Patent ID: 11888384
Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 15:
16. A method for converting a direct current input voltage into a direct current output voltage with a switching converter, the method comprising:
driving a switching stage of the switching converter with a driving stage of the switching converter, wherein the switching stage comprises first and second switching devices for receiving the direct current input voltage and for providing the direct current output voltage according to the direct current input voltage, and wherein the driving stage comprises first and second driving devices for driving the first and second switching devices, respectively;
sensing an output current provided by the switching stage;
generating first and second supply voltages to, respectively, power the second and first driving devices, wherein generating the first supply voltage comprises adjusting the first supply voltage according to the output current being sensed, and wherein generating the second supply voltage comprises generating the second supply voltage based on a reference voltage corresponding to the first supply voltage; and
selectively storing a first electric charge being lost from the first driving device during driving of the first switching device based on a comparison between the first and second supply voltages, and
releasing, at least partially, the stored first electric charge to the second driving device during driving of the second switching device to, at least partially, compensate for a second electric charge being lost from the second driving device during driving of the second switching device.