Power conversion efficiency management

• US 20070222463A1
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jaber Qahouq, Lilly Huang
• Original Assignee: Jaber Qahouq, Lilly Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Lilly, Qahouq, Jaber
• Application Number:
  US11/387,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/712
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention may operate to measure a feedback error signal change as an indication of efficiency associated with a power stage, and to select a determined power stage parameter value to increase the efficiency responsive to the feedback error signal change.

Claims

1. An apparatus, including:

measurement logic to measure a feedback error signal change as an indication of efficiency in a power stage; and

performance governor logic to select a determined power stage control parameter to increase the efficiency responsive to the feedback error signal change.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power stage includes:

a DC-DC converter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determined power stage control parameter includes at least one of a switching dead time, a switching frequency, an input voltage, an output voltage, a number of active switches, and a number of active power stages.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a gain compensator coupled to the measurement logic.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a plurality of power stages coupled to the performance governor logic.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the feedback error signal change comprises an output voltage error change.

7. A system, including:

measurement logic to measure a feedback error signal change as an indication of efficiency in a power stage;

performance governor logic to select a determined power stage control parameter to increase the efficiency responsive to the feedback error signal change; and

a display to receive power from the power stage.

8. The system of claim 7, further including:

a computer motherboard to receive power from the power stage.

9. The system of claim 7, further including:

a television tuner to receive power from the power stage.

10. The system of claim 7, further including:

a medical data acquisition system to receive power from the power stage.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the power stage includes at least one of a buck converter and a boost converter.

12. A method, comprising:

measuring a feedback error signal change as an indication of efficiency associated with a power stage; and

selecting a determined power stage parameter value to increase the efficiency responsive to the feedback error signal change.

13. The method of claim 12, further including:

selecting a change direction of the determined power stage parameter based on a change direction of the feedback error signal change.

14. The method of claim 12, further including:

reading a register to determine an acceptable efficiency associated with the power stage.

15. The method of claim 12, further including:

selecting a trial determined power stage parameter value if the efficiency is less than an acceptable efficiency.

16. The method of claim 12, further including:

periodically incrementing the determined power stage parameter value to search for a new power stage parameter value to increase the efficiency.

17. The method of claim 12, further including:

selecting a series of monotonically decreasing power stage parameter values to search for a new power stage parameter value to increase the efficiency.

18. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

measuring a feedback error signal change as an indication of efficiency associated with a power stage; and

selecting a determined power stage parameter value to increase the efficiency responsive to the feedback error signal change.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

detecting a failed regulator coupled to the power stage based on the feedback error signal change.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

surveying multiple power stages, including the power stage, to select a plurality of associated determined power stage parameter values to increase the efficiency associated with the multiple power stages.