Switching regulator controller dynamic output voltage adjustment

A controller for a switching regulator, the switching regulator configured to receive an input voltage and to generate a regulated output voltage on an output terminal for driving a load, the controller comprising:

• an error amplifier configured to receive a feedback voltage indicative of the regulated output voltage and a reference voltage, and to generate an error signal indicative of the difference between the feedback voltage and the reference voltage;
• a loop calculator configured to generate an output signal in response to the error signal, the output signal being used by the switching regulator to generate the regulated output voltage having a voltage value related to the reference voltage;
• and
• an output voltage adjust circuit configured to receive a sense current signal indicative of a current flowing through the load and to generate a voltage adjust signal in response to the sense current signal, the voltage adjust signal being applied to generate the reference voltage relative to a predetermined set voltage,
• wherein the output voltage adjust circuit comprises:
• a memory configured to store one or more samples of the sense current signal and further configured to store a current pattern-voltage lookup table;
• and
• a processor configured to receive the one or more samples of the sense current signal and to analyze the samples to detect a repetitive current pattern in the samples, the repetitive current pattern being associated with a shape of the sense current signal, the processor generating a pattern output in response to a repetitive current pattern being detected in the samples,
• wherein the current pattern-voltage lookup table is indexed by the detected repetitive current pattern to provide an output voltage pattern being the voltage adjust signal, the voltage adjust signal being applied to generate the reference voltage relative to a predetermined set voltage to increase or decrease the reference voltage.

A method in a controller for a switching regulator, the switching regulator configured to receive an input voltage and to generate a regulated output voltage on an output terminal for driving a load, the method comprising:

• receiving a feedback voltage indicative of the regulated output voltage and a reference voltage;
• generating an error signal indicative of the difference between the feedback voltage and the reference voltage;
• generating a control signal in response to at least the error signal, the control signal being used to generate the regulated output voltage having a voltage value related to the reference voltage;
• receiving a sense current signal indicative of a current flowing through the load;
• providing a current-voltage lookup table containing a set of voltage values indexed to corresponding sense current signal values, the voltage values and the sense current signal values being associated with a predetermined load profile of the load and the current-voltage lookup table providing an output voltage value responsive to load current demand;
• generating a voltage adjust signal in response to the sense current signal by indexing the current-voltage lookup table using a value of the sense current signal to provide an output voltage value being the voltage adjust signal;
• applying the voltage adjust signal to adjust the reference voltage relative to a predetermined set voltage to increase or decrease the reference voltage;
• and
• generating the regulated output voltage based on the feedback voltage and the adjusted reference voltage.