Programmable load transient compensator for reducing the transient response time to a load capable of operating at multiple power consumption levels
First Claim
1. An electronic system comprising:
- a component capable of operating at either of two power consumption levels, the component having a power supply input terminal, and a control input terminal;
a control circuit having an access signal input terminal, a first control output terminal coupled to the control input terminal of the component, and a second control output terminal;
the control circuit capable of detecting that the power consumption rate of the component is going to change prior to the power consumption rate changing; and
a load transient compensator having a power supply input terminal, a control input terminal coupled to the second control output terminal of the control circuit, and an output terminal coupled to the power supply input terminal of the component, wherein the load transient compensator selectively supplies additional current to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to increase and drain drains current supplied to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to decrease in order to reduce the transient response time of a voltage that is supplying the component.
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Abstract
A load transient compensator and method of operating the load transient compensator for reducing the transient response time to a load capable of operating at either of several consumption levels when the load changes its power consumption level . The load transient compensator has a comparator having an output connected to an input of an upper driver and of a lower driver with the output of each of the driver being connected to a gate of a power transistor. When the load is in sleep mode and is about to start being accessed, the upper driver is turned on to turn on its associated transistor to supply additional current to the load, regulated by the comparison circuit. When the load is in the power up mode and it is about to stop being accessed, the lower driver is turned on to turn on its associated transistor to drain current supplied to the load by a supply, regulated by the comparison circuit. This allows a quicker response to the large changes in current required by the load when the load is changing its level of power consumption without greatly increasing the cost of the system containing the load and without compromising the stability of the system.
29 Citations
53 Claims
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1. An electronic system comprising:
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a component capable of operating at either of two power consumption levels, the component having a power supply input terminal, and a control input terminal;
a control circuit having an access signal input terminal, a first control output terminal coupled to the control input terminal of the component, and a second control output terminal;
the control circuit capable of detecting that the power consumption rate of the component is going to change prior to the power consumption rate changing; and
a load transient compensator having a power supply input terminal, a control input terminal coupled to the second control output terminal of the control circuit, and an output terminal coupled to the power supply input terminal of the component, wherein the load transient compensator selectively supplies additional current to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to increase and drain drains current supplied to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to decrease in order to reduce the transient response time of a voltage that is supplying the component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An electronic system coupled to a load capable of operating at either of two power consumption levels, having a power supply input terminal, and a control input terminal, the electronic system comprising:
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a control circuit capable of detecting that;
the load is to start being accessed prior to the load being accessed, based on an access signal, when the load is in a lower power consumption stage;
the load is to stop being accessed prior to the load stopping to be accessed based on the access signal, when the load is in a higher power consumption stage; and
a load transient component coupled to an output terminal of the control circuit and to the power supply input terminal of the component for reducing the transient response time of a voltage that is supplying the load. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A load transient compensator coupled to a load capable of operating at either of two power consumption levels, the load transient compensator comprising:
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a power supply input terminal;
an output terminal coupled to the load;
an upper driver having;
a control input terminal for coupling to a control circuit capable of detecting when the load is to start being accessed prior to the load being accessed when the load is in a lower power consumption stage;
a power supply input terminal coupled to the power supply input terminal of the load transient compensator; and
an output terminal;
a lower driver having;
a control input terminal for coupling to a control circuit capable of detecting when the load is to stop being accessed prior to the load stopping to be accessed when the load is in a higher power consumption stage;
a power supply input terminal coupled to the power supply input terminal of the load transient compensator; and
an output terminal;
a first power transistor having a control terminal coupled to the output terminal of the upper driver, a first terminal coupled to a supply, and a second terminal coupled to the output terminal of the load transient compensator; and
a second power transistor having a control terminal coupled to the output terminal of the lower driver, a first terminal coupled to ground, and a second terminal coupled to the output terminal of the load transient compensator, wherein the load transient compensator selectively supplies additional current to the load when the load is in the higher power consumption stage and drains current supplied to the load when the load is in the lower power consumption stage in order to reduce the transient response time of a voltage that is supplying the load. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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16. A load transient compensator coupled to a load capable of operating at either of two power consumption levels, the load transient compensator comprising:
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a power supply input terminal;
an output terminal coupled to the load;
an upper driver having;
a control input terminal for coupling to a control circuit capable of detecting when the load is to start being accessed prior to the load being accessed when the load is in a lower power consumption stage;
a power supply input terminal coupled to the power supply input terminal of the load transient compensator; and
an output terminal;
wherein the upper driver is a first amplifier, wherein the power supply input terminal is the non-inverting input of the amplifier;
a lower driver having;
a control input terminal for coupling to a control circuit capable of detecting when the load is to stop being accessed prior to the load stopping to be accessed when the load is in a higher power consumption stage;
a power supply input terminal coupled to the power supply input terminal of the load transient compensator; and
an output terminal;
wherein the lower driver is a second amplifier, wherein the power supply input terminal is the inverting input of the amplifier;
a first power transistor having a control terminal coupled to the output terminal of the upper driver, a first terminal coupled to a supply, and a second terminal coupled to the output terminal of the load transient compensator; and
a second power transistor having a control terminal coupled to the output terminal of the lower driver, a first terminal coupled to ground, and a second terminal coupled to the output terminal of the load transient compensator, wherein the load transient compensator selectively supplies additional current to the load when the load is in the higher power consumption stage and drains current supplied to the load when the load is in the lower power consumption stage in order to reduce the transient response time of a voltage that is supplying the load.
