# US 2021/0344272 A1 · Voltage regulation circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0344272 A1 - Document ID: US20210344272A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/376,549 - Filed: 2021-07-15 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-25 - Assignees: Texas Instruments Incorporated - Applicants: Texas Instruments Incorporated - Inventors: Neil GIBSON; Stefan HERZER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210344272A1 ## CPC - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters - H02M 1/0035: {using burst mode control} - 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} - 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) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A voltage regulation circuit includes a switching output terminal, a high-side output transistor, a low-side output transistor, a high-side replica transistor, a low-side replica transistor, and a comparator circuit. The high-side output transistor is configured to drive the switching output terminal. The low-side output transistor is configured to drive the switching output terminal. The high-side replica transistor is coupled to the high-side output transistor. The low-side replica transistor is coupled to the high-side replica transistor and the low-side output transistor. The comparator circuit is coupled to the high-side replica transistor and the low-side replica transistor, and is configured to compare a signal received from both the high-side replica transistor and the low-side replica transistor to a ramp signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process of operating a fixed-frequency enhanced voltage mode regulation circuit comprising: operating output transistors in a continuous conduction mode by comparing in a comparator a reference signal, a ramp signal, and a first feedback signal, the first feedback signal being coupled to a high-side output transistor and a low-side output transistor; operating the output transistors in a discontinuous mode by comparing in the comparator the reference signal and a second feedback signal, the second feedback signal being coupled to a replica high-side output transistor and a replica low-side output transistor; and switching between the continuous mode and the discontinuous mode in response to current drawn through the low-side output transistor being lower than a threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 in which the switching includes disconnecting the ramp signal from one input of the comparator and connecting the feedback signal to the one input of the comparator. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 in which the switching includes: closing a first switch and opening a second switch in the continuous conduction mode; and opening the first switch and closing the second switch in the discontinuous mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The process of claim 3 including: closing the first switch and opening the second switch in response to a latch signal of one state; and opening the first switch and closing and second switch in response to a latch signal of another state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 in which the switching includes setting a latch signal in one state corresponding to the continuous conduction state in response to an output of the comparator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 in which the switching includes setting a latch signal in another state corresponding to the discontinuous conduction state in response to sensing current lower than the threshold through the low-side output transistor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 in which: the switching includes setting a latch signal in one state corresponding to the continuous conduction state in response to an output of the comparator; and the switching includes setting the latch signal in another state corresponding to the discontinuous conduction state in response to sensing the current lower than the threshold through the low-side output transistor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 including coupling an output of the comparator to the gates of the output transistors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 including coupling an output of the comparator to the gates of the replica output transistors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 in which the: operating output transistors in a continuous conduction mode includes coupling a switching point between the high-side output transistor and the low-side output transistor to the first feedback signal; and operating the output transistors in a discontinuous mode includes coupling a switching point between the high-side replica output transistor and the replica low-side output transistor to the second feedback signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 in which the switching between the continuous mode and the discontinuous mode includes sensing current drawn through a source of the low-side output transistor and switching signals applied to the comparator and driving gates of the high-side output transistor and the low-side output transistor from the comparator output in response to the sensing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 including sensing the current drawn through the low-side output transistor being lower than a threshold to indicate a high impedance load coupled to the low-side output transistor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 including coupling a load to the high-side and low-side output transistors. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 including coupling a load to the high-side and low-side output transistors through an inductor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 including providing the reference signal from a compensation circuit that boosts both phase and gain of the reference signal.