Detecting an inductor coupled to a power control circuit
US9804617B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 1, 2016 |
| Grant date | Oct 31, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 1, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02M3/158
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A power control integrated circuit (IC) chip can include a direct current (DC)-DC converter that outputs a switching voltage in response to a switching output enable signal. The power control IC chip can also include an inductor detect circuit that detects whether an inductor is conductively coupled to the DC-DC converter and a powered circuit component in response to an inductor detect signal. The power control IC chip can further include control logic that (i) controls the inductor detect signal based on an enable DC-DC signal and (ii) controls the switching output enable signal provided to the DC-DC converter and a linear output disable signal provided to a linear regulator based on a signal from the inductor detect circuit indicating whether the inductor is conductively coupled to the DC-DC converter and the powered circuit component.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.