RESONANT POWER MANAGEMENT ARCHITECTURES

• US 20130147273A1
• Filed: 12/12/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thompson, Kerry, van der lee, Reinierus Hendricus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 9,653,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33561 having more than one ouput with independent control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4815 Resonant converters H02M7/4811 and H02M7/4826 take precedence
• 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

Disclosed are various embodiments of resonant power management of a mobile device. In one embodiment, a mobile device including a power management unit (PMU) including a resonant inverter, a plurality of AC/DC converters, and an AC bus configured to route the AC power from the resonant inverter to the plurality of AC/DC converters. The resonant inverter converts DC power from a power source to AC power that is converted to DC power by the AC/DC converters and supplied to loads of the mobile device. In another embodiment, a method for power management of a mobile device includes monitoring, by a PMU of the mobile device, an operating mode of the mobile device and adjusting an output frequency of a resonant inverter of an AC power distribution network of the PMU in response to a change in the operating mode of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a power source; and

a power management unit (PMU) comprising an AC power distribution network including;

a resonant inverter configured to convert DC power from the power source to AC power;

a plurality of AC/DC converters distributed about the PMU, each of AC/DC converters configured to convert AC power from the resonant inverter to DC power that is supplied to a load of the mobile device; and

an AC bus configured to route the AC power from the resonant inverter to the plurality of AC/DC converters.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the PMU is configured to adjust frequency of the AC power provided by the resonant inverter based upon an operating mode of the mobile device.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the frequency of the AC power is reduced when the PMU enters a sleep mode from an operational mode.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the frequency of the AC power varies in a range from about 2 MHz to about 8 MHz.

5. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the resonant inverter is configured to adjust resonant circuit capacitance of the resonant inverter when adjusting the frequency of the AC power.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the resonant inverter comprises a plurality of switched capacitors in the resonant circuit of the resonant inverter.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the PMU comprises a plurality of resonant inverters configured to convert DC power from the power source to polyphase AC power, wherein the AC bus is configured to route AC power from each resonant inverter to a defined group of the plurality of AC/DC converters.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the groups of the plurality of AC/DC converters are defined to balance loading between the plurality of resonant inverters.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the PMU further comprises a liner regulator coupled to the output of at least one AC/DC converter to reduce ripple in the DC power supplied to the load.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of AC/DC converters is configured to isolate the corresponding load of the mobile device from the AC bus.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone or an electronic tablet.

12. A method for power management of a mobile device, comprising:

monitoring, by a power management unit (PMU) of the mobile device, an operating mode of the mobile device; and

adjusting an output frequency of a resonant inverter of an AC power distribution network of the PMU in response to a change in the operating mode of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the change in the operating mode comprises the mobile device entering a sleep mode.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein adjusting the output frequency of the resonant inverter comprises:

changing a resonant frequency of a resonant circuit of the resonant inverter; and

adjusting a switching frequency of the resonant inverter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein resonant circuit capacitance is adjusted to change the resonant frequency.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein resonant circuit inductance is adjusted to change the resonant frequency.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the output frequency of at least one of a plurality of resonant inverters of the AC power distribution network is not adjusted in response to the change in the operating mode of the mobile device.

18. A mobile device, comprising:

a power management unit (PMU) comprising an AC power distribution network including;

a resonant inverter configured to convert DC power from a power source to AC power; and

a plurality of AC/DC converters distributed about the PMU, each of AC/DC converters configured to convert AC power from the resonant inverter to DC power that is supplied to a load of the mobile device;

where the PMU is configured to;

monitor a DC power output of at least a portion of the plurality of AC/DC converters; and

adjust the AC power from the resonant inverter based at least in part upon the monitored DC power output.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein a DC offset of the resonant inverter is adjusted.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the PMU is further configured to adjust switching of the AC/DC converter based at least in part upon its corresponding DC power output.