PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 16127633
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-09
Publication Date: 2019-03
Patent Classification: ["323", "271000"]

Abstract:
A switch mode power supply (voltage converter) is adapted as a current-mode control buck regulator for different loading conditions. The voltage converter operates in a continuous conduction mode (CCM) during heavy load conditions using pulse width modulation (PWM). When a zero-current detector determines no inductor current during light load conditions (discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) region), the controller initiates adaptive duty control using pulse frequency modulation (PFM). Adaptive duty estimation circuitry provides controllable energy to charge the power inductor to maintain voltage accuracy and maximize efficiency when in the PFM mode. Using clock synchronization and a single control-loop, smooth transition between PFM, PWM, and bypass modes is automatically performed. Clock synchronization from a master oscillator provides a base for frequency division in different operation modes which gives controllable evenly distributed switching harmonics. An inductor zero-current detector triggers an adaptive estimated duty cycle that is synchronized with the master oscillator.

Claim (Index 21):
A switching regulator voltage converter with adaptive duty control and seamless transition of operating modes, comprising:\n a power inductor having first and second nodes; a capacitor couple between the second node of the power inductor and a voltage common, wherein the second node of the power inductor and voltage common are adapted for coupling to and providing regulated voltage and current to an electronic device; a high-side current sensor for providing a high-side current signal representing current going into the power inductor; a high side power transistor coupled between a voltage source and the first node of the power inductor; a low-side power transistor coupled between the first node of the power inductor and the voltage common; a low-side current sensor for providing a low-side current signal representing current in the power inductor; a zero-current detector coupled to the low-side inductor current sensor and providing detection of substantially zero current in the power inductor; a pulse generator for generating pulse width modulation and pulse frequency modulation; an adaptive on-duty generator coupled to the pulse generator and controlling a high side ON time thereof; a differential amplifier having a first input coupled to the second node of the power inductor and a second input coupled to a voltage reference; a voltage comparator having a first input coupled to an output of the differential amplifier and a second input coupled to a voltage having a sawtooth waveform from a current sense and slope compensation circuit, wherein the current sense and slope compensation circuit is coupled to the high-side current sensor, wherein the voltage comparator causes the pulse generator to turn off a high side power transistor coupled between a voltage source and the power inductor when the sawtooth voltage from the current sense and slope compensation circuit is greater than the output voltage of the differential amplifier during a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode; an adaptive on-duty generator coupled to the zero-current detector, wherein when substantially zero current is detected in the power inductor the adaptive on-duty generator switches to a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode for controlling the pulse duty generator so as to have similar amounts of energy per switching cycle as during the PWM mode of operation; and a master clock oscillator coupled to the adaptive on-duty generator.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 14.0
- Percentile: 97.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.67647
- Patent Class: 323.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['12458570', '12647377', '14518175', '13161526', '15596399']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.7704127165123029
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.4967065019476136
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.743042095055834
- Mean Citation Score: 278.856226
- Max Citation Score: 291.31992
- Similarity Product: 246.4285619191789

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test