Patent ID: 7701186

Claim:
A switching regulator, comprising: a drive signal generator circuit coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch included in a power supply responsive to a feedback signal, wherein the feedback signal is representative of an output of the power supply; and a current limit circuit to be coupled to the power switch and the drive signal generator circuit to limit a current through the power switch to one of a plurality of current limit settings, wherein a range of power levels delivered to the output of the power supply when one of the current limit settings is selected overlaps with a range of power levels delivered to the output of the power supply when another of the current limit settings is selected, wherein a maximum power delivered to the output of the power supply for one of the plurality of current limit settings of the current limit circuit when the power supply operates at a maximum on/off cycle ratio is greater than a minimum power delivered to the output of the power supply for a next higher one of the plurality of current limit settings of the current limit circuit when the power supply operates at a minimum on/off cycle ratio.