When a bias voltage of a substrate is generated, an output voltage of a charge pump is controlled at an appropriate level, resultingly reducing a consumption current. The charge pump generates a predetermined output voltage from a predetermined DC power supply. A clock generator outputs a clock for operating the charge pump. A voltage monitoring unit monitors the output voltage of the charge pump and controls the clock output from the clock generator such that the output voltage is maintained within a predetermined range. A voltage regulator generates the bias voltage from the output voltage of the charge pump.

A resonant switching power converter includes: at least one capacitor; switches coupled to the at least one capacitor; at least one charging inductor; at least one discharging inductor; and a zero current estimation circuit. The switches switch electrical connection relationships of capacitors according to an operation signal. The zero current estimation circuit estimates a time point at which a charging resonant current is zero during a charging process and/or estimate a time point at which a discharging resonant current is zero during at least one discharging process according to voltage differences across two ends of the charging inductor and/or the discharging inductor, so as to correspondingly generate a zero current estimation signal. The zero current estimation signal is adopted to generate the operation signal.

A method includes configuring a switched capacitor converter to operate in a first fixed PWM mode, wherein in the first fixed PWM mode, the switched capacitor converter is configured to charge a battery coupled to an input of the switched capacitor converter, configuring the switched capacitor converter to operate in a second fixed PWM mode, wherein in the second fixed PWM mode, the switched capacitor converter is configured to discharge the battery, and configuring the switched capacitor converter to operate in a skip mode, wherein the switched capacitor converter has automatic transitions among different modes based on comparisons between an output voltage of the switched capacitor converter and a plurality of predetermined voltage thresholds.

A method of operating a buck converter is disclosed. The buck converter includes a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and an inductor between a node and an output of the buck converter. The method includes, during a first portion of a cycle, coupling the first capacitor and the second capacitor in series between an input of the buck converter and a ground, wherein the first capacitor is coupled between the input of the buck converter and the node, and the second capacitor is coupled between the node and the ground. The method also includes, during a second portion of the cycle, coupling the second capacitor and the first capacitor in series between the input of the buck converter and the ground, wherein the second capacitor is coupled between the input of the buck converter and the node, and the first capacitor is coupled between the node and the ground.

Circuit embodiments for a switched-capacitor power converter, and/or methods of operation of such a converter, that robustly deal with various startup scenarios, are efficient and low cost, and have quick startup times to steady-state converter operation. Embodiments prevent full charge pump capacitor discharge during shutdown of a converter and/or rebalance charge pump capacitors during a startup period before switching operation by discharging and/or precharging the charge pump capacitors. Embodiments may include a dedicated rebalancer circuit that includes a voltage sensing circuit coupled to an output voltage of a converter, and a balance circuit configured to charge or discharge each charge pump capacitor towards a target steady-state multiple of the output voltage of the converter as a function of an output signal from the voltage sensing circuit indicative of the output voltage. Embodiments prevent or limit current in-rush to a converter during a startup state.

An output terminal of one phase switched capacitor converter is connected to a first output terminal, and an output terminal of the other phase switched capacitor converter is connected to the first output terminal via a second switch, such that the power conversion structure can operate in a mode of two phase switched-capacitor converters in parallel, and a current formed by the operating of only one phase switched capacitor converter flows through the second switch, thus greatly reducing a value of current flowing through the second switch, greatly reducing the on-state loss of the second switch, and improving the efficiency of the power conversion structure, and because the second switch has lower on-state loss and less heat, there is a larger selectivity of the second switch and a reduction of the cost of power conversion structure.

A circuit comprising: a first switch having: a first side connected to a first node; and a second side connected to a second capacitor's first side (2C1S); a second switch having: a first side connected to a second capacitor's second side (2C2S); and a second side connected to a first capacitor's first side (1C1S); a third switch having: a first side connected to a first capacitor's second side (1C2S); and a second side connected to a second node (2VN); a fourth switch having: a first side connected to 2C2S; and a second side connected to a third node (3VN); a fifth switch having: a first side connected to 2C1S; and a second side connected to 1C1S; a sixth switch having: a first side connected to 1C2S; and a second side connected to 3VN; a seventh switch having: a first side connected to 1C1S; and a second side connected to 2VN.

A voltage regulating module includes a fine regulating charge pump and a voltage-multiplying charge pump. The first output voltage of the fine regulating charge pump is V.sub.1=m*V.sub.0, a second output voltage of the voltage-multiplying charge pump is V.sub.2=n*V.sub.0, and a total output voltage of the voltage regulating module V=V.sub.1+V.sub.2. V.sub.0 is an input voltage, a value of m ranges from 0 to 1, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

A switched capacitor converter can include a plurality of input switch groups connected in series between an input terminal and an output terminal, where each input switch group can include two power switches connected in series. The switched capacitor converter can also include a plurality of output switch groups, where each output switch group can include two power switches connected in series. The switched capacitor converter can also include a plurality of capacitors, first terminals of which are respectively connected to the common nodes of every two series-connected power switches in the plurality of input switch groups, and second terminals of which are respectively connected to intermediate nodes of each output switch group. The switched capacitor converter can also include a plurality of inductors, where a first terminal of each output switch group can connect to a first terminal of a corresponding inductor.

A computing system having a high-performance battery pack (e.g., 3S, 4S battery packs) coupled to a voltage regulator and logic to control an input supply of the voltage regulator. The logic determines the context of usage of the computing device (or user attentiveness) and either dynamically bypasses the voltage regulator to provide the voltage from the high-performance battery pack directly to various components of the computing system, or dynamically engages devices of the voltage regulator to provide a lower supply voltage to the various components of the computing system.