On-board power supply monitor and power control system

• US 9,281,718 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vorenkamp, Pieter, Kim, Neil Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu, Sujoy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngon, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US11/157,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,913 Days
• Field of Search: 702 60- 63, 702 57- 59, 702/64, 702/65, 702/117, 702/118, 702/121, 702/122, 713300-340, 716/4, 716/120, 716/126, 716/127, 716/132, 716/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof

Abstract

A system and method for controlling characteristics of supplied electrical power. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise an integrated circuit comprising a first circuit module that receives electrical power. The integrated circuit may comprise a second circuit module that monitors at least one characteristic of electrical power received by at least one of the first circuit module and the integrated circuit. The second circuit module may also communicate with a third circuit module regarding the monitored at least one characteristic. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise an integrated circuit comprising a first module that monitors at least one characteristic of electrical power received by a first electrical device that is external to the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit may also comprise a second module that communicates with a second electrical device, external to the integrated circuit, regarding the monitored at least one characteristic.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first circuit module configured to receive electrical power; and

a second circuit module comprising;

a first sub-module integrated within the second circuit module, the first sub-module configured to monitor at least one characteristic of electrical power received by the first circuit module, where the at least one characteristic of electrical power received by the first circuit module comprises a voltage characteristic; and

a second sub-module integrated within the second circuit module, the second sub-module communicatively coupled to the first sub-module and configured to receive the at least one characteristic of the electrical power received by the first circuit module, the second sub-module configured to communicate with a third circuit module, the third circuit module configured to arbitrate between power supply needs of a plurality of circuit modules based on a predetermined priority associated with each of the circuit modules and the at least one characteristic received by the first circuit module.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, where:

the second circuit module comprises a power monitor module;

and the third circuit module comprises a power controller module.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, where the third circuit module is external to the integrated circuit.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, where the third circuit module is a circuit module of a power supply circuit that is external to the integrated circuit.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of electrical power comprises a voltage level.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of electrical power comprises voltage stability.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the second sub-module is adapted to communicate information with the third circuit module, the information comprising information of the at least one monitored characteristic of received electrical power.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the second sub-module is adapted to communicate information to the third circuit module, the information comprising one or both of a command for a power adjustment and a request for a power adjustment.

9. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first circuit module adapted to receive electrical power; and

a second circuit module comprising;

a first sub-module adapted to monitor at least one characteristic of electrical power received by the first circuit module; and

a second sub-module, communicatively coupled to the first sub-module, adapted to communicate with a third circuit module regarding the at least one characteristic monitored by the first sub-module,

where the third circuit module is adapted to;

receive information regarding monitored characteristics of received electrical power from a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules comprising the second circuit module;

analyze the received information regarding the monitored characteristics of received electrical power from a plurality of modules to determine power control information;

arbitrate between respective power supply needs of the plurality of modules based on the monitored characteristics and a priority associated with each of respective modules; and

communicate the determined power control information to power supply circuitry that respectively provides the electrical power to the plurality of modules.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 9, where the third circuit module is adapted to analyze the received information regarding monitored characteristics of received electrical power from a plurality of modules to determine power control information by, at least in part, identifying a highest priority module of the plurality of modules and determining the power control information in accordance with power supply needs of the highest priority module.

11. A method for controlling electrical power provided to an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

in the integrated circuit;

a first sub-module of a second circuit module monitoring at least one characteristic of electrical power received by a first circuit module of the integrated circuit, where the at least one characteristic of electrical power comprises a voltage characteristic;

communicating information related to the monitored at least one characteristic of electrical power received by the first circuit module with an electrical device external to the integrated circuit, wherein the electrical device external to the integrated circuit is adapted to analyze received information regarding monitored characteristics of received electrical power from a plurality of modules to determine power control information by, at least in part, identifying a highest priority module of the plurality of modules and determining the power control information in accordance with power supply needs of the highest priority module.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the external electrical device comprises a power controller module.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the external electrical device comprises a power supply circuit that provides power to the integrated circuit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one characteristic of electrical power comprises a voltage level.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said communicating comprises communicating to the external electrical device one or both of a command for a power adjustment and a request for a power adjustment.

16. A method for controlling electrical power provided to an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

in the integrated circuit;

a first sub-module of a second circuit module monitoring at least one characteristic of electrical power received by a first circuit module of the integrated circuit; and

communicating information related to the monitored at least one characteristic of electrical power with an electrical device external to the integrated circuit,

and further comprising;

monitoring characteristics of electrical power received by a plurality of circuit modules, the plurality of circuit modules comprising the first circuit module;

analyzing information of the monitored characteristics of electrical power received by the plurality of circuit modules to determine power control information, where said analyzing comprises arbitrating between respective power supply needs of the plurality of circuit modules based on consideration of respective priorities and power supply needs of the plurality of circuit modules; and

communicating the determined power control information to power supply circuitry that provides the electrical power to the plurality of circuit modules.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said analyzing information of the monitored characteristics comprises identifying a highest priority circuit module of the plurality of circuit modules and determining the power control information in accordance with power supply needs of the highest priority circuit module.

18. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first circuit module configured to monitor at least one characteristic of electrical power received by a first electrical device that is external to the integrated circuit, where the at least one characteristic of electrical power comprises a voltage characteristic; and

a second circuit module configured to communicate with the first circuit module and communicate with a second electrical device regarding the at least one characteristic of electrical power being monitored by the first circuit module, the second electrical device being external to the integrated circuit and being a different device than the first electrical device, and the second electrical device being configured to allocate power supply resources to the first electrical device based on predetermined priorities and the at least one characteristic of electrical power.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein the second electrical device comprises a power controller circuit.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein the second electrical device comprises a power supply circuit adapted to provide the electrical power received by the first electrical device.

21. The integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein the voltage characteristic comprises voltage stability.

22. The integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein the second module is configured to communicate information to the second electrical device, the information comprising one or both of a command for a power adjustment and a request for a power adjustment.

23. The integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein:

the first module is configured to monitor the at least one characteristic of electrical power received by a third electrical device that is external to the integrated circuit; and

the second module is configured to process information of the monitored at least one characteristic for the first and third electrical devices to determine information communicated with the second electrical device.

24. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the second module is adapted to process information of the monitored at least one characteristic for the first and third electrical devices to determine information communicated with the second electrical device by, at least in part, analysis of respective priorities of the first and third electrical devices, and communication of a request for an allocation of a supply of the electrical power between the first and third electrical devices according to the respective priorities.

25. In a first integrated circuit, a method for controlling electrical power provided to a first electrical device external to the first integrated circuit, the method comprising:

monitoring, with a circuit module of the first integrated circuit at least one characteristic of electrical power received by the first electrical device and by a third electrical device external to the first integrated circuit, where the at least one characteristic comprises a voltage characteristic; and

communicating, between the circuit module and a second electrical device, information related to the monitored at least one characteristic of electrical power, wherein the second electrical device is external to the first integrated circuit, the first electrical device and the third electrical device; and

analyzing respective priorities of the first and third electrical devices with the circuit module, and allocating a supply of electrical power between the first and third electrical devices according to the respective priorities.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second electrical device comprises a power controller circuit.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the second electrical device comprises a power supply circuit that provides the electrical power to the first electrical device and the third electrical device.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the voltage characteristic comprises voltage stability.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the information related to the monitored at least one characteristic comprises information of the at least one monitored characteristic of electrical power.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the information related to the monitored at least one characteristic comprises one or both of a command for a power adjustment and a request for a power adjustment, and said communicating comprises communicating the information to the second electrical device.

31. The method of claim 25, comprising processing information of the monitored at least one characteristic of electrical power received by the first electrical device and information of the monitored at least one characteristic of electrical power received by the third electrical device to determine information communicated with the second electrical device.