Voltage regulator circuit with transient generator to respond to load current changes and method therefor
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorAlan Ball
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A regulator circuit (10) includes an amplifier (61) having an input for sensing an output signal (VS, ILOAD) of the regulator circuit and an output (13) for producing a transient signal (ITR1, ITR2) in response to a change in the output signal. A feedback path (62, 67, 70) is coupled between the output and the input of the amplifier to set a gain of the amplifier to a first value when the output signal is constant and to a second value when the output signal changes. The feedback path includes a level shift circuit (62, 65) having an input (81) that receives the output signal and an output (83) that produces a level shifted signal for biasing the output of the amplifier to a predetermined level.
Claims26
A regulator, comprising:
- a first amplifier having a first input coupled for sensing an output signal of the regulator and an output for producing a transient signal in response to a change in the output signal;
- and
- a first feedback path coupled between the output and the first input of the first amplifier to set a gain of the first amplifier to a first value when the output signal is constant and to a second value when the output signal changes.
An integrated regulator circuit, comprising:
- a level shift circuit having a first input for coupling to a node to establish a reference potential and an output for level shifting the reference potential;
- and
- an amplifier having a first input coupled to the output of the level shift circuit, a second input for receiving a sense signal indicative of a current flow at the node, and an output for providing a transient current to the node when the current flow changes.
A regulator circuit, comprising:
- a sense element having a conduction path for routing a current and an output for developing a sense signal indicative of a change in the current;
- and
- an amplifier having an input coupled for receiving the sense signal and an output for generating a transient current to compensate for the change in the current.
A method of regulating, comprising the step of:
- sensing a change in a current flowing at a node to produce a sense signal;
- and
- amplifying the sense signal to generate a transient current at the node to compensate for the change.
A method of regulating a power supply signal, comprising the step of:
- level shifting the power supply signal to produce a level shifted signal;
- and
- amplifying the level shifted signal to generate a transient signal that compensates for a change in the power supply signal.
A method of regulating a signal, comprising the steps of:
- amplifying a transient component of the signal with a first gain to produce a transient signal that compensates for the transient component;
- and
- amplifying a quiescent component of the signal with a second gain to establish a bias level of the transient signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.