Adaptive non-positive inductor current detector (ANPICD)
AssigneeAdaptive Digital Power, Inc.
InventorsDonald Wile, Andrew Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed to detect current for an output load with an inductor. The system includes a high side power transistor a low side power transistor coupled to the high side power transistor; and a controller coupled to the high and low side power transistors to provide cycle by cycle conduction of the low side power transistor, said controller adaptively turning off the low side power transistor when the high and low side power transistors are off and an inductor current is non-positive. Adaptation of the turn off of the low side transistor is based on the time position of the detection of the non-positive inductor current and serves to improve the power efficiency of the system.
Claims20
An adaptive current detector for an output inductor from a switched voltage output of a switching regulator, comprising
- a. a high side power transistor;
- b. a low side power transistor;
- c. an inductor coupled to the high and low side power transistors;
- d. a detector asserting a first signal indicating when the high and low side power transistors are off and an inductor current is non-positive, wherein the detector asserts a second signal when the first signal is asserted within a predetermined period of when the low side power transistor turns off, and wherein the second signal is used in an adaptive loop to adjust when the low side transistor is turned off.
A current detector for an output inductor, comprising
- a. a high side power field effect transistor (FET);
- b. a low side FET coupled to the high side FET;
- c. means for asserting a first signal indicating when the high and low side power transistors are off and an inductor current is non-positive;
- d. means for asserting a second signal when the first signal is asserted within a predetermined period of when the low side power transistor turns off;
- and
- e. an adaptive loop using the second signal to adjust when the low side transistor is turned off.
An adaptive current detector for an output inductor from a switched voltage output of a switching regulator, comprising
- a. a high side power transistor;
- b. a low side power transistor;
- c. an inductor coupled to the high and low side power transistors;
- d. a detector asserting a first signal indicating when the high and low side power transistors are off and an inductor current is non-positive;
- and
- e. a controller coupled to the detector and the high and low side power transistors to provide cycle by cycle conduction of the low side power transistor, the controller turning off the low side power transistor when the first signal is asserted within a predetermined period when the low side power transistor turns off.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.