US 11,929,680 B2
Adaptive current control in switching power regulators for fast transient response
Wei Shen, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/636,891
Filed by Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 24, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/024424
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 20, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/194474, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0337162 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. H02M 3/158 (2006.01); H02M 1/00 (2006.01); H02M 3/157 (2006.01)
CPC H02M 3/1586 (2021.05) [H02M 1/0009 (2021.05); H02M 3/157 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method implemented by a switching power regulator to increase output current in response to an increase of a load on the switching power regulator, the method comprising:
detecting the increase of the load at an output of the switching power regulator;
initiating, in response to the increase of the load, an adaptive current control mode of the switching power regulator in which a clock of the switching power regulator is prevented from affecting application of current to an inductor of the switching power regulator;
implementing a first phase of the adaptive current control mode in which the current is applied, via a first switch device and from an input of the switching power regulator, to the inductor of the switching power regulator until inductor current reaches a predefined level for maximum current;
implementing a second phase of the adaptive current control mode in which the current is enabled to flow, via a second switch device and from a potential lower than the input of the switching power regulator, through the inductor until the inductor current reaches a current control signal that is based on an output voltage of the switching power regulator;
detecting a reduction of the load at the output while the switching power regulator operates in the adaptive current control mode; and
transitioning, in response to the reduction of the load at the output, the switching power regulator to operate in a steady state mode in which the clock of the switching power regulator affects the application of the current to the inductor of the switching power regulator.