# US 11,121,629 B2 · Regulator device and control method thereof

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- Number: US 11,121,629 B2
- Document ID: US11121629B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/504,494
- Filed: 2019-07-08
- Published: 2020-04-30
- Granted: 2021-09-14
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-26
- Assignees: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
- Applicants: Realtek Semiconductor Corporation
- Inventors: Wei-Wen Ou; Shih-Chieh Chen; Chien-Sheng Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11121629B2

## CPC

- H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
- H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
- H03K 17/163: {Soft switching}
- H02M 1/0029: {Circuits or arrangements for limiting the slope of switching signals, e.g. slew rate}
- H02M 1/0054: {Transistor switching losses (periodically suspending operation of switching converter in low power mode H02M1/0035)}
- 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
- 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)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A regulator device includes a first switch, a second switch, and a controlling circuit. A control terminal of the first switch is configured to receive a first control signal. A first terminal of the second switch is coupled with a second terminal of the first switch at a node. A control terminal of the second switch is configured to receive a second control signal. The controlling circuit is coupled to the control terminal of the first switch, the control terminal of the second switch, and the node. The controlling circuit outputs the first control signal with a first slope to the first switch during a first period, and outputs the first control signal with a second slope to the first switch during a second period. The first period is less than the second period, and the first slope is larger than the second slope.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A regulator device, comprising:
a first switch, comprising:
a first terminal configured to receive an input voltage;
a control terminal configured to receive a first control signal; and
a second terminal;
a second switch, comprising:
a first terminal coupled with the second terminal of the first switch at a node;
a control terminal configured to receive a second control signal; and
a second terminal coupled to a ground terminal; and
a controlling circuit coupled to the control terminal of the first switch, the control terminal of the second switch and the node, wherein the controlling circuit outputs the first control signal with a first slope to the first switch during a first period, and outputs the first control signal with a second slope to the first switch during a second period according to a decrease in a voltage of the node, wherein the first period is less than the second period, and the first slope is larger than the second slope,
wherein the control terminal of the second switch receives the second control signal in a third period only and does not receive the second control signal in the first and second periods, wherein the third period is later than the first and second periods;
wherein when the controlling circuit receives a disable signal for turning off the first switch, the first period is entered, wherein the controlling circuit turns off the first switch by the first control signal with the first slope, which is larger than the second slope, during the first period;
wherein the controlling circuit is further configured to detect the voltage of the node, when the voltage of the node is equal to a first threshold voltage, the second period is entered, wherein the controlling circuit turns off the first switch by the first signal with the second slope, which is smaller than the first slope, during the second period;
wherein when the voltage of the node is equal to a second threshold voltage, the controlling circuit prepares outputting the second control signal for turning on the second switch.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The regulator device of claim 1, wherein when the controlling circuit receives an enable signal for turning on the second switch, the third period is entered, wherein the controlling circuit outputs, during the third period, the second control signal to turn on the second switch.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The regulator device of claim 1, wherein the first switch comprises a P-type transistor, wherein the controlling circuit provides, during the first period, the first control signal with a first voltage difference to the first switch.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The regulator device of claim 3, wherein the controlling circuit provides, during the second period, the first control signal with a second voltage difference to the first switch, wherein the first voltage difference is larger than the second voltage difference.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The regulator device of claim 4, wherein the first voltage difference and the second voltage difference are positive voltages.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The regulator device of claim 5, wherein the controlling circuit provides, during the third period, the first control signal with a high level voltage to the first switch to turn off the first switch completely.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The regulator device of claim 1, wherein when the regulator device is at a heavy load status, the controlling circuit outputs the first control signal with the first slope to the first switch during the first period, and outputs the first control signal with the second slope to the first switch during the second period.

### Claim 8

A method of controlling a regulator device, wherein the regulator device comprises a first switch, a second switch, and a controlling circuit, a control terminal of the first switch configured to receive a first control signal, a first terminal of the second switch coupled with a second terminal of the first switch at a node, a control terminal of the second switch configured to receive a second control signal, wherein the method comprises:
outputting, by the controlling circuit, the first control signal with a first slope to the first switch during a first period; and
outputting, by the controlling circuit, the first control signal with a second slope to the first switch during a second period according to a decrease in a voltage of the node, wherein the first period is less than the second period, and the first slope is larger than the second slope,
wherein the control terminal of the second switch receives the second control signal in a third period only and does not receive the second control signal in the first and second periods, wherein the third period is later than the first and second periods;
wherein the method further comprises:
entering the first period when the controlling circuit receives a disable signal for turning off the first switch, wherein the first switch is turned off by the controlling circuit using the first control signal with the first slope, which is larger than the second slope, during the first period;
detecting the voltage of the node by the controlling circuit, and entering the second period when the voltage of the node is equal to a first threshold voltage, wherein the first switch is turned off by the controlling circuit using the first control signal with the second slope, which is less than the first slope, during the second period; and
detecting the voltage of the node by the controlling circuit, wherein when the voltage of the node is equal to a second threshold voltage, the controlling circuit prepares outputting the second control signal for turning on the second switch.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
entering the third period when the controlling circuit receiving an enable signal for turning on the second switch, wherein the second control signal is outputted by the controlling circuit to turn on the second switch during the third period, which the first switch has been turned off completely by the first control signal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first switch comprises a P-type transistor, wherein outputting the first control signal to the first switch by the controlling circuit during the first period comprises:
providing, by the controlling circuit, the first control signal with a first voltage difference to the first switch during the first period.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein outputting, by the controlling circuit, the first control signal to the first switch during the second period comprises:
providing, by the controlling circuit, the first control signal with a second voltage difference to the first switch during the second period, wherein the first voltage difference is larger than the second voltage difference.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the first voltage difference and the second voltage difference are positive voltages.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
providing, by the controlling circuit, the first control signal with a high level voltage to the first switch during the third period to turn off the first switch completely.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein outputting, by the controlling circuit, the first control signal with the first slope to the first switch during the first period comprises:
outputting, by the controlling circuit, the first signal of the first slope to the first switch during the first period in response to a heavy load status of the regulator device.