# US 2021/0281171 A1 · Dual Regulation-Loop Ramp-Controlled DC-DC Converter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0281171 A1 - Document ID: US20210281171A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/032,642 - Filed: 2020-09-25 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies LLC - Inventors: Oren Shlomo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210281171A1 ## CPC - H02M 3/07: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} - G11C 5/145: {Applications of charge pumps; Boosted voltage circuits; Clamp circuits therefor (G11C5/141 takes precedence)} - G11C 16/30: Power supply circuits - G11C 29/021: {in voltage or current generators} - G11C 29/028: {with adaption or trimming of parameters} - H02M 1/0025: {Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter} - H02M 1/008: {Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators} - G11C 16/10: Programming or data input circuits - G11C 16/14: Circuits for erasing electrically, e.g. erase voltage switching circuits - H02M 1/0012: {Control circuits using digital or numerical techniques (in DC/DC converters H02M3/157, H02M3/33515; in DC-AC converters H02M7/53873)} - H02M 1/0029: {Circuits or arrangements for limiting the slope of switching signals, e.g. slew rate} - H02M 1/0048: {Circuits or arrangements for reducing losses (using snubbers H02M1/34)} - H02M 3/071: {adapted to generate a negative voltage output from a positive voltage source} - 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) - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A DC-DC converter including voltage and slope regulation and a method of operating the same are provided. Generally, the converter includes a voltage source to supply an output, a switching-circuit coupled to the voltage sources to control a voltage on the output, and a slope-detector coupled to the switching-circuit and the output to detect a slope of a voltage transition between a first and a second voltage. When the detected slope exceeds a predetermined maximum the slope-detector sends a digital signal to the switching-circuit to intermittently pause the voltage transition to limit the slope to less than the maximum. In one embodiment, the voltage source is a charge-pump, and the switching-circuit includes a logic-gate coupled to the slope-detector to turn the charge-pump ON when the detected slope is less than the maximum, and to turn OFF the charge-pump for a time when the slope exceeds the maximum. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a number of voltage sources to supply one or more voltages to a capacitive load coupled to an output of the system; a switching-circuit coupled to the number of voltage sources to control a voltage on the output; and a slope-regulation-loop including a slope-detector coupled between the output and the switching-circuit to detect a slope of a voltage transition between a first voltage on the output and a second voltage, wherein the slope-detector is configured to generate a signal to the switching-circuit when a detected slope of the voltage transition exceeds a predetermined maximum slope to intermittently interrupt the voltage transition to limit the slope of the voltage transition to less than or equal to the predetermined maximum slope. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the system is a direct current to direct current converter (DC-DC converter) and the number of voltage sources comprise a charge-pump, and wherein the switching-circuit comprises a logic gate coupled to the slope-detector, the logic gate to turn ON the charge-pump when the detected slope of the voltage transition is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum slope, and to turn the charge-pump OFF when the detected slope exceeds the predetermined maximum slope. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 further comprising a voltage-level-regulation-loop in parallel with the slope-regulation-loop, the voltage-level-regulation-loop including a voltage-level-detector coupled between the logic gate and the output to detect the voltage on the output, and wherein the logic gate is further configured to turn OFF the charge-pump when the voltage on the output exceeds the second voltage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the charge-pump comprises a positive charge-pump, and wherein the slope-detector comprises a ramp-up slope-detector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the charge-pump comprises a negative charge-pump, and wherein the slope-detector comprises a ramp-down slope-detector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a multiplexing direct current to direct current converter (DC-DC converter), and the switching-circuit comprises a multiplexer including one or more switches coupled between the number of voltage sources and the output, the one or more switches to turn ON and couple the number of voltage sources to the output when the detected slope of the voltage transition is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum slope, and to turn OFF when the detected slope exceeds the predetermined maximum slope. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the slope-detector comprises a ramp-up slope-detector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the slope-detector comprises a ramp-down slope-detector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the slope-detector comprises a ramp-up and ramp-down slope-detector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the switching-circuit comprises one or more high voltage complementary metal-oxide-silicon (HV CMOS) switches. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the slope-detector comprises an integration capacitor (CSLOPE), a current source (ISLOPE) and a comparator, and wherein the predetermined maximum slope is proportional to ISLOPE/CSLOPE. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein a time for which the voltage transition is interrupted (TSLOPE-WAIT) is related to an integration time for a magnitude of a slope indication voltage (VSLOPE) to drop to less than a magnitude of the predetermined maximum slope (SLOPEMAX) and is equal to: TSLOPE-WAIT=[CSLOPE×|VSLOPE−VTRIP|/ISLOPE] where VTRIP is a trip-point voltage of the comparator. ### Claim 13 A method of operating a direct current to direct current converter (DC-DC converter), the method comprising: providing a first voltage on an output of the DC-DC converter connected to a capacitive load; coupling a second voltage from one of a number of voltage sources to the output using a switching-circuit in the DC-DC converter; detecting on the output a slope of a voltage transition between the first voltage and the second voltage; generating and coupling a signal to the switching-circuit when a detected slope of the voltage transition exceeds a predetermined maximum slope; and intermittently interrupting the voltage transition using the switching-circuit to limit the slope of the voltage transition to less than or equal to the predetermined maximum slope. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the number of voltage sources comprise a charge-pump coupled to the output, and the switching-circuit comprises a number of logic gates coupled to the charge-pump, and wherein intermittently interrupting the voltage transition comprises operating the number of logic gates to turn ON the charge-pump when the detected slope of the voltage transition is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum slope, and to turn the charge-pump OFF when the detected slope exceeds the predetermined maximum slope. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a voltage-level-detector coupled to the number of logic gates, and further comprising detecting with voltage-level-detector a voltage on the output and operating the number of logic gates to turn OFF the charge-pump when the voltage on the output exceeds the second voltage. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the switching-circuit comprises a multiplexer coupled between the number of voltage sources and the output, and wherein coupling the second voltage from the one of the number of voltage sources to the output comprises closing a switch in the multiplexer, and wherein intermittently interrupting the voltage transition comprises intermittently opening and closing the switch. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: an embedded non-volatile memory (eNVM); and a direct current to direct current converter (DC-DC converter) to supply one or more voltages to enable different modes of operation of the eNVM, the DC-DC converter comprising: a number of voltage sources to supply one or more voltages to an output of the DC-DC converter; a switching-circuit coupled to the number of voltage sources to control a voltage on the output; and a slope-regulation-loop including a slope-detector coupled between the output and the switching-circuit to detect a slope of a voltage transition between a first voltage on the output and a second voltage, wherein the slope-detector is configured to generate a signal to the switching-circuit when a detected slope of the voltage transition exceeds a predetermined maximum slope to intermittently interrupt the voltage transition to limit the slope of the voltage transition to less than or equal to the predetermined maximum slope. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein the number of voltage sources comprise a charge-pump, and wherein the switching-circuit comprises a logic gate coupled to the slope-detector, the logic gate configured to turn ON the charge-pump when the detected slope of the voltage transition is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum slope, and to turn the charge-pump OFF when the detected slope exceeds the predetermined maximum slope. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a voltage-level-regulation-loop in parallel with the slope-regulation-loop, the voltage-level-regulation-loop including a voltage-level-detector coupled between the logic gate and the output to detect the voltage on the output, and wherein the logic gate is further configured to turn OFF the charge-pump when the voltage output exceeds the second voltage. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein the switching-circuit comprises a multiplexer coupled between the number of voltage sources and the output, and wherein the multiplexer is configured to close a switch in the multiplexer to begin the voltage transition from the first voltage to the second voltage, and to receive the signal from the slope-detector and to intermittently open and close the switch to limit the slope of the voltage transition to less than or equal to the predetermined maximum slope.