Power supply with separate line regulation and load regulation

• US 7,843,184 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Xin, Dou, Sen
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/967,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 323/268, 323/271, 323/282, 323/285, 323/299, 323349-351, 363/17, 363/65, 363/71, 363/97, 363/98, 363/131, 363/132
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0019 the disturbance parameters being load current fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/285 Single converters with a plurality of output stages connected in parallel parallel operation of a plurality of converters in dc distribution networks H02J1/10

Abstract

A system to supply power to an electronic system, comprises a set of one or more power units each configured to transform an input voltage into an output voltage; and a line regulator coupled to a power unit and configured to modulate a duty cycle of the power unit and a load regulator configured to provide a second control signal to a power unit to selectively enable the power unit based on load information provided by the electronic system.

Claims

1. A system to supply power to an electronic system, comprising:

a set of a plurality of power units each configured to transform an input voltage into an output voltage, the plurality of power units being connected in parallel;

a load regulator configured to control each power unit to turn on an increased number of the power units in response to an increased load of the electronic system and turn on a reduced number of the power units in response to a reduced load of the electronic system; and

a line regulator coupled to at least one power unit and configured to modulate a duty cycle of the power unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the load regulator further configured to selectively enable a number of the power units based on thermal distribution information in the system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a power unit comprises:

a switching circuit to transform the input voltage into an alternating current input; and

a converter to convert the alternating current input into the output voltage.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the line regulator comprises:

a pulse width modulator configured to provide a first control signal with a modulated duty cycle to the power unit to compensate a variation in the input voltage.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the line regulator comprises:

an operational amplifier configured to provide an amplified difference signal based on the input voltage and a reference voltage to the pulse width modulator.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the load regulator comprises:

a decoder coupled to a power unit and configured to selectively turn on the power unit based on load information from the electronic system.

7. A method to supply power to an electronic system, comprising:

providing a plurality of power units each configured to transform an input voltage to an output voltage to be provided to the electronic system, the plurality of power units being connected in parallel; and

selectively switching on an increased number of the power units in response to an increased load of the electronic system and switching on a reduced number of the power units in response to a reduced load of the electronic system.

8. The method of claim 7, each power unit comprising:

a switching circuit configured to provide an AC input from the input voltage;

a converter configured to convert the AC input to an AC output; and

a circuit configure to convert the AC output to the output voltage.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising:

selectively turning off a number of power units based on thermal distribution information in the plurality of power units.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising:

providing a control signal with a duty cycle modulated to compensate a variation in the input voltage.

11. The method of claim 7, comprising:

providing a pulse width modulated signal based on a difference between the input voltage and a reference voltage to compensate a variation in the input voltage.

12. The method of claim 7, comprising:

reducing a duty cycle of a power unit in response to an increased input voltage.