Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Dong-Jin Keum

Yus Ko

Min-Ho Choi

Sung-Woo Moon

Gil-Won Yoon

Hee-Seok Han

Je-Hyung Yoon

Jin-Hyuck Yu

Il-Young Sohn

Sun-Kyu Lee

Nguyen Huyhieu

Jae-Yeol Han

Hyun-Wook Yoo

Takahiro Nomiyama

Min-Soo Cho

Hyoung-seok Oh

Hwa-yeal Yu

Duck-young Jung

Jin-Sub Choi

Hoang Quoc Duong

Gwang-Yol Noh

Ryotaro Kudo

Pyung-Woo Yeon

Jin-sub Choi

Myeong-Lyong Ko

Yu-Seok Ko

A multi-phase switching regulator and a switching regulating method using the multi-phase switching regulator employ an interleaving circuit. The multi-phase switching regulator includes: a first regulating circuit configured to receive an input voltage and generate a first sub-output voltage with a first phase by transforming the input voltage in response to a first set signal; a second regulating circuit configured to receive the input voltage and generate a second sub-output voltage with a second phase by transforming the input voltage in response to a second set signal; and the interleaving circuit configured to repeatedly and sequentially generate the first set signal and the second set signal by comparing a reference voltage with an output voltage generated based on the first sub-output voltage and the second sub-output voltage.

Multi-phase switching regulator including interleaving circuit and switching regulating method using the same

A method of operating a buck-boost converter including an inductor and a capacitor includes; operating the buck-boost converter in boost mode until a level of an input voltage applied at an input node of the buck-boost converter reaches a desired level of an output voltage apparent at an output node of the buck-boost converter, and after the level of an input voltage reaches the desired level of the output voltage, operating the buck-boost converter in buck mode, wherein operating the buck-boost converter in buck mode and operating the buck-boost converter in boost mode overlap at least in part temporally proximate a point at which the level of the input voltage exceeds the level of the output voltage.

Buck-boost converter and operating method

A buck-boost converter includes: a converting circuit; a ripple injector; a hysteresis comparator; and a switching controller. The converting circuit is configured to generate an output voltage by adjusting an input voltage in a buck mode, a boost mode, and a buck-boost mode. The ripple injector is configured to generate a ripple based on switching signals corresponding to switching operations of the converting circuit. The hysteresis comparator outputs at least one switching control signal by comparing an output control voltage with a feedback voltage generated by adding the ripple to a divided voltage generated by performing a voltage division on the output voltage. The switching controller is configured to change a current flow path of the converting circuit based on the at least one switching control signal.

Buck-boost converters and power management integrated circuits including the same

A voltage regulator includes a high duty cycle detector, a feedback controller, a hysteretic comparator, and first and second drivers. The high duty cycle detector generates a high duty cycle signal based on a power supply voltage and a reference voltage. The feedback controller generates first and second feedback voltages based on the reference voltage, the high duty cycle signal and an output voltage of the voltage regulator. The hysteretic comparator compares the reference voltage and the first feedback voltage to generate a control signal. When the first feedback voltage is activated, the first driver drives an output node that provides the output voltage based on the control signal and the high duty cycle signal. When the second feedback voltage is activated, the second driver generates a third voltage proportional to the reference voltage based on the power supply voltage and the second feedback voltage, and drives the output node with the third voltage.

Voltage regulator having enhancing linearity

A switching regulator includes a power converting unit and a switch driving unit. The power converting unit is configured to generate a direct current (DC) output voltage based on a switch driving signal and a DC input voltage. The switch driving unit is configured to generate a ripple voltage having information of an inductor current flowing through the power converting unit, add the ripple voltage to a reference voltage to generate a first voltage having a ripple, generate a feedback voltage based on the DC output voltage, compare the first voltage with the feedback voltage in a hysteresis mode to generate a comparison output, and generate the switch driving signal based on the comparison output.

Hysteretic switching regulator including a power converting unit and a switch driving unit

A switching regulator includes a DC-DC converter and a dynamic voltage positioning circuit. The DC-DC converter includes an inductor connected between an input port and an output port. The dynamic voltage positioning circuit includes a sensing circuit and a mirroring circuit. The sensing circuit is configured to sense an inductor current flowing through the inductor, and to convert a voltage applied to a direct current resistance (DCR) of the inductor into a droop current using a variable resistor. The mirroring circuit is configured to cause a voltage drop at the output port of the DC-DC converter based on a current corresponding to a difference between a bias current and the droop current.

