US 12,003,177 B2
Method and apparatus for sensing output current in a DC-DC converter circuit
Marco La Pila, Gravina di Catania (IT); and Giuseppe Platania, Valverde (IT)
Assigned to STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed by STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed on May 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/748,214.
Prior Publication US 2023/0378870 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. H02M 3/158 (2006.01); H02M 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02M 3/158 (2013.01) [H02M 1/0009 (2021.05)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A switching regulator circuit, comprising:
a high side (HS) transistor coupled between a first node and a switching node;
a low side (LS) transistor coupled between the switching node and a second node;
driver circuitry for controlling actuation of the HS transistor and LS transistor in accordance with a duty cycle;
an inductor having a first terminal coupled to the switching node and a second terminal coupled to a third node, wherein an output current flows through the inductor;
an output current detection circuit comprising:
a current sensing circuit configured to sense a transistor current flowing through the HS transistor during HS transistor on time (TON); and
a duty cycle detect and divide circuit configured to detect said duty cycle which controls actuation of the HS transistor and LS transistor, and divide the sensed transistor current by said duty cycle to generate an output signal indicative of the output current that flows through the inductor.