Patent ID: 6969979

Claim:
A switching regulator, comprising: a driver coupled to receive a first high side control signal; an input switching device having a source node, a drain node, and a control node, the control node coupled to an output of the driver, the drain node coupled to receive an input voltage; a diode coupled between the source node of the input switching device and ground; an inductor having a first end coupled to the source node of the input switching device; a first output switching device having a drain node coupled to the second end of the inductor, the first output switching device having a control node coupled to a second high side control signal; a second output switching device having a drain node coupled to the second end of the inductor, the second output switching device having a control node coupled to a low side control signal, the second output switching device having a source node coupled to ground; an output load coupled between the source nodes of the first and second output switching devices; an output capacitor coupled between the source nodes of the first and second output switching devices to provide an output voltage; and a low power control circuit coupled across the inductor, wherein the low power control circuit monitors the current delivered to the output load and automatically initiates the low power mode of the switching regulator independent of the value of the output voltage, the output capacitor, the inductor and the input voltage.