Patent · US Active

DC-DC voltage converter system with a high-efficiency pulse-skip operational mode

US8587283B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
11References
20Claims
0Family size

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Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 20, 2011
Grant dateNov 19, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 1, 2032

Classification

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

Abstract

DC-DC voltage converter systems are provided in which a switching voltage converter is arranged with an inductor to switch first and second currents with duty cycles D and D′ determined by an error voltage Verr to thereby maintain an output voltage Vout. A transconductance amplifier having an amplifier output provides the error voltage Verr in response to the output voltage and a reference voltage Vref. A ripple current Irpl is provided to the amplifier output in response to the difference between the error voltage Verr and a clamp voltage Vclmp. Finally, a current comparator generates a skip signal to turn off the first and second currents in response to a selected threshold of the ripple current. In this process, the ripple current Irpl substantially clamps the error voltage Verr to the clamp voltage Vclmp. Preferably, the current comparator is arranged to provide the skip signal in response to the selected first threshold of the ripple current Irpl and retract the skip signal in response to a selected second threshold of the ripple current Irpl.

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