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System and method for dynamically regulating voltage to minimize power consumption

  • US 8,620,237 B2
  • Filed: 09/30/2009
  • Issued: 12/31/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system, comprising:

  • a voltage regulator connected to a voltage source for providing a regulated voltage at a first level in a first mode of operation and at least one second level in a second mode of operation, wherein the second voltage level is higher than the first voltage level;

    a capacitor coupled to a switch, wherein the capacitor is controllable to be coupled in parallel with the voltage source via the switch to be charged by the voltage source, the capacitor to be charged to a voltage equal to a voltage of the voltage source, wherein the charging is to occur without the voltage of the voltage source falling below a threshold;

    a control processor for providing control signals to select between the first and the second modes of operation;

    a component associated with the voltage regulator to receive the regulated voltage, wherein the component is disabled in the first mode of operation and enabled in the second mode of operation in which the capacitor is coupled in series with the voltage source to provide a burst current to the component; and

    wherein the control processor generates control signals to configure the voltage regulator to generate the voltage at the first level in the first mode of operation when the component is disabled and to configure the voltage regulator to generate the voltage at the at least one second level in the second mode of operation when the component is enabled, and to control the switch to enable the charging without the voltage of the voltage source falling below the threshold.

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