Voltage regulator having circuit to control super capacitor

• US 10,228,756 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2016
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Shilimkar, Vikas S., Nguyen, Don J., Gurumoorthy, Nagasubramanian N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Jue
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Trinh Q
• Application Number:
  US15/333,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20170102763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/32 using magnetic devices having a controllable degree of saturation as final control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/46 wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is dc G05F1/625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/56 using semiconductor devices in series with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A voltage regulator may be provided that includes a first circuit to receive at least one feedback signal from a buck converter and to provide at least one driving signal to the buck converter to provide an output voltage based on the at least one feedback signal, and a second circuit to control a super-capacitor to provide the output voltage when the first circuit is not using the buck converter to provide the output voltage.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator comprising:

a first circuit to receive at least one feedback signal from a buck converter including an inductor and to provide at least one driving signal to the buck converter to provide an output voltage at an output node of the buck converter based on the at least one feedback signal, and to receive an idle signal and to stop using the buck converter in response to receiving the idle signal; and

a second circuit coupled to the first circuit to control a super-capacitor coupled to the output node of the buck converter to provide the output voltage at the output node of the buck converter when the first circuit is not using the buck converter to provide the output voltage.

2. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein the first circuit is to provide a first driving signal to a first switch transistor of the buck converter, and to provide a second driving signal to a second switch transistor of the buck converter.

3. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein the second circuit is to provide a first control signal to a first control transistor of a super-capacitor device, and to provide a second control signal to a second control transistor of the super-capacitor device.

4. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein the first circuit includes a voltage sense device and a current sense device, the voltage sense device to receive a feedback signal indicative of the output voltage, and the current sense device to receive a feedback signal indicative of current in the buck converter.

5. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein the first circuit is to sense the output voltage and to use the buck converter to provide the output voltage when the at least one feedback signal indicates the output voltage falls below a threshold.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a platform load having a processor, and

a voltage regulator to provide an output voltage to the platform load, the voltage regulator including;

a buck converter including an inductor to receive a direct current (DC) voltage and to provide the output voltage at an output node of the buck converter to the platform load;

a voltage controller to receive at least one feedback signal from the buck converter, the voltage controller to provide at least one driving signal to the buck converter, and the voltage controller includes an idle control device to provide an idle signal when the platform load is in an idle state; and

a super-capacitor device coupled to the output node of the buck converter to provide the output voltage at the output node of the buck converter when the buck converter is not used to provide the output voltage.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the voltage controller is to provide a first driving signal to a first switch transistor of the buck converter, and to provide a second driving signal to a second switch transistor of the buck converter.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the voltage controller is to provide a first driving signal to a first switch transistor of the buck converter, and to provide a second driving signal to a second switch transistor of the buck converter.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the voltage controller includes a voltage sense device and a current sense device, the voltage sense device to receive a feedback signal indicative of the output voltage, and the current sense device to receive a feedback signal indicative of current in the buck converter.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the voltage controller is to sense the output voltage and to use the buck converter to provide the output voltage when the at least one feedback signal indicates the output voltage falls below a threshold.

11. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising a battery to provide the DC voltage.

12. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the buck converter is not used to provide the output node when the platform load is in an idle state.

13. A method of powering an electronic device comprising:

receiving an input voltage at a voltage regulator;

turning on a buck converter of the voltage regulator, the buck converter including an inductor;

providing an output voltage from the voltage regulator at an output node of the buck converter while using the buck converter;

receiving an idle signal from the electronic device and stopping use of the buck converter in response to receiving the idle signal;

charging a super-capacitor of the voltage regulator coupled to the output node of the buck converter while using the buck converter; and

providing an output voltage at the output node of the buck converter from the super-capacitor while the buck converter is not being used.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a first driving signal to a first switch transistor of the buck converter and providing a second driving signal to a second switch transistor of the buck converter.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a first control signal to a first control transistor of the buck converter and providing a second control signal to a second control transistor of the buck converter.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising sensing the output voltage and providing the output voltage from the buck converter when at least one feedback signal indicates the output voltage falls below a threshold.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising stopping charging of the super-capacitor based on the output voltage of the voltage regulator.