Patent ID: 11967901
Assignee: RENESAS DESIGN (UK) LIMITED
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A power converter for providing an output voltage with an output-to-input conversion ratio, the power converter having a ground port, a first port, and a second port, wherein when the power converter operates as a step-down converter the first port receives an input voltage and the second port provides the output voltage and when the power converter operates as a step-up converter the second port receives an input voltage and the first port provides the output voltage;
wherein the power converter comprises a reservoir capacitor, a first flying capacitor, a first inductor and a second inductor coupled to a network of switches; and a driver adapted to drive the network of switches with a sequence of states during a drive period;
wherein the power converter is operable in a first mode to deliver an output current using both the first inductor and the second inductor and a second mode to deliver the output current using the first inductor and without using the second inductor;
wherein when a load current is above a threshold value the driver drives the network of switches in a first sequence of states to operate the power converter in the first mode, and when the load current is equal or below the threshold value the driver drives the network of switches in a second sequence of states to operate the power converter in the second mode.