Inverting buck-boost converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11929672-B2
Application number	US-202117396594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2021
Priority date	Aug 6, 2021
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A power converter and a corresponding method of converting power are presented. The power converter includes a ground port, an input port for receiving an input voltage and an output port for providing an output voltage; an inductor; a flying capacitor; a network of switches; and a driver to drive the network of switches with a sequence of states during a drive period. The sequence of states includes a first state and a second state. In the first state one of the input port and the output port is coupled to the ground port via a first path comprising the inductor. In the second state the remaining state among the input port and the output port is coupled to the ground port via a second path and a third path, the second path comprising the flying capacitor and bypassing the inductor, and the third path comprising the inductor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power converter having a ground port, an input port for receiving an input voltage and an output port for providing an output voltage with a target conversion ratio, the power converter comprising an inductor; a flying capacitor selectively coupled to the inductor; a network of switches; and a driver adapted to drive the network of switches with a sequence of states during a drive period, the sequence of states comprising a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state one of the input port and the output port is coupled to the ground port via a first path comprising the inductor; wherein in the second state the remaining ports among the input port and the output port is coupled to the ground port via a second path and a third path, the second path comprising the flying capacitor and bypassing the inductor, and the third path comprising the inductor.

2. The power converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the network of switches comprises
a first capacitor switch to couple a first terminal of the flying capacitor to the inductor;
a second capacitor switch to couple a second terminal of the flying capacitor to the inductor; and
a first ground switch to couple the flying capacitor to the ground port.

3. The power converter as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the network of switches comprises a second ground switch to couple the flying capacitor to the ground port.

4. The power converter as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the network of switches comprises
an input switch to couple the first terminal of the flying capacitor to the input port; and
an output switch to couple the second terminal of the flying capacitor to the output port.

5. The power converter as claimed in claim 2 , comprising a second inductor.

6. The power converter as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the network of switches comprises
a third capacitor switch to couple a first terminal of the flying capacitor to the second inductor; and
a fourth capacitor switch to couple a second terminal of the flying capacitor to the second inductor.

7. The power converter as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the network of switches comprises
a first input switch to couple the first inductor to the input port; and
a second input switch to couple the second inductor to the input port.

8. The power converter as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the network of switches comprises
an output switch to couple the flying capacitor to the output port.

9. The power converter as claimed in claim 5 , wherein in the first state one of the input port and the output port is coupled to the ground port via another path comprising the second inductor; and
wherein in the second state the input port is coupled to the ground port via four paths that include the second path, the third path, a fourth path comprising the flying capacitor and bypassing the inductor, and a fifth path comprising the second inductor.

10. The power converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the first state the first path comprises both the inductor and the flying capacitor.

11. The power converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the second state the third path comprises both the inductor and the flying capacitor.

12. The power converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one of the first state and the second state is a magnetizing state and the other state is a de-magnetizing state.

13. The power converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the driver is operable in at least one of a first mode and a second mode.

14. The power converter as claimed in claim 13 , wherein in the first mode a voltage across the flying capacitor is substantially equal to minus the output voltage during the drive period and in the second mode the voltage across the flying capacitor is substantially equal to the input voltage during the drive period.

15. The power converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power converter is an inverting power converter to provide the output voltage with an opposite polarity compared with the input voltage.

16. The power converter as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the power converter is operable as an inverting step-down converter or as an inverting step-up converter.

17. A method of converting power with a target conversion ratio, the method comprising providing a power converter having a ground port, an input port for receiving an input voltage and an output port for providing an output voltage; an inductor; a flying capacitor selectively coupled to the inductor; a network of switches; and driving the network of switches with a sequence of states during a drive period, the sequence of states comprising a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state one of the input port and the output port is coupled to the ground port via a first path comprising the inductor; wherein in the second state the remaining ports among the input port and the output port is coupled to the ground port via a second path and a third path, the second path comprising the flying capacitor and bypassing the inductor, and the third path comprising the inductor.

18. A user device comprising a display and a power converter for powering the display, the power converter having a ground port, an input port for receiving an input voltage and an output port for providing an output voltage with a target conversion ratio, the power converter comprising an inductor; a flying capacitor selectively coupled to the inductor; a network of switches; and a driver adapted to drive the network of switches with a sequence of states during a drive period, the sequence of states comprising a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state one of the input port and the output port is coupled to the ground port via a first path comprising the inductor; wherein in the second state the remaining ports among the input port and the output port is coupled to the ground port via a second path and a third path, the second path comprising the flying capacitor and bypassing the inductor, and the third path comprising the inductor.

Assignees

• Dialog Semiconductor Uk Ltd
• Renesas Design Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Petersen Holger

Classifications

• H02M3/07 Primary

  using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} · CPC title

• H02M1/0095 Primary

  Hybrid converter topologies, e.g. NPC mixed with flying capacitor, thyristor converter mixed with MMC or charge pump mixed with buck · CPC title

• H02M3/158

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