Power delivery systems and methods with dynamic look-up table

• US 7,869,228 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Qahouq, Jaber Abu, Huang, Lilly
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNN, DARRIN D
• Application Number:
  US11/771,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 700/22, 363/21.01, 323/282, 323/283
• US Class Current: 363/21.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

According to some embodiments, information about a power delivery stage is determined for a plurality of operating condition values. The determined information may then be stored in a dynamic look-up table of an adaptive tracking controller engine according to some embodiments. Other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining information about a first power delivery stage for a plurality of operating condition values as the first power delivery stage supplies power to a first load, the first power delivery stage being associated with a voltage regulator integrated with a processor die, the determined information including a plurality of values usable as initial conditions for an adaptive loop associated with an adaptive tracking controller;

storing the determined information including the plurality of values in a dynamic look-up table of the adaptive tracking controller engine;

updating the plurality of values that are stored in the dynamic look up table as the first power delivery stage supplies power to the first load;

sensing an input to the first power delivery stage and an output from the first power delivery stage using a first controller that exchanges information with the adaptive tracking controller engine;

determining information about a second power delivery stage associated with a second controller as the second power delivery stage supplies power to a second load; and

using the adaptive tracking controller alternately between the first power delivery stage and the second power delivery stage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing information from the dynamic look-up table to dynamically program the first power delivery stage.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined information is associated with a control parameter over a plurality of operating condition values, and the dynamic look-up table stores information about the first power delivery stage for the plurality of operating condition values.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said programming is associated with an adaptive control scheme using at least one control parameter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the control parameter is associated with at least one of:

(i) a switching frequency, (ii) a current sharing ratio, (iii) a dead-time period, (iv) a drive voltage, or (v) a number of switches.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said programming is associated with a plurality of control parameters and the dynamic look-up table has a multi-dimensional architecture.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a tracking loop associated with the adaptive tracking controller engine is periodically adjusted to (i) reduce power loss or (ii) improve dynamic performance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each operating condition value is associated with at least one of:

(i) a load consumption value, (ii) an input voltage value, (iii) a temperature value, (iv) a battery charge status, or (v) a duty cycle value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing is performed in connection with a number of different types of operating conditions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second power converter is associated with a dynamic look-up table.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the power delivery stage is associated with a voltage regulator for an electronics device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined information stored in the dynamic look-up table includes a variable stored in the dynamic look-up table, the method further comprising:

periodically updating the variable stored in the dynamic look-up table as the power delivery stage supplies power to the load.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the variable stored in the dynamic look-up table has a value and wherein periodically updating comprises:

determining a new value for the variable; and

storing the new value for the variable.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the variable stored in the dynamic look-up table has a value and wherein periodically updating comprises:

using the value as an initial condition for an adaptive loop that determines a new value for the variable; and

storing the new value for the variable.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined information stored in the dynamic look-up table includes a first variable stored in the dynamic look-up table and a second variable stored in the dynamic look-up table, the method further comprising:

updating the first variable stored in the dynamic look-up table;

waiting after updating the first variable; and

after the waiting, updating the second variable stored in the dynamic look-up table.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

an adaptive tracking controller engine associated with a first power delivery system, the first power delivery system being associated with a voltage regulator integrated with a processor die;

an input to the adaptive tracking controller engine to receive information associated with a control parameter over a plurality of operating condition values as the first power delivery system supplies power to a first load; and

a dynamic look-up table to store information about the first power delivery system for the plurality of operating condition values, the stored information including a plurality of values usable as initial conditions for an adaptive loop associated with the adaptive tracking controller;

wherein the adaptive tracking controller engine is further to (i) update the plurality of values stored in the dynamic look-up table as the first power delivery system supplies power to the first load and (ii) exchange information with a first controller that senses an input to the first power delivery system and an output from the first power delivery system; and

wherein the adaptive tracking controller is used alternately between the first power delivery system and a second power delivery system that supplies power to a second load and is associated with a second controller.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the adaptive tracking controller engine is alternately associated with each one of three power delivery systems, wherein the three power delivery systems includes the first power delivery system and the second power delivery system.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the dynamic look-up table is adaptive and has a multi-dimensional architecture.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the stored information about the power delivery system includes a value of a variable, wherein the adaptive tracking controller is an adaptive tracking controller to determine a new value of the variable and wherein the dynamic look-up table comprises a dynamic look-up table to store the new value of the variable.