Reconfigurable coupled inductor

• US 10,910,150 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Issued: 02/02/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Clavijo, Sergio Augusto, Kim, Donghwi, Kim, Tae
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad, Elvin G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnes, Malcolm
• Application Number:
  US14/954,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20170154725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2029/143 with control winding for generating magnetic bias
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/38 Auxiliary core members; Auxiliary coils or windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/40 Structural association with built-in electric component, e.g. fuse

Abstract

A reconfigurable coupled inductor is disclosed. In one embodiment, the reconfigurable coupled inductor comprises metal rings and switches coupled to the metal rings to control at least one inductor property (e.g., coupling coefficient) based on a closed (e.g., on) or open state (e.g., off) of each switch.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable coupled inductor for use in a voltage regulator that has a switch controller, the inductor comprising:

at least two windings of the inductor; and

a plurality of metal rings and a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of metal rings disposed between the at least two windings, wherein each of the metal rings of the plurality of metal rings is connected to each other forming a respective loop, wherein the metal rings of the plurality of metal rings and switches of the plurality of switches are configured to control, in response to one or more signals from the switch controller, at least one coupling property including a coupling coefficient between the at least two windings of the inductor based on a closed or open state of each of the plurality of switches, wherein a closed switch allows current to flow around a metal ring in a closed loop and an open switch prevents current to flow around a metal ring, and

wherein the plurality of metal rings and open or closed state of each of the plurality of switches controls a flux field of the inductor, which controls a coupling property of the inductor.

2. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 1 further comprising a core coupled to the plurality of metal rings and the plurality of switches, the core having a core material with first and second windings coupled thereto, the core material including:

first and second outer legs around which the first and second windings, respectively, are wound;

at least one inner core portion coupled to the first and second outer legs and is located between the first and second outer legs; and

wherein the plurality of switches are coupled to the at least one inner core to control an amount of coupling between the first and second outer legs with the first and second windings thereon, respectively.

3. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 2, wherein the at least one inner core portion is part of an H-shaped inner core portion coupled to the first and second outer legs.

4. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 2, wherein the plurality of switches control a coupling coefficient of the coupling based on switches in the plurality of switches being closed or open.

5. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 4, wherein the coupling coefficient is set based on a number of the plurality of switches that are closed or open.

6. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 2, wherein the inductor is fully coupled when all switches of the plurality of switches are closed and decoupled when none of the plurality of switches are closed.

7. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 2, wherein the coupling is fully coupled when all switches of the plurality of switches are open and decoupled when none of the plurality of switches are open.

8. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of switches comprises a transistor.

9. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of switches comprises a MEMS.

10. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of switches comprises an electric current switch operable to change state between a first resistivity state and a second resistivity state, the second resistivity state being lower than the first resistivity state.

11. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 1 further comprising a core coupled to the plurality of rings, wherein the core includes a core material, wherein the core comprises a plurality of legs that includes:

at least two outer legs with windings;

at least one inner leg with a winding thereon;

at least one leg extending across the core material and located between two legs having windings; and

a plurality of switches coupled to the at least one leg to control coupling between the two legs.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a switch controller for use in a voltage regulator;

a reconfigurable coupled inductor coupled to the switch controller, the inductor comprising;

at least two windings of the inductor; and

a plurality of metal rings and a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of metal rings disposed between the at least two windings, wherein each of the metal rings of the plurality of metal rings is connected to each other forming a respective loop and the metal rings and switches are configured to control, in response to one or more signals from the switch controller, at least one coupling property including a coupling coefficient between the at least two windings of the inductor based on a closed or open state of each of the plurality of switches, wherein a closed switch allows current to flow around a metal ring in a closed loop and an open switch prevents current to flow around a metal ring, and

wherein the plurality of metal rings and open or closed state of each of the plurality of switches controls a flux field of the inductor, which controls a coupling property of the inductor.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 12 further comprising a core coupled to the plurality of rings and the plurality of switches, the core having a core material with first and second windings coupled thereto, the core material including:

first and second outer legs around which the first and second windings, respectively, are wound,

at least one inner core portion coupled to the first and second outer legs and located between the first and second outer legs, and

wherein the plurality of switches are coupled to the at least one inner core to control an amount of coupling between the first and second outer legs with the first and second windings thereon, respectively.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 13, wherein the at least one inner core portion is part of an H-shaped inner core portion coupled to the first and second outer legs.

15. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 13, wherein the plurality of switches controls a coupling coefficient of the coupling based on switches in the plurality of switches being closed or open.

16. The reconfigurable coupled inductor defined in claim 15, wherein the coupling coefficient is set based on a number of the plurality of switches that are closed or open.