Patent ID: 7532061

Claim:
A voltage-boosting device, comprising: a supply input configured to receive a supply voltage; a high-voltage output configured to output an output voltage; a plurality of sets of charge-pump stages series-connected between said supply input and said high-voltage output, each set of charge-pump stages having a plurality of charge-pump stages and a respective enabling input receiving a respective one of plural enabling signals, such that the charge-pump stages of the set are coupled to, and controlled by, the same enabling signal, and each set of charge-pump stages is activated by the respective enabling signal independently of the other sets of the plurality of sets; and a control circuit coupled to said high-voltage output and configured to generate said enabling signals, said control circuit including a plurality of comparators coupled to said high-voltage output, each of the comparators receiving a respective one of a plurality of reference voltages, said comparators each configured to generate a respective one of the enabling signals for said sets of charge-pump stages, each set of charge-pump stages being coupled respectively to a respective comparator of the comparators; wherein each set of stages comprises: a respective enabling circuit including a timing input receiving a clock signal; and a switch element connected between said timing input and the charge-pump stages of the set, said switch element having a control input which receives the respective enabling signal for the set, such that when the switch element is activated by the respective enabling signal, the switch element supplies the clock signal to all of the charge-pump stages of the set; and wherein each enabling circuit comprises a latch arranged between said respective switch element and the charge-pump stages of the set that includes the enabling circuit.