Patent ID: 7760525

Claim:
A coupled inductor regulator for converting energy from a source of input voltage to an output having an output voltage, comprising: at least two conduction switches to conduct energy from the source of the input voltage to the output; at least two inductors in communication with the at least two conduction switches, the at least two inductors wound together on a common core and each inductor having a polarity such that DC currents in the at least two inductors cancel each other, the at least two inductors having a coefficient of coupling approximately equal to one; at least two freewheeling switches in communication with the at least two conduction switches to provide a path for current during non-conduction periods; and a drive signal generator to generate drive signals each having a duty cycle of approximately 50%, the drive signals to control the at least two conduction switches, wherein the output voltage supplies power to a load, and wherein the coupled inductor regulator further comprises a frequency generator to generate a clock signal having an operating frequency, the drive signals synchronous to the clock signal, and the operating frequency controllable in response to changes in the load.