# US 2021/0242774 A1 · Voltage converter and power management device including the same

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- Number: US 2021/0242774 A1
- Document ID: US20210242774A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/016,903
- Filed: 2020-09-10
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Dam YUN; Haneul KIM; Dongwoo BAEK; Jehyung YOON; Sangik CHO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242774A1

## CPC

- H02M 1/0025: {Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter}
- G01R 19/16538: {in AC or DC supplies (G01R19/16519 and G01R19/16528 take precedence)}
- G01R 19/175: Indicating the instants of passage of current or voltage through a given value, e.g. passage through zero
- H02M 1/0032: {Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode}
- 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 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
- H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter}
- H03K 4/48: using as active elements semiconductor devices (H03K4/787 - H03K4/84 take precedence)
- 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)
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A voltage converter includes a converting circuit having an inductor connected to a switching node, a first switch element connected between the switching node and a ground voltage, and a second switch element connected between the switching node and an output node; and a switching control circuit configured to adjust a feedback voltage divided from an output voltage of the output node based on a current state of the inductor, and configured to generate switching control signals for charging the inductor with an input voltage and discharging a voltage charged in the inductor, based on a sensing signal based on a current of the inductor and the adjusted feedback voltage.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A voltage converter comprising:
a converting circuit having an inductor connected to a switching node, a first switch element connected between the switching node and a ground voltage, and a second switch element connected between the switching node and an output node; and
a switching control circuit configured to adjust a feedback voltage divided from an output voltage of the output node based on a current state of the inductor, and configured to generate switching control signals for charging the inductor with an input voltage and discharging a voltage charged in the inductor, based on a sensing signal based on a current of the inductor and the adjusted feedback voltage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The voltage converter of claim 1, wherein the switching control circuit is configured to adjust the feedback voltage by adding a ripple injection voltage reflecting the current state of the inductor to the feedback voltage, wherein the ripple injection voltage has the same phase as the current of the inductor, and a direct current (DC) component in the ripple injection voltage is removed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The voltage converter of claim 2, wherein the switching control circuit is configured to
perform a first comparison based on the adjusted feedback voltage and a reference voltage, and
output a first switching control signal for charging the inductor to the first switch element, based on an on-time control signal for limiting a charging time of the inductor and a result of the first comparison.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The voltage converter of claim 3, wherein the switching control circuit is configured to generate the on-time control signal, based on the DC component of the ripple injection voltage based on a duty ratio of a voltage of the switching node.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The voltage converter of claim 4, wherein the switching control circuit is configured to,
perform a second comparison based on a ramp voltage generated from the output voltage and the DC component, and
configured to generate the on-time control signal based on a result of the second comparison.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The voltage converter of claim 4, wherein the switching control circuit is configured to
generate a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) reference voltage having the same level as the DC component in a (DCM), and
generate the on-time control signal using the DCM reference voltage.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The voltage converter of claim 3, wherein the switching control circuit is configured to output a second switching control signal for discharging the voltage charged in the inductor to the second switch element, based on,
the sensing signal indicating whether the inductor current is at a zero level,
the result of the first comparison, and
the on-time control signal.

### Claim 8

A voltage converter comprising:
a converting circuit having an inductor connected to a switching node, a first switch element connected between the switching node and a ground voltage, and a second switch element connected between the switching node and an output node; and
a switching control circuit configured to adjust a feedback voltage derived from the output node, and configured to generate a first switching control signal provided to the first switch element for charging the inductor and a second switching control signal provided to the second switch element for discharging a voltage charged in the inductor, using the adjusted feedback voltage,
wherein the switching control circuit further includes a ripple injection circuit configured to generate a reverse phase voltage of a voltage of the switching node, and configured to generate a ripple injection voltage for adjustment of the feedback voltage having the same phase as a current of the inductor using the reverse phase voltage.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The voltage converter of claim 8, wherein the ripple injection circuit further includes:
a reverse phase voltage generation circuit connected to the output node and configured to generate the reverse phase voltage of the voltage of the switching node by using the first switching control signal, the second switching control signal, and a sensing signal based on the current of the inductor;
a first stage circuit connected to an output of the reverse phase voltage generation circuit and configured to filter the reverse phase voltage to generate the ripple injection voltage; and
a second stage circuit connected to an output of the first stage circuit, the second stage circuit configured to extract a DC component of the ripple injection voltage.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The voltage converter of claim 9, wherein the ripple injection circuit further includes a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) reference voltage generation circuit configured to provide a DCM reference voltage having the same level as a DC component of the ripple injection voltage to the first stage circuit when the reverse phase voltage generation circuit is deactivated in a DCM.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The voltage converter of claim 8, wherein the switching control circuit further includes:
a pulse generating circuit configured to
sum the feedback voltage and the ripple injection voltage from which a DC component is removed,
perform a first comparison based on the summed voltage and a reference voltage, and
generate at least one of a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, based on a result of the first comparison and a sensing signal; and
a driving circuit amplifying the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, respectively, to output the first switching control signal and the second switching control signal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The voltage converter of claim 11, wherein the pulse generation circuit further includes an on-time control circuit configured to
generate an on-time control signal for limiting a charging time of the inductor, based on the DC component of the ripple injection voltage, and
generate at least one of the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal in an on-time period in which the on-time control signal has a first level.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The voltage converter of claim 12, wherein the on-time control circuit is configured to
perform a second comparison based on the DC component and a ramp voltage generated from an output voltage of the output node, and
generate the on-time control signal for setting the on-time period proportional to a duty ratio of the reverse phase voltage based on a result of the second comparison.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The voltage converter of claim 8, wherein the first switch element includes an n-channel power switch, and the second switch element includes a p-channel power switch connected between the switching node and the output node.

### Claim 15

A power management device comprising:
a reference voltage generating circuit configured to generate a reference voltage; and
a voltage converter configured to
adjust a feedback voltage divided from an output voltage at an output node,
perform pulse frequency modulation or pulse width modulation using the adjusted feedback voltage and the reference voltage to generate switching control signals, and
convert an input voltage to the output voltage in response to the switching control signals,
the voltage converter including a converting circuit having an inductor connected to an switching node, a first switch element connected to the switching node, and a second switch element connected between the switching node and the output node,
the first switch element and the second switch element configured to switch for charging the inductor with the input voltage and discharging a voltage charged in the inductor in response to the switching control signals; and
a switching control circuit configured to
generate a ripple injection voltage having the same phase as a current of the inductor,
adjust the feedback voltage using the ripple injection voltage, and
generate the switching control signals using the adjusted feedback voltage.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The power management device of claim 15, wherein the switching control circuit is configured to
adjust the feedback voltage by adding the ripple injection voltage from which a DC component is removed to the feedback voltage,
compare the adjusted feedback voltage with the reference voltage, and
generate the switching control signals based on a result of the comparison.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The power management device of claim 15, wherein the switching control circuit is configured to generate an on-time control signal for controlling an on-time period during which the inductor is charged using a DC component of the ripple injection voltage.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The power management device of claim 17, wherein the DC component of the ripple injection voltage is proportional to a ratio of the reverse phase voltage to the voltage of the switching node.

### Claim at position 19

19-22. (canceled)