Assisting a load current of a switching voltage regulator

摘要

Embodiments for at methods, apparatus and systems for operating a voltage regulator are disclosed. One method includes generating, by a switching controller, a switching voltage through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and a shunt switch element, and generating an output voltage by filtering the switching voltage with an output inductor and a load capacitor. The method further includes generating an assisting current based on a value of current conducted through the output inductor, and assisting the load current by summing the assisting current with the current conducted through the inductor.

主权项

1. A method of assisting a load current of a switching voltage regulator, comprising:
generating, by a switching controller, a switching voltage through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and a shunt switch element; generating an output voltage at an output node of the switching voltage regulator by filtering the switching voltage with an output inductor and a load capacitor; assist the load current by summing an assisting current of an assisting assisting transistor with a current conducted through the output inductor at the output node of the switching voltage regulator; control a gate voltage of the assisting transistor with a handoff controller; detecting a value of the current conducted through the output inductor; determining whether the value of the current conducted through the output inductor exceeds a threshold value; transfer control of the gate voltage of the assisting transistor from the handoff controller to a current mirror within a handoff assist burst controller after determining the current conducted through the output inductor exceeds the threshold value; start a time period tHOA of a time delay circuit after determining the current conducted through the output inductor exceeds the threshold value; transferring control of the gate voltage of the assisting transistor from the current mirror within the handoff assist burst controller to the handoff controller after the time period tHOA of the time delay circuit expires, wherein the time period tHOA is selected to ensure that a load transient is completed when an assist transient burst ends; and a power amplifier, wherein the power amplifier is powered by the output voltage and the load current.