Patent ID: 7872458

Claim:
A DC-to-DC converter, comprising: a DC-to-DC conversion unit having an inductor and a switching element connected to the inductor, the DC-to-DC conversion unit being configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage by switching operation of the switching element and to supply the output voltage to a load; and a control unit, wherein the control unit includes: a determination circuit for determining whether the load is in a normal operation state or a standby state based on one of a current flowing in the DC-to-DC converter and the output voltage and for generating a mode signal indicating a result of the determination; an error amplifier for generating an error signal according to an error between a voltage corresponding to the output voltage and a reference voltage; a first drive-signal generator for generating a pulse sequence of pulses each having a pulse width corresponding to the error signal and outputting the pulse sequence as a first drive signal when the mode signal indicates that the load is in the normal operation state; and a second drive-signal generator for generating a pulse having a pulse width larger than a cycle of repetition of the pulses in the pulse sequence and outputting the generated pulse as a second drive signal when the voltage corresponding to the output voltage falls below the reference voltage in a situation where the mode signal indicates that the load is in the standby state, and wherein the DC-to-DC conversion unit converts the input signal into the output voltage according to a logical sum of the first drive signal and the second drive signal.