Multiphase voltage regulation using paralleled inductive circuits having magnetically coupled inductors

• US 20070097571A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Wickersham, Robert, Dinh, James
• Application Number:
  US11/177,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20070097571A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/62
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel

Abstract

For one disclosed embodiment, phased control signals are generated, and pulsed signals are generated in response to generated phased control signals. Generated pulsed signals are received by multiple inductive circuits having magnetically coupled inductors. An inductive circuit receives pulsed signals corresponding to different phases. Multiple inductive circuits receive a pulsed signal corresponding to the same phase. Received pulsed signals are combined by multiple inductive circuits to generate an output signal. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

switching circuitry to generate pulsed signals in response to phased control signals; and

multiple inductive circuits having magnetically coupled inductors, the multiple inductive circuits coupled to receive and combine pulsed signals from the switching circuitry to generate an output signal,

wherein an inductive circuit is to receive pulsed signals corresponding to different phases, and

wherein multiple inductive circuits are to receive a pulsed signal corresponding to the same phase.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an inductive circuit includes multiple inductive devices to receive corresponding pulsed signals corresponding to different phases, and

wherein an inductive device has a pair of inductors that are magnetically coupled.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein multiple inductive devices include coupled inductors.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

control circuitry to generate phased control signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control circuitry is to monitor the output signal to help control phased control signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching circuitry includes multiple pull-up and pull-down transistors to generate pulsed signals.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a first switching circuit to generate a first pulsed signal and a second pulsed signal in response to one or more control signals corresponding to a first phase;

a second switching circuit to generate a third pulsed signal and a fourth pulsed signal in response to one or more control signals corresponding to a second phase; and

combining circuitry to generate an output signal at an output node, the combining circuitry including a first inductive circuit having magnetically coupled inductors to receive the first pulsed signal and the third pulsed signal and a second inductive circuit having magnetically coupled inductors to receive the second pulsed signal and the fourth pulsed signal, wherein the first and second inductive circuits are coupled to the output node.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first inductive circuit includes a first inductive device to receive the first pulsed signal and a second inductive device to receive the third pulsed signal, wherein the first inductive device has a pair of inductors that are magnetically coupled and wherein the second inductive device has a pair of inductors that are magnetically coupled.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second inductive circuit includes a third inductive device to receive the second pulsed signal and a fourth inductive device to receive the fourth pulsed signal, wherein the third inductive device has a pair of inductors that are magnetically coupled and wherein the fourth inductive device has a pair of inductors that are magnetically coupled.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth inductive devices are coupled inductors.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first inductive circuit includes a first inductor coupled in series with a second inductor and includes a third inductor coupled in series with a fourth inductor, wherein the first and third inductors are magnetically coupled, and wherein the second and fourth inductors are magnetically coupled.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second inductive circuit includes a fifth inductor coupled in series with a sixth inductor and includes a seventh inductor coupled in series with an eighth inductor, wherein the fifth and seventh inductors are magnetically coupled, and wherein the sixth and eighth inductors are magnetically coupled.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and third inductors, the second and fourth inductors, the fifth and seventh inductors, and the sixth and eighth inductors are coupled inductors.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising control circuitry to generate one or more control signals corresponding to the first phase and one or more control signals corresponding to the second phase.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control circuitry is to monitor the output signal to help control the one or more control signals corresponding to the first phase and the one or more control signals corresponding to the second phase.

16. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first switching circuit includes first pull-up and pull-down transistors to generate the first pulsed signal and second pull-up and pull-down transistors to generate the second pulsed signal.

17. A method comprising:

generating phased control signals;

generate pulsed signals in response to generated phased control signals;

receiving generated pulsed signals by multiple inductive circuits having magnetically coupled inductors, the receiving including receiving by an inductive circuit pulsed signals corresponding to different phases and receiving by multiple inductive circuits a pulsed signal corresponding to the same phase; and

combining received pulsed signals by multiple inductive circuits to generate an output signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving by an inductive circuit pulsed signals corresponding to different phases includes receiving by multiple inductive devices corresponding pulsed signals corresponding to different phases, and

wherein an inductive device has a pair of inductors that are magnetically coupled.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising monitoring the output signal, wherein generating phased control signals comprises controlling phased control signals in response to the monitored output signal.

20. A system comprising:

a battery;

a voltage regulator to receive an input supply voltage signal from the battery to generate a regulated output supply voltage signal, the voltage regulator including control circuitry to generate phased control signals, switching circuitry to generate pulsed signals in response to generated phased control signals, and paralleled inductive circuits having magnetically coupled inductors, the inductive circuits coupled to receive and combine pulsed signals from the switching circuitry to generate the output supply voltage signal,

wherein an inductive circuit is to receive pulsed signals corresponding to different phases and wherein multiple inductive circuits are to receive a pulsed signal corresponding to the same phase; and

one or more integrated circuits to receive the output supply voltage signal.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein an inductive circuit includes multiple inductive devices to receive corresponding pulsed signals corresponding to different phases, and

wherein an inductive device has a pair of inductors that are magnetically coupled.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein multiple inductive devices include coupled inductors.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the control circuitry is to monitor the output signal to help control phased control signals.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein one or more integrated circuits to receive the output supply voltage signal form at least a portion of a processor.

25. The system of claim 24, comprising one or more communications interfaces and one or more antennas.