Patent ID: 11949333
Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 18:
19. A method of converting an input voltage to an output voltage, the method comprising:
providing a high side switch and a low side switch, wherein the input voltage is provided to the high side switch, and coupling the low side switch to ground, and alternatingly providing the input voltage and the ground to an inductor;
comparing a voltage representative of a current in the inductor to reference voltages; and
applying outputs from the comparators to a switching regulator control circuit, and using the switching regulator control circuit to generate a control signal for alternatingly switching the high side switch and the low side switch off and on, such that the low side switch is off when the high side switch is on, and the high side switch is off when the low side switch is on, and using a latching circuit to latch a signal corresponding to at least one of the outputs from the comparators; and
using at least four comparators configured to compare a sensed current to a first set of current limit levels defining an upper current limit range, and to a second set of current limit levels defining a lower current limit range.