System for a scalable and programmable power management integrated circuit

• US 20060288246A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huynh, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A readily scalable modular progammable integrated circuit (IC) with improved power management is provided. An IC is described that contains one master controller module and a multiplicity of slave modules that include power-supplying functions, battery management functions, and analog and digital input-output functions. The master controller module configures the slave modules by writing data to the slave modules'"'"' configuration registers through the communication network. Each module contains a multiplicity of configuration registers that determine the module'"'"'s operational and parametric characteristics. Programmability is achieved by configuring the modules to respond to appropriate signals on the configurable interconnection network.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit system for scalable and programmable power management, the system comprising:

a master controller module;

a communication network in operable communication with said master controller module; and

at least one slave module in operable communication with said communication network, said at least one slave module being configured to perform at least on power management or conversion function that is at least in art controlled by at least one control command communicated from said master controller module to said at least one slave module, said at least one received control command being communicated and received through said communication network.

2. The integrated circuit system of claim 1, in which said at least one slave modules comprises at least one module that supplies power to a load that is not part of said integrated circuit system.

3. The integrated circuit system of claim 1, in which said at least one slave modules comprises at least one module that supplies power to a load that is part of said integrated circuit system.

4. The integrated circuit system of claim 1, in which said system is configured with a program that when executed causes said master controller module to sequentially communicate certain control commands dictated by said program to at least one of said at least one slave modules, thereby making said slave module(s) functionally programmable.

5. The integrated circuit system of claim 1, in which said system is configured to receive, from an external source, at least one programming instruction that when executed causes said master controller module to communicate certain control commands dictated by said program to at least one of said at least one slave modules, thereby making said slave module(s) functionally programmable.

6. The integrated circuit system of claim 1, in which at least one of said at least one slave modules comprises a voltage conversion device.

7. The integrated circuit system of claim 6, in which said voltage conversion device is a charge-pump converter, a linear voltage regulator, a step-up voltage regulator, or a step-down voltage regulator.

8. The integrated circuit system of claim 1, in which two or more of said at least one slave modules are voltage conversion modules and said integrated circuit system further comprises a coupling device or connection that is configured to combine the power output of each voltage conversion module into one combined voltage conversion module, which is at least partially under the command control of said master control module.

9. The integrated circuit system of claim 1, in which said communications network is a serial or parallel communication network.

10. The integrated circuit system of claim 1, in which said commands are digitally encoded and at least one of said at least one slave modules comprises a digital configuration interface that receives said commands and is operable for decoding at least one of said commands and directly or indirectly controlling an aspect of said at least one slave module.

11. A configurable integrated circuit system for scalable and programmable power management, the system comprising:

a master controller module operable for transmitting, at least one digitally encoded control command;

a serial communication network in operable communication with said master controller module such that said at least one control command can be communicated through said serial communication network; and

at least one voltage conversion slave module in communication with said communication network such that it is operable to receive said at least one control command, said at least one voltage conversion slave module being configured with a digital configuration interface that receives and decodes said at least one control command to directly or indirectly control an a voltage conversion function that is at least in part based on at least one control command received from said master controller module.

12. The integrated circuit system of claim 11, in which said voltage conversion slave module comprises a charge-pump converter, a linear voltage regulator, a step-up voltage regulator, and/or a step-down voltage regulator.

13. The integrated circuit system of claim 11, in which said system is configured with a program that when executed causes said master controller module to sequentially communicate certain control commands dictated by said program to at least one of said at least one slave modules, thereby making said slave module(s) functionally programmable.

14. The integrated circuit system of claim 11, in which said system is configured to receive, from an external source, at least one programming instruction that when executed causes said master controller module to communicate certain control commands dictated by said program to at least one of said at least one voltage conversion slave modules, thereby making said voltage conversion slave module(s) functionally programmable.

15. The integrated circuit system of claim 11, in which two or more of said at least one slave modules are voltage conversion modules and said integrated circuit system further comprises a coupling device or connection that is configured to combine the power output of each voltage conversion module into one combined voltage conversion module, which is at least partially under the command control of said master control module.

16. An integrated circuit system for scalable and programmable power management, the system comprising:

at least one power conversion device configured with means for controlling at least one aspect thereof;

means for networking said at least one power conversion device; and

,

means for orchestrating the real-time behavior of said at least one power conversion device at least in part based on said network means and said power conversion device controlling means.

17. The integrated circuit system of claim 16, further comprising means for making said at least one power conversion device functionally programmable.

18. The integrated circuit system of claim 16, in which said voltage conversion device is a charge-pump converter, a linear voltage regulator, a step-up voltage regulator, or a step-down voltage regulator.

19. The integrated circuit system of claim 16, further comprising means for combining the power output of each power conversion device into one combined power conversion module, which is at least partially under the command control of said orchestrating means.