DC/DC converter within a portable computer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9337735-B2
Application number	US-62192109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2009
Priority date	Feb 2, 2009
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A DC/DC converter is disclosed. The DC/DC converter includes a first heavy-load electronic switch and a second heavy-load electronic switch connected in series between an input terminal and ground at a first output portion, a third light-load electronic switch and a fourth light-load electronic switch connected in series between the input terminal and ground at a second output portion, an output circuit, an output current measurement circuit, and a control circuit. The output circuit includes an inductor connected to the first and second output portions. The output current measurement circuit measures an output current. The control circuit, in response to an output of the output current measurement circuit, selects a combination of the first and second heavy-load electronic switches during a heavy load state, and selects a combination of the third and fourth light-load electronic switch during a light load state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A DC/DC converter comprising:
a first heavy-load electronic switch and a second heavy-load electronic switch connected in series between an input terminal and ground at an output node;
a light-load electronic switch connected between said input terminal and said output node;
an inductor connected between said output node and a converter output;
an output current measurement circuit for measuring an output current; and
a control circuit, in response to an output of said output current measurement circuit, for selecting only said first and second heavy-load electronic switches during a heavy load state, and for selecting only said light-load electronic switch and second heavy-load electronic switch during a light load state.

2. The DC/DC converter of claim 1 , wherein said first and second heavy-load electronic switches are identical.

3. A DC/DC converter comprising:
a first heavy-load electronic switch and a second heavy-load electronic switch connected in series between an input terminal and ground at an output node;
a light-load electronic switch connected between said output node and ground;
an inductor connected between said output node and a converter output;
an output current measurement circuit for measuring an output current; and
a control circuit, in response to an output of said output current measurement circuit, for selecting only said first and second heavy-load electronic switches during a heavy load state, and for selecting only said light-load electronic switch and said first heavy-load electronic switch during a light load state.

4. The DC/DC converter of claim 1 , wherein said first and second heavy-load electronic switches are identical.

Assignees

• Odaohhara Shigefumi
• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Odaohhara Shigefumi

Classifications

• H02M2001/0032

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M1/088

  for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices · CPC title

• G06F1/26

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• H02M3/1584 Primary

  with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel · CPC title

• Y02B70/16

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic