Apparatus and method for device power-up using counter-enabled drivers
First Claim
1. A secondary power supply responsive to a primary power supply, said secondary power supply comprising:
- a first amplifier responsive to a first signal for providing power for said secondary power supply;
a second amplifier responsive to a second signal for providing power for said secondary power supply; and
a time base unit, said time base unit generating said first signal in response to a power-up of said primary power supply, said time base removing said first signal after a predetermined time;
wherein said second amplifier provides the power for said secondary power supply after said predetermined time interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The secondary power supply Vbb which powers components on a semiconductor device receives power from a distributed primary power supply Vbb. During the power-up portion for the secondary power supply Vbb, a main driver amplifier 13 provides the power. After the secondary power supply Vbb has reached the desired voltage level, a standby driver amplifier 14 is used to maintain the desired voltage level. In the present invention, the main driver amplifier 13 is activated by a time base unit 21, 22 time in response activation of the primary power supply. The time base unit 21, 22 can simultaneously inactivate the standby driver amplifier 14, or the standby power supply can operate independently of the main driver amplifier 13. After a time interval sufficient to insure that the output from the secondary power supply has reached the desired voltage level, the main driver amplifier 13 is inactivated and the standby (i.e., lower power) amplifier provides the steady state power. In the preferred embodiment, the time base unit 21, 22 is implemented by an oscillator unit 21 and an oscillator counter unit 22, a predetermined number of oscillator signals determining the time interval.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A secondary power supply responsive to a primary power supply, said secondary power supply comprising:
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a first amplifier responsive to a first signal for providing power for said secondary power supply; a second amplifier responsive to a second signal for providing power for said secondary power supply; and a time base unit, said time base unit generating said first signal in response to a power-up of said primary power supply, said time base removing said first signal after a predetermined time; wherein said second amplifier provides the power for said secondary power supply after said predetermined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for providing a power-up mode for a secondary power supply, said method comprising the steps of:
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in response to a power-up of a primary power supply, activating a first driver amplifier to provide power to an output terminal of said secondary power supply; after a predetermined period of time, inactivating said first driver amplifier; and by means of a second driver amplifier, providing power to said output terminal after said first driver amplifier is inactivated. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A secondary power supply responsive to a primary power supply, said secondary power supply having first driver amplifier for providing power during the power-up mode of secondary power supply and a second driver amplifier for providing power at least after a desired voltage has been reached, wherein the improvement comprises;
a time base unit, said time base unit determining a predetermined period of time after which said first driver amplifier is inactivated, said second amplifier providing power for said secondary power supply after inactivation of said first driver amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A secondary power supply for providing a preselected voltage level in response to a power-up mode of a primary power supply, said secondary power supply comprising:
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a first amplifier for powering-up an output terminal of said secondary power supply to said preselected voltage level; a second amplifier for maintaining said output terminal at said preselected voltage level; a detector unit for providing a first signal during said power-up mode of said primary amplifier; a time base unit providing a first activation signal to said first amplifier in response to said first signal, said time base unit removing said first activation signal after a predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification