# US 11,909,306 B2 · Transient compensation for power converter circuits > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,306 B2 - Document ID: US11909306B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/229,470 - Filed: 2021-04-13 - Published: 2022-10-13 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-13 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Yue Wen; Hubert Attah; Wenxun Huang; Hao Zhou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909306B2 ## CPC - H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection - H02M 3/1566: {with means for compensating against rapid load changes, e.g. with auxiliary current source, with dual mode control or with inductance variation} - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - 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 power converter circuit included in a computer system regulates a power supply voltage used by other circuits in the computer system. During operation, the power converter circuit monitors the load current, and, in response to a transient in the load current, switches regulation modes to adapt to the new load conditions. Upon a detection of the end of the transient in the load current, the power converter returns to its original regulation mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: a voltage regulator circuit configured to generate a particular voltage level on a regulated power supply node using a first regulation mode; a detection circuit configured to detect a regulation event using a voltage level of the regulated power supply node; and a control circuit configured to: in response to a detection of the regulation event, change an operating mode of the voltage regulator circuit from the first regulation mode to a second regulation mode; and, in response to a detection of an end condition for the second regulation mode, change the operating mode from the second regulation mode to the first regulation mode; wherein one of the first and second regulation modes includes a valley-current regulation mode, and wherein another one of the first and second regulation modes includes a peak-current regulation mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to detect a change in a demand current for the voltage regulator circuit that exceeds a threshold value within a particular period of time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein to detect the change in the demand current, the control circuit is further configured to: generate the demand current using the voltage level of the regulated power supply node and a reference voltage level; and compare the demand current to a filtered version of the demand current. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate the filtered version of the demand current using the demand current and an offset current. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a peak detector circuit configured to: perform a comparison of an output current supplied to a load circuit to a peak threshold value; and generate a peak signal in response to a determination that the output current is greater than the peak threshold value; and a logic circuit configured to generate a reset signal using a gated clock signal and the peak signal, the reset signal indicating detection of an end condition for the second regulation mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a valley detector circuit configured to: compare an output current supplied to a load circuit to a valley threshold value; and generate a valley signal in response to a determination that the output current is less than the valley threshold value; and a logic circuit configured to generate the a signal using a gated clock signal and the valley signal, the reset signal indicating detection of an end condition for the second regulation mode. ### Claim 7 A method, comprising: generating, by a voltage regulation circuit using a first regulation mode, a particular voltage level on a regulated power supply node; monitoring a voltage level of the regulated power supply node; in response to detecting a regulation event, changing an operating mode of the voltage regulation circuit from the first regulation mode to a second regulation mode; and in response to detecting an end condition for the second regulation mode, changing the operating mode of the voltage regulation circuit from the second regulation mode to the first regulation mode; wherein one of the first and second regulation modes includes a valley-current regulation mode, and wherein another one of the first and second regulation modes includes a Peak-current regulation mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first regulation mode includes a valley-current regulation mode and the second regulation mode includes a peak-current regulation mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising comparing an output current of the voltage regulation circuit to a threshold value to detect the end condition for the second regulation mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first regulation mode includes a peak-current regulation mode and the second regulation mode includes a valley-current regulation mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the regulation event includes a change in a load current that exceeds a threshold value within a particular period of time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein monitoring the voltage level of the regulated power supply node includes: generating a demand current using the voltage level of the regulated power supply node and a reference voltage level; and comparing the demand current and a filtered version of the demand current. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: combining the demand current and an offset current to generate a combined current; and filtering the combined current to generate the filtered version of the demand current. ### Claim 14 An apparatus, comprising: a load circuit coupled to a regulated power supply node; and a power converter circuit configured to: generate, using a first regulation mode, a particular voltage level on the regulated power supply node; monitor a voltage level of the regulated power supply node; generate an event signal in response to a detection of a regulation event; change, using the event signal, an operating mode from the first regulation mode to a second regulation mode; generate a reset signal in response to a detection of an end condition for the second regulation mode; and change, using the reset signal, the operating mode from the second regulation mode to the first regulation mode; wherein one of the first and second regulation modes includes a valley-current regulation mode, and wherein another one of the first and second regulation modes includes a Peak-current regulation mode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first regulation mode includes a valley-current regulation mode and the second regulation mode includes a peak-current regulation mode, and wherein the power converter circuit includes: a clock gating circuit configured to generate a gated clock signal using an input clock signal and the event signal; a valley detector circuit configured to: compare an output current supplied to the load circuit to a valley threshold value; and generate a valley signal in response to a determination that the output current is less than the valley threshold value; and a logic circuit configured to generate the reset signal using the gated clock signal and the valley signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first regulation mode includes a peak-current regulation mode and the second regulation mode includes a valley-current regulation mode, and wherein the power converter circuit includes: a clock gating circuit configured to generate a gated clock signal using an input clock signal and the event signal a peak detector circuit configured to: perform a comparison of an output current supplied to the load circuit to a peak threshold value; and generate a peak signal in response to a determination that the output current is greater than the peak threshold value; and a logic circuit configured to generate the reset signal using the gated clock signal and the peak signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to: count a number of cycles of the input clock signal in response to an activation of the peak signal; and in response to a determination that the number of cycles has reached a threshold value, disable the clock gating circuit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein to monitor the voltage level of the regulated power supply node, the power converter circuit is further configured to: generate a demand current using the voltage level of the regulated power supply node and a reference voltage level; and compare the demand current and a filtered version of the demand current. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the power converter circuit is further configured to: combine the demand current and an offset current to generate a combined current; and filter the combined current to generated the filtered version of the demand current. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the regulation event includes a change in a load current of the power converter circuit that exceeds a threshold value within a particular period of time.