Voltage converter having overcurrent protection
AssigneeSkyworks Solutions, Inc.
InventorsHai-Bo Li, Wei Jia Yu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Voltage converter having overcurrent protection. In some embodiments, a voltage converter can include a voltage converting circuit configured to receive an input voltage and generate an output voltage. The voltage converter can further include an overcurrent protection circuit coupled to the voltage converting circuit and having a detection unit configured to detect an overcurrent condition associated with the voltage converting circuit. The overcurrent protection circuit can further include a consumption unit configured to selectively consume and thereby reduce a current in a path associated with the voltage converting circuit based on the detection of the overcurrent condition.
Claims18
A voltage converter comprising:
- a voltage converting circuit configured to receive an input voltage and generate an output voltage, and including an input inductor and an output capacitor;
- and
- a protection circuit including a detection unit configured to detect an overcurrent condition based on a current through the input inductor, the detection unit further configured to provide an overcurrent signal indicative of the overcurrent condition to a driving unit of the voltage converting circuit to cease charging operation and to perform discharging operation while the overcurrent condition exists, the protection circuit further including a consumption unit implemented along an electrical path of the voltage converting circuit and configured to provide a first consumption value when there is no overcurrent condition and a second consumption value during the overcurrent condition, the second consumption value greater than the first consumption value, such that the consumption unit selectively provides an increased consumption value along the electrical path during the overcurrent condition.
A method for operating a voltage converter that includes an input inductor and an output capacitor, the method comprising:
- converting an input voltage to an output voltage;
- detecting an overcurrent condition based on a current through the input inductor;
- providing an overcurrent signal indicative of the overcurrent condition to a driving unit of the voltage converting circuit to cease charging operation and to perform discharging operation while the overcurrent condition exists;
- and
- controlling a consumption unit along an electrical path associated with the converting of the input voltage to the output voltage, to provide a first consumption value when there is no overcurrent condition and a second consumption value during the overcurrent condition, the second consumption value greater than the first consumption value, such that the consumption unit selectively provides an increased consumption value along the electrical path during the overcurrent condition.
A portable electronic device comprising:
- a module configured to utilize a regulated voltage;
- and
- a voltage converter configured to provide the regulated voltage, the voltage converter including a voltage converting circuit and a protection circuit, the voltage converting circuit including an input inductor and an output capacitor, the protection circuit including a detection unit configured to detect an overcurrent condition based on a current through the input inductor, the detection unit further configured to provide an overcurrent signal indicative of the overcurrent condition to a driving unit of the voltage converting circuit to cease charging operation and to perform discharging operation while the overcurrent condition exists, the protection circuit further including a consumption unit implemented along an electrical path of the voltage converting circuit and configured to provide a first consumption value when there is no overcurrent condition and a second consumption value during the overcurrent condition, the second consumption value greater than the first consumption value, such that the consumption unit selectively provides an increased consumption value along the electrical path during the overcurrent condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.