Dynamic constant power amplifier

Abstract

A switching amplifier including a voltage sensor circuit connected to a high voltage supply rail for measuring the power supply voltage. A current sensor circuit is connected to the high voltage supply rail for measuring the power supply current. An error amplifier is connected to the switching amplifier and receives one or more values based on the measurements taken by the voltage sensor and current sensor, and the error amplifier produces an error signal when a predetermined power limit is exceeded. A signal limiting circuit is connected to the error amplifier and the switching amplifier and limits the output power to rated power at any rated load impedance when the error amplifier produces the error signal. This switching amplifier is capable of automatically limiting output power at rated power into all rated load impedances, and dynamically reacts to the frequency-dependant impedance of a typical audio system.

1 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . An amplifier device, comprising:
 a switching amplifier including an input for receiving an audio input signal and an output to a load, and the switching amplifier including a high voltage supply rail;   wherein the amplifier device is capable of automatically limiting output power at rated power into all rated load impedances, and dynamically reacting to the frequency-dependant impedance of a typical audio system.   
     
     
         43 . The amplifier device of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 a voltage sensor circuit connected to the high voltage supply rail and the voltage sensor circuit measures the power supply voltage of the switching amplifier;   a current sensor circuit connected to the high voltage supply rail and the current sensor circuit measures the power supply current of the switching amplifier;   an error amplifier connected to the switching amplifier receives a value based on the measurements taken by the voltage sensor and current sensor and produces an error signal when a predetermined power limit is exceeded; and   a signal limiting circuit connected to the error amplifier and the switching amplifier, and the signal limiting circuit limits an output power to rated power at any rated load impedance when the error amplifier produces the error signal.   
     
     
         44 . The device of  claim 43 , further comprising:
 a power calculator connected between the error amplifier and the voltage and current sensor circuits, the power calculator multiplies the power supply voltage and power supply current together to calculate a scaled value of a power supply power.   
     
     
         45 . The device of  claim 44 , wherein the error amplifier compares the value of the power supply power supplied by the power calculator to a scaled reference representing a rated power and the error amplifier produces the error signal when the value of the power supply power exceeds the scaled reference representing the rated power. 
     
     
         46 . The device of  claim 42 , further comprising a reciprocal calculator connected between the error amplifier and the voltage current sensor, and the reciprocal calculator produces a scaled reciprocal value of the power supply voltage. 
     
     
         47 . The device of  claim 46 , wherein the current sensor circuit produces a scaled value of the power supply current and the current sensor circuit is connected directly to the error amplifier. 
     
     
         48 . The device of  claim 47 , wherein the error amplifier compares the scaled reciprocal value of the power supply voltage from the reciprocal calculator to the scaled value of the power supply current from the current sensor circuit, and the error amplifier produces the error signal when the scaled value of the power supply current exceeds the scaled value of the power supply voltage. 
     
     
         49 . The device of  claim 42 , wherein the switching amplifier is a two-wire Class BD amplifier, a single-wire Class BD amplifier or a Class AD amplifier. 
     
     
         50 . The device of  claim 42 , wherein the current sensor circuit is a differential amplifier that measures the voltage across a low-impedance sense resistor of the switching amplifier. 
     
     
         51 . The device of  claim 42 , wherein the current sensor circuit is a single-ended amplifier that measures a voltage drop across a ground-referenced sense resistor of the switching amplifier. 
     
     
         52 . The device of  claim 42 , wherein the voltage sensor circuit is a resistor divider that measures the voltage directly at a positive terminal of the high voltage supply rail. 
     
     
         53 . The device of  claim 42 , wherein the current sensor circuit is a chopper circuit that measures the voltage across a sense resistor of the switching amplifier. 
     
     
         54 . The device of  claim 53 , wherein the switching amplifier is a single wire Class BD amplifier having a trinary output voltage that drives the chopper circuit. 
     
     
         55 . The device of  claim 42 , wherein the voltage sensor circuit is a peak hold circuit that measures the voltage of the high voltage supply rail. 
     
     
         56 . The device of  claim 42 , wherein the switching amplifier is a Class AD amplifier having a first high voltage supply rail connected to a first sense resistor and a second high voltage supply rail connected to a second sense resistor, and the current sense circuit sums the currents at the first and second high voltage supply rails measured at the first and second sense resistors. 
     
     
         57 . The device of  claim 56 , wherein the voltage sense circuit sums the power supply voltage of the first and second high voltage supply rails.