Patent ID: 7956673

Claim:
A variable stage charge pump configured to receive an input voltage and output a pumped voltage different than the input voltage, the variable stage charge pump comprising: an input port configured to receive the input voltage; an output port configured to output the pumped voltage; a plurality of charge pump stages, including a first, second, and third stage, each stage configured to receive a respective input voltage and generate a respective pumped voltage therefrom and provide the pumped voltage to a respective output terminal; the first, second, and third stages are coupled in series between the input port and the output port in a first configuration, and, in a second configuration, the second and third stages are coupled in parallel and the parallel combination serially coupled to the first stage such that an output of the first stage is coupled to an input of the second stage and an input of the third stage to provide the pumped voltage from the first stage to the second and third stages concurrently.