Apparatuses and methods for charge pump regulation
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsFeng Pan, Michele Piccardi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Certain embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus comprising a charge pump, configured to provide an output voltage at an output node of the charge pump, and a charge pump regulator circuit coupled to the charge pump. One such charge pump regulator circuit is configured to control the charge pump to increase the output voltage during a first period of time. Such a charge pump regulator circuit can also cause a node of a circuit coupled to the output node of the charge pump to reach a target voltage level during a second time period.
Claims21
An apparatus comprising:
- a charge pump configured to provide an output voltage at an output node of the charge pump;
- and
- charge pump regulator circuit coupled to the charge pump, the charge pump regulator circuit configured to output a regulator output signal based at least on a reference voltage, detect a change in the regulator output signal indicating the output node of the charge pump reaches the reference voltage while in a charging operation, and subsequent to detecting the change in the regulator output signal, cause the charge pump to continue charging during a time period by changing the reference voltage.
A method comprising:
- receiving an increasing output voltage of a charge pump configured to provide a target voltage level to a load circuit;
- comparing a feedback voltage based, at least in part, on the increasing output voltage and a resistor to a reference voltage;
- and
- when a level of the feedback voltage is determined to be equal to or greater than a level of the reference voltage, lowering the feedback voltage to a level less than a level of the reference voltage to cause the charge pump to continue increasing the output voltage.
A method comprising:
- increasing an output voltage of a charge pump;
- detecting a change in a regulator output signal based at least on a feedback signal from the charge pump, wherein the change indicates the output voltage of the charge pump reaches a target voltage level;
- and
- responsive to detecting the change in the regulator output signal, controlling the charge pump to continue charging for a period of time by changing a voltage level of the feedback signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.