# US 2021/0281175 A1 · Dc-dc converter

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- Number: US 2021/0281175 A1
- Document ID: US20210281175A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/060,288
- Filed: 2020-10-01
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-03
- Assignees: Samsung Dislay Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Dislay Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: DONG KWAN HAN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210281175A1

## CPC

- H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
- G09G 3/3233: with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
- G09G 3/3266: Details of drivers for scan electrodes
- H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
- H02M 1/44: Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters
- 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}
- G09G 2300/0842: forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
- G09G 2310/0259: with use of an analog or digital ramp generator in the column driver or in the pixel circuit
- G09G 2320/0238: Improving the black level
- G09G 2320/029: by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
- G09G 2320/0653: Controlling or limiting the speed of brightness adjustment of the illumination source
- G09G 2330/021: Power management, e.g. power saving
- G09G 2330/026: Arrangements or methods related to booting a display
- G09G 2330/028: Generation of voltages supplied to electrode drivers in a matrix display other than LCD
- G09G 2360/144: the light being ambient light
- H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter}
- H02M 1/0029: {Circuits or arrangements for limiting the slope of switching signals, e.g. slew rate}
- 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)
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)

## Abstract

A voltage converter includes an input voltage line; an inductor coupled to the input voltage line; transistors coupled to the inductor; an output voltage line coupled to at least one of the transistors; a current sensor coupled to at least one of the input voltage line, the inductor, or the output voltage line; and a comparator coupled between the current sensor and the transistors. A DC-DC converter may include a voltage converter having an inductor and a plurality of transistors and configured to convert an input voltage into a power voltage and output the power voltage to an output terminal, an input current sensor configured to sense the input current of the converter, and a controller configured to change the slew rate of an inductor voltage in response to the input current of the converter and a preset reference current.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A DC-DC converter, comprising:
a converter comprising an inductor and a plurality of transistors and configured to convert an input voltage into a power voltage and output the power voltage to an output terminal;
an input current sensor configured to sense an input current of the converter; and
a controller configured to change a slew rate of an inductor voltage in response to the input current of the converter and a preset reference current,
wherein the slew rate of the inductor voltage is a rate of change of the inductor voltage per unit time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the controller sets the slew rate of the inductor voltage as a reference slew rate when the sensed input current of the converter is higher than the preset reference current, and changes the slew rate of the inductor voltage to a slew rate higher than the reference slew rate when the input current of the converter is lower than the preset reference current.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the converter comprises:
a first transistor coupled between an input terminal, to which the input voltage is applied, and a first node;
a first inductor coupled between the first node and ground; and
a second transistor coupled between the first node and the output terminal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 3, wherein the converter further comprises:
a plurality of first switch transistors coupled in parallel to a gate electrode of the first transistor; and
a plurality of second switch transistors coupled in parallel to a gate electrode of the second transistor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 4, wherein:
when the sensed input current of the converter is higher than the preset reference current, the controller supplies a first gate control signal to the gate electrode of the first transistor through one of the plurality of first switch transistors, and
when the sensed input current of the converter is lower than the preset reference current, the controller supplies the first gate control signal to the gate electrode of the first transistor through at least two of the plurality of first switch transistors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 4, wherein:
when the sensed input current of the converter is higher than the preset reference current, the controller supplies a second gate control signal to the gate electrode of the second transistor through one of the plurality of second switch transistors, and
when the sensed input current of the converter is lower than the preset reference current, the controller supplies the second gate control signal to the gate electrode of the second transistor through at least two of the plurality of second switch transistors.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 3, wherein the controller alternately turns on the first transistor and the second transistor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 1, further comprising:
another converter, including a second inductor and a second plurality of transistors, and configured to convert the input voltage into another power voltage and output the other power voltage to another output terminal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 8, wherein the other converter comprises:
a second inductor coupled between an input terminal to which the input voltage is applied and a second node;
a third transistor coupled between the second node and ground; and
a fourth transistor coupled between the second node and the other output terminal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 8, wherein the power voltage is a negative voltage and the other power voltage is a positive voltage.

### Claim 11

A DC-DC converter, comprising:
a converter comprising a plurality of inductors, and a plurality of transistors coupled between an input terminal having an input voltage and an output terminal having an output voltage;
an output sensor coupled to the output terminal;
a mode selector comprising a switch configured to select any one of a single mode, in which a current flows through one of the plurality of inductors, or a dual mode, in which the current flows through at least two of the plurality of inductors; and
a controller configured to change a reference current in response to the output voltage, and to select any one of the single mode or the dual mode in response to at least one of the current or the reference current.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein the controller sets the reference current higher as the output voltage of the converter is higher.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein:
the output voltage of the converter comprises first, second, third and fourth output voltages,
the controller sets a first reference current as the reference current when the output voltage of the converter is the first output voltage, sets a second reference current as the reference current when the output voltage of the converter is the second output voltage, sets a third reference current as the reference current when the output voltage of the converter is the third output voltage, and sets a fourth reference current as the reference current when the output voltage of the converter is the fourth output voltage, and
when the first output voltage is lower than the second output voltage, when the second output voltage is lower than the third output voltage, and when the third output voltage is lower than the fourth output voltage, the first reference current is lower than the second reference current, the second reference current is lower than the third reference current, and the third reference current is lower than the fourth reference current.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein the controller drives the converter in the single mode when an output current through the output terminal is lower than the reference current, and drives the converter in the dual mode when the output current is higher than the reference current.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 11, wherein the converter comprises:
a first transistor coupled between an input terminal to which the input voltage is applied and a first node;
a first inductor and a second inductor coupled between the first node and ground; and
a second transistor coupled between the first node and the output terminal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 15, wherein:
when an output current through the output terminal is lower than the reference current, the controller couples one inductor, selected from among the first inductor and the second inductor, between the first node and the ground, and
when the output current is higher than the reference current, the controller couples the first and second inductors, which are coupled to each other in parallel, between the first node and the ground.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 11,
wherein the output sensor is an output current sensor configured to sense an output current through the output terminal,
the converter further comprising an output voltage sensor configured to sense the output voltage at the output terminal.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 11,
wherein the output voltage is a power voltage,
the DC-DC-converter further comprising another converter including another inductor and another plurality of transistors and configured to convert the input voltage into another power voltage and output the other power voltage to another output terminal.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 18, wherein the other converter comprises:
a third inductor coupled between the input terminal to which the input voltage is applied and a second node;
a third transistor coupled between the second node and ground; and
a fourth transistor coupled between the second node and the other output terminal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The DC-DC converter according to claim 18, wherein the power voltage is a negative voltage and the other power voltage is a positive voltage.

### Claim at position 21

21-32. (canceled)