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18. A computer system comprising:
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a component capable of operating at either of two power consumption levels, having a power supply input terminal, and a control input terminal;
a control circuit for detecting changes in operating conditions of the computer, and having a first control output terminal coupled to the control input terminal of the component, and a second control output terminal; and
a load transient compensator having a power supply input terminal, a control input terminal coupled to the second control output terminal of the control circuit, and an output terminal coupled to the power supply input terminal of the component, wherein the load transient compensator selectively supplies additional current to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to increase and drain current supplied to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to decrease in order to reduce the transient response time of a voltage that is supplying the component. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A computer system comprising:
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a component capable of operating at either of two power consumption levels, having a power supply input terminal, and a control input terminal;
a control circuit for detecting changes in operating conditions of the computer, and having a first control output terminal coupled to the control input terminal of the component, and a second control output terminal; and
a load transient compensator having a power supply input terminal, a control input terminal coupled to the second control output terminal of the control circuit, and an output terminal coupled to the power supply input terminal of the component, wherein the load transient compensator selectively supplies additional current to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to increase and drain current supplied to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to decrease in order to reduce the transient response time of a voltage that is supplying the component, wherein one of said levels of power consumption is a power-down level.
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25. A computer system comprising:
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a component capable of operating at either of two three power consumption levels, having a power supply input terminal, and a control input terminal;
a control circuit for detecting changes in operating conditions of the computer, and having a first control output terminal coupled to the control input terminal of the component, and a second control output terminal; and
a load transient compensator having a power supply input terminal, a control input terminal coupled to the second control output terminal of the control circuit, and an output terminal coupled to the power supply input terminal of the component, wherein the load transient compensator selectively supplies additional current to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to increase and drain current supplied to the component if the power consumption rate of the component is going to decrease in order to reduce the transient response time of a voltage that is supplying the component, wherein the component is capable of operating at three power consumption levels .
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26. A method for regulating the voltage of an electronic system having a load transient compensator and a load capable of operating at either of two levels of power consumption, the load coupled to a power supply, comprising the steps of:
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obtaining the power consumption level of the load;
detecting if the power consumption rate of the load is going to change;
turning on the load transient compensator to supply additional current to the load if the power consumption rate of the load is going to increase; and
turning on the load transient compensator to drain current supplied to the load by the power supply if the power consumption rate of the load is going to decrease. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for regulating the voltage of an electronic system having a load transient compensator and a load capable of operating at either of two levels of power consumption, the load coupled to a power supply, comprising the steps of:
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detecting if the power consumption rate of the load is going to change;
turning on the load transient compensator to supply additional current to the load if the power consumption rate of the load is going to increase; and
turning on the load transient compensator to drain current supplied to the load by the power supply if the power consumption rate of the load is going to decrease.
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31. A method, comprising:
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signalling a load to change its level of power consumption; and
in response to the signalling, reducing a response time of a supply that is powering the load. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method, comprising:
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generating a signal that causes a load to change its level of power consumption and that causes a supply that is powering the load to reduce its response time; and
coupling the signal to the load and to the supply. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A method, comprising:
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reducing a response time of a supply that is powering a load; and
changing the load'"'"'s level of power consumption at the same time as, at approximately the same time as, or after reducing the response time of the supply.
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41. A method, comprising:
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changing a load'"'"'s level of power consumption; and
reducing a response time of a supply that is powering a load at the same time as, at approximately the same time as, or before changing the load'"'"'s level of power consumption.
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42. An electronic system, comprising:
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a load operable at different levels of power consumption;
a supply having a response time and operable to power the load; and
a control circuit operable to receive a signal and to reduce the response time of the supply and change the load'"'"'s level of power consumption in response to the signal. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. An electronic system, comprising:
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a load operable at different levels of power consumption;
a supply having a response time and operable to power the load;
a load compensator operable, when active, to reduce the response time of the supply; and
a control circuit operable to receive a signal and to activate the load compensator and change the load'"'"'s level of power consumption in response to the signal. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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52. An electronic system, comprising:
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a load operable at different levels of power consumption;
a supply having a response time and operable to power the load; and
a control circuit operable to reduce the response time of the supply and change the load'"'"'s level of power consumption such that the response time of the supply decreases before or at the same time as the load'"'"'s level of power consumption increases.
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53. An electronic system, comprising:
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a load operable at different levels of power consumption;
a supply having a response time and operble to power the load; and
a control circuit operable to reduce the response time of the supply and change the load'"'"'s level of power consumption such that the load'"'"'s level of power consumption increases at the same time as or after the response time of the supply decreases.
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Specification