High efficiency switching regulator with adaptive drive output circuit
First Claim
1. A switching voltage regulator circuit having an input terminal for connection to a source of input supply voltage and an output terminal for supplying a regulated output voltage to a load, said regulator circuit comprising:
- an output circuit coupled between said input terminal and said output terminal for providing a load current at said regulated voltage to said load, said output circuit comprising;
an adaptive switch circuit for coupling current from a first node coupled to said input terminal to a second node, said adaptive switch circuit including;
a first switch circuit coupled between said first and second nodes, anda second switch circuit coupled between said first and second nodes;
a control circuit coupled to said output circuit for providing a control signal to said output circuit, said control signal being based, at least in part, on said regulated voltage at said output terminal;
an out control circuit coupled to said control circuit for providing an output control circuit signal based, at least in part on said load current; and
a control routing circuit coupled to said adaptive switch circuit and to said output control circuit for routing said control signal from said control circuit to at least one of said first and second switch circuits and being responsive to said output control circuit signal, whereby said switching regulator circuit maintains high efficiency even at low magnitudes of said load current.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Switching regulator circuits and methods are provided in which the output circuit is adaptable to maintain high efficiency over various load current levels. The regulator circuits generate one or more control signals in response to the load current and selectively route a switch driver control signal to one or more switches in the output circuit. The switches differ in their size, such that the most efficient switch can be used at a particular load current level. At low load current levels, the driver control signal is routed to output circuitry with smaller switch devices, which incur smaller driver current losses for a given frequency of operation, thereby increasing the regulator efficiency. At high load current levels, the driver control signal is routed to large switch devices, which incur greater driver current losses for a given frequency of operation, but which have a lower impedance. The regulator thus maintains high efficiency over a wide range of load currents while operating at a constant frequency.
141 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A switching voltage regulator circuit having an input terminal for connection to a source of input supply voltage and an output terminal for supplying a regulated output voltage to a load, said regulator circuit comprising:
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an output circuit coupled between said input terminal and said output terminal for providing a load current at said regulated voltage to said load, said output circuit comprising; an adaptive switch circuit for coupling current from a first node coupled to said input terminal to a second node, said adaptive switch circuit including; a first switch circuit coupled between said first and second nodes, and a second switch circuit coupled between said first and second nodes; a control circuit coupled to said output circuit for providing a control signal to said output circuit, said control signal being based, at least in part, on said regulated voltage at said output terminal; an out control circuit coupled to said control circuit for providing an output control circuit signal based, at least in part on said load current; and a control routing circuit coupled to said adaptive switch circuit and to said output control circuit for routing said control signal from said control circuit to at least one of said first and second switch circuits and being responsive to said output control circuit signal, whereby said switching regulator circuit maintains high efficiency even at low magnitudes of said load current. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4)
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- 3. The switching regulator circuit of claim wherein each of said first and second switch circuits includes a switching transistor, and wherein said switching transistor in said first switch circuit is substantially larger than said switching transistor in said second switch circuit.
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6. A switching voltage regulator circuit for supplying a regulated output voltage to a load, said regulator circuit comprising:
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an input node for connection to a source of input supply voltage; an output node for connection to said load; an adaptable output circuit for providing a load current to said load, said output circuit including a plurality of switch circuits, each switch circuit including a first switching element, each of said plurality of switch circuits being coupled to receive said input voltage, and each of said plurality of switch circuits being coupled to said output node; a control circuit coupled to said output node for providing a control signal that is responsive to the magnitude of said regulated output voltage; an output control circuit coupled to said control circuit for providing an output control circuit signal that is responsive to the magnitude of said load current; and a control routing circuit coupled to said control circuit, to said output control circuit and to each of said plurality of switch circuits, said control routing circuit routing said control signal to an operative set of at least one of said plurality of switch circuits in response to said output control circuit signal, each of said switch circuits in said operative set being turned ON and OFF in response to said control signal and each of said switch circuits not in said operative set being turned OFF. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A switching voltage regulator circuit comprising:
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a plurality of switch circuits, each of which includes first and second switching elements; an output circuit including an output terminal for supplying current at a regulated voltage to a load, the output circuit being coupled to each of said plurality of switch circuits; a control circuit coupled to said output circuit and to said output terminal for generating a control signal, said control signal being based at least in part on said regulated voltage supplied at said output terminal; an output control circuit coupled to said output terminal for generating an output control circuit signal said output control circuit signal being based at least in part on said current supplied at said output terminal; and a control routing circuit coupled to said control circuit, said output control circuit and to each of said plurality of switch circuits, said control routing circuit responsive to said output control circuit signal, said control routing circuit routing said control signal to an operative set of at least one of said plurality of switch circuits and causing the 0N times of said first and second switching elements in said selected operative set of at least one of said plurality of switch circuits to vary in response to said control signal, said control routing circuit causing said first and second switching elements not in said selected operative set of at least one of said plurality of switch circuits to be maintained OFF. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for operating a switching voltage regulator, said regulator including (1) a plurality of switch circuits, each switch circuit including first and second switching elements;
- and (2) an output circuit including an output terminal for supplying current at a regulated voltage to a load, said output circuit being coupled to each of said plurality of switch circuits, said method comprising the steps of;
monitoring a first signal from said output circuit; generating a control signal in response to said monitored first signal; monitoring a second signal from said output circuit; generating a switch signal in response to said monitored second signal; selecting one of said plurality of switch circuits in response to said switch signal; and varying the ON-time of at least one of said first and second switching elements in said one of said plurality of switch circuits in response to said control signal to maintain said output terminal at said regulated voltage. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
- and (2) an output circuit including an output terminal for supplying current at a regulated voltage to a load, said output circuit being coupled to each of said plurality of switch circuits, said method comprising the steps of;
Specification