# US 11,309,792 B2 · Voltage converter circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,792 B2 - Document ID: US11309792B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/238,526 - Filed: 2021-04-23 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-24 - Assignees: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH - Applicants: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH - Inventors: Rashid Iqbal; Fabio Tassan Caser; Marko Noack - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309792B2 ## CPC - H02M 3/07: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} - 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) ## Abstract A voltage converter circuit may include: a first input node; a second input node; a first output node; a second output node; one or more charge pumps that convert a first input voltage supplied to the first input node up to a first output voltage and convert a second input voltage supplied to the second input node down to a second output voltage; and a control circuit to control the one or more charge pumps according to two operational modes. In the first operation mode, the control circuit supplies the first input voltage to the first input node, leaves the second input node floating, and outputs the first output voltage at the first output node. In the second operation mode, the control circuit supplies the second input voltage to the second input node, leaves the first input node floating, and outputs the second output voltage at the second output node. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A voltage converter circuit, comprising: a first input node; a second input node; a first output node; a second output node; one or more charge pumps configured to convert a first input voltage supplied to the first input node up to a first output voltage and to convert a second input voltage supplied to the second input node down to a second output voltage; and a control circuit to control an operation of the one or more charge pumps in accordance with a first operation mode and a second operation mode, wherein, in the first operation mode, the control circuit is configured to supply the first input voltage to the first input node, leave the second input node floating, and supply the first output voltage to the first output node, and wherein, in the second operation mode, the control circuit is configured to supply the second input voltage to the second input node, leave the first input node floating, and supply the second output voltage to the second output node. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The voltage converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the one or more charge pumps comprise one or more latch charge pumps. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The voltage converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the one or more charge pumps comprise one or more bootstrap charge pumps. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The voltage converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the one or more charge pumps comprise at least a first charge pump and a second charge pump coupled with one another in a series connection between the first input node and the second input node. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The voltage converter circuit of claim 4, wherein a charge storage and/or a charge pump output node of the first charge pump is electrically conductively connected to the second output node via a first transistor connected in between. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The voltage converter circuit of claim 5, wherein a charge storage and/or a charge pump output node of the second charge pump is electrically conductively connected to the first output node via a second transistor connected in between. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The voltage converter circuit of claim 1, further comprising: an output control circuit coupled to the first output node and the second output node to selectively output, at a common output node, either the first output voltage in the first operation mode or the second output voltage in the second operation mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The voltage converter circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one charge pump of the one or more charge pumps comprises one or more triple well transistors, each of the one or more triple well transistors comprises a first well and a second well. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The voltage converter circuit of claim 8, wherein the first well is electrically conductively connected to the second input node. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The voltage converter circuit of claim 8, further comprising: an auxiliary circuit, the auxiliary circuit comprising an input node electrically conductively connected to a charge storage and/or a charge pump output node of the at least one charge pump; and the auxiliary circuit comprising an output node electrically conductively connected to the first well to provide an auxiliary voltage thereto. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The voltage converter circuit of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary circuit comprises one or more transistors coupled in series between the input node of the auxiliary circuit and the output node of the auxiliary circuit; wherein preferably each of the one or more transistors is a triple well transistor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The voltage converter circuit of claim 11, wherein the auxiliary circuit comprises further an auxiliary voltage supply, wherein the auxiliary voltage is provided by the auxiliary voltage supply only in the second operation mode and by the one or more transistors only in the first operation mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The voltage converter circuit of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary voltage provided in the first operation mode differs from the auxiliary voltage provided in the second operation mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The voltage converter circuit of claim 13, wherein, in the first operation mode, the auxiliary voltage is between an input voltage of the at least one charge pump and an output voltage of the at least one charge pump, and, in the second operation mode, the auxiliary voltage is between an input voltage of a first charge pump and the second input voltage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The voltage converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the first input node is electrically conductively connected to the second output node; and wherein the second input node is electrically conductively connected to the first output node. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The voltage converter circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one charge pump of one or more charge pumps is coupled between the first input node and the second output node; and/or wherein at least one further charge pump of one or more charge pumps is coupled between the second input node and the first output node. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The voltage converter circuit of claim 1, wherein, in the first operation mode, the one or more charge pumps are operated in accordance with a first pumping sequence to convert the first input voltage to the first output voltage; and wherein, in the second operation mode, the one or more charge pumps are operated in accordance with a second pumping sequence to convert the second input voltage to the second output voltage; wherein the second pumping sequence and the first pumping sequence differ from each other. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The voltage converter circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one charge pump of the one or more charge pumps is coupled between the first output node and the second output node.