Adaptive Voltage Regulator Circuit with Post-Assembly Measurement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Voltage regulator circuits in computer systems face inefficiencies due to unknown passive circuit element values and power consumption profiles, leading to over-design, increased complexity, and power consumption, as these values change over time and are not accurately determined pre-assembly.

Innovation Solution

A power management system that includes a voltage regulator circuit, a measurement circuit, and a control circuit, which samples operation characteristics post-assembly, generates stimulation signals to determine passive circuit element values, and adjusts operation parameters to optimize voltage regulation, reducing complexity and power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If voltage regulator circuits are designed with fixed operation parameters based on pre-assembly testing, then manufacturing process is simplified, but performance degrades due to unknown passive circuit element values and power consumption profiles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidvoltage regulation performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing wafer-level testing and characterization before final assembly, determining initial operation parameters and passive circuit element values in advance. This allows the voltage regulator to be pre-configured with optimized parameters while still enabling post-assembly adaptation, thus simplifying manufacturing while maintaining performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by enabling the voltage regulator to adapt its operation parameters dynamically after assembly. The system transitions from static pre-determined parameters to dynamic adjustable parameters based on actual measured values of passive circuit elements and power consumption profiles, resolving the contradiction between fixed manufacturing and adaptive performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If voltage regulator circuits use conservative design margins to account for unknown parameter variations, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevoltage regulation stabilityVSAvoidcircuit design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies feedback by implementing measurement circuits that continuously monitor actual operation characteristics and passive circuit element values, then feed this information back to the control circuit. The control circuit adjusts operation parameters based on this feedback, eliminating the need for conservative design margins while maintaining reliability through real-time adaptation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical/physical design margins with intelligent control algorithms. Instead of designing for worst-case scenarios through additional hardware margins, the system uses software-based parameter adjustment and adaptive control to achieve the same reliability effect with reduced complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If voltage regulator circuits use conservative design margins to account for unknown parameter variations, then reliability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevoltage regulation stabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements parameter changes by dynamically adjusting operation parameters based on measured actual values of passive circuit elements and power consumption profiles. This allows the system to operate at optimal efficiency points rather than conservative fixed parameters, reducing power consumption while maintaining reliability through adaptive parameter optimization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Productivity

If wafer-level test data is used to determine operation parameters, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but measurement precision is insufficient due to pre-assembly testing limitations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing efficiencyVSAvoidpassive circuit element value accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies feedback by implementing measurement circuits that continuously monitor actual operation characteristics and passive circuit element values, then feed this information back to the control circuit. The control circuit adjusts operation parameters based on this feedback, compensating for the limited precision of pre-assembly testing through post-assembly refinement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11714480B2Computer system power monitoring

Publication Date: 2023.08.01 APPLE INC

AI summary

A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may generate a voltage level on a power supply signal using a source power supply signal and based initial values of one or more operation parameters derived from wafer-level test data. One or more operation characteristics of the voltage regulator circuit may be sampled, by a measurement circuit, at multiple time points to generated measurement data. A control circuit may adapt operation of the voltage regulator circuit based on the measurement data.