Family of current/power-efficient high voltage linear regulator circuit architectures

• US 8,531,172 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wadhwa, Sameer
• Primary Examiner(s): Laxton, Gary L
• Application Number:
  US13/663,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20130049611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 323/266, 323/273, 323/304, 323/311, 323/312, 323/313, 323/314, 323/315, 323/316
• US Class Current: 323/314
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/565 sensing a condition of the system or its load in addition to means responsive to deviations in the output of the system, e.g. current, voltage, power factor G05F1/563 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

Power efficient power supply regulator circuits are disclosed. The circuits are configured to modify their overhead current according to current load. This is particularly advantageous for use in display devices with widely varying current loads. Such displays include bi-stable displays, such as interferometric modulation displays, LCD displays, and DMD displays.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator circuit, comprising:

a plurality of circuit stages, each stage generating a voltage output, wherein the output voltage of at least one of the circuit stages is generated based on a received bias current; and

a bias current generator configured to generate the bias current received by the one circuit stage, the bias current generator comprising;

a fixed current source; and

a variable current source, configured to, independent of any of the other circuit stages, source an amount of current dependent on the voltage output of the one circuit stage.

2. The circuit of claim 1, configured to supply an output current at a regulated output voltage, wherein the current of the variable current source is configured to vary based at least in part on the output voltage.

3. The circuit of claim 1, configured to supply an output current at a regulated output voltage, wherein the bias current generator is configured to generate current for the one circuit stage based substantially only on current from the fixed current source when the difference between a voltage based on the output voltage and a reference voltage is below a threshold.

4. The circuit of claim 1, configured to supply an output current at a regulated output voltage, wherein the bias current generator is configured to generate current for the one circuit stage based on current from the variable current source when the difference between a voltage based on the output voltage and a reference voltage is above a threshold.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein an input circuit stage is selectively connectable to the fixed input current source and to the variable input current source.

6. The circuit of claim 5, configured to supply an output current at a regulated output voltage, wherein the current of the variable input current source is configured to vary based at least in part on the output voltage.

7. The circuit of claim 5, wherein when the input stage circuit is connected to the fixed input current source, the variable input current source is configured to be turned off.

8. The circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the circuit stages comprises a differential pair circuit configured to receive a tail current and a differential input voltage, wherein the tail current is dependent at least in part on the differential input voltage.

9. A method of generating an output current at a regulated output voltage, the method comprising:

generating a voltage output at each of a plurality of circuit stages, wherein the output voltage of at least one of the circuit stages is generated based on a received bias current; and

generating the bias current received by the one circuit stage, wherein generating the bias current comprises;

generating a fixed current; and

independent of any of the other circuit stages, generating a variable current dependent on the voltage output of the one circuit stage.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bias current is generated for the one circuit stage based substantially only on the fixed current when the difference between a voltage based on the output voltage and a reference voltage is below a threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the bias current is generated for the one circuit stage based on current from the variable current source when the difference between a voltage based on the output voltage and a reference voltage is above a threshold.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising selectively providing the fixed current and the variable current to an input circuit stage.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising turning off the variable current when the fixed current is supplied to the input circuit stage.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a tail current and a differential input voltage at a differential pair circuit, wherein the tail current is dependent at least in part on the differential input voltage.

15. A display comprising:

a plurality of bi-stable display elements; and

a voltage regulator circuit configured to supply current for driving the display elements, the voltage regulator circuit comprising;

a plurality of circuit stages, each stage generating a voltage output, wherein the output voltage of at least one of the circuit stages is generated based on a received bias current; and

a bias current generator configured to generate the bias current received by the on circuit stage, the bias current generator comprising;

a fixed current source; and

a variable current source, configured to, independent of any of the other circuit stages, source an amount of current dependent on the voltage output of the one circuit stage.

16. The display of claim 15, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is configured to supply an output current at a regulated output voltage, wherein the current of the variable current source is configured to vary based at least in part on the output voltage.

17. The display of claim 15, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is configured to supply an output current at a regulated output voltage, wherein the bias current generator is configured to generate current for the one circuit stage based substantially only on current from the fixed current source when the difference between a voltage based on the output voltage and a reference voltage is below a threshold.

18. The display of claim 15, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is configured to supply an output current at a regulated output voltage, wherein the bias current generator is configured to generate current for the one circuit stage based on current from the variable current source when the difference between a voltage based on the output voltage and a reference voltage is above a threshold.

19. The display of claim 15, wherein the voltage regulator circuit comprises an input stage circuit, which is selectively connectable to the fixed input current source and to the variable input current source.

20. The display of claim 19, wherein the voltage regulator circuit is configured to supply an output current at a regulated output voltage, wherein the current of the variable input current source is configured to vary based at least in part on the output voltage.

21. The display of claim 19, wherein when the input stage circuit is connected to the fixed input current source, the variable input current source is configured to be turned off.

22. The display of claim 15, wherein one of the circuit stages of the voltage regulator circuit comprises a differential pair circuit configured to receive a tail current and a differential input voltage, wherein the tail current is dependent at least in part on the differential input voltage.