Multi-phase switching regulator
US6683441B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jan 27, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 30, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02M3/1584
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An N-phase switching voltage regulator includes N current sensing elements which carry respective phase currents. The voltages present at the switch node sides of the sensing elements are summed and presented to an amplifier which also receives the regulator's output voltage, to produce an output which is proportional to the regulator's total output current Iout. The invention also provides a means for direct insertion of total inductor output current information into a regulator's voltage-mode control loop, to provide active voltage positioning (AVP) for the output voltage. A voltage based on total inductor output current is summed with the regulator's reference voltage; this sum and Vout are applied to the voltage control error amplifier, the output of which is processed to operate the regulator's switches. This enables the regulator's output to have a desired droop impedance and to provide AVP of Vout as a function of total filtered inductor output current Iout(fltr).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.