Charge pump timing control
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a charge pump and a controller, wherein said charge pump comprises switch elements arranged to operate in a plurality of cycles, wherein said switch elements switch according to a timing pattern, wherein each cycle is associated with a different configuration of the switch elements, wherein the switch elements are configured to provide charging and discharging paths for a plurality of capacitive elements, wherein said controller is coupled to the charge pump, wherein the controller comprises an output for controlling the timing pattern of the switching of the cycles of the charge pump, wherein said controller comprises a first sensor input for accepting a sensor signal that characterizes operation of said charge pump, wherein said charge pump is connected to an inductor, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the timing pattern of the switching of the cycles of the charge pump by adjusting a first switching frequency of said cycles of the charge pump, and wherein said controller adjusts said first switching frequency based at least in part on said sensor signal, wherein said first sensor input comprises an internal sensor input, and wherein said internal sensor input receives a signal that is internal to said charge pump.
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Abstract
Cycle timing of a charge pump is adapted according to monitoring of operating characteristics of a charge pump and/or peripheral elements coupled to the charge pump. In some examples, this adaptation provides maximum or near maximum cycle times while avoiding violation of predefine constraints (e.g., operating limits) in the charge pump and/or peripheral elements.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a charge pump and a controller, wherein said charge pump comprises switch elements arranged to operate in a plurality of cycles, wherein said switch elements switch according to a timing pattern, wherein each cycle is associated with a different configuration of the switch elements, wherein the switch elements are configured to provide charging and discharging paths for a plurality of capacitive elements, wherein said controller is coupled to the charge pump, wherein the controller comprises an output for controlling the timing pattern of the switching of the cycles of the charge pump, wherein said controller comprises a first sensor input for accepting a sensor signal that characterizes operation of said charge pump, wherein said charge pump is connected to an inductor, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the timing pattern of the switching of the cycles of the charge pump by adjusting a first switching frequency of said cycles of the charge pump, and wherein said controller adjusts said first switching frequency based at least in part on said sensor signal, wherein said first sensor input comprises an internal sensor input, and wherein said internal sensor input receives a signal that is internal to said charge pump.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus comprising an inductor, a charge pump, a converter, and a controller, wherein said charge pump comprises switch elements that are arranged to operate in a plurality of cycles, wherein said switch elements switch according to a timing pattern, wherein said switch elements are configured to provide charging paths for capacitive elements, wherein said switch elements are further configured to provide discharging paths for said capacitive elements, wherein each of said cycles from said plurality of cycles is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of different configurations of said plurality of switch elements, wherein said converter is coupled to said charge pump, wherein said controller is coupled to said charge pump, wherein said inductor is a constituent of said converter, wherein said inductor is coupled to said charge pump, wherein said controller comprises an internal sensor input, wherein said internal sensor input accepts a corresponding sensor signal that is internal to said charge pump, wherein said sensor signal comprises a signal that characterizes operation of said charge pump to which said controller is coupled, wherein said controller comprises an output for controlling said timing pattern of said switching of the cycles of said charge pump, and wherein said controller is configured to adjust said timing pattern of the switching of said cycles of said charge pump by adjusting a switching frequency of said cycles of the charge pump based at least in part on said sensor input.
- 35. An apparatus comprising a converter, a charge pump having an input and an output, and a controller, said converter being connected to said charge pump and comprising an inductor and a switch connected to said inductor, wherein said charge pump comprises switch elements switch according to a timing pattern and are arranged to operate in a plurality of cycles, each cycle being associated with a different configuration of the switch elements, wherein the switch elements are configured to provide charging and discharging paths for a plurality of capacitive elements, wherein said controller is coupled to the charge pump, wherein the controller comprises an output for controlling the timing pattern of the switching of the cycles of the charge pump, wherein said controller comprises a first sensor input for accepting a sensor signal that characterizes operation of said charge pump, wherein said controller is configured to adjust said timing pattern of said switching of the cycles of said charge pump by adjusting a first switching frequency of said cycles of the charge pump, and wherein said controller adjusts said first switching frequency based at least in part on said sensor signal, and wherein said controller causes said switch to operate at a second switching frequency that differs from said first switching frequency.
Specification