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US 2024/0258924 A1Published application
Power Converter With Overdrive Switch Control
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsSujan K. Manohar, Jay B. Fletcher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some embodiments, a power converter circuit included in a computer system magnetizes and de-magnetizes an inductor coupled to a switch node using high-side and low-side switches to alternatively couple a switch node to an input power supply node and a ground supply node. In response to detecting a drop in the voltage level of the input power supply node, the power converter circuit may adjust an on-resistance of the high-side switch to maintain performance at the lower voltage level of the input power supply node.
Claims25
An apparatus, comprising:
- a switch circuit that includes a first switch coupled between an input power supply node and a switch node, wherein the first switch is configured to couple the switch node to the input power supply node during an active time period;
- and
- a control circuit configured to:
- decrease, during the active time period, an on-resistance of the first switch in response to a determination that a first voltage level of the input power supply node fails to satisfy a threshold value, wherein:
- to decrease the on-resistance of the first switch, the control circuit is further configured to change a gate-source voltage of the first switch, and
- to change the gate-source voltage of the first switch, the control circuit is further configured to adjust, during the active time period, an active level of a control signal generated by the control circuit.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- determining that a first voltage level of an input power supply node of a power converter circuit fails to satisfy a threshold value, wherein the power converter circuit includes a first switch coupled between the input power supply node and a switch node, the first switch configured to couple the switch node to the input power supply node during an active time period;
- and
- decreasing, during the active time period, an on-resistance of the first switch in response to determining that the first voltage level fails to satisfy the threshold value, wherein:
- decreasing the on-resistance of the first switch includes changing a gate-source voltage of the first switch, and
- changing the gate-source voltage of the first switch includes adjusting, during the active time period, an active level of a control signal.
2 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a functional circuit block coupled to a regulated power supply node;
- and
- a power converter circuit that includes a switch circuit and a control circuit, the switch circuit including a first switch coupled between an input power supply node and a switch node, wherein:
- the first switch is configured to couple the input power supply node to the switch node during an active time period, and
- the control circuit is configured to:
- decrease, during the active time period, a resistance between the input power supply node and the switch node in response to a determination that a first voltage level of the input power supply node fails to satisfy a threshold value, wherein, to decrease the resistance between input power supply node and the switch node, the control circuit is further configured to change a gate-source voltage of the first switch, and wherein, to change the gate-source voltage of the first switch, the control circuit is further configured to adjust, during the active time period, an active level of a control signal generated by the control circuit.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.