Apparatus and method for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit
First Claim
1. A circuit for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit, comprising:
- an inductive converter, having an input coupled to a non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to a node;
a resistive converter, having an input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to the node;
a control circuit, having a first input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, having a second input coupled to the node for receiving a regulated first power supply voltage, having a first output for providing a first control signal to said inductive converter, and having a second output for providing a second control signal to said resistive converter;
digital circuitry, coupled to the node for receiving the regulated first power supply voltage; and
a clock signal conductor, coupled to said control circuit and to said digital circuitry for providing a clock signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit. The present invention utilizes a voltage regulator circuit (16) to regulate the voltage provided to an integrated circuit core (12), and to thereby reduce the power consumption of the integrated circuit core (12). In one form, the voltage regulator circuit (16) utilizes two voltage converting mechanisms, namely an inductive converter (22) and a resistive converter (24). The inductive converter (22) and the resistive converter (24) supplement each other in order to supply the current required by integrated circuit core (12). All or a portion of voltage regulator (16) may be located on the same integrated circuit substrate as integrated circuit core (12).
34 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A circuit for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit, comprising:
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an inductive converter, having an input coupled to a non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to a node; a resistive converter, having an input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to the node; a control circuit, having a first input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, having a second input coupled to the node for receiving a regulated first power supply voltage, having a first output for providing a first control signal to said inductive converter, and having a second output for providing a second control signal to said resistive converter; digital circuitry, coupled to the node for receiving the regulated first power supply voltage; and a clock signal conductor, coupled to said control circuit and to said digital circuitry for providing a clock signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14)
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3. A circuit for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit, comprising:
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an inductive converter, having an input coupled to a non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to a node; a resistive converter, having an input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to the node; a control circuit, having a first input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, having a second input coupled to the node for receiving a regulated first power supply voltage, having a first output for providing a first control signal to said inductive converter, and having a second output for providing a second control signal to said resistive converter; digital circuitry, coupled to the node for receiving the regulated first power supply voltage; and a third input, coupled to said digital circuitry, for receiving a stop signal.
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4. A circuit for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit, comprising:
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an inductive converter, having an input coupled to a non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to a node; a resistive converter, having an input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to the node; a control circuit, having a first input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, having a second input coupled to the node for receiving a regulated first power supply voltage, having a first output for providing a first control signal to said inductive converter, and having a second output for providing a second control signal to said resistive converter; digital circuitry, coupled to the node for receiving the regulated first power supply voltage; and a fourth input, coupled to said digital circuitry, for receiving a force signal.
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5. A circuit for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit, comprising:
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an inductive converter, having an input coupled to a non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to a node; a resistive converter, having an input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to the node; a control circuit, having a first input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, having a second input coupled to the node for receiving a regulated first power supply voltage, having a first output for providing a first control signal to said inductive converter, and having a second output for providing a second control signal to said resistive converter; digital circuitry, coupled to the node for receiving the regulated first power supply voltage; and a third output, coupled to said digital circuitry, for providing a ready signal to said digital circuitry.
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8. A circuit for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit, comprising:
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an inductive converter, having an input coupled to a non-regulated power supply and having an output coupled to a node, the inductive converter comprising; an inductive element having a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal coupled to the output of the inductive converter; a first transistor, having a first current electrode coupled to the input of the inductive converter, having a second current electrode coupled to a first terminal of the inductive element; a second transistor, having a first current electrode coupled to the first terminal of the inductive element, having a second current electrode coupled to a reference power supply; a diode having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the inductive element, and having a second terminal coupled to the reference power supply; a resistive converter, having an input coupled to the non-regulated power supply, and having an output coupled to the node; a control circuit, having a first input coupled to the non-regulated power supply, having a second input coupled to the node for receiving a first regulated power supply voltage, having a first output for providing a first control signal to said inductive converter, and having a second output for providing a second control signal to said resistive converter; and digital circuitry, coupled to the node for receiving the first regulated power supply voltage; wherein the first transistor has a gate electrode coupled to the control circuit; and wherein the second transistor has a gate electrode coupled to the control circuit. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A circuit for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit, comprising:
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an inductive converter, having an input coupled to a non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to a node; a resistive converter, having an input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having an output coupled to the node; a control circuit, having a first input coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, having a second input coupled to the node for receiving a regulated first power supply voltage, having a first output for providing a first control signal to said inductive converter, and having a second output for providing a second control signal to said resistive converter; and digital circuitry, coupled to the node for receiving the regulated first power supply voltage; and wherein the resistive converter comprises; a diode, having a first terminal coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, and having a second terminal coupled to the node; and a transistor, having a first current electrode coupled to the non-regulated first power supply voltage, having a second current electrode coupled to the node, and having a gate electrode coupled to the second output of said control circuit for receiving the second control signal. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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15. A circuit for performing adaptive power regulation for an integrated circuit, comprising:
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a voltage regulator, said voltage regulator receiving a non-regulated first power supply voltage and providing a regulated first power supply voltage; wherein said voltage regulator comprises; a first voltage converter; and a second voltage converter; wherein said circuit for performing adaptive power regulation further comprises; a control circuit, couple to said voltage regulator, said control circuit receiving both the non-regulated first power supply voltage and the regulated first power supply voltage, said control circuit providing at least one control signal to said voltage regulator to selectively activate said first and second voltage converters based upon the non-regulated first power supply voltage and the regulated first power supply voltage; digital circuitry, coupled to said voltage regulator, said digital circuitry receiving the regulated first power supply voltage; and a clock signal conductor coupled to said control circuit and to said digital circuitry for providing a clock signal.
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16. A integrated circuit comprising:
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a voltage regulator, said voltage regulator receiving a first non-regulated power supply voltage and providing a first regulated power supply voltage; wherein said voltage regulator comprises; a first voltage converter, the first voltage converter performs voltage conversion by using inductive elements; and a second voltage converter, wherein the second voltage converter is coupled to the first voltage converter and the second voltage converter performs resistive voltage conversion using non-inductive elements; wherein said integrated circuit further comprises; a control circuit, coupled to said voltage regulator, said control circuit receiving the first non-regulated power supply voltage, the first regulated power supply voltage, and a clock signal, said control circuit providing at least one control signal to said first voltage converter and at least one control signal to said second voltage converter; a first integrated circuitry portion, said first integrated circuitry portion receiving the first regulated power supply voltage, the first integrated circuitry portion having a first operating frequency; and a second integrated circuitry portion, said second integrated circuitry portion receiving the first non-regulated power supply voltage; wherein the first regulated power supply voltage is adjusted according the to the frequency; and wherein in response to a second operating frequency of the first integrated circuitry portion, said voltage regulator provides a second regulated power supply voltage adjusted according to the second operating frequency. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification