors are needed, as they do not need to supply charge for very long.

公开(公告)号：US09806684B2

公开(公告)日：2017-10-31

申请号：US15261939

申请日：2016-09-10

Applicant: ESS Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Peter John Frith ,  Yongsheng Xu ,  A. Martin Mallinson ,  Robert Lynn Blair

IPC: H03F3/217 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H03F1/02

CPC classification number: H03F3/2173 ,  H03F1/0205 ,  H03F1/0233 ,  H03F1/3205 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H03F3/217 ,  H03F3/2171 ,  H03F3/2175 ,  H03F3/3061 ,  H03F3/68 ,  H03F2200/03 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R3/04

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing output signal swings that are greater than the supply voltage in a class-D amplifier. The amplifier circuit boosts the voltage across the amplifier load, such as a loudspeaker, by using capacitors to “charge pump” the voltage across the load and thus increase the voltage temporarily. This is done by using two or more output bridges rather than one, and connecting the bridges through the capacitors. For signals of less than the supply voltage, only an inner bridge, similar to a full bridge of the prior art, operates. For signals above the supply voltage, an outer bridge charges capacitors, which are then used to ‘boost’ the voltage on the bridge output for the short period of the Class-D switching period. Thus, only relatively small value boosting capacitors are needed, as they do not need to supply charge for very long.

公开(公告)号：US20170111017A1

公开(公告)日：2017-04-20

申请号：US15261939

申请日：2016-09-10

Applicant: ESS Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Peter John Frith ,  Yongsheng Xu ,  A. Martin Mallinson ,  Robert Lynn Blair

IPC: H03F3/217 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H03F1/02

CPC classification number: H03F3/2173 ,  H03F1/0205 ,  H03F1/0233 ,  H03F1/3205 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H03F3/217 ,  H03F3/2171 ,  H03F3/2175 ,  H03F3/3061 ,  H03F3/68 ,  H03F2200/03 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R3/04

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing output signal swings that are greater than the supply voltage in a class-D amplifier. The amplifier circuit boosts the voltage across the amplifier load, such as a loudspeaker, by using capacitors to “charge pump” the voltage across the load and thus increase the voltage temporarily. This is done by using two or more output bridges rather than one, and connecting the bridges through the capacitors. For signals of less than the supply voltage, only an inner bridge, similar to a full bridge of the prior art, operates. For signals above the supply voltage, an outer bridge charges capacitors, which are then used to ‘boost’ the voltage on the bridge output for the short period of the Class-D switching period. Thus, only relatively small value boosting capacitors are needed, as they do not need to supply charge for very long.

公开(公告)号：US09793867B2

公开(公告)日：2017-10-17

申请号：US15331857

申请日：2016-10-22

Applicant: ESS Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Peter John Frith ,  Yongsheng Xu ,  A. Martin Mallinson ,  Robert Lynn Blair

IPC: H03F3/217 ,  H03F3/183 ,  H03F1/02 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H04R3/04

CPC classification number: H03F3/2173 ,  H03F1/0227 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H03F2200/03 ,  H04R3/04

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing output signal swings that are greater than the supply voltage in a class-D amplifier. The amplifier circuit boosts the voltage across the amplifier load, such as a loudspeaker, by using capacitors to “charge pump” the voltage across the load and thus increase the voltage temporarily. This is done by using two or more output bridges rather than one, and connecting the bridges through the capacitors. For signals of less than the supply voltage, only an inner bridge, similar to a full bridge of the prior art, operates. For signals above the supply voltage, an outer bridge charges capacitors, which are then used to ‘boost’ the voltage on the bridge output for the short period of the Class-D switching period. Thus, only relatively small value boosting capacitors are needed, as they do not need to supply charge for very long.

公开(公告)号：US20170126187A1

公开(公告)日：2017-05-04

申请号：US15261938

申请日：2016-09-10

Applicant: ESS Technology, Inc.

Inventor： Peter John Frith ,  Yongsheng Xu ,  A. Martin Mallinson ,  Robert Lynn Blair

IPC: H03F3/185 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H03F1/02 ,  H03F3/217 ,  H03F1/32

CPC classification number: H03F3/2173 ,  H03F1/0205 ,  H03F1/0233 ,  H03F1/3205 ,  H03F3/185 ,  H03F3/217 ,  H03F3/2171 ,  H03F3/2175 ,  H03F3/3061 ,  H03F3/68 ,  H03F2200/03 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R3/04

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing output signal swings that are greater than the supply voltage in a class-D amplifier. The amplifier circuit boosts the voltage across the amplifier load, such as a loudspeaker, by using capacitors to “charge pump” the voltage across the load and thus increase the voltage temporarily. This is done by using two or more output bridges rather than one, and connecting the bridges through the capacitors. For signals of less than the supply voltage, only an inner bridge, similar to a full bridge of the prior art, operates. For signals above the supply voltage, an outer bridge charges capacitors, which are then used to ‘boost’ the voltage on the bridge output for the short period of the Class-D switching period. Thus, only relatively small value boosting capacitors are needed, as they do not need to supply charge for very long.