US 2017/0324323 A1Published application

Single inductor dual output voltage converter and the method thereof

AssigneeMonolithic Power Systems, Inc.

InventorsBairen Liu, Licheng Sheng, Bo Yu

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Abstract

A voltage converter provides a positive voltage and a negative voltage with a single inductor. The voltage converter has a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch switched periodically, wherein each switching period comprise a first time period, a second time period and a third time period, and wherein: during the first time period, the first switch and the fourth switch are turned on, whereas the second switch and the third switch are turned off; during the second time period, the first switch and the third switch are turned on, whereas the second switch and the fourth switch are turned off; and during the third time period, the second switch and the fourth switch are turned on, whereas the first switch and the third switch are turned off.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A voltage converter having an inductor, an input port receiving an input voltage, a first output port providing a first output voltage, and a second output port providing a second output voltage, comprising:

a first switch, coupled between the input port and a first terminal of the inductor;
a second switch, coupled between the first terminal of the inductor and the second output port;
a third switch, coupled between the second terminal of the inductor and the first output port;
and
a fourth switch, coupled between the second terminal of the inductor and a ground reference;
wherein
the first switch, the second switch, the third switch and the fourth switch are switched periodically during operation, and each switching period comprises a first time period, a second time period and a third time period, and wherein:
during the first time period, the first switch and the fourth switch are turned on, whereas the second switch and the third switch are turned off;
during the second time period, the first switch and the third switch are turned on, whereas the second switch and the fourth switch are turned off;
and
during the third time period, the second switch and the fourth switch are turned on, whereas the first switch and the third switch are turned off.

8 more elements

A control circuit for a voltage converter having an inductor, an input port configured to receive an input voltage, a first output port configured to provide a first output voltage, a second output port configured to provide a second output voltage, a first switch coupled between the input port and a first terminal of the inductor, a second switch coupled between the first terminal of the inductor and a second output port, a third switch coupled between a second terminal of the inductor and a first output port, a fourth switch coupled between the second terminal of the inductor and a ground reference, the control circuit comprising:

a first duty cycle regulating circuit, configured to provide a first duty cycle control signal based on a first reference signal, the first output voltage and a comparison reference signal;
a second duty cycle regulating circuit, configured to provide a second duty cycle control signal based on a second reference signal, the comparison reference signal and an absolute signal which has an absolute value of the second output voltage;
and
a logic circuit, configured to provide a first control signal, a second control signal, a third control signal and a fourth control signal based on a logic operation on the first duty cycle control signal and the second duty cycle control signal.

1 more element

A method for controlling a voltage converter having an inductor, an input port configured to receive an input voltage, a first output port configured to provide a first output voltage, a second output port configured to provide a second output voltage, a first switch coupled between the input port and a first terminal of the inductor, a second switch coupled between the first terminal of the inductor and a second output port, a third switch coupled between a second terminal of the inductor and a first output port, a fourth switch coupled between the second terminal of the inductor and a ground reference, the method comprising:

turning on the first switch and the fourth switch, and turning off the second switch and third switch during a first time period;
turning on the first switch and the third switch, and turning off the second switch and the fourth switch during a second time period, and
turning on the second switch and the fourth switch, and turning off the first switch and the third switch during a third time period;
wherein
the first time period, the second time period and the third time period constitute sequently each switching period of the voltage converter.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/474,988Filed 30 Mar 2017
Priority: CN 201610289323.65 May 2016
Published: 9 Nov 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H02M 3/157
With automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators: with digital control
H02M 1/08
Details of apparatus for conversion: circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in…
H02M 3/158
With automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices…
H02M 1/0009
Details of control, feedback or regulation circuits: devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter