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US 8,896,280 B2Granted
Switching regulator with increased light load efficiency
AssigneeInfineon Technologies Austria AG
InventorsBenjamim Tang, Amir Babazadeh, Giuseppe Bernacchia, Kenneth A. Ostrom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A switching regulator includes a multiphase converter which includes a plurality of main phases configured to covert a power supply voltage to a lower voltage for application to an electronic device at different load conditions. The switching regulator also includes an auxiliary phase configured to operate in a pulse frequency modulation mode during a light load condition so that power is supplied to the electronic device by at least the auxiliary phase during the light load condition.
Claims31
A switching regulator, comprising:
- a multiphase buck converter comprising a plurality of main phases configured to covert a power supply voltage to a lower voltage for application to an electronic device at different load conditions;
- an auxiliary phase configured to operate in a pulse frequency modulation mode during a light load condition so that power is supplied to the electronic device by at least the auxiliary phase during the light load condition;
- and
- a controller operable to control the multiphase buck converter and the auxiliary phase, wherein the controller is coupled to a power supply voltage lower than the power supply voltage coupled to the plurality of main phases of the multiphase buck converter and the auxiliary phase is coupled to the same power supply voltage as the controller.
1 more element
A method of operating a switching regulator, comprising:
- controlling a plurality of main phases of a multiphase converter so that a power supply voltage applied to the plurality of main phases is converted to a lower voltage for application to an electronic device at different load conditions;
- operating an auxiliary phase in a pulse frequency modulation mode during a light load condition so that power is supplied to the electronic device by at least the auxiliary phase during the light load condition;
- applying pulse frequency modulation pulses to the auxiliary phase responsive to the load current or load voltage falling below a threshold;
- applying pulse frequency modulation pulses to only a single main phase of the multiphase buck converter responsive to the load current or load voltage falling below a threshold,
- wherein the threshold at which the pulse frequency modulation pulses are applied to the auxiliary phase is higher than the threshold at which the pulse frequency modulation pulses are applied to the single main phase of the multiphase buck converter.
2 more elements
A switching regulator, comprising:
- a multiphase buck converter comprising a plurality of main phases configured to covert a power supply voltage to a lower voltage for application to an electronic device at different load conditions;
- and
- an auxiliary phase configured to operate in a pulse frequency modulation mode during a light load condition so that power is supplied to the electronic device by at least the auxiliary phase during the light load condition,
- wherein pulse frequency modulation pulses are applied to the auxiliary phase responsive to the load current or load voltage falling below a threshold, and
- wherein the pulse frequency modulation pulses are on for a first period of time and off for a second period of time such that a current in an inductor coupled to the output of the auxiliary phase reaches zero by the end of the second time period.
2 more elements
A switching regulator, comprising:
- a multiphase buck converter comprising a plurality of main phases configured to covert a power supply voltage to a lower voltage for application to an electronic device at different load conditions;
- an auxiliary phase configured to operate in a pulse frequency modulation mode during a light load condition so that power is supplied to the electronic device by at least the auxiliary phase during the light load condition;
- and
- a monitor operable to determine whether the output of the auxiliary phase in the pulse frequency modulation mode violates a load criterion over a predefined interval, and if so, to generate a signal indicating one or more previously deactivated ones of the main phases of the multiphase buck converter are to be activated.
1 more element
A method of operating a switching regulator, comprising:
- controlling a plurality of main phases of a multiphase converter so that a power supply voltage applied to the plurality of main phases is converted to a lower voltage for application to an electronic device at different load conditions;
- operating an auxiliary phase in a pulse frequency modulation mode during a light load condition so that power is supplied to the electronic device by at least the auxiliary phase during the light load condition;
- and
- applying pulse frequency modulation pulses to the auxiliary phase responsive to the load current or load voltage falling below a threshold,
- wherein the pulse frequency modulation pulses are on for a first period of time and off for a second period of time such that a current in an inductor coupled to the output of the auxiliary phase reaches zero by the end of the second time period.
2 more elements
A method of operating a switching regulator, comprising:
- controlling a plurality of main phases of a multiphase converter so that a power supply voltage applied to the plurality of main phases is converted to a lower voltage for application to an electronic device at different load conditions;
- operating an auxiliary phase in a pulse frequency modulation mode during a light load condition so that power is supplied to the electronic device by at least the auxiliary phase during the light load condition;
- and
- determining whether an output of the auxiliary phase in the pulse frequency modulation mode violates a load criterion over a predefined interval, and if so, generating a signal indicating one or more previously deactivated ones of the main phases of the multiphase buck converter are to be activated.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.