# US 2014/0191737 A1 · Power-supply apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191737 A1 - Document ID: US20140191737A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/096,499 - Filed: 2013-12-04 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09 - Assignees: Renesas Electronics Corporation - Applicants: Renesas Electronics Corporation - Inventors: Toshio NAGASAWA; Yoshitaka ONAYA; Koji SAIKUSA; Shin CHIBA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191737A1 ## CPC - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators - H02M 3/1584: {with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel} - H02M 3/1588: {comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element (H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence)} - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes - 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) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A power-supply apparatus according to an aspect includes an inductor, a transistor that supplies, in an on-state, a current to the input side of the inductor, a second transistor that becomes, when the first transistor is in an off-state, an on-state and thereby brings the input side of the inductor to a predetermined potential, a signal generation unit that generates voltage signals corresponding to a current flowing to the inductor, an amplifier that outputs a current according to the voltage signals, a converter that converts the current output from the amplifier into a voltage signal, and a control unit that controls the transistors based on a first feedback signal corresponding to the voltage on the output side of the inductor and the voltage signal, which is used as a second feedback signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power-supply apparatus comprising: an inductor; a first transistor that supplies, in an on-state, a current to an input side of the inductor; a second transistor that becomes, when the first transistor is in an off-state, an on-state and thereby brings the input side of the inductor to a predetermined potential; a signal generation unit that generates a first voltage signal corresponding to a first current flowing to the inductor; a trans-conductance amplifier that outputs a second current according to the first voltage signal generated by the signal generation unit; a converter that converts the second current output from the trans-conductance amplifier into a second voltage signal; and a control unit that controls the first and second transistors based on a first feedback signal corresponding to a voltage on an output side of the inductor and the second voltage signal, the second voltage signal being used as a second feedback signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage signal corresponds to a voltage difference generated by a DC resistive component of the inductor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal generation unit comprises a CR-circuit connected in parallel with the inductor, the CR-circuit comprising a capacitive element and a first resistive element connected in series, and the signal generation unit outputs a voltage difference across the capacitive element as the first voltage signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the CR-circuit is configured so that a relation “L1/R0=R1*C1” is satisfied, where: an inductance of the inductor is L1; a DC resistive component of the inductor is R0; a capacitance of the capacitive element is C1; and a resistance of the first resistive element is R1. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein one end of the first resistive element is connected to the input side of the inductor, one end of the capacitive element is connected to the output side of the inductor, another end of the first resistive element and another end of the capacitive element are connected to each other, the one end of the capacitive element is connected to a non-inverting input of the trans-conductance amplifier, and the another end of the first resistive element and the another end of the capacitive element are connected to an inverting input of the trans-conductance amplifier. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the converter comprises a second resistive element, one end of the second resistive element being connected to an output side of the trans-conductance amplifier, another end of the second resistive element being connected to a ground. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a bias current source that supplies a bias current to an output side of the trans-conductance amplifier. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a voltage of the first feedback signal is larger than a voltage of the second feedback signal, the control unit turns on the first transistor and turns off the second transistor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of output stages each comprising the inductor, the first transistor, the second transistor, the signal generation unit, the trans-conductance amplifier, the converter, and the control unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the output side of each of the inductors is connected to a load, and a clock signal having a mutually different phase and a common first feedback signal are supplied to each of the control unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a first semiconductor chip comprising the first transistor; a second semiconductor chip comprising the second transistor; and a third semiconductor chip comprising the trans-conductance amplifier and the control unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The power-supply apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first to third semiconductor chips are mounted on a same package substrate.