Switched capacitor DC-DC voltage converter
First Claim
1. A dc-dc voltage conversion device comprising:
- an input node to receive a dc input voltage at an input level;
an output node to output a dc output voltage at an output level different from the input level;
a first pump capacitor and a second pump capacitor;
switches configured to selectively arrange only the first and second pump capacitors in at least three different subcircuits relative to the input node and the output node, wherein at least one of the subcircuits comprising a subcircuit in which the first and second pump capacitors are not coupled to the input node; and
a controller configured to control the switches to transition between at least three phases comprising the three different subcircuits to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the dc output voltage at the output level at the output node, wherein the output level comprises at least one of 83%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, or 17% of the input level.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosure describes techniques for converting an input voltage level to two or more output voltage levels using only two pump capacitors and three switching phases. The disclosure also describes techniques for selectively controlling a dc-dc converter to operate in different conversion modes. One mode may use only two pump capacitors and three switching phases to produce output voltage levels with a first set of conversion ratios. Another mode may use two pump capacitors and two switching phases to produce output voltage levels with a second set of conversion ratios. The first mode may use three different subcircuit arrangements of the pump capacitors. The second mode may use two different subcircuit arrangements of the pump capacitors. A converter may include switches and pump capacitors that can be selectively configured to transition between two or three different subcircuits, thereby producing output voltages according to different conversion ratios on a selective basis.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A dc-dc voltage conversion device comprising:
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an input node to receive a dc input voltage at an input level; an output node to output a dc output voltage at an output level different from the input level; a first pump capacitor and a second pump capacitor; switches configured to selectively arrange only the first and second pump capacitors in at least three different subcircuits relative to the input node and the output node, wherein at least one of the subcircuits comprising a subcircuit in which the first and second pump capacitors are not coupled to the input node; and a controller configured to control the switches to transition between at least three phases comprising the three different subcircuits to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the dc output voltage at the output level at the output node, wherein the output level comprises at least one of 83%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, or 17% of the input level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A dc-dc voltage conversion method comprising:
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receiving, at an input node, a dc input voltage at an input level; outputting, at an output node, a dc output voltage at an output level different from the input level; selectively arranging only first and second pump capacitors in at least three different subcircuits relative to the input node and the output node in at least three different phases to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the dc output voltage at the output level at the output node, wherein at least one of the subcircuits comprises a subcircuit in which the first and second pump capacitors are not coupled to the input node, and wherein the output level comprises at least one of 83%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, or 17% of the input level. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A dc-dc voltage conversion device comprising:
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means for receiving, at an input node, a dc input voltage at an input level; means for outputting, at an output node, a dc output voltage at an output level different from the input level; means for selectively arranging only first and second pump capacitors in at least three different subcircuits relative to the input node and the output node in at least three different phases to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the dc output voltage at the output level at the output node, wherein at least one of the subcircuits comprises a subcircuit in which the first and second pump capacitors are not coupled to the input node, and wherein the output level comprises at least one of 83%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, or 17% of the input level. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31)
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28. An implantable medical device comprising:
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an implantable medical device housing; medical device circuitry within the housing; a battery, within the housing, that generates a dc input voltage; and a dc-dc voltage conversion device, within the housing, comprising; an input node to receive the dc input voltage at an input level; an output node to output a dc output voltage at an output level different from the input level, wherein the dc output voltage provides operating power for at least some of the medical device circuitry, a first pump capacitor and a second pump capacitor, switches configured to selectively arrange only the first and second pump capacitors in at least three different subcircuits relative to the input node and the output node, wherein at least one of the subcircuits comprising a subcircuit in which the first and second pump capacitors are not coupled to the input node, and a controller configured to control the switches to transition between at least three phases comprising the three different subcircuits to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the dc output voltage at the output level at the output node, wherein the output level comprises at least one of 83%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, or 17% of the input level. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 32)
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33. A dc-dc voltage conversion device comprising:
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an input node to receive a dc input voltage at an input level; a first output node to output a first dc output voltage at a first output level different from the input level; a second output node to output a second dc output voltage at a second output level different from the input level; a set of capacitors consisting only of a first pump capacitor, a second pump capacitor, and a third pump capacitor; switches configured to selectively arrange the set of capacitors in at least two different subcircuits relative to the input node and the output nodes, at least one of the subcircuits comprising a subcircuit in which the first, second, and third pump capacitors are not coupled to the input node; and a controller configured to control the switches to transition between two phases comprising the two different subcircuits to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the first output voltage at the first output level at the first output node and to the second output voltage at the second output level at the second output node, wherein the first output level comprises 80% of the input level and the second output level comprises 60% of the input level. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A dc-dc voltage conversion method comprising:
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receiving, at an input node, a dc input voltage at an input level; outputting, at a first output node, a first dc output voltage at a first output level; outputting, at a second output node, a second dc output voltage at a second output level; and selectively arranging a set of capacitors consisting only of a first pump capacitor, a second pump capacitor, and a third pump capacitor in at least two different subcircuits relative to the input node and the output nodes in two phases comprising the two different subcircuits to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the first output voltage at the first output level at the first output node and to the second output voltage at the second output level at the second output node, wherein at least one of the subcircuits comprises a subcircuit in which the first, second, and third pump capacitors are not coupled to the input node, and wherein the first output level comprises 80% of the input level and the second output level comprises 60% of the input level. - View Dependent Claims (36, 38)
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37. A dc-dc voltage conversion device comprising:
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means for receiving, at an input node, a dc input voltage at an input level; means for outputting, at a first output node, a first dc output voltage at a first output level; means for outputting, at a second output node, a second dc output voltage at a second output level; and means for selectively arranging a set of capacitors consisting only of a first pump capacitor, a second pump capacitor, and a third pump capacitor in at least two different subcircuits relative to the input node and the output nodes in two phases comprising the two different subcircuits to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the first output voltage at the first output level at the first output node and to the second output voltage at the second output level at the second output node, wherein at least one of the subcircuits comprises a subcircuit in which the first, second, and third pump capacitors are not coupled to the input node, and wherein the first output level comprises 80% of the input level and the second output level comprises 60% of the input level.
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39. A dc-dc voltage conversion device comprising:
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an input node to receive a dc input voltage at an input level; a first output node to output a first dc output voltage at a first output level different from the input level; a second output node to output a second dc output voltage at a second output level different from the input level and the first output level; a first pump capacitor and a second pump capacitor; switches configured to selectively arrange only the first and second pump capacitors in at least three different subcircuits relative to the input node and the first and second output nodes, wherein at least one of the subcircuits comprises a subcircuit in which the first and second pump capacitors are not coupled to the input node; and a controller configured to control the switches to transition between at least three different phases to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the first dc output voltage at the first output level at the first output node and to convert the dc input voltage at the input level at the input node to the second dc output voltage at the second output level at the second output node, wherein a ratio x of the first output level to the input level and a ratio y of the second output level to the input level, represented as a percentage value, is one of x/y equal to approximately 80%/60%, 83%/50%, 67%/50%, 80%40%, 75%/25%, 60%/40%, 60%/20%, 50%/33%, 50%/17%, or 40%/20%.
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Specification