Regulator with device performance dynamic mode selection

• US 7,759,916 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Kleveland, Bendik
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley; Shawn
• Application Number:
  US12/118,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20090278517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 323/268, 323/269, 323/272, 323/283, 323/285, 713/300, 713/310, 713/320
• US Class Current: 323/268
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/563 including two stages of regulation at least one of which is output level responsive, e.g. coarse and fine regulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode
• 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

A voltage regulator device and accompanying methods are provided for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device. Efficient regulator 400 receives an input voltage on V_IN from a battery or some other power supply at node V_IN and supplies a stable regulated voltage to load device 404 at node V_OUT. Load device 404 pulls different amounts of current and requires different degrees of tolerance on the voltage at V_OUT depending upon its operating conditions. Data collection and control circuit 401 is capable of enabling and disabling regulator 402 and regulator 403. Data collection and control circuit 401 is also capable of measuring certain performance parameters associated with load device 404 and the operating conditions of load device 404. Data collection and control circuit 401 enables regulator 402 if said operating conditions are such that when data collection and control circuit 401 enables regulator 403 the performance parameters associated with load 404 are below a predefined standard.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device, comprising:

a first voltage regulator coupled to said electronic device and a power supply;

a second voltage regulator coupled to said electronic device and said power supply; and

a data collection and control circuit capable of measuring operating conditions and performance parameters of said electronic device;

wherein said data collection and control circuit enables said first voltage regulator if said operating conditions are such that when said data collection and control circuit enables said second voltage regulator said performance parameters fall below a predefined standard.

2. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 1;

wherein said first voltage regulator functions as a linear voltage regulator and regulates the output voltage at said output terminal when said data collection and control circuit enables said second regulator; and

wherein said second voltage regulator functions as a switching voltage regulator and regulates said output voltage at said output terminal when receiving said enable signal on said second control input.

3. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 2 wherein, said data collection and control circuit is capable of storing said operating conditions corresponding to those when said performance parameters fall below said predefined standard in an operating conditions storage matrix.

4. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 3 wherein, said data collection and control circuit enables only one of said first regulator and said second regulator at a time.

5. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 4 wherein, said operating conditions include temperature and the supply voltage of said power supply.

6. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 2 wherein, said first voltage regulator and said second voltage regulator utilize the same pass element.

7. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 2 wherein, said operating conditions include temperature, the supply voltage of said power supply, and gain.

8. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 2 wherein, said operating conditions include device control inputs.

9. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 8 wherein, said device control inputs are a transmission mode signal and a receiver mode signal.

10. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 2 wherein, said performance parameters include transmission error rate.

11. The voltage regulator with dynamic mode selection for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 2 wherein, said first regulator has a set of first multiple regulator outputs coupled to said first regulator output and said second regulator has a set of second multiple regulator outputs coupled to said second regulator output.

12. A method for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

regulating a supply voltage applied to said electronic device using a voltage regulator in a switching regulator mode;

measuring performance parameters of said electronic device with a data collection and control circuit while said electronic device is in an operating state;

switching said voltage regulator to a linear regulator mode for regulating said supply voltage applied to said electronic device if said performance parameters fail a predefined standard; and

maintaining said voltage regulator in said switching regulator mode if said performance parameters exceed said predefined standard.

13. The method of providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 12, comprising the additional step of:

reverting to said switching regulator mode at predetermined periodic intervals if said voltage regulator is operating in said linear regulator mode.

14. A method for providing power optimized voltage regulation to an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

regulating a supply voltage applied to said electronic device with a voltage regulator in one of a linear regulator mode and a switching regulator mode;

measuring the operating conditions of said electronic device;

setting said voltage regulator in a stored mode corresponding to said operating conditions if said operating conditions and said stored mode are stored in an operating condition storage matrix;

calibrating said voltage regulator if said operating conditions are not stored in said operating condition storage matrix by measuring performance parameters of said electronic device while said voltage regulator is in said switching regulator mode; and

storing, if said operating conditions are not stored in said operating condition storage matrix, a switching regulator mode selection code as said stored mode corresponding to said operating conditions if said performance parameters pass a predefined standard and a linear regulator mode selection code as said stored mode corresponding to said operating conditions if said performance parameters fail said predefined standard.

15. The method for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 14 wherein, said measuring takes place at predetermined periodic intervals.

16. The method for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 14 further comprising the step of:

setting said electronic device into an operating condition of interest using testing equipment before said measuring.

17. The method for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

rechecking, at periodic intervals, said performance parameters of said electronic device while said voltage regulator is in said switching regulator mode; and

replacing, if said operating conditions are stored in said operating conditions storage matrix, said switching regulator mode selection code with said linear regulator mode selection code as said stored mode corresponding to said operating conditions if said performance parameters fail said predefined standard.

18. The method for providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 14 wherein, a vector of said operating condition storage matrix corresponding to the transmit or receive state of said electronic device is one of hard coded into the logic of said voltage regulator and programmed into a non-volatile memory of said voltage regulator.

19. The method of providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 14 wherein, said stored mode can be a linear regulator mode that provides a single linear regulator output to said electronic devices and a switching regulator mode that provides a single switching regulator output to said electronic device.

20. The method of providing efficient voltage regulation to an electronic device in claim 14 wherein, said voltage regulator applies multiple switching regulator outputs to said electronic device during said switching regulator mode and provides at least one linear regulator output to said electronic device during said linear regulator mode.