DC-DC TRANSFORMER WITH INDUCTOR FOR THE FACILITATION OF ADIABATIC INTER-CAPACITOR CHARGE TRANSPORT

• US 20180062507A1
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: pSemi Corporation (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Original Assignee: Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Inventors: Giuliano, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,193,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/073 Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

An apparatus for power transformation includes a power converter having a charge pump, a first regulator that regulates the power provided by the power converter, and a magnetic filter connected to a terminal of the charge pump. The particular terminal to which the magnetic filter is connected is selected to facilitate adiabatic inter-capacitor charge transport within the charge pump.

Claims

1. An apparatus for power transformation, said apparatus comprising a power converter, said power converter comprising a charge pump, a first regulator, and a magnetic filter, wherein said magnetic filter is connected to a terminal of said charge pump, wherein said terminal is selected to facilitate adiabatic inter-capacitor charge transport within said charge pump, and wherein said first regulator is configured to regulate power provided by said power converter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charge pump comprises a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein, in operation, said first terminal is maintained at a first voltage and said second terminal is maintained at a second voltage, wherein said second voltage is lower than said first voltage, and wherein said magnetic filter is connected to said second terminal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first regulator is connected to said first terminal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first regulator is disposed to intercept a first portion of power provided by said power converter, wherein said charge pump is disposed to intercept a second portion of power provided by said power converter, wherein said magnetic filter is disposed to intercept said second portion, wherein said second portion is greater than said first portion, and wherein said first and second portions are combined at an output of said power converter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said magnetic filter is connected to an output of said power converter, wherein said first regulator is connected to said output, and wherein said first regulator is connected to said first terminal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first regulator comprises a ground terminal, and wherein said ground terminal is connected to said first terminal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, said charge pump comprises first and second charge-transport paths, wherein said first regulator is connected to said first charge-transport path, and wherein said magnetic filter is connected to said second charge-transport path.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, in operation, said second charge-transport path has greater current than said first charge-transport path.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, in operation, said first charge-transport path has greater current than said second charge-transport path.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a second regulator, wherein said magnetic filter is a constituent part of said second regulator.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first regulator operates at a first duty cycle, wherein said second regulator operates at a second duty cycle, and wherein said first and second duty cycles are controlled independently of each other.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling operation of said regulator based on an output of said power converter.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a clock configured to provide a clock signal to at least one of said regulator and said charge pump.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control system configured to control operation of said power converter based on a measured output of said power converter.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said control system comprises a controller to control said regulator.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said control system comprises a controller to control said charge pump.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a clock, wherein said control system comprises a clock signal input for receiving a signal from said clock.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said control system comprises analog inputs.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said control system comprises digital inputs.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charge pump comprises a multi-phase charge pump.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charge pump comprises a single-phase charge pump.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charge pump comprises a multi-stage charge pump.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charge pump comprises a two-phase charge pump.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charge pump comprises a resonant power converter.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charge pump comprises a switch mode power converter.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first regulator comprises a buck converter.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first regulator comprises a bidirectional regulator.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first regulator comprises a multi-phase regulator.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charge pump comprises a plurality of capacitors interconnected by a plurality of sets of switches, wherein, during operation, switches in said first set are opposite in state to switches in said second set.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said charge pump is a reconfigurable charge pump.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said regulator is configured to transition from providing a first voltage to providing a second voltage during reconfiguration of said charge pump.

32. An apparatus for power transformation, said apparatus comprising a power converter, said power converter comprising a charge pump, a first regulator, and a magnetic filter, wherein said magnetic filter is connected to a terminal of said charge pump, wherein said terminal to which said magnetic filter is connected is selected to facilitate causing a constraint in inter-capacitor charge transport within said charge pump, and wherein said first regulator is configured to regulate power provided by said power converter.

33. A method for power transformation includes connecting a magnetic filter to a terminal of a charge pump, with the terminal having been selected to facilitate adiabatic inter-capacitor charge transport within a charge pump, and connecting a regulator to regulate power provide by the power converter.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said charge pump comprises a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein, in operation, said first terminal is maintained at a first voltage and said second terminal is maintained at a second voltage, wherein said second voltage is lower than said first voltage, and wherein said method comprises connecting said magnetic filter to said second terminal.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising connecting said first regulator to said first terminal.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising disposing said first regulator to intercept a first portion of power provided by said power converter, disposing said charge pump to intercept a second portion of power provided by said power converter, disposing said magnetic filter to intercept said second portion, wherein said second portion is greater than said first portion, and wherein said first and second portions are combined at an output of said power converter.

37. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a data structure that is to be operated upon by a program executable on a computer system, wherein, when operated upon by such a program, the data structure causes at least a portion of a process for fabricating an integrated circuit that includes circuitry described by the data structure, wherein the circuitry described by the data structure includes a switching network that has been configured to be used with a power converter that comprises a charge pump, a first regulator that is configured to regulate power provided by said power converter, and a magnetic filter that is connected to a terminal of said charge pump and that is selected to facilitate adiabatic inter-capacitor charge transport within said charge pump.