IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,899,479
Granted Patent B2
US 11,899,479 · App. 17/616,228 · Granted Feb 13, 2024

Digitally controlled low dropout regulator

Inventors: Daisuke Ide (Kanagawa, JP); Nobuhiko Shigyo (Kumamoto, JP); Keita Komagata (Tokyo, JP); Hiroyuki Watanabe (Kanagawa, JP); Takahiro Naito (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
G05F1/561G05F1/56G05F1/575H02M1/0045
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,899,479
App. No.
17/616,228
Granted
Feb 13, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

To provide a digitally controlled LDO regulator that can control an output voltage even during an auto-zero processing period. A digitally controlled low dropout regulator is provided that includes a plurality of AD converters and an impedance variable circuit, each of the plurality of AD converters including a comparator, in which a first signal from each of the plurality of AD converters is input to the impedance variable circuit; a second signal output from the impedance variable circuit is input to one of two terminals of each of the plurality of AD converters; when one of the plurality of AD converters is in operation, another of the plurality of AD converters performs auto-zero processing to set a voltage value used as a reference; and the comparator compares a voltage value of the second signal input to the one of the two terminals with the set voltage value.

Claims (24)

1. A digitally controlled low dropout regulator, comprising:

a plurality of Analog-Digital (AD) converters; and

an impedance variable circuit, each of the plurality of AD converters including a comparator, wherein

a first signal from each of the plurality of AD converters is input to the impedance variable circuit,

a plurality of the first signals is input to the impedance variable circuit, and a second signal output from the impedance variable circuit is input to one of two terminals of each of the plurality of AD converters,

when one of the plurality of AD converters is in operation, another of the plurality of AD converters performs auto-zero processing to set a voltage value used as a reference, and

the comparator included in each of the plurality of AD converters compares a voltage value of the second signal input to the one of the two terminals with the set voltage value.

2. The digitally controlled low dropout regulator according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the plurality of AD converters is an AD converter by which the auto-zero processing is to be performed.

3. The digitally controlled low dropout regulator according to claim 1 , further comprising

a control circuit, the control circuit including a pulse generating circuit, the pulse generating circuit generating a pulse used to perform the auto-zero processing.

4. The digitally controlled low dropout regulator according to claim 3 , wherein

the pulse generating circuit includes a delay element and a computation element, the delay element delaying a timing of an input clock signal, the computation element performing computation with respect to the delayed clock signal and a non-delayed clock signal to generate a pulse.

5. The digitally controlled low dropout regulator according to claim 1 , further comprising

a control circuit, wherein

when the other of the plurality of AD converters is not performing the auto-zero processing, the control circuit stops the other of the plurality of AD converters.

6. The digitally controlled low dropout regulator according to claim 5 , further comprising

an inverter; and

a stop switch, wherein

output of the inverter is connected to a gate of the stop switch, and

in order to stop the other of the plurality of AD converters, a gate potential of the stop switch is fixed at a potential at which the stop switch is turned off, and the comparator included in the other of the plurality of AD converters is stopped.

7. The digitally controlled low dropout regulator according to claim 1 , wherein

the impedance variable circuit includes a plurality of impedance elements, and

the respective first signals from the plurality of AD converters are input to each of the plurality of impedance elements, and ON-OFF switching is performed with respect to each of the plurality of impedance elements according to values of the first signals.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2022
From: IDE, DAISUKE; SHIGYO, NOBUHIKO; KOMAGATA, KEITA; WATANABE, HIROYUKI; NAITO, TAKAHIRO
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058754/0532 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-108411 · Jun 11, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220317712A1 · Oct 6, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,407,361