Techniques for power supply topologies with capacitance management to reduce power loss associated with charging and discharging when cycling between power states

• US 9,882,472 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Cowley, Nicholas P., Saraswat, Ruchir, Goldman, Richard J., Bernard, David T., Walsh, Gordon J., Langan, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Jue
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Jye-June
• Application Number:
  US14/496,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 323273, 323282
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/56 using semiconductor devices in series with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/009 having two or more independently controlled outputs for DC-DC converter with intermediate AC H02M3/33561
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1566 with means for compensating against rapid load changes, e.g. with auxiliary current source, with dual mode control or with inductance variation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

In at least one embodiment there is provided a method for managing bulk capacitance of a power supply system. The method includes precharging first and second bulk capacitors of the power supply system to approximately a first output voltage level and a second output voltage level, respectively; receiving a first command signal to generate, by the power supply, the first output voltage level; coupling the first bulk capacitance to load circuitry coupled to the power supply; receiving a second command signal to generate, by the power supply, the second output voltage level; and coupling the second bulk capacitance to the load circuitry coupled to the power supply.

Claims

1. A power supply system comprising:

power train circuitry configured to generate a first output voltage level associated with a full power state and a second output voltage level associated with a low power state, based on, at least in part, a first output level control signal and a second output level control signal, respectively, to deliver power to load circuitry coupled to the power train circuitry, wherein the first output voltage level is greater than the second output voltage level;

first bulk capacitor circuitry and a second bulk capacitor circuitry, wherein the first bulk capacitor circuitry comprises a plurality of capacitors, and wherein the first bulk capacitor circuitry is configured to be precharged to approximately the first output voltage level and the second bulk capacitor circuitry is configured to be precharged to approximately the second output voltage level;

capacitive management circuitry configured to couple the first bulk capacitor circuitry to the load circuitry based on the first output level control signal, the first output level control signal being proportional to the first output voltage level, or to couple the second bulk capacitor circuitry to load circuitry based on the second output level control signal, the second output level control signal being proportional to the second output voltage level; and

wherein the capacitive management circuitry is configured to electrically couple each of the plurality of capacitors in series with each other in response to the first output level control signal and to electrically couple each of the plurality of capacitors in parallel with each other in response to the second output level control signal.

2. The power supply system of claim 1, further comprising:

reference signal management circuitry configured to generate a first reference signal, in response to the first output level control signal, to control the power train circuitry to generate the first output voltage level; and

to generate a second reference signal, in response to the second output level control signal, to control the power train circuitry to generate the second output voltage level.

3. The power supply system of claim 2, wherein the power train circuitry comprises comparator circuitry configured to compare the first and second reference signals to the first and second output voltage levels, respectively.

4. The power supply system of claim 3, wherein the power train circuitry further comprises power switch circuitry coupled to an input voltage source and wherein a conduction state of the power switch circuitry is configured to be controlled by an output of the comparator circuitry to generate the first output voltage level or the second output voltage level.

5. The power supply system of claim 3, wherein the power train circuitry further comprises pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuitry, high side switch circuitry and low side switch circuitry;

wherein the PWM control circuitry is configured to generate a PWM signal to control a conduction state of the high side switch circuitry and a complimentary PWM signal to control a conduction state of the low side switch circuitry;

wherein a duty cycle of the PWM signal is controlled by an output of the comparator circuitry to generate the first output voltage level or the second output voltage level.

6. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the power train circuitry is further configured to cycle between the first output voltage level and the second output voltage level, based on, at least in part, the first output level control signal and the second output level control signal, respectively.

7. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive management circuitry is further configured to decouple the first bulk capacitor circuitry from the load circuitry when the second bulk capacitor circuitry is coupled to the load circuitry, and decouple the second bulk capacitor circuitry from the load circuitry when the first bulk capacitor circuitry is coupled to the load circuitry.

8. A method for managing bulk capacitance of a power supply system, comprising:

precharging first and second bulk capacitors of the power supply system to approximately a first output voltage level associated with a full power state and a second output voltage level associated with a low power state, respectively, wherein the first bulk capacitor comprises a plurality of capacitors, and wherein the first output voltage level is greater than the second output voltage level;

receiving a first command signal to generate, by the power supply system, the first output voltage level, the first command signal being proportional to the first output voltage level;

in response to receiving the first command signal, coupling the first bulk capacitor to load circuitry coupled to the power supply and electrically coupling the plurality of capacitors in series with each other;

receiving a second command signal to generate, by the power supply, the second output voltage level, the second command signal being proportional to the second output voltage level; and

in response to receiving the second command signal, coupling the second bulk capacitor to the load circuitry coupled to the power supply and electrically coupling the plurality of capacitors in parallel with each other.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a first reference signal, in response to the first command signal, to control the power supply system to generate the first output voltage level; and

generating a second reference signal, in response to the second command signal, to control the power supply system to generate the second output voltage level.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

comparing the first and second reference signals to the first and second output voltage levels, respectively.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling, by a result of the comparing, power switch circuitry to generate the first output voltage level or the second output voltage level.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling, by a result of the comparing, PWM control circuitry to generate a PWM signal to control a conduction state of high side switch circuitry and a complimentary PWM signal to control a conduction state of low side switch circuitry;

wherein a duty cycle of the PWM signal is controlled by the result of the comparing to generate the first output voltage level or the second output voltage level.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising cycling between the first output voltage level and the second output voltage level, based on, at least in part, the first command signal and the second command signal, respectively.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising decoupling the first bulk capacitor from the load circuitry when the second bulk capacitor is coupled to the load circuitry, and decoupling the second bulk capacitor from the load circuitry when the first bulk capacitor is coupled to the load circuitry.

15. A system, comprising:

a power supply and load circuitry, the power supply comprising;

power train circuitry configured to generate a first output voltage level associated with a full power state and a second output voltage level associated with a low power state, based on, at least in part, a first output level control signal and a second output level control signal, respectively, to deliver power to the load circuitry coupled to the power train circuitry, wherein the first output voltage level is greater than the second output voltage level;

first bulk capacitor circuitry and a second bulk capacitor circuitry, wherein the first bulk capacitor circuitry comprises a plurality of capacitors, and wherein the first bulk capacitor circuitry is configured to be precharged to approximately the first output voltage level and the second bulk capacitor circuitry is configured to be precharged to approximately the second output voltage level; and

capacitive management circuitry configured to;

in response to the first output level control signal, couple the first bulk capacitor circuitry to the load circuitry, and electrically couple the plurality of capacitors in series with each other, the first output level control signal being proportional to the first output voltage level; and

,

in response to the second output level control signal, couple the second bulk capacitor circuitry to the load circuitry, and electrically couple the plurality of capacitors in parallel with each other, the second output level control signal being proportional to the second output voltage level; and

wherein the load circuitry comprising processor circuitry and memory circuitry.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the power train circuitry is further configured to cycle between the first output voltage level and the second output voltage level, based on, at least in part, the first output level control signal and the second output level control signal, respectively.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the capacitive management circuitry is further configured to decouple the first bulk capacitor circuitry from the load circuitry when the second bulk capacitor circuitry is coupled to the load circuitry, and decouple the second bulk capacitor circuitry from the load circuitry when the first bulk capacitor circuitry is coupled to the load circuitry.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the load circuitry is an Internet of Things (IoT) device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the load circuitry is a wearable device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the load circuitry further comprises baseband management controller circuitry configured to generate the first output level control signal and the second output level control signal.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the power train circuitry is a linear regulator power supply.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the power train circuitry is a switched DC/DC converter power supply.