Power supply having a charge pump circuit

• US 8,644,040 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics International Limited
• Original Assignee: Flextronics International Limited
• Inventors: Petridis, Georgios
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Lakaisha
• Application Number:
  US13/061,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 307/110, 327/536, 363/59, 363/60, 363/62
• US Class Current: 363/62
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of a power supply can be provided. The exemplary power supply can include a voltage source which supplies a supply voltage; and a charge pump circuit supplied by the voltage source and configured to generate an output voltage at an output. The charge pump can include alternating first and second clock states. In the first clock state, a first charge pump capacitor can be disposed between the supply voltage and ground and can be charged to the supply voltage by the voltage source, and a second charge pump capacitor can be coupled in series between the voltage source and the output. In the second clock state, the first charge pump capacitor and the second charge pump capacitor can be connected in series such that the charged connection of the first charge pump capacitor the first clock state can be grounded and the second charge pump capacitor can be charged by the voltage source.

Claims

1. A power supply, comprising:

a voltage source which is configured to provide a supply voltage; and

at least one charge pump circuit (i) supplied by the voltage source, (ii) including a first charge pump capacitor and a second charge pump capacitor, and (iii) configured to generate an output voltage at an output thereof of the power supply, the at least one charge pump including alternating first and second clock states, wherein;

in the first clock state, the first charge pump capacitor is disposed between the supply voltage and ground, and is charged to the supply voltage by the voltage source, and the second charge pump capacitor is coupled in series between the voltage source and the output of the charge pump circuit, and

in the second clock state, the first charge pump capacitor and the second charge pump capacitor are connected in series such that a charged connection of the first charge pump capacitor in the first clock state is grounded, and the second charge pump capacitor is charged by the voltage source.

2. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the at least one charge pump circuit includes a plurality of charge pump circuits, wherein a first one of the charge pump circuits is associated with a first channel, and a second one of the charge pump circuits is associated with a second channel, and wherein the first and second channels operate in parallel, and alternately supply the output.

3. The power supply of claim 2, wherein the first one of the charge pump circuits is in one of the first and second clock states, and the second one of the charge pump circuits is in another one of the first and second clock states.

4. The power supply of claim 2, wherein the charge pump circuits are clocked synchronously.

5. The power supply of claim 2, wherein the charge pump circuits are clocked by one clock generator.

6. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the at least one charge pump circuit is configured to supply the output from a series connection of the second charge pump capacitor and the voltage source.

7. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the at least one charge pump circuit is configured supply the output in at least one of the first and second clock states.

8. The power supply of claim 1, wherein a clock period of the first clock state is approximately equal to a clock period of the second clock state.

9. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the at least one charge pump circuit is configured to charge the first charge pump capacitor using the voltage source and the second charge pump capacitor using the series connection with (i) the first charge pump capacitor and (ii) the voltage source.

10. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the at least one charge pump circuit alternately connects a push-pull stage of a first connection of the first charge pump capacitor to a supply line and to a ground using at least two switches.

11. The power supply of claim 10, wherein the at least one charge pump circuit alternately connects a second connection of the first charge pump capacitor to ground and to the second charge pump capacitor in series using two switches.