US RE50,386 E1
Circuits and methods for measuring the output current of a switched capacitor regulator
Hans Meyvaert, Leuven (BE); Thomas Li, Mountain View, CA (US); Fred Chen, Oakland, CA (US); John Crossley, Oakland, CA (US); Zhipeng Li, Fremont, CA (US); and Bertram J. Rodgers, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Lion Semiconductor Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Lion Semiconductor Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Jul. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/869,691.
Application 17/869,691 is a reissue of application No. 16/264,079, filed on Jan. 31, 2019, granted, now 10,720,832, issued on Jul. 21, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/756,064, filed on Nov. 5, 2018.
Int. Cl. H02M 3/07 (2006.01); H02M 1/00 (2007.01); H02M 3/158 (2006.01)
CPC H02M 3/07 (2013.01) [H02M 3/158 (2013.01); H02M 1/0009 (2021.05); H02M 1/0054 (2021.05)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A circuit for measuring a current provided to a load comprising
a capacitor having a first side and a second side;
a plurality of switches that, when in a first state, couple the capacitor in parallel with the load and, when in a second state, couple the capacitor in series with the load, wherein a first switch of the plurality of switches has a first side, a second side, and a control input and connects the first side of the capacitor to ground when the plurality of switches are in the first state and wherein a second switch of the plurality of switches has a first side, a second side, and a control input and connects the second side of the capacitor to an input voltage when the plurality of switches are in the second state;
a third switch having a first side, a second side, and a control input, wherein the first side of the third switch is connected to the first side of one of the first switch and the second switch, wherein the control input of the third switch is connected to the control input of the one of the first switch and the second switch, and wherein the third switch is smaller than the one of the first switch and the second switch;
a first resistor having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the first resistor is directly connected to the second side of the third switch; and
a hardware processor that measures a current flowing through the first resistor and estimates the current provided to the load based on the current measured as flowing through the first resistor.