US 12,278,551 B2
Trans-inductor voltage regulator current sensing techniques
Xuebing Chen, San Jose, CA (US); Owen Jong, San Jose, CA (US); Ya Liu, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Jindong Zhang, San Jose, CA (US); and Mark Frederick Hartman, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to Analog Devices, Inc, Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed by Analog Devices, Inc., Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed on Apr. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/711,680.
Prior Publication US 2023/0318430 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. H02M 1/00 (2007.01); G01R 19/00 (2006.01); H02M 3/158 (2006.01)
CPC H02M 1/0009 (2021.05) [G01R 19/0092 (2013.01); H02M 3/1584 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A current sensing circuit for use with an N-phase trans-inductor voltage regulator including N primary windings and linked N secondary windings, wherein N is greater than zero, the current sensing circuit of each phase comprising:
a first circuit coupled to a first node, the first circuit configured to receive a first voltage that represents first current information through one of the N primary windings;
a first resistor coupled in series with a first capacitor to form the first circuit, wherein the first circuit is coupled to a switching node or to an output of a controller;
a second circuit coupled to a second node, the second circuit configured to receive a second voltage that represents second current information through the linked N secondary windings, wherein the second current information represents combined AC current information through the linked N secondary windings;
a second resistor coupled in series with a second capacitor to form the second circuit, wherein the second circuit is coupled to a third node, wherein the third node is coupled to the linked secondary windings, wherein the second circuit is not coupled to a switching node; and
a control circuit to combine the first current information and the second current information to sense a current of each phase.