Switching regulators, power management devices and systems including the same

Provided are a switching regulator and a comparator-based zero current detection method. The switching regulator comprises: a switch configured to connect to a switching node and control an inductor current flowing through the switching node; and a switch controller configured to control a turn-off time of the switch by detecting a change in a voltage of the switching node after the switch is turned off, wherein the switch controller comprises: a comparator configured to compare a first voltage applied to a first input terminal connected to the switching node with a second voltage applied to a second input terminal connected to a first terminal of the switch; and a control logic configured to receive a comparison signal of the comparator and control an offset of the comparator to adjust the turn-off time of the switch.

Switching regulator and comparator-based zero current detection method used by the switching regulator

A bi-directional voltage positioning circuit includes a voltage to current converter, a current mirror circuit and a switch. The voltage to current converter converts a sensing voltage to a first current, and the sensing voltage is sensed based on a current flowing through an output coil connected between a switching node and an output node. The current mirror circuit mirrors the first current to generate a second current and a third current, the second current is N times greater than the first current, the third current is M times greater than the first current, and N and M are real numbers greater than zero. The switch provides a feedback node with one of the second current and third current in response to a switching control signal, and an output voltage of the output node is divided at the feedback node.

Bi-directional voltage positioning circuit, voltage converter and power supply device including the same

A power converter includes a power converting unit and a driving circuit. The power converting unit generates a DC output voltage based on a pull up driving signal, a pull down driving signal, and a DC input voltage. The driving circuit compensates for an inductor peak current, and performs in a pulse-frequency-modulation (PFM) mode and a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) mode to generate the pull-up driving signal and the pull-down driving signal based on the DC output voltage and the compensated inductor peak current. The power converter performs a mode transition between the PFM and PWM modes at a uniform load current, even when a magnitude of the DC output voltage varies.

Power converter and method of power conversion

A power converter includes a zero-current detector having an adjustable offset voltage. The power converter includes a power converting unit and a switch driving circuit. The power converting unit generates a DC output voltage based on a pull-up driving signal, a pull-down driving signal and a DC input voltage. The switch driving circuit generates a first detection voltage signal based on the DC output voltage. The switch driving circuit includes a zero-current detector configured to adjust an offset voltage based on the first detection voltage signal and generate a zero-current detecting signal based on the offset voltage. The offset voltage and the zero-current detecting signal are associated with a current in the power converting unit. The switch driving circuit also includes a pulse-frequency modulating circuit configured to perform a pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) to generate the pull-up driving signal and the pull-down driving signal based on the zero-current detecting signal.

Power converters including zero-current detectors and methods of power conversion

A power regulator includes a pass transistor, a feedback circuit, an error amplifier and a protection circuit. The pass transistor receives an unregulated first power supply voltage, and an output terminal of the power regulator outputs an output voltage varying depending upon a control signal. The feedback circuit senses a current flowing through the pass transistor and generates a feedback signal. The error amplifier compares a reference signal to the feedback signal and generates a control signal varying depending upon a voltage difference between the reference signal and the feedback signal. The protection circuit scales down a current flowing through the pass transistor by a prescribed ratio and changes a voltage of the control signal when the scaled-down current has a value higher than a prescribed value. Accordingly, the power regulator may control a current limit correctly and be capable of implementing a sensing resistor having an appropriate resistance value for providing over-current protection that occupies a smaller chip area.

Power regulator having over-current protection circuit and method of providing over-current protection thereof

There is provided a mute control circuit which is simplified to efficiently remove switching noise during the muting of each output and reducing the number of connection pins required for a given integrated circuit. The mute control circuit includes a pulse generator for receiving the each mute signal and generating a control pulse; a charge/discharge signal generator for receiving the control pulse and generating a charge/discharge signal and a switching control signal; a controller for receiving the charge/discharge signal and controlling the mute operation of the output terminal according to the switching control signal; and a switching signal generator for receiving the mute signal, generating a switching signal according to the switching control signal of the charge/discharge signal generator, and supplying the switching signal to the controller.

Muting circuit

A vocal mix circuit shifts the phase of a mixed audio signal using a phase shifter, and achieves a mixed signal emphasizing the voice components thereof, by subtracting a signal which is not shifted from the signal shifted by the phase shifter. Gain through the above steps is controlled by the gain controller. Then, operators process both the initial signals and the signal through the phase shifter and the gain controller. Accordingly, the vocal mix circuit enables a person to hear with high sensitivity, has a simple circuit, and reduces the number of external pins.

Growing community of inventors

Suwon-si, South Korea

Dong-Jin Keum