DIGITAL CURRENT SENSOR FOR ON-DIE SWITCHING VOLTAGE REGULATOR

• US 20150346247A1
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: George Matthew, Tarun Mahajan
• Inventors: Mahajan, Tarun, MUTHUKARUPPAN, Ramnarayanan Ram, MALEPATI, Srinivasulu, MATTHEW, George
• Granted Patent: US 10,348,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/25 using digital measurement techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/088 for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/40 Means for preventing magnetic saturation
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• 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

Described is an apparatus which comprises: an output node; a capacitor; an inductor having a first terminal coupled to the output node, and a second terminal coupled to the capacitor; a bridge to receive an input power supply and to generate a switching voltage signal at the output node; and a current sensor to determine slope of the switching voltage signal on the output node.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an output node;

a high-side bridge to receive an input supply, the high-side bridge coupled to the output node;

a low-side bridge coupled to ground and the output node; and

a current sensor having inputs coupled to the high-side bridge and the low-side bridge.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high-side bridge comprises two p-type devices coupled in series and a first common node, and wherein one of the inputs of the current sensor is coupled to the first common node.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the low-side bridge comprises two n-type devices coupled in series and a second common node, and wherein one of the inputs of the current sensor is coupled to the second common node.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the current sensor comprises:

a first level shifter to level shift signal on the first common node, and to generate a first output.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the current sensor comprises:

a second level shifter to level shift signal on the second common node, and to generate a second output.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first and second level shifters have substantially identical propagation delays.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the current sensor further comprises a latch to receive the first and second outputs, and to generate a pulse signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprises a pulse width to digital code converter to convert the pulse signal into a digital code.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprises logic to convert the digital code to sensed current.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the current sensor is operable to measure slope of a signal on the output node.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprises logic to convert the measured slope to a digital representation of current flowing through the output node.

12. An apparatus comprising:

an output node;

a capacitor;

an inductor having a first terminal coupled to the output node, and a second terminal coupled to the capacitor;

a bridge to receive an input power supply and to generate a switching voltage signal at the output node; and

a current senor to determine slope of the switching voltage signal on the output node.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprises logic to convert the measured slope to a digital representation of current flowing through the output node.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the bridge comprises:

a high-side switch coupled to the output node; and

a low-side switch coupled in series with the high-side switch and the output node.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the high-side switch comprises:

two p-type devices coupled in series; and

a first common node, and

wherein an input of the current sensor is coupled to the first common node.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the low-side bridge comprises:

two n-type devices coupled in series; and

a second common node,

wherein another input of the current sensor is coupled to the second common node.

17. A system comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor having a voltage regulator comprising;

an output node;

a high-side bridge to receive an input supply, the high-side bridge coupled to the output node;

a low-side bridge coupled to ground and the output node; and

a current sensor having inputs coupled to the high-side bridge and the low-side bridge; and

a wireless interface for coupling the processor to another device.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprises a display unit to display content processed by the processor.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the current sensor is operable to measure slope of a signal on the output node.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprises logic to convert the measured slope to a digital representation of current flowing through the output node.