INTELLIGENT VOLTAGE REGULATOR

• US 20140300337A1
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Luciano Processing LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wright, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,429,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/299
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/46 wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is dc G05F1/625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/24 Resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 5/02 of power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A voltage regulator includes a programming interface via which programming instructions may be applied to a processor of the voltage regulator. The voltage regulator operates the processor according to the programming instructions to select one of multiple active internally-generated analog voltage levels to determine an output voltage level of the voltage regulator.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a voltage generator configured to receive an input voltage and to generate a plurality of voltage signals based, at least in part, on the input voltage; and

a processing device coupled to the voltage generator and configured to receive and execute a programming instruction, wherein the processing device is further configured to generate a selection signal based, at least in part, on execution of the programming instruction;

wherein the voltage generator is further configured to generate a selected voltage signal from the plurality of voltage signals in response to the selection signal from the processing device and to generate an output voltage from the input voltage using the selected voltage signal, and wherein the output voltage includes a magnitude corresponding to the selected voltage signal.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory device coupled to the processing device, wherein the memory device is configured to store the programming instruction, and wherein the processing device is configured to receive the programming instruction from the memory device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to receive the programming instruction from a programming interface.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to select the selected voltage signal from the plurality of voltage signals in response to the programming instruction.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the voltage generator comprises a follower circuit configured to receive the input voltage and to output the output voltage.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the voltage generator further comprises:

a resistor ladder configured to generate the plurality of voltage signals; and

a multiplexer configured to generate the selected voltage signal.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing device comprises one of a central processing unit or a microprocessor.

8. A method comprising:

receiving an input voltage at a voltage generator and generating a plurality of voltage signals based, at least in part, on the input voltage;

receiving and executing, at a processing device, a programming instruction to generate a selection signal based, at least in part, on execution of the at least one programming instruction;

generating, at the voltage generator, a selected voltage signal from the plurality of voltage signals in response to the selection signal from the processing device; and

generating an output voltage from the input voltage using the selected voltage signal, wherein the output voltage includes a magnitude corresponding to the selected voltage signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising comparing the input voltage with a threshold voltage level and disabling the voltage generator from generating the output voltage if the input voltage is a predetermined level relative to the threshold voltage level

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the programming instruction in a memory device coupled to the processing device, wherein said receiving the programming instruction at the processing device comprises receiving the programming instruction from the memory device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said receiving the programming instruction at the processing device comprises receiving the programming instruction from a programming interface.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said generating an output voltage comprises applying the input voltage to a follower circuit and outputting from the follower circuit the output voltage in response to the selected voltage signal.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said generating an output voltage comprises generating the plurality of voltage signals at a resistor ladder and generating the selected voltage signal from the plurality of voltage signals with a multiplexer.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said executing the programming instruction at the processing device comprises executing the at least one programming instruction at one of a central processing unit or a microprocessor.

15. A device comprising:

a voltage generator configured to receive an input voltage and to generate a plurality of voltage signals based, at least in part, on the input voltage;

a processing device coupled to the voltage generator and configured to receive and execute a programming instruction, wherein the processing device is further configured to select a selection signal from the plurality of voltage signals based, at least in part, on execution of the programming instruction; and

a protection circuit configured to compare the input voltage with a threshold voltage level and to disable the voltage generator from generating the output voltage when the input voltage is a predetermined level relative the threshold voltage level;

wherein the voltage generator is further configured to generate a selected voltage signal from the plurality of voltage signals in response to the selection signal from the processing device and to generate an output voltage from the input voltage using the selected voltage signal, and wherein the output voltage includes a magnitude corresponding to the selected voltage signal.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a memory device coupled to the processing device, wherein the memory device is configured to store the programming instruction, and wherein the processing device is configured to receive the programming instruction from the memory device.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the processing device is configured to receive the programming instruction from a programming interface.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the voltage generator comprises a follower circuit configured to receive the input voltage and to output the output voltage.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the voltage generator further comprises:

a resistor ladder configured to generate the plurality of voltage signals; and

a multiplexer configured to generate the selected voltage signal.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the processing device comprises one of a central processing unit or a microprocessor.