# US 12,015,345 B2 · Pulse width modulation techniques for a multiphase voltage converter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,345 B2 - Document ID: US12015345B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/229,755 - Filed: 2023-08-03 - Published: 2023-11-23 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-07 - Assignees: Texas Instruments Incorporated - Applicants: Texas Instruments Incorporated - Inventors: Naman Bafna; Preetam Charan Anand Tadeparthy; Ammineni Balaji; Sreelakshmi Suresh; Mayank Jain - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015345B2 ## CPC - H02M 3/157: with digital control - H02M 3/1586: {switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved} - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - H02M 1/0845: {digitally controlled (or with digital control)} - 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: 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 In an example, a method includes storing a pending PWM pulse for a switching voltage regulator. The method also includes determining a switching voltage regulator is operating in a current limit mode, where an inductor current is above a current limit threshold. The method includes providing a predetermined number of PWM pulses in the current limit mode. The method also includes, responsive to providing the predetermined number of PWM pulses, ceasing storage of pending PWM pulses for the switching voltage regulator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a controller; a power stage coupled to the controller; and an inductor coupled to the power stage; wherein the controller is configured to: store a pending pulse width modulation (PWM) pulse; determine an inductor current of the inductor is above a current limit threshold; provide the pending PWM pulse a predetermined number of times; and responsive to providing the pending PWM pulse the predetermined number of times, cease storage of the pending PWM pulse. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide the pending PWM pulse in a current limit mode responsive to an output of a current limit comparator. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to store the pending PWM pulse responsive to exiting the current limit mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide the pending PWM pulse responsive to a signal from a current limit comparator and a signal from a loop compensation comparator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the power stage includes multiple phases, and wherein each of the multiple phases provides the PWM pulse the predetermined number of times. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to store the pending PWM pulse for each of the multiple phases. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to cease storage of the pending PWM pulse for each of the multiple phases. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to resume storing the pending PWM pulse in response to termination of a current limit mode. ### Claim 9 A voltage regulator, comprising: a compensation circuit including an output; a first comparator coupled to the output of the compensation circuit; a second comparator; and a control circuit coupled to an output of the first comparator and an output of the second comparator; wherein: the compensation circuit determines an output voltage of the voltage regulator exceeds a programmed value; the second comparator indicates at the output of the second comparator one of an inductor current is less than zero amperes in the voltage regulator and the inductor current is equal to or greater than zero amperes; the control circuit is configurable to tri-state a pulse width modulation (PWM) pulse responsive to the second comparator indicating the inductor current is less than zero amperes; and the control circuit is configurable to provide a non-tri-state PWM pulse responsive to the second comparator indicating the inductor current is equal to or greater than zero amperes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The voltage regulator of claim 9, wherein the voltage regulator is a multiphase switching voltage regulator, and wherein the inductor current is determined for each phase. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The voltage regulator of claim 10, wherein the voltage regulator is a multiphase switching voltage regulator, and wherein the PWM pulse is tri-stated for each phase responsive to determining an inductor current is less than zero amperes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The voltage regulator of claim 10, wherein tri-stating the PWM pulse is performed for one phase of the multiphase switching voltage regulator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The voltage regulator of claim 9, wherein tri-stating the PWM pulse includes turning off a high-side field effect transistor (FET) and a low-side FET of the voltage regulator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The voltage regulator of claim 9, includes a discontinuous conduction mode responsive to determining the output voltage exceeds the programmed value and determining the inductor current is less than zero amperes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The voltage regulator of claim 14, wherein responsive to determining the inductor current is equal to or greater than zero amperes, the voltage regulator exits the discontinuous conduction mode. ### Claim 16 A system, comprising: a driver; and a controller coupled to the driver, wherein the controller is configured to: determine an overshoot condition has occurred in a switching voltage regulator, wherein the overshoot condition indicates an output voltage has crossed a predetermined threshold; provide a truncated pulse width modulation (PWM) pulse, wherein the truncated PWM pulse includes a predetermined on-time; and responsive to determining the overshoot condition is finished, provide a non-truncated PWM pulse. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the truncated PWM pulse has a shorter on-time than the non-truncated PWM pulse. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined on-time is based at least in part by feedback from a load. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the switching voltage regulator is a multiphase switching voltage regulator, and PWM pulses are provided for each phase. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, further comprising providing the truncated PWM pulse for each phase of the multiphase switching voltage regulator during the overshoot condition.