Method and apparatus for high frequency alternating current power distribution

• US 6,466,464 B1
• Filed: 05/14/1999
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Drobnik, Josef C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Rajnikant B.
• Application Number:
  US09/312,256
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 363/34, 363/97, 363/60, 363/16, 363/17, 363/131, 363/132, 363/21, 361/90, 361/91, 361/86, 361/664, 395/750, 340/310.R
• US Class Current: 363/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C

Abstract

A method for distributing power in a electronic system includes transmitting power in a high frequency alternating current (AC) domain from a system power supply of the computer system to a high frequency AC voltage regulator module.

Claims

1. A method for distributing power in an electronic system, comprising:

regulating power from a low frequency alternating current (AC) domain of a system power supply to a high frequency AC domain; and

transmitting power in the high frequency domain from the system power supply of the electronic system to a high frequency AC voltage regulator module via an AC bus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating the power from the AC domain to the high frequency AC domain comprises:

rectifying the power from the AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain; and

converting the power from the DC domain to the high frequency AC domain.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising smoothing an output of the power in the high frequency AC domain.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising regulating the power in the high frequency AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein regulating the power in the high frequency AC domain to the DC domain comprises:

stepping down the power; and

rectifying the power from the high frequency AC domain to the DC domain.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising filtering an output of the power in the DC domain.

7. A system power supply of an electronic system, comprising:

an inverter that regulates power from a low frequency alternating current (AC) domain of the system power supply to a high frequency AC domain to transmit said power in the high frequency AC domain on an AC bus to a high frequency AC voltage regulator module (VRM).

8. The system power supply of claim 7, wherein the inverter comprises a rectifier unit that converts the power from an AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain.

9. The system power supply of claim 8, wherein the inverter further comprises a switching unit that converts the power from a DC domain to a high frequency AC domain.

10. The system power supply of claim 9, wherein the inverter further comprises a resonant circuit that filters out high harmonics in an output of the power in the high frequency AC domain.

11. A high frequency alternating current (AC) voltage regulator module (VRM), comprising:

a post-regulator unit that regulates power in a high frequency AC domain from an AC bus to a component on an electronic system.

12. The high frequency AC VRM of claim 11, wherein the post-regulator unit comprises a rectifier unit that converts the power from the high frequency AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain.

13. The high frequency AC VRM of claim 12, wherein the post-regulator unit further comprises a filtering unit that filters out ripple from an output of the power from the DC domain.

14. An electronic system, comprising:

a bus;

a system power supply, coupled to the bus, that regulates power from a low frequency alternating current (AC) domain of a system power supply to a high frequency AC domain to transmit said power in the high frequency AC domain on the bus;

a high frequency AC voltage regulator module (VRM), coupled to the bus, that regulates the power from the high frequency AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain;

a processor, coupled to the high frequency AC VRM, that receives the power from the AC VRM.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

an inverter that regulates power from a low frequency alternating current (AC) domain of a system power supply to a high frequency AC domain to transmit said power in the high frequency AC domain on an AC bus to a high frequency AC voltage regulator module (VRM).

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the inverter comprises a rectifier unit that converts the power from an AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the inverter further comprises a switching unit that converts the power from a DC domain to a high frequency AC domain.

18. A method comprising:

regulating power from a low frequency alternating current (AC) domain of a system power supply to a high frequency AC domain in a computer system; and

transmitting power in the high frequency domain from the system power supply of the computer system to a high frequency AC voltage regulator module.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein regulating the power from the AC domain to the high frequency AC domain comprises:

rectifying the power from the AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain; and

converting the power from the DC domain to the high frequency AC domain.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising smoothing an output of the power in the high frequency AC domain.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising regulating the power in the high frequency AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein regulating the power in the high frequency AC domain to the DC domain comprises:

stepping down the power; and

rectifying the power from the high frequency AC domain to the DC domain.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising filtering an output of the power in the DC domain.

24. A system power supply of a computer system, comprising:

an inverter that regulates power from a low frequency alternating current (AC) domain of the system power supply to a high frequency AC domain to transmit said power in the high frequency domain on an AC bus to a high frequency AC voltage regulator module (VRM).

25. The computer system power supply of claim 24, wherein the inverter comprises a rectifier unit that converts the power from an AC domain to a direct current (DC) domain.

26. The computer system power supply of claim 25, wherein the inverter further comprises a switching unit that converts the power from a DC domain to a high frequency AC domain.

27. The computer system power supply of claim 26, wherein the inverter further comprises a resonant circuit that filters out high harmonics in an output of the power in the high frequency AC domain.