# US 12,191,770 B2 · System and method for multi-phase power conversion and control

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,191,770 B2
- Document ID: US12191770B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/969,568
- Filed: 2022-10-19
- Published: 2024-04-25
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2022-10-19
- Assignees: Halo Microelectronics International
- Applicants: Halo Microelectronics International
- Inventors: Rui Liu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191770B2

## CPC

- H02M 1/0025: {Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter}
- H02M 3/1586: {switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved}
- H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter}
- H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
- H02M 1/14: Arrangements for reducing ripples from DC input or output
- H03L 7/0812: {and where no voltage or current controlled oscillator is used}
- 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)
- H03L: AUTOMATIC CONTROL, STARTING, SYNCHRONISATION OR STABILISATION OF GENERATORS OF ELECTRONIC OSCILLATIONS OR PULSES (generation of oscillations H03B)

## Abstract

A controller for controlling a multi-phase power conversion system includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) comparator configured to generate a PWM signal based on a ramp signal, a voltage reference signal and a feedback voltage from the power conversion system. A circuit may be configured to generate, based on the PWM signal, PWM signals by delaying the PWM signal with different delay times, and feed the PWM signals to respective switching power converters of the multi-phase power conversion system, to regulate an output voltage of the power conversion system. Each switching power converter may include a control circuit configured to adjust a pulse width of a received PWM signal based on a reference current and an output current of a corresponding switching power converter, to generate an adjusted PWM signal, based on which, an output voltage of the corresponding switching power converter is regulated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control system for controlling a multi-phase power conversion system, comprising:
a pulse width modulation (PWM) comparator, configured to generate a first PWM signal based on a ramp signal, a voltage reference signal and a first voltage signal, the first voltage signal being a feedback voltage from the multi-phase power conversion system, the multi-phase power conversion system comprising N switching power converters, and N being an integer greater than 1; and
a first circuit, coupled with the PWM comparator and configured to:
receive the first PWM signal from the PWM comparator;
generate, based on the first PWM signal, N PWM signals by delaying the first PWM signal with different delay times, a kth PWM signal of the N PWM signals being the first PWM signal delayed with a delay time of (k−1)Δt, wherein Δt is a first delay time, k is an integer, and 1≤k≤N; and
feed the N PWM signals to the N switching power converters, respectively, to regulate an output voltage of the multi-phase power conversion system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, further comprising:
a voltage error amplifier, coupled with the PWM comparator and configured to:
receive the first voltage signal from the multi-phase power conversion system;
generate a voltage error signal based on the first voltage signal and the voltage reference signal; and
feed the voltage error signal to the PWM comparator; and
wherein the PWM comparator is configured to generate the first PWM signal based on the ramp signal and the voltage error signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the first circuit further comprises:
a master clock circuit configured to generate a clock signal used for generating the N PWM signals.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the first circuit further comprises:
a signal delay circuit comprising N−1 signal delay sub-circuits coupled in series, each of the N−1 signal delay sub-circuits being configured to delay an input signal with the first delay time Δt, and the signal delay circuit being configured to receive the first PWM signal as an input and output the N PWM signals.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The control system of claim 4, wherein each of the N−1 signal delay sub-circuits comprises a plurality of D flip-flop devices connected in series and synchronized with a clock signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the ramp signal is a fixed voltage ramp signal, an output inductor current signal of a switching power converter of the N switching power converters, or an artificial ripple voltage.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, further comprising:
a current reference generator circuit, configured to:
receive a sensed output inductor current from each of the N switching power converters;
generate, based on sensed output inductor currents of the N switching power converters, a current reference signal to regulate an output inductor current of each of the N switching power converters; and
feed the current reference signal to each of the N switching power converters.

### Claim 8

A multi-phase power conversion system comprising:
N switching power converters, each of the N switching power converters comprising a control circuit that is configured to:
receive a first pulse width modulation (PWM) signal from a controller of the multi-phase power conversion system, the PWM signal being based on an output voltage of the multi-phase power conversion system;
adjust a pulse width of the first PWM signal based on a delay lock loop (DLL) signal to generate an adjusted PWM signal, the DLL signal being based on a reference current and an output current of a corresponding switching power converter of the N switching power converters; and
regulate an output current of the corresponding switching power converter of the N switching power converters based on the adjusted PWM signal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The multi-phase power conversion system of claim 8, wherein for a kth switching power converter of the N switching power converters, the first PWM signal is a PWM signal delayed with a delay time of (k−1)Δt, wherein Δt is a first delay time, k is an integer, and 1≤k≤N.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The multi-phase power conversion system of claim 8, wherein the control circuit further comprises:
a delay lock loop (DLL) circuit configured to generate the DLL signal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The multi-phase power conversion system of claim 10, wherein the control circuit further comprises:
a one-shot circuit connected to the DLL circuit, the one-shot circuit being configured to generate a pulse signal to trigger generation of the DLL signal by the DLL circuit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The multi-phase power conversion system of claim 11, wherein the DLL circuit is configured to delay the pulse signal with a second delay time to generate the DLL signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The multi-phase power conversion system of claim 12, wherein the second delay time is determined based on the reference current received from the controller of the multi-phase power conversion system and the output current of the corresponding switching power converter of the N switching power converters.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The multi-phase power conversion system of claim 13, wherein the control circuit further comprises:
a current error amplifier connected to the DLL circuit, and configured to generate a current error signal based on the reference current and the output current, the second delay time being based on the current error signal.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The multi-phase power conversion system of claim 11, wherein the control circuit further comprises:
a pre-distortion circuit connected to the one-shot circuit, and configured to reduce the pulse width of the first PWM signal by a preset width to generate a second PWM signal, wherein a width of the pulse signal generated by the one-shot circuit is based on the preset width.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The multi-phase power conversion system of claim 15, wherein the adjusted PWM signal is generated based on the second PWM signal and the DLL signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The multi-phase power conversion system of claim 16, wherein the control circuit further comprises an OR gate configured to:
generate the adjusted PWM signal based on the second PWM signal and the DLL signal.