Regulator Circuit Energy Buffering for Peak Load Power Limits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional approaches to provisioning power for electronic devices face inefficiencies and unreliability due to handling peak demand loads, unregulated input rail power, and inefficiencies in power utilization, often resulting in over-provisioning, device slowdowns, or shutdowns.

Innovation Solution

A deterministic energy provisioning system that predicts energy requirements based on power schedules and operating states, using energy storage devices like capacitors to store excess power and supplement input power, ensuring reliable operation without exceeding input rail limits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If power is consistently over-provisioned to handle peak demands, then reliability is improved, but efficiency deteriorates due to wasted power capacity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice operation reliabilityVSAvoidpower utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by storing energy in advance during periods when power demand is low. The energy storage device accumulates power before peak demand occurs, allowing the system to meet peak loads without requiring consistent over-provisioning of power capacity, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the temporal distribution of power delivery parameters by shifting power delivery from a constant over-provisioned state to a variable state that matches actual demand patterns. This allows the power system to maintain high reliability during peaks while operating efficiently during low-demand periods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If device operation is slowed down to remove causes of peak demands, then power provisioning is simplified, but productivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower provisioning simplicityVSAvoiddevice operation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts the peak demand management problem from the device operation control. Instead of modifying device operation to simplify power provisioning, the solution separates the functions by allowing devices to operate at full speed while the power management system independently handles peak demands through energy storage and deterministic provisioning

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If stored power is used to replace missing power source, then reliability is improved, but power magnitude is not increased to handle peak demands

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup power reliabilityVSAvoidavailable power magnitude

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges multiple power sources (mains power and stored power) into a unified deterministic power provisioning system. The energy storage device is integrated with the power supply architecture to create a combined system that can deliver increased power magnitude during peak demands, rather than merely replacing missing power

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Power

If unregulated input power is drawn to augment peak power, then power availability is improved, but input rail specifications are exceeded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepeak power availabilityVSAvoidinput rail overload

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback control through deterministic energy provisioning that monitors and regulates power delivery. The regulated power delivery mechanism uses feedback to ensure that peak power demands are met without exceeding input rail specifications, resolving the contradiction between power availability and preventing overload

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enhances power utilization efficiency, handles peak demand loads effectively, and maintains device performance by providing the necessary power while preventing overloads, thus improving reliability and reducing inefficiencies.

Implementation Method 1

using energy storage devices like capacitors to store excess power

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentUS11960346B1Energy provisioning

Publication Date: 2024.04.16 GROQ INC

AI summary

One or more embodiments of a regulator circuit for providing power to a load device having a first power demand profile over time. The regulator circuit comprises a regulator and an energy storage device coupled to the regulator and the load device. The regulator circuit is configured to scavenge provