US 10,871,810 B2Granted

Power supply system with pulse mode operation

AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated

InventorsJoerg Kirchner, Stefan Dietrich, Julian Becker, Eduardas Jodka

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Abstract

A power supply system can include at least one power switch to generate an output current based on an input voltage in response to a switching signal to generate an output voltage. A feedback system generates a feedback current based on the output voltage. A mode detector generates a control current associated with the output current based on the feedback current and selects between a pulse-width modulation (PWM) mode and a pulse mode based on an amplitude of the control current. The PWM mode is associated with a sequential on-time and off-time of the at least one power switch, and the pulse mode is associated with adding an idle time between the on-time and the off-time of the at least one power switch based on the switching signal. A gate driver system generates the switching signal based on the mode.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A power supply system comprising:

a reference voltage input;
a switch system having a voltage input, a voltage output, and including a power switch coupled between the voltage input and the voltage output, the power switch having a switching signal input;
a feedback system having an input coupled to the voltage output, an input coupled to the reference voltage input, and a feedback current output;
a mode detector having an input coupled to the voltage input, an input coupled to the feedback current output, a switching voltage output, a skip mode output, a pulse mode output, and an idle current output;
a gate driver system having an input coupled to the switching voltage output, an input coupled to the skip mode output, an input coupled to the pulse mode output, an input coupled to the idle current output, and a switching signal output coupled to the switching signal inputs in which the mode detector is configured to:
select between a PWM mode and a pulse mode based on an amplitude of a control current relative to a predetermined threshold current;
and set a duration of an idle time based on an amplitude difference between the control current and the predetermined threshold current;
and in which the mode detector includes:
a current source configured to generate the control current based on the feedback current output;
a first current mirror configured to mirror a first current to generate a switching current through a replica switch that is fabrication matched with respect to at least one power switch, the switching current being provided to the gate driver system to generate at least one switching signal;
a second current mirror configured to mirror the control current to select between the PWM mode and the pulse mode based on the amplitude of the control current relative to the predetermined threshold current;
and a current difference mirror configured to generate the idle current output that is the amplitude difference between the control current and the predetermined threshold current;
in which the gate driver system is configured to set a duration of the idle time proportional to the amplitude of the idle current.

10 more elements

A process for controlling a power supply system comprising:

activating a power switch in response to a switching signal to produce an output voltage from an input voltage;
generating a feedback current in response to the output voltage and in response to a reference voltage;
comparing the feedback current to a threshold current and producing one of a pulse-width modulation (PWM) mode signal and a pulse mode signal in response to an amplitude of the feedback current, the producing including producing an idle time current;
setting a duration of an idle time in the idle time current in response to the amplitude of the feedback current;
and generating the switching signal to the power switch in response to the idle time current, the generating the switching signal including adding the idle time between an on-time and an off-time of the power switch;
generating a mode command signal associated with a PWM mode, a pulse mode, and a skip mode based on an amplitude of a control current;
deactivating at least one power switch to maintain the output voltage based on discharging an output capacitor;
in which the generating the control current includes providing the feedback current to a mode detector, the mode detector including:
a current source configured to generate the control current based on the feedback current;
a first current mirror configured to mirror a first current to generate a switching current through a replica switch that is fabrication matched with respect to at least one power switch, the switching current being provided to a gate driver to generate at least one switching signal;
a second current mirror configured to mirror the control current to select between the PWM mode and the pulse mode based on the amplitude of the control current relative to a predetermined threshold current;
and a current difference mirror configured to generate the idle time current that is the amplitude difference between the control current and the predetermined threshold current;
in which the gate driver is configured to set a duration of the idle time proportional to the amplitude of the idle time current.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/107,128Filed 21 Aug 2018
Published: US 2020/0064893 A127 Feb 2020
Granted: 22 Dec 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

G06F 1/26
Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00: power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof
H02M 3/158
With automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices…
H02M 3/07
Using resistors or capacitors, e.g. potential divider: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control…
H02M 3/156
Using semiconductor devices only: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators

Family

US 2020/0064893 A1Pre-grant publication · published 27 Feb 2020
US 10,871,810 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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