EP0547916A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
A voltage regulator control circuit
Assignee: Texas Instruments Ltd
•
Filing: 1992-12-18
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2012-12-18
Abstract
Abstract A voltage regulator control circuit including a capacitor network and a switching network which provides controllable connections among the capacitors of the capacitor network. The switching network is operable to alter the controllable connections in a repeating sequence to provide an output control signal that is a measure of the difference between an input reference voltage applied to the voltage regulator control circuit and a voltage controlled by the voltage regulator control circuit. The voltage regulator control circuit relies on differential voltage translation and filtering using switched capacitor networks and includes a reference input port for receiving an input reference voltage, a controlled-voltage input port for receiving an output voltage from a voltage regulator to be controlled, a capacitor network, a control signal generator and a switching network for providing controllable connections among capacitors of the capacitor network, the reference input port, the controlled-voltage input port and the control signal generator.
Inventors
- 👤 Neil Anthony Quarmby
- 👤 David William Eddowes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 22:03
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02M; H02M3/00; H02M3/02; H02M3/04; H02M3/10; H02M3/145; H02M3/155; H02M3/156
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A voltage regulator control circuit which includes a capacitor network, a control signal generating means, a reference input port for receiving an input reference voltage, a controlled-voltage input port for receiving an output voltage from a voltage regulator which is controlled by the voltage regulator control circuit, and a switching network which provides controllable connections among the capacitors of the capacitor network, the reference input port, the controlled-voltage input port and the control signal generating means, the switching network being operable to alter the controllable connections in a repeating sequence in order to provide, as an output from the control signal generating means, an output control signal which is a measure of the difference between the input reference voltage and the controlled voltage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
A voltage regulator control circuit which includes a capacitor network, a control signal generating means, a reference input port for receiving an input reference voltage, a controlled-voltage input port for receiving an output voltage from a voltage regulator which is controlled by the voltage regulator control circuit, and a switching network which provides controllable connections among the capacitors of the capacitor network, the reference input port, the controlled-voltage input port and the control signal generating means, the switching network being operable to alter the controllable connections in a repeating sequence in order to provide, as an output from the control signal generating means, an output control signal which is a measure of the difference between the input reference voltage and the controlled voltage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
178 words
A voltage regulator control circuit including a control signal generating means, a switching network having a plurality of switching elements the states of which are controllable by the control signal generating means, a plurality of capacitors connected together by switching elements of the switching network to form a capacitor network the configuration of which is alterable by alteration of the states of the switching elements a controlled-voltage input port, for receiving a controlled voltage, connected to the capacitor network by switching elements of the switching network and a reference voltage input port connected to a first input port of comparison means, the control signal generating means being capable of altering the capacitor network in a repeating sequence of configurations by operating the switching elements of the switching network to provide a proportion of the controlled voltage as a further signal voltage which, in operation, is applied to the comparison means for generating an output signal that is a measure of the difference between an input reference voltage applied to the reference input port and that further signal voltage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
178 words
A voltage regulator control circuit including a control signal generating means, a switching network having a plurality of switching elements the states of which are controllable by the control signal generating means, a plurality of capacitors connected together by switching elements of the switching network to form a capacitor network the configuration of which is alterable by alteration of the states of the switching elements a controlled-voltage input port, for receiving a controlled voltage, connected to the capacitor network by switching elements of the switching network and a reference voltage input port connected to a first input port of comparison means, the control signal generating means being capable of altering the capacitor network in a repeating sequence of configurations by operating the switching elements of the switching network to provide a proportion of the controlled voltage as a further signal voltage which, in operation, is applied to the comparison means for generating an output signal that is a measure of the difference between an input reference voltage applied to the reference input port and that further signal voltage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
109 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the capacitor network includes a node common to all of the capacitors of the network, the switching network includes a switching element connected between a second input port of a or the comparison means and the node which is common to all of the capacitors of the network, and, in the operation of the voltage regulator control circuit, a charge which is dependent on the controlled voltage is supplied by the capacitor network to the second input port of the comparison means through the node which is common to the capacitors of the capacitor network.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the comparison means is capable of accumulating the charge which it receives from the capacitor network.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the capacitor network includes three capacitors connected to the common node.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
85 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the capacitor network includes a sampling capacitor, the switching network is operable to connect the sampling capacitor to the controlled-voltage input port in order to provide in the sampling capacitor a measure of the controlled output voltage, and the switching network is further operable to isolate the sampling capacitor from the controlled-voltage input port and to connect the sampling capacitor to a second input port of a or the comparison means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in claim 6, which includes a control input capacitor connected to the control input port of the control signal generating means, for removing a proportion of the stored charge from the sampling capacitor in order to control the ratio of the controlled output voltage to the voltage obtained from the sampling capacitor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in claim 6 or 7, which includes at least one intermediate capacitor connected in the switching network which is operable to connect the or each intermediate capacitor to the sampling capacitor and to the second input port of the comparison means, for removing a proportion of the stored charge from the sampling capacitor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, further including a switched capacitor filter network connected to control the gain of the control loop.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, including a pulse width modulated output means driven by the control signal generating means which includes a pulse generator which, in operation, provides drive pulses to the switching network.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
81 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control signal generating means is connected to operate from an input voltage supply which is of the opposite polarity to the output voltage provided by the voltage regulator, the input reference voltage being obtained from means connected to the input voltage supply and the capacitor network being capable of providing a further signal voltage of the correct polarity to a or the comparison means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A multiple output voltage regulator control circuit, including a voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 for each of a plurality of controlled output voltage ports.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
A voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, fabricated as a monolithic integrated circuit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
A multiple output voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in claim 12, fabricated as a monolithic integrated circuit.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A voltage regulator including a voltage regulator control circuit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.