Background

While normal switched capacitor voltage regulators (SCVRs) are easy integrable, they suffer from charge sharing losses and fast degradation of efficiency when deviating from the target operation point.

On the other hand conventional buck converters suffer from large magnetic components that introduce challenges to integrate on chip. This invention entails a voltage regulator device that has the advantages of both the SCVR and the buck converters.

Technology Overview

The voltage regulator device includes a switched 10 capacitor circuit that takes an input voltage and is capable of providing different output voltage levels followed by a low pass filter to give a regulated output voltage. The switched capacitor circuit is configured to switch its output periodically between several different voltage levels allowing for smaller inductor sizes and smaller capacitor sizes.

A method of phases interleaving is used, where the phases of different voltage levels are 15 interleaved allowing for increased effective switching frequency and reduced switching losses. A method for controlling the average voltage on the flying capacitors is provided. This method allows for regulation of output voltage by modulating the resistance of the switches using a duty cycle.

A control unit is used to determine the operation region of the voltage regulator device and configure the switched capacitor circuit in each 20 operation region. The controller contains a state machine that determines the switches configuration in each phase of a complete switching cycle.

Benefits

Enables smaller electronic devices: has smaller passive components, making it an integrable on-chip device that consumes less area off-chip.
high roughly-constant efficiency is provided over 20 the whole operation region with low output ripples with respect to other devices in the
Saves power consumption due to different operation modes (sleep mode)

Applications

Energy harvesting systems (e.g. solar energy harvesting for wireless sensor networks)
On-chip/ Off-chip power management for electronic systems
Power management for System-on-Chips (SoCs)

Opportunity

Available for exclusive and non-exclusive licensing
Exclusive/non-exclusive evaluation for defined period (set up for options).
Collaborative/supportive research

Multilevel Multistate Voltage Regulator

Patents

IP Status

Seeking