Patent 7952300 was granted and assigned to LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC. on May, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A power supply with a capacitor providing an output voltage. A switch is connected between a voltage source and the capacitor. A control terminal of the switch has a switching threshold. The switch conducts a charging current from the voltage source into the capacitor. A control circuit controls the switch on when the voltage source is below a predetermined level and off when the voltage source is above the level. A control voltage supply circuit provides a control supply voltage. A control terminal voltage for the switch derived from the control supply voltage with a magnitude in excess of the switching threshold drives the switch on in a saturated region of operation.