Control Chip Wake-Up Sequencing to Limit Inrush Current

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Solution Overview

Problem

Control chips experience high instantaneous power consumption and inrush current due to simultaneous wake-up of all circuits in response to wake-up conditions, leading to inefficient power management.

Innovation Solution

A control chip architecture comprising a detection circuit, a management circuit, and a main core circuit, where the detection circuit generates a first wake-up signal for specific events, the management circuit determines if a wake-up condition is met to enable a second wake-up signal, and the main core circuit transitions from sleep mode to normal mode only upon satisfaction of the wake-up condition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If all circuits are woken up simultaneously in response to a wake-up condition, then the control chip can respond quickly to events, but instantaneous power consumption and inrush current become very large

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewake-up response speedVSAvoidinstantaneous power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the wake-up process into multiple stages: a first wake-up signal wakes up the management circuit to perform preliminary judgment, and only if the wake-up condition is satisfied does a second wake-up signal wake up the main core circuit. This segmentation avoids simultaneous wake-up of all circuits, reducing inrush current while maintaining responsive wake-up capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If all circuits are woken up simultaneously in response to a wake-up condition, then the control chip can respond quickly to events, but inrush current becomes very large

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewake-up response speedVSAvoidinrush current

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Speed

If the detection circuit continuously monitors for specific events, then the control chip can detect events quickly, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent detection speedVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the continuous monitoring function from the main core circuit and assigns it to a separate detection circuit that operates independently with lower power consumption. The detection circuit continuously monitors for specific events and triggers wake-up only when events occur, enabling quick event detection while minimizing overall power consumption through functional extraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS20250068200A1Control chip and control method

Publication Date: 2025.02.27 NUVOTON

AI summary

A control chip including a detection circuit, a management circuit, and a main core circuit is provided. The detection circuit enables a first wake-up signal in response to a specific event occurring. The management circuit determines whether a wake-up condition is satisfied in response to the first wake-up signal being enabled. In response to the wake-up condition being satisfied, the management circuit enables a second wake-up signal. The main core circuit enters a normal mode from a sleep mode according to the second wake-up signal. In response to the specific event not occurring, the management circuit and the main core circuit operate in the sleep mode. In response to the wake-up condition not being satisfied, the main core circuit operates in the sleep mode.