Power supply circuit and method for controlling power supply circuit

Abstract

A power supply circuit includes a power circuit, a switching capacitor voltage regulator, a controller, a current sensor, and a time sensor. Each of the switching capacitor voltage regulators is coupled in series with the power circuit. The controller is coupled to each of the switching capacitor voltage regulators. The current sensor is configured to sense a current from the switching capacitor voltage regulators to the power circuit. The time sensor is configured to sense the time it takes for the current sensor to sense the current. The controller is configured to receive current and time information from the current sensor and the time sensor, and simultaneously activates the switching capacitor voltage regulators when it determines that the value Δi / Δt is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply circuit and a method for controlling the power supply circuit, and more specifically, to a power supply circuit containing a power management integrated circuit and a method for controlling the power supply circuit. [Previous Technology]

[0002] An electronic device typically requires a circuit to regulate the power supplied to other components within the device. Many advanced electronic devices require precise, fast, and stable power to operate properly. Meeting these requirements in modern electronic devices has become increasingly difficult. [Summary of the Invention]

[0003] In a general embodiment, a power supply circuit may include a power circuit configured to provide power. The power supply circuit may also include switching capacitor voltage regulators, wherein each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulators is coupled in series with the power circuit. Furthermore, the circuit may include a controller coupled to each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulators. The circuit may include a current sensor coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulators and configured to sense a current from the switching capacitor voltage regulators to the power circuit. The circuit may include a time sensor coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulators and configured to sense the time it takes for the current sensor to sense the current. The controller is configured to receive current values ​​and time information from the current sensor and the time sensor. Based on the current values ​​and the time information, it calculates a Δi / Δt value indicating a change in current over time. It determines whether the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than a threshold value. In response to determining that the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it simultaneously activates all regulators of the switching capacitor voltage regulators.

[0004] In some embodiments, one of the regulators of such switching capacitor voltage regulators may include a plurality of phases, wherein one of the plurality of phases includes a capacitor and a switch connected in series.

[0005] In some embodiments, the controller can be configured to turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulators by simultaneously turning on the plurality of phases.

[0006] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of phases is configured to be turned on in less than 1 μs.

[0007] In some embodiments, the switch may include a first terminal coupled to one of the capacitors and a second terminal coupled to one of the first terminals of an output capacitor.

[0008] In some embodiments, the output capacitor may have a second terminal coupled to one of the grounds.

[0009] In some embodiments, each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator may be coupled to an output capacitor. Each output capacitor may include a first terminal coupled to one of the plurality of phases of a corresponding switching capacitor voltage regulator and a second terminal coupled to ground.

[0010] In some embodiments, a first terminal of an output capacitor may be coupled to a first terminal of an input capacitor of the power circuit.

[0011] In some embodiments, one of the input capacitors of the power circuit may have a second terminal coupled to ground.

[0012] In some embodiments, the power supply circuit may further include a voltage sensor coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulators and configured to sense a voltage output from the switching capacitor voltage regulators.

[0013] In some embodiments, the switch may be a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) including a gate, a source and a drain.

[0014] In some embodiments, the controller can be configured to turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulators by directly turning on the gates of the MOSFETs.

[0015] In some embodiments, the controller can be configured to turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulators by controlling each switching capacitor voltage regulator to turn on the gate of the MOSFETs.

[0016] In some embodiments, the power supply circuit may further include a system-on-a-chip (SoC) device, wherein the power circuit is configured to provide power to the SoC device.

[0017] In another embodiment, a method for controlling a power supply circuit is provided. The power supply circuit may include a power circuit, switching capacitor voltage regulators, a controller coupled to each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulators, a current sensor, and a time sensor. Each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulators is coupled in series with the power circuit. The current sensor is coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulators and configured to sense a current from the switching capacitor voltage regulators to the power circuit. The time sensor is coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulators and configured to sense the time it takes for the current sensor to sense the current. The method includes operations performed by the controller, wherein the operations may include: receiving current values ​​and time information from the current sensor and the time sensor; calculating a Δi / Δt value indicating a change in current over time based on the current values ​​and the time information; determining whether the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and, in response to determining that the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, simultaneously activating the switching capacitor voltage regulator.

Implementation Method

[0022] In the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be practiced without such details. Furthermore, while various embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein, many adaptations and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention based on common general knowledge known to those skilled in the art. Such modifications include replacing any form of the invention with known equivalents in order to achieve the same results in substantially the same manner.

[0023] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout this specification and the scope of the invention claims, the word "comprising" and variations thereof (such as "comprises" and "comprising") shall be interpreted as having an open, inclusive meaning, i.e., as in "including but not limited to". The description of numerical ranges throughout this specification is intended as an abbreviation to individually refer to each individual value falling within the range (including the value defined within the range), and each individual value is incorporated in this specification as individually described herein. Furthermore, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the singular forms "a / an" and "the" include a plurality of references.

[0024] Throughout this specification, the reference to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the phrases "in an embodiment" or "in one embodiment" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but in some instances may all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0025] The embodiments described herein relate to power supply circuits and methods for controlling power supply circuits. The power supply circuit may include one or more switching capacitor voltage regulators (SCVRs).

[0026] Currently, the SCVR in a power supply circuit is designed to add / deactivate phase and / or SCVR devices based on the detection of an output voltage drop. When an output voltage drop is detected, the phase and SCVR of the SCVR are sequentially added / activated. Furthermore, when the output voltage drop is relieved, the phase and SCVR of the SCVR are sequentially released / deactivated. This method is inherently very slow to respond to very high load demands, where the load is indicated by a change in current over time, or Δi / Δt. Under very high load demands, if the voltage drop is not relieved quickly enough, the entire system may become inoperable; this is commonly referred to as latch-up. Once in a latch-up state, the circuit requires a cycle of power supply to operate again, resulting in time and / or efficiency losses. The technique disclosed herein improves transient response to high Δi / Δt load conditions, solving the system latch-up problem.

[0027] Embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring first to FIG1, FIG1 is a circuit diagram of a power supply circuit 100 according to one embodiment. The power supply circuit 100 includes a power circuit 102 configured to provide power to an electronic device 150. For example, the electronic device receiving power from the power circuit 102 may be a system-on-a-chip (SoC) device or any other device requiring a power supply. The power supply circuit 100 further includes a switching capacitor voltage regulator (SCVR) 104. Each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator is coupled in series with the power circuit 102. The power supply circuit 100 further includes a controller (CTRL) 106 coupled to each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104. In some instances, the SCVR 104 and the controller 106 are coupled in parallel. The power supply circuit 100 further includes a current sensor 108, a time sensor 110, and a voltage sensor 112.

[0028] A current sensor 108 is coupled between the power circuit 102 and the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104, and is configured to sense a current (ISNS) from the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 to the power circuit 102. A time sensor 110 is coupled between the power circuit 102 and the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104, and is configured to sense the time (TSNS) for which the current sensor 108 senses the current. A controller 106 is configured to receive current values ​​and time information from the current sensor 108 and the time sensor 110, respectively. The controller 106 is further configured to calculate a Δi / Δt value indicating a change in current over time based on the current value and time information, determine whether the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and in response to determining that the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, simultaneously turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104. The controller is configured to respond to a determination that the Δi / Δt value is less than the threshold value, and to sequentially add / release the phase of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 according to the Δi / Δt value.

[0029] According to the disclosed technology, when the output of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 is detected to be experiencing a very high Δi / Δt (e.g., the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value), the controller 106 can simultaneously turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 to provide power to the back-end electronic device 150. This prevents the entire system from completely locking up, which would lead to circuit failure. On the other hand, when the power demand is under normal conditions (e.g., the Δi / Δt value is less than the threshold value), the controller 106 can sequentially add or release the phase of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 according to the Δi / Δt value.

[0030] Figure 2 is a voltage-current-time diagram according to one embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, between times t1 and t2, the current drawn by the power circuit 102 increases rapidly, causing a voltage drop, which can be detected by the voltage sensor 112. In response to a rapid power demand, the controller 106 determines whether the power demand Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than a threshold value. If the power demand Δi / Δt value is indeed equal to or greater than the threshold value, the controller 106 can simultaneously activate the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 to meet the rapid power demand. This then reduces or eliminates the voltage drop shown in Figure 2.

[0031] In some examples, when the power demand is low and slow (e.g., the Δi / Δt value is less than the threshold), as shown in Figure 2 between time t5 and t6, the controller 106 can sequentially add or remove the phase of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 according to the Δi / Δt value. It should be noted that the diagram shown in Figure 2 is illustrative only and does not necessarily reflect the correct scale.

[0032] The controller 106 is also configured to sequentially release the phase of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 when the power demand decreases as shown in the time period between t3 and t4 or between t7 and t8.

[0033] Referring again to FIG1, in some embodiments, each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 may include a plurality of phases 120 disposed as outputs of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104. In some embodiments, one phase of phase 120 may include a capacitor 122 and a switch 124 connected in series. Phases 120 of a switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 are connected in parallel. The controller 106 is configured to turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 by simultaneously turning on phases 120 of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104. In some embodiments, in response to the controller 106 simultaneously turning on the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104, the phases of the switching capacitor voltage regulator may be turned on within less than 1 μs.

[0034] Switch 124 can be any electrical switch, such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a diode, or other suitable switch (if they support a fast turn-on or turn-off response). The example shown for switch 124 in Figure 1 is a p-MOSFET with a gate, a source, and a drain.

[0035] In some embodiments, to simultaneously turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104, the controller 106 can be configured to directly turn on the gate of the MOSFET of phase 120 of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104. In this example, each of the gates of the MOSFET of the switch 124 can be directly coupled to the controller 106.

[0036] In some embodiments, to simultaneously turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104, the controller 106 can be configured to control the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 to turn on the gate of the MOSFET of phase 120 of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104. In this example, each of the gates of the MOSFET of the switch 124 can be directly coupled to the corresponding switching capacitor voltage regulator 104.

[0037] In some embodiments, each of the switches 124 may include a first terminal coupled to a corresponding capacitor 122 and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of an output capacitor 126. The output capacitor 126 has a second terminal coupled to ground. The first terminal of the output capacitor 126 is connected to a midpoint 128 before being connected to the input port 130 of the power circuit 102.

[0038] A current sensor 108, a time sensor 110, and a voltage sensor 112 are disposed between the midpoint 128 and the input port 130 of the power circuit 102. The voltage sensor 112 is configured to sense the output voltage from one of the switching capacitor voltage regulators 104.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the power supply circuit 100 may further include an input capacitor 140 of the power circuit 102. A first terminal of the output capacitor 126 is coupled to a first terminal of the input capacitor 140 of the power circuit 102. The input capacitor 140 of the power circuit 102 has a second terminal coupled to ground.

[0040] Voltage sensor 112 is configured to sense the output voltage (VSNS) from one of the switching capacitor voltage regulators 104.

[0041] In some embodiments, the power supply circuit 100 may further include a SoC device 150. The power circuit 102 is configured to provide power to the SoC device 150.

[0042] Although Figure 1 shows three switching capacitor voltage regulators 104, it should be understood that more or fewer switching capacitor voltage regulators 104 may be included in the power supply circuit 100.

[0043] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an example program 300 executed by controller 106 according to an example embodiment.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3, program 300 may include receiving current value and time information from a current sensor and a time sensor (block 302). For example, as described above, controller 106 may receive current value and time information from current sensor 108 and time sensor 110. Also shown in Figure 3, program 300 may include calculating a Δi / Δt value based on the current value and time information (block 304). For example, as described above, the device may calculate a Δi / Δt value based on the current value and time information. As further shown in Figure 3, program 300 may include determining whether the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than a threshold value (block 306). For example, as described above, controller 106 may determine whether the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Also shown in Figure 3, program 300 may include simultaneously activating the switching capacitor voltage regulator in response to determining that the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than the threshold value (block 308). For example, as described above, controller 106 may respond to a determination that the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than a threshold value by simultaneously activating the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104. As further shown in Figure 3, program 300 may include, in response to a determination that the Δi / Δt value is less than a threshold value, sequentially adding or releasing phase 120 of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 based on the Δi / Δt value. For example, as described above, controller 106 may respond to a determination that the Δi / Δt value is less than a threshold value by sequentially adding or releasing phase 120 of the switching capacitor voltage regulator 104 based on the Δi / Δt value.

[0045] Although Figure 3 shows an example block of program 300, in some embodiments, program 300 may contain additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or blocks with different configurations compared to the blocks depicted in Figure 3. In addition, or alternatively, two or more blocks of program 300 may be executed in parallel.

[0046] In summary, the disclosed technology addresses voltage drop in a power supply circuit using two unique methods. First, the technology includes a "full-on" mode, allowing the power supply circuit to respond quickly (e.g., within less than 1 μs) when power demand is high and rapid, by simultaneously switching the phase of the capacitor voltage regulator. Second, to facilitate the full-on mode, the disclosed technology includes sensing the time difference (Δt or dt) for Δi / Δt or di / dt sensing. This allows the power supply circuit to respond quickly to a surge in power demand.

[0047] The full-on mode fundamentally bypasses the sequential turn-on mode (where the phases of the switching capacitor voltage regulator are turned on sequentially, which may take tens of seconds). In the full-on mode, all phases and the switching capacitor voltage regulator are turned on simultaneously under suitable conditions. That is, the two conditions Δi (or di) and Δt (or dt) are met. Once the controller (or the switching capacitor voltage regulator) detects these two setpoint conditions, the controller can simultaneously turn on all phases and the switching capacitor voltage regulator.

[0048] The foregoing description of this invention is provided for illustrative and descriptive purposes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. The breadth and scope of the invention should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Modifications and variations include any related combinations of the disclosed features. Embodiments were chosen and described to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention in relation to the various embodiments and with various modifications suitable for the intended particular use. The scope of this invention is intended to be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0018] Specific features of various embodiments of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the invention will be obtained by referring to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments utilizing the principles of the invention, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of a power supply circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 is a voltage-current-time graph according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an example program executed by a controller according to an example embodiment.

Claims

1. A power supply circuit, comprising: A power circuit configured to provide power; A switching capacitor voltage regulator, wherein each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator is coupled in series with the power circuit; a current sensor coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulator and configured to sense a current from the switching capacitor voltage regulator to the power circuit; a time sensor coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulator and configured to sense the time it takes for the current sensor to sense the current; and a controller coupled to each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator, wherein the controller is configured to: receive current values ​​and time information from the current sensor and the time sensor; calculate a Δi / Δt value indicating a change in current over time based on the current values ​​and the time information; determine whether the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and in response to determining that the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, simultaneously turn on all regulators of the switching capacitor voltage regulator.

2. The power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the regulators of the switching capacitor voltage regulators includes a plurality of phases, wherein one of the plurality of phases includes a capacitor and a switch connected in series.

3. The power supply circuit of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulators by simultaneously turning on the plurality of phases.

4. The power supply circuit of claim 2, wherein each phase of the plurality of phases is configured to be turned on in less than 1 μs.

5. The power supply circuit of claim 2, wherein the switch includes a first terminal coupled to the capacitor and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of an output capacitor.

6. The power supply circuit of claim 5, wherein the output capacitor has a second terminal coupled to ground.

7. The power supply circuit of claim 2, wherein the switch comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) with a gate, a source and a drain.

8. The power supply circuit of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulators by directly turning on the gates of the plurality of phases of the MOSFETs.

9. The power supply circuit of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to turn on the switching capacitor voltage regulators by controlling each switching capacitor voltage regulator to turn on the gates of the plurality of phases of the MOSFETs.

10. The power supply circuit of claim 2, wherein each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator is coupled to an output capacitor, wherein each output capacitor includes a first terminal coupled to one of the plurality of phases of a corresponding switching capacitor voltage regulator and a second terminal coupled to ground.

11. The power supply circuit of claim 10, wherein a first terminal of an output capacitor is coupled to a first terminal of an input capacitor of the power circuit.

12. The power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the input capacitors of the power circuit has a second terminal coupled to ground.

13. The power supply circuit of claim 1, further comprising a voltage sensor coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulators and configured to sense a voltage output from the switching capacitor voltage regulators.

14. The power supply circuit of claim 1, further comprising a system-on-a-chip (SoC) device, wherein the power circuit is configured to provide power to the SoC device.

15. A method for controlling a power supply circuit, wherein the power supply circuit comprises: A power circuit configured to provide power; A switching capacitor voltage regulator, wherein each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator is coupled in series with the power circuit; a current sensor coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulator and configured to sense a current from the switching capacitor voltage regulator to the power circuit; a time sensor coupled between the power circuit and the switching capacitor voltage regulator and configured to sense a time when the current sensor senses the current; and a controller coupled to each regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator, wherein the method includes operations performed by the controller, the operations including: receiving current values ​​and time information from the current sensor and the time sensor; calculating a Δi / Δt value indicating a change in current over time based on the current values ​​and the time information; determining whether the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than the threshold value; and, in response to determining that the Δi / Δt value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, simultaneously turning on the switching capacitor voltage regulator.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein one of the regulators of the switching capacitor voltage regulators includes a plurality of phases, wherein one of the plurality of phases includes a capacitor and a switch connected in series, and wherein the switching capacitor voltage regulators are turned on by simultaneously turning on the plurality of phases.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of phases is configured to be switched on in less than 1 μs.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein one regulator of the switching capacitor voltage regulator includes a plurality of phases, wherein one of the plurality of phases includes a capacitor and a switch connected in series, wherein the switch is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) including a gate, a source and a drain.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein turning on the switching capacitor voltage regulator is performed by directly turning on the gate of the MOSFET.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein turning on the switching capacitor voltage regulators is performed by controlling the switching capacitor voltage regulators to turn on the gates of the MOSFETs.

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