POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS AND POWER SUPPLY METHOD

• US 20070247124A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MIHASHI, Tetsuya
• Application Number:
  US11/689,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20070247124A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/224
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A power supply apparatus and power supply method that are able to decrease the overshoot/undershoot that occurs at the time of power supply voltage switching and enhance the voltage switching speed. Power supply apparatus 100, when in a transient state where output voltage is increased, supplies DAC value DD1 of DCDC register 202, which is the register for switching regulator 400, to LDO DAC 302 in place of DAC value LDO1 of LDO register 201, which is the register for series regulator 300, and LDO DAC 302 of series regulator 300 performs DAC operation while referring to DAC value DD1 of DCDC register 202.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a series regulator that generates and outputs output voltage in accordance with an output target voltage;

a switching regulator that generates and outputs output voltage in accordance with an output target voltage; and

a control apparatus that switches between the series regulator and the switching regulator according to the settings of the output target voltages, wherein;

the output of the series regulator and the output of the switching regulator are connected; and

the control apparatus, when in a stationary state, sets the output target voltage of the series regulator less than or equal to the output target voltage of the switching regulator and, when the output voltage is changed, sets the output target voltage of the series regulator as the output target voltage of the power supply apparatus for just a predetermined period of time.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control apparatus, when in a transient state where the output voltage is increased, sets the output target voltage of the switching regulator to the output target voltage of the series regulator for just a predetermined period of time, and operates the series regulator.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control apparatus, when in a transient state where the output voltage is increased, sets the output target voltage of the switching regulator to the output target voltage of the series regulator for just a predetermined period of time to operate the series regulator, then activates the switching regulator using the output target voltage of the switching regulator, and subsequently changes the output target voltage of the series regulator back to the output target voltage of the series regulator.

7. A power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge circuit that discharges the output of the power supply apparatus, wherein the control apparatus, when in a transient state where the output voltage is decreased, makes the discharge circuit valid for just a predetermined period of time.

8. The power supply apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the discharge circuit has a control transistor that discharges the output; and

the control apparatus controls the control transistor so that the output voltage changes to the output target voltage.

9. The power supply apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the series regulator comprises the discharge circuit.

10. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the series regulator comprises a current limit circuit that limits the output current, and increases the current limit value of the series regulator for just a predetermined period of time when in a transient state where the output voltage is changed.

2. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a series regulator that controls output target voltage according to output of a first DAC;

a switching regulator that controls output target voltage according to output of a second DAC; and

a control apparatus that inputs data to the first DAC and the second DAC, wherein;

the output of the series regulator and the output of the switching regulator are connected; and

the control apparatus, when in a stationary state, sets the output target voltage of the series regulator equal to or less than the output target voltage of the switching regulator and, when the output voltage is changed, sets the output target voltage of the series regulator as the output target voltage of the power supply apparatus for just a predetermined period of time.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the control apparatus comprises;

a first register that outputs data corresponding to the output target voltage of the series regulator in the stationary state;

a second register that outputs data corresponding to the output target voltage of the power supply apparatus;

a selection circuit that, when in a stationary state, selects the output of the first register 1 and, when in a transient state where the output voltage changes, selects the output of the second register, and outputs the output to the first DAC; and

a latch circuit that inputs the output of the second register and, after a predetermined delay time, inputs the output to the second DAC.

6. The power supply apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the control apparatus has a clock terminal that receives a clock signal; and

the latch circuit responds to the clock signals, and holds and inputs the output of the register 2 to the second DAC.

11. A power supply method for switching between a series regulator and switching regulator that share an output terminal in accordance with usage conditions and supplying power, wherein:

when in a stationary state, output target voltage of the series regulator is set equal to or less than output target voltage of the switching regulator; and

when the output voltage is changed, the output target voltage of the switching regulator is set to the output target voltage of the series regulator for just a predetermined period of time so that power is supplied by the series regulator, even if power of the output voltage is to be supplied by the switching regulator.