Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for providing adaptive inductor peak current in DC-DC converter

US11152846B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by

7References

20Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Apple Inc. · US

Inventors

Bogdan-Eugen Matei · Westerndorf, DE
Alessandro Molari · Eichenau, DE
Angelo Bassi · Munich, DE
Fabio Ongaro · Munich, DE
Giovanni Saccomanno · Munich, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jan 15, 2020
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jan 15, 2040

Classification

Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
CPC primaryY02B70/10
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A DC-DC converter providing adaptive peak current control is disclosed. A DC-DC converter includes an inductor having first and second terminals coupled to a voltage source and a transistor, respectively. The DC-DC circuit further includes a control circuit configured to control activation of the transistor. A first control block of the control circuit controls the transistor (and thus the inductor peak current) using pulse frequency modulation (PFM). A second control block controls the transistor using pulse width modulation (PWM) and PFM. In a first mode of operation, the control circuit activates the transistor, using PFM, such that the peak-to-peak current through the inductor has a fixed value. In a second mode of operation, the control circuit activates the transistor such that the peak-to-peak current through the inductor is modulated, using both PWM and PFM.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.