Current limit with adaptive cycle skipping for switching regulators
US7035071B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 2004 |
| Grant date | Apr 25, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02H9/025
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A switching regulator having a current limit with adaptive cycle skipping. A buck type switching regulator circuit is provided, including an energy storage component, such as an inductor or capacitor, and a switch for controllably providing an input current to the energy storage component. A control unit controls the on time and the off time of the switch by providing cyclically recurring control pulses to the switch that cause the switch to be on during the pulses and off otherwise. A current monitor circuit monitors a current corresponding to the input current applied to the energy storage component during the periodic control pulses. An overcurrent signal generator generates an overcurrent signal pulse upon detection of the monitored current at a level above a predetermined level corresponding to an overcurrent condition. A state machine responds to the overcurrent signal pulse and suppresses a number of the cyclically recurring control pulses, thereby controlling the period between the recurring control pulses that are not suppressed, in accordance with a predetermined algorithm that increases the number each time an overcurrent signal pulse is detected in successive periods.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.