Patent ID: 8384367

Claim:
A step-down switching regulator comprising: a switching device coupled to an input terminal to which an input voltage is applied; an inductor having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the switching device; a smoothing unit having an output terminal and configured to smooth a voltage at the second end of the inductor and generate an output voltage which is less than the voltage of the input terminal at the output terminal; a rectifier configured to flow a current to the inductor when the switching device is in an OFF state; and a control circuit configured to drive the switching device so that the output voltage becomes equal to a set target voltage, wherein the control circuit also detects a difference voltage between the input voltage and the output voltage or a difference voltage between the input voltage and the set target voltage, and causes the switching device to be maintained in an ON state when the difference voltage is lower than or equal to a predetermined voltage value.