# US 9,520,788 B2 · Apparatus and method for current sharing in a multi-phase switching regulator

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- Number: US 9,520,788 B2
- Document ID: US9520788B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/468,579
- Filed: 2014-08-26
- Published: 2016-02-18
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-08-26
- Assignees: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
- Applicants: Dialog Semiconductor GmbH
- Inventors: Hidenori Kobayashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520788B2

## CPC

- H02M 3/1584: {with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel}
- H02M 3/157: with digital control
- H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter}
- H02M 1/0025: {Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter}
- H02M 3/1586: {switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved}
- H02M 3/1588: {comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element (H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence)}
- 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

An apparatus and method for a multi-phase switch regulator with improved efficiency is disclosed. The device has parallel implementations for the different phases comprising a driver, a current sense variable gain amplifier, a current share circuit, a pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit, a trim network, and an inductor. A method is disclosed of providing a system with current sharing function comprising a driver circuit, a current sense circuit, a current share circuit, a PWM control circuit and a trim circuit, providing a current sense circuit for each segment of a driver circuit, sensing a signal using a current sense circuit for each segment of a driver circuit, comparing the output of the current sense circuit, providing the current error information to a PWM controller, generating a PWM drive signal of each phase, and finally, equalizing the output of the current sense amplifier. Other methods that utilize dummy output stages and low pass filter feedback is disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A multi-phase switching converter for minimizing direct current (d.c.) current, comprising:
a plurality of phases, wherein each phase comprises a driver circuit, and an output stage configured to connect to an inductor;
a plurality of current sense circuits for measuring current of each phase's output stage;
a current share circuit connected to receive an output of each of said current sense circuits wherein said current sense circuits comprises a variable gain amplifier; and,
a control circuit for driving each of said driver circuits, wherein said current of each of said output stages is set to differ among each of said phases, based on direct current (d.c.) resistance of said output stage and of said inductor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The multi-phase switching converter of claim 1, wherein said variable gain amplifier is customized or personalized with a trim circuit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The multi-phase switching converter of claim 2, wherein said DC resistance of each phase is estimated.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The multi-phase switch regulator of claim 1 wherein said control circuit uses pulse width modulation (PWM), and said current share circuit provides current sharing by adding offset for each a PWM phase signal to keep and control each current sense output at an equal magnitude.

### Claim 5

A method of current sharing in a multi-phase switching converter comprising the steps of:
providing a multi-phase switching converter for minimizing direct current (d.c.) current having a plurality of phases, wherein each phase comprises a driver circuit and an output stage configured to connect to an inductor, a plurality of current sense circuits for measuring current of each phase's output stage, a current share circuit connected to receive an output of each of said current sense circuits; and a control circuit for driving each of said driver circuits wherein said current of each of said output stages set to differ among each of said phases, based on direct current (d.c.) resistance of said output stage and of said inductor;
providing said current sense circuit for each phase of said driver circuit;
sensing a signal using said current sense circuit for each phase of said driver circuit;
comparing the output of said current sense circuits;
and,
equalizing the output of the current sense amplifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein said direct current (d.c.) resistance of each phase is estimated.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the currents among the phases is set to equalize the direct current (d.c.) loss in each phase.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein a dummy stage is used for each phase.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the control circuit uses pulse width modulation (PWM).

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The multi-phase switch regulator of claim 1, wherein a dummy stage is used for each phase.