# US 10,871,810 B2 · Power supply system with pulse mode operation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,810 B2 - Document ID: US10871810B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/107,128 - Filed: 2018-08-21 - Published: 2020-02-27 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-21 - Assignees: Texas Instruments Incorporated - Applicants: Texas Instruments Incorporated - Inventors: Joerg Kirchner; Stefan Dietrich; Julian Becker; Eduardas Jodka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871810B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02M 3/07: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} - H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators - H02M 1/0003: {Details of control, feedback or regulation circuits} - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - H02M 1/0032: {Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode} - H02M 1/0035: {using burst mode control} - H02M 1/15: using active elements - 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 - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power supply system of claim 1 in which the power switch is a first power switch and the switch system includes: an inductor coupled between the voltage input and the first power switch; and a second power switch coupled between the inductor and a ground rail and having a second switching signal input. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power supply system of claim 1 in which the feedback system includes transconductance amplifier circuitry having an input coupled to the reference voltage input, an input coupled to the voltage output, and the feedback current output. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power supply system of claim 1 in which the gate driver system includes a first comparator having a first input coupled to the switching voltage output, having a second input selectively coupled to the voltage input, and having a first compare output. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The power supply system of claim 4 including a switch having one terminal coupled to the voltage input and another terminal coupled to the second input of the first comparator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The power supply system of claim 4 in which the gate driver system includes a second comparator having an input on one side of the power switch, an input on another side of the power switch and having a zero crossing output. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The power supply system of claim 6 in which the gate driver system includes switching logic having inputs coupled to the zero crossing output, the first compare output, the skip mode output, the pulse mode output, and the idle current output, and having a control output. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The power supply system of claim 7 in which the gate driver system includes gate driver circuitry having a control input coupled to the control output and having the switching signal output coupled to the switching signal input. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The power supply system of claim 1 in which the feedback system includes transconductance amplifier circuitry having an input coupled to the reference voltage input, an input coupled to the voltage output, and the feedback current output. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The power supply system of claim 1, in which the mode detector is configured to provide at least one mode command signal associated with the PWM mode, the pulse mode, and a skip mode based on the amplitude of the control current. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The power supply system of claim 10 in which the skip mode is associated with deactivation of at least one power switch to maintain the output-voltage output based on discharging an output capacitor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The power supply system of claim 1 in which the power supply system is configured as a constant off-time converter, such that the idle time is added after an off-time of at least one power switch in the pulse mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The power supply system of claim 1 in which the power supply system is configured as a constant on-time converter, such that the idle time is added prior to an on-time of at least one power switch in the pulse mode. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 An integrated circuit comprising: a power supply system, the power supply system including: a reference voltage input; a switch system including a power switch having a control input and a power output, the power output being coupled to a voltage output; a feedback system coupled to the voltage output and coupled to the reference voltage input; a mode detector including current mirrors and a differential current mirror coupled to the feedback system, the differential current mirror having an idle time current output; a gate driver system having an input coupled to the idle time current output and a switching output coupled to the control input of the power switch, the gate driver system including a timing circuit coupled to the idle time current outputs in which the mode detector includes: a current source configured to generate a control current based on a feedback current; a first current mirror configured to mirror the control 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 a PWM mode and a pulse mode based on the amplitude of the control current relative to a predetermined threshold current; and the differential current mirror configured to generate the idle time current output that is an amplitude difference between the control current and the predetermined threshold current; and in which the gate driver system is configured to set a duration of an idle time proportional to the amplitude of the idle time current output.