Switched common-mode current control for single-inductor-multiple-output (SIMO) power converters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10819233-B2
Application number	US-201916246107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2019
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A power converter includes a voltage source for generating an input voltage, and a regulation circuit for generating a set of output voltages based on the input voltage. The regulation circuit regulates the set of output voltages in different manners based on whether the set of output voltages is greater or less than a set of corresponding reference voltages, respectively. If one or more output voltages are less than one or more of the corresponding reference voltages, the regulation circuit regulates only those one or more output voltages during a current regulation interval based on an error voltage related to one or more differences between the one or more output voltages and the corresponding one or more reference voltages, respectively. If all output voltages are greater than the corresponding reference voltages, the regulation circuit regulates only the output voltage associated with the largest load current during the current regulation interval.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a voltage source configured to generate an input voltage; and
a regulation circuit configured to generate a set of output voltages based on the input voltage, wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change only a subset of or the entire set of output voltages using the input voltage in a current regulation interval based on different scenarios regarding whether the set of output voltages are greater or less than a set of corresponding reference voltages, respectively;
wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change only one of the output voltage over the current regulation interval if the output voltages of the entire set are greater than the corresponding reference voltages, wherein the one of the output voltage is associated with a load drawing the most current among one or more loads associated with the remaining one or more output voltages of the set.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change only one of the output voltage over the current regulation interval if the one of the output voltage is less than the corresponding reference voltages, and the remaining one or more output voltages of the set are greater than the one or more corresponding reference voltages.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change the only one of the output voltage based on an error voltage related to a difference between the only one of the output voltage and the corresponding reference voltage.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a duration of the current regulation interval is one or more periods of a clock.

5. An apparatus, comprising:
a voltage source configured to generate an input voltage; and
a regulation circuit configured to generate a set of output voltages based on the input voltage, wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change only a subset of or the entire set of output voltages using the input voltage in a current regulation interval based on different scenarios regarding whether the set of output voltages are greater or less than a set of corresponding reference voltages, respectively;
wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change only the subset of the set of output voltages over the current regulation interval if the output voltages of the subset are less than the corresponding reference voltages, and the remaining one or more output voltages of the set is greater than the one or more corresponding reference voltages;
wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change only the subset of the output voltages over the current regulation interval in a time multiplexed manner.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change the entire set of output voltages over the current regulation interval if the entire set of output voltages are less than the corresponding reference voltages.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change the entire set of output voltages based on an error voltage related to differences between the entire set of output voltages and the corresponding reference voltages, respectively.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the error voltage is related to an average of the differences between the entire set of output voltages and the corresponding reference voltages, respectively.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change the entire set of the output voltages over the current regulation interval in a time multiplexed manner.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each subinterval for changing each of the output voltage in the entire set has a duration of one or more periods of a clock.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change the only one of the output voltage based on an error voltage related to a difference between the only one of the output voltage and the corresponding reference voltage.

12. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein each subinterval for regulating each of the output voltage in the subset has a duration of one or more periods of a clock.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the regulation circuit is configured to change only the subset of the output voltages based on an error voltage related to differences between the subset of output voltages and the corresponding reference voltages, respectively.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the error voltage is related to an average of the differences between the subset of output voltages and the corresponding reference voltages, respectively.

15. A method, comprising:
generating an input voltage;
generating a set of output voltages based on the input voltage; and
changing only a subset of or the entire set of output voltages using the input voltage in a current regulation interval based on different scenarios regarding whether the set of output voltages are greater or less than a set of corresponding reference voltages, respectively;
wherein changing only the subset of the set of output voltages comprises changing only one of the output voltages over the current regulation interval if the output voltages of the entire set are greater than the corresponding reference voltages, wherein the only one of the output voltage is associated with a load drawing the most current among one or more loads associated with the remaining one or more output voltages of the set.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein changing only the subset of the set of output voltages comprises changing only the subset of the set of output voltages over the current regulation interval if the one or more output voltages of the subset are less than the corresponding one or more reference voltages, and the remaining one or more output voltages of the set is greater than the one or more corresponding reference voltages.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein changing only the subset of one or more output voltages comprises changing the subset of one or more output voltages based on an error voltage related to one or more differences between the one or more output voltages of the subset and the one or more corresponding reference voltages, respectively.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein changing the entire set of output voltages comprises changing the entire set of output voltages over the current regulation interval if the entire set of output voltages are less than the corresponding reference voltages.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein changing the entire set of output voltages is based on an error voltage related to differences between the entire set of output voltages and the corresponding reference voltages, respectively.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein changing the only one of the output voltage comprises changing the only one of the output voltage based on an error voltage related to a difference between the only one of the output voltage and the corresponding reference voltage.

21. An apparatus, comprising:
means for generating an input voltage;
means for generating a set of output voltages based on the input voltage; and
means for changing only a subset of or the entire set of output voltages using the input voltage in a current regulation interval based on different scenarios regarding whether the set of output voltages are greater or less than a set of corresponding reference voltages, respectively;
wherein the means for changing only the subset of the set of output voltage comprises means for changing on

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Xue Lin
• Mirea Iulian
• Jing Xiaocheng
• Ahn Jongshick
• Parayandeh Amir
• Guo Linfei

Classifications

• H02M1/009

  having two or more independently controlled outputs (for DC-DC converter with intermediate AC H02M3/33561) · CPC title

• H02M1/0025

  Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter · CPC title

• H02M3/158 Primary

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title

• H02M1/08

  Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters · CPC title

• H02M2001/009

  Electricity · mapped topic