Patent ID: 11888397
Assignee: STMICROELECTRON S.R.L.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 10:
11. A DC-DC switching converter, comprising:
power switches operable to selectively couple an output terminal of the DC-DC switching converter to a first voltage or a second voltage, the output terminal being coupleable to a load when the DC-DC switching converter is in use;
a driver stage coupled to the power switches and configured to drive the power switches;
a driver control stage coupled to the driver stage and configured to control the operation of the driver stage; and
an output current sensing circuit coupled to the output terminal of the DC-DC switching converter and to the driver control stage, the output current sensing circuit configured to sense a sign of an output current delivered by the DC-DC switching converter at the output terminal when in operation and to generate control signals for the driver control stage;
wherein the driver control stage controls the operation of the driver stage according to states of the control signals received from the output current sensing circuit to selectively delay activation of the power switches depending on the sensed sign of the output current;
wherein the power switches comprise:
a first power switch operable for selectively coupling the output terminal of the DC-DC switching converter to the first voltage; and
a second power switch operable for selectively coupling the output terminal of the DC-DC switching converter to the second voltage;

wherein the driver stage comprises:
a first driver stage coupled to and configured to control the first power switch; and
a second driver stage coupled to and configured to control the first power switch;

wherein the first driver stage comprises:
a first switch, a second switch, and a third switch in series between the first voltage and a first internal reference voltage of the DC-DC switching converter configured to cause the activation of the first power switch when applied thereto;
wherein the first switch is controlled by a first drive command fed to the driver control stage;
wherein the second switch is controlled by a first activation command for the activation of the first driver stage and by a first signal indicative of a voltage level at the output terminal of the DC-DC switching converter; and
wherein the third switch is controlled by a first switch control signal depending on the first drive command and on a signal indicative of an activation state of the second power switch;

wherein the second driver stage comprises:
a fourth switch, a fifth switch and a sixth switch in series between the second voltage and a second internal reference voltage of the DC-DC switching converter configured to cause the activation of the second power switch when applied thereto;
wherein the fourth switch is controlled by a second drive command fed to the driver control stage;
wherein the fifth switch is controlled by a second activation command for the activation of the second driver stage and by a second signal indicative of a voltage level at the output terminal of the DC-DC switching converter; and
wherein the sixth switch is controlled by a second switch control signal depending on the second drive command and on the signal indicative of an activation state of the second power switch.