Method for efficient supply of power to a microcontroller

• US 8,484,487 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Kutz, Harold, Snyder, Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury, Zahid
• Application Number:
  US12/136,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 314/115, 315/291
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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

A method and a system for supplying power to a microcontroller with a single cell. One embodiment of the present invention discloses incorporation of a power supply pump circuit with the microcontroller and their dynamic interaction. The microcontroller sends its power requirements to the power supply pump circuit and in response, the power supply pump circuit controls the operating voltage with optimal efficiency. The dynamic update of power supply pump circuit results in an efficient use of the power supply pump circuit and thus results in a reduction of the number of dry cell batteries to only a single cell. Incorporation of the microcontroller and power supply pump circuit onto a single chip reduces the pin number requirements as well as the space required on the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A power supply pump circuit to supply power to an integrated circuit, the power supply pump circuit comprising:

a battery circuit;

a passive precharge circuit coupled to the battery circuit and configured to cause the battery circuit to generate an initial operating voltage for the integrated circuit;

a voltage sensor circuit configured to initiate a boosting of said power from the initial operating voltage to a minimum operating voltage of the integrated circuit;

a drive enable circuit configured to receive commands from the voltage sensor circuit; and

a gate drive boost circuit configured to receive commands from the drive enable circuit to control the supply of power in accordance with the commands from the voltage sensor circuit.

2. The power supply pump circuit of claim 1, further comprising an oscillator circuit for generating a clock signal and coupled to send said clock signal to said drive enable circuit, said gate drive boost circuit and said voltage sensor circuit.

3. The power supply pump circuit of claim 1, wherein said voltage sensor circuit comprises a power on reset circuit storing a state that said integrated circuit is in at all times, wherein said power on reset circuit notifies said voltage sensor circuit to ramp said initial operating voltage to minimum operating voltage of said integrated circuit when said state being an initializing state.

4. The power supply pump circuit of claim 1, wherein said drive enable circuit is coupled to said voltage sensor circuit for receiving power requirements from said integrated circuit and from said voltage sensor circuit and maintaining said power requirements of said integrated circuit.

5. The power supply pump circuit of claim 1, wherein said battery circuit takes power from only one battery cell.

6. The power supply pump circuit of claim 2, wherein said initial operating voltage is 1 Volt.

7. A power supply pump circuit for supplying power to a microcontroller comprising:

a battery circuit coupled to a voltage sensor;

a passive precharge circuit initially coupled to said battery circuit, said battery circuit supplying power to said passive precharge circuit causing an initial operating voltage; and

a Power On Reset circuit (POR), said POR circuit being a state dependent circuit comprising a state of operation of said microcontroller, said POR circuit for notifying said voltage sensor of said state of operation of said microcontroller, said voltage sensor coupled to a drive enable circuit and a gate drive boost circuit.

8. A power supply pump circuit of claim 7 wherein said microcontroller dynamically interacts with said power supply circuit when said initial operating voltage of said power supply pump circuit reaches a minimum operating voltage of said microcontroller.

9. A power supply pump circuit of claim 7 wherein said POR circuit communicates said state of operation of said microcontroller with said voltage sensor, said state being an initializing state or a wake up state, wherein said voltage sensor commands said drive enable to increase an initial operating voltage to a minimum operating voltage of said microcontroller.

10. A power supply pump circuit of claim 7 wherein said passive precharge circuit causes a reactive component to charge up to a level sufficient for said power supply pump circuit initial operation.

11. A power supply pump circuit of claim 7 wherein said microcontroller configures said voltage sensor circuit with desired parameters of said microcontroller when said minimum operating voltage is achieved.

12. A power supply pump circuit of claim 9 wherein said voltage sensor commands drive enable circuit a voltage level at least equal to a minimum operating voltage of said microcontroller if said state of said microcontroller received from said POR circuit is said initializing state.

13. A power supply pump circuit of claim 7 wherein said passive precharge circuit de-couples from said battery circuit when said initial operating voltage is achieved.

14. A power supply pump circuit of claim 7, wherein said microcontroller is in a sleep mode when said microcontroller is outside of an operating mode, power requirements of said microcontroller in said sleep modes less than one nano amp.

15. A power voltage supply pump circuit for supplying power to a microcontroller comprising:

a passive precharge circuit;

a voltage sensor circuit;

a drive enable circuit;

a gate drive boost circuit and a transistor;

a battery circuit coupled to said passive precharge circuit; and

said power supply pump circuit and said microcontroller electrically coupled to off-chip circuitry through a single pin.

16. A power supply pump circuit of claim 15 wherein said battery circuit is an off chip circuit.

17. A power supply pump circuit of claim 15 wherein said passive precharge circuit and said drive enable circuit allow said microcontroller to enter a low power sleep mode requiring one nano amp or less.

18. A power supply pump circuit of claim 15 wherein said passive precharge circuit is selectively decoupled from said power supply pump circuit.

19. A power supply pump circuit of claim 15 wherein said circuit interfaces with a plurality of input and output pins.