Clocking scheme and charge transfer switch for increasing the efficiency of a charge pump or other circuit
US5818289A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 18, 1996 |
| Grant date | Oct 6, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 18, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02M3/073
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An efficient charge pump circuit. Increased efficiency compared to previous pump circuits is achieved through use of a novel charge transfer switch and associated clocking scheme which reduces the supply current required to operate the charge pump. Instead of repeatedly charging and discharging a stray capacitance of each pump stage capacitor, some of the charge stored in the stray capacitor on the clock driver side is transferred to the next pump stage. This serves to pre-charge the stray capacitor of the next stage, reducing the supply current required to operate the charge pump. The apparatus and method described can also be used to reduce the power consumed by a system or circuit which has internal signals or nodes which are in opposite phase to each other. This is accomplished by reducing the power used to charge and discharge a stray capacitance associated with the signals or nodes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.