Patent ID: 7633275

Claim:
A DC voltage converter, which cyclically converts an input-side supply voltage into an output voltage, comprising: an inductive storage element comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to a supply voltage terminal; a first switch comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, and coupled in series with the inductive storage element, wherein the first terminal of the first switch is coupled to the second terminal of the inductive storage element and the second terminal of the first switch is coupled to a reference potential terminal; a second switch comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal thereof is coupled to the second terminal of the inductive storage element and the second terminal thereof is coupled to an output terminal at which an output voltage is provided; a capacitive storage element coupled between the output terminal and the reference potential terminal; and a third switch configured to selectively short the inductive storage element, and coupled in parallel with the inductive storage element, and configured to be controlled by a control circuit that is configured to generate a control signal based on a control voltage tapped off at the second terminal of the inductive storage element, the control circuit comprising a threshold value decision unit to which the control voltage is applied on an input side thereof, and a downstream storage element configured to output the control signal to a control terminal of the third switch.