Charge pump stability control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021036605-A1
Application number	US-202016849869-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 15, 2020
Priority date	Mar 14, 2014
Publication date	Feb 4, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

During its first and second residence times, corresponding first and second currents flow between a charge pump and a circuit that connects to one of the charge pump's terminals. Based on a feedback measurement from the charge pump, a controller adjusts these first and second currents.

First claim

1 .- 19 . (canceled)

20 . An apparatus to convert a first voltage into a second voltage, the apparatus comprising:
a power converter having an input and an output ports, the power converter comprising a charge pump to implement one or more operating cycles, the charge pump to comprise a first and a second nodes; a clock to generate a clock signal; a controller to generate one or more control signals based, at least in part, on the clock signal to control a plurality of switches to facilitate one or more transitions between a first and a second pump states, wherein the first and the second pump states to comprise a full operating cycle of the one or more operating cycles, wherein the charge pump to comprise a plurality of pump capacitors coupled along a charge transfer path to at least some of the plurality of switches between the first and the second nodes of the charge pump, the second node of the charge pump to be coupled a load circuit, wherein the controller to control at least one switch of the plurality of switches so as to adjust a first and/or a second pump state redistribution interval of the charge pump based, at least in part, on one or more measurement signals to be obtained from the charge pump.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the first and/or the second pump state redistribution interval to comprise a first and/or a second residence time.

22 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein at least one of the one or more measurement signals to be obtained at the second node of the charge pump.

23 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein at least one of the one or more measurement signals to facilitate operating the at least one switch of the plurality of switches so as to adjust an amount of charge to be delivered to at least one capacitor of the plurality of pump capacitors during the first and/or the second pump state redistribution interval.

24 . The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the amount of charge to be delivered to the at least one capacitor of the plurality of pump capacitors during the first and/or the second pump state redistribution interval is to facilitate restoring an interstate differential to a particular value.

25 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein, during operation of the power converter, a first and a second currents to flow between the charge pump and the load circuit during the first and/or the second pump state redistribution interval.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the controller to adjust the first and the second currents based, at least in part, on the one or more measurement signals.

27 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the one or more measurement signals to facilitate reduction of a charge imbalance.

28 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the controller to implement a deadtime interval between the first and the second pump state redistribution intervals.

29 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the load circuit to comprise at least one of the following: a buck converter; a boost converter; a buck-boost converter; a Cuk converter; a SEPIC converter; a resonant converter; a multi-level converter; a flyback converter; a forward converter; and/or a full bridge converter.

30 . An apparatus comprising:
a clock to generate one or more clock signals; a power converter having a controller, the controller to control at least a deadtime interval based, at least in part, on the clock signals; a charge pump comprising a capacitor array having a first and a second node, and a plurality of switches operable by the controller to facilitate a plurality of pump capacitors of the capacitor array cycling through a set of cycles, the controller to comprise a modulator, an adder, and a comparator, the comparator to compare a reference voltage with a voltage at the second node to control at least one balancing signal to be provided to the modulator to facilitate restoration of an interstate charge differential to a particular value.

31 . The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the controller to receives a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal to facilitate the controller to modulate a duty cycle of a switch of the plurality of switches that couple the charge pump to at least one additional circuit to achieve a constant interstate charge differential within the charge pump.

32 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the second signal to facilitate modulating the duty cycle such that the power converter to maintain a constant average voltage.

33 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the modulator to modulate the first signal with a periodic waveform to generate a modulated first signal, wherein the adder to offset a signal indicative of operation of the switch by the modulated first signal, and wherein the comparator to compares the offset signal with the second signal and to outputs a duty-cycle control signal based, at least in part, on the comparison.

34 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the controller to receive a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal to facilitate the controller to modulate a duty cycle of a switch that couples the charge pump to the at least one additional circuit to achieve a constant interstate differential within the charge pump.

35 . The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the second signal to facilitate modulating the duty cycle to maintain a constant average voltage.

36 . The apparatus of claim 35 , wherein the modulator to modulate the first signal with a periodic waveform so as to generate a modulated first signal, wherein the adder to offset the second signal by the modulated first signal so as to generate an offset signal, and wherein the comparator to compare the offset signal with a signal indicative of operation of the switch and to output a duty-cycle control signal based, at least in part, on the comparison.

Assignees

• Psemi Corp

Inventors

• Yu Tim Wen Hui
• Szczeszynski Gregory

Classifications

• H02M3/075

  including a plurality of stages and two sets of clock signals, one set for the odd and one set for the even numbered stages · CPC title

• H02M3/077

  with parallel connected charge pump stages · CPC title

• H02M3/07 Primary

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

• H02M3/073

  Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type · CPC title

• G05F3/205

  Substrate bias-voltage generators (for static stores G11C5/146) · CPC title