Current generating circuit, current generating method, charge pumping circuit and charge pumping method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9331569-B1
Application number	US-201514596238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2015
Priority date	Jan 14, 2015
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A current generating circuit, which comprises: a first capacitor, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal; a second capacitor, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal; a first charge adjusting path, arranged for adjusting charges of the first capacitor according to a first charge adjusting voltage; a second charge adjusting path, arranged for adjusting charges of the second capacitor according to the first charge adjusting voltage; and a current generating path, coupled to the first capacitor and the second capacitor, arranged for generating a target current based on a difference between a first voltage provided by the first capacitor and a second voltage provided by the second capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A current generating circuit, comprising:
a first capacitor, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal;
a second capacitor, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal;
a first charge adjusting path, arranged for adjusting charges of the first capacitor according to a first charge adjusting voltage;
a second charge adjusting path, arranged for adjusting charges of the second capacitor according to the first charge adjusting voltage; and
a current generating path, coupled to the first capacitor and the second capacitor, arranged for generating a target current based on a difference between a first voltage provided by the first capacitor and a second voltage provided by the second capacitor.

2. The current generating circuit of claim 1 ,
wherein the first charge adjusting path comprises:
a first switch circuit, coupled to the first charge adjusting voltage and a second charge adjusting voltage, and coupled to the first terminal of the first capacitor;
wherein the second charge adjusting path comprises:
a second switch circuit, coupled to the first charge adjusting voltage, and coupled to the second terminal of the second capacitor.

3. The current generating circuit of claim 2 , wherein the first switch circuit couples the first terminal of the first capacitor to the first charge adjusting voltage in a first mode, and couples the first terminal of the first capacitor to the second charge adjusting voltage in a second mode, wherein the second switch circuit couples the first terminal of the second capacitor to the first charge adjusting voltage in the first mode, and does not couple the first terminal of the second capacitor to the second charge adjusting voltage in the second mode.

4. The current generating circuit of claim 3 , further comprising:
a fourth switch circuit, arranged for coupling the first terminal of the second capacitor to the second charge adjusting voltage in the first mode, and arranged for coupling the first terminal of the second capacitor to the first charge adjusting voltage in the second mode.

5. The current generating circuit of claim 3 , wherein the current generating path comprises the first capacitor, the second capacitor and a current generating transistor;
wherein the current generating transistor comprises a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second switch circuit, and comprises the second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor.

6. The current generating circuit of claim 5 , wherein the current generating transistor is non-active in a fourth mode;
wherein the first switch circuit couples the first terminal of the first capacitor to the low predetermined voltage in the fourth mode, wherein the second switch circuit does not couple the first terminal of the second capacitor to the low predetermined voltage in the fourth mode.

7. The current generating circuit of claim 5 , wherein the current providing transistor is active in the second mode.

8. A charge pumping circuit, comprising:
an output terminal;
a current generating circuit, comprising:
a first capacitor, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal;
a second capacitor, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal;
a first charge adjusting path, arranged for adjusting charges of the first capacitor according to a first charge adjusting voltage;
a second charge adjusting path, arranged for adjusting charges of the second capacitor according to the first charge adjusting voltage; and
a current generating path, coupled to the first capacitor the second capacitor and the output terminal, arranged for generating a target current based on a difference between a first voltage provided by the first capacitor and a second voltage provided by the second capacitor.

9. The charge pumping circuit of claim 8 , wherein the target current flows from the current generating path to the output terminal.

10. The charge pumping circuit of claim 8 , wherein the target current flows from the output terminal to the current generating path.

11. The charge pumping circuit of claim 8 ,
wherein the first charge adjusting path comprises:
a first switch circuit, coupled to the first charge adjusting voltage and a second voltage, and coupled to the first terminal of the first capacitor;
wherein the second charge adjusting path comprises:
a second switch circuit, coupled to the first charge adjusting voltage, and coupled to the second terminal of the second capacitor.

12. The charge pumping circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first switch circuit couples the first terminal of the first capacitor to the first charge adjusting voltage in a first mode, and couples the first terminal of the first capacitor to the second charge adjusting voltage in a second mode, wherein the second switch circuit couples the first terminal of the second capacitor to the first charge adjusting voltage in the first mode, and does not couple the first terminal of the second capacitor to the second charge adjusting voltage in the second mode.

13. The charge pumping circuit of claim 12 , further comprising:
a fourth switch circuit, arranged for coupling the first terminal of the second capacitor to the second charge adjusting voltage in the first mode, and arranged for coupling the first terminal of the second capacitor to the first charge adjusting voltage in the second mode.

14. The charge pumping circuit of claim 12 , wherein the current generating path comprises the first capacitor, the second capacitor and a current generating transistor;
wherein the current generating transistor comprises a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second switch circuit, and comprises the second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor.

15. The charge pumping circuit of claim 14 , wherein the current generating transistor is non-active in a fourth mode;
wherein the first switch circuit couples the first terminal of the first capacitor to the second charge adjusting voltage in the fourth mode, wherein the second switch circuit does not couple the first terminal of the second capacitor to the second charge adjusting voltage in the fourth mode.

16. The charge pumping circuit of claim 14 , wherein the current providing transistor is active in the second mode.

17. The charge pumping circuit of claim 8 , further comprising a third switch circuit coupled between the output terminal and the current generating path, wherein the third switch circuit is conductive in the first mode and non-conductive in the second mode.

18. A current generating method, applied to a current generating circuit comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor, comprising:
adjusting charges of the first capacitor according to a first charge adjusting voltage e;
adjusting charges of the second capacitor according to the first charge adjusting voltage; and
generating a target current based on a difference between a first voltage provided by the first capacitor and a second voltage provided by the second capacitor.

19. The current generating method of claim 18 , further comprising:
coupling a first terminal of the first capacitor to the first charge adjusting voltage in a first mode;
coupling the first terminal of the first capacitor to a second charge adjusting voltage in a second mode;
coupling a first terminal of the second capacitor to the first charge adjusting voltage in the first mode; and
not coupling the first terminal of the second capacitor to the second charge adjusting voltage i

Assignees

• Mediatek Inc

Inventors

• Chiu Wei-Hao
• Lin Ang-Sheng

Classifications

• H02M3/07 Primary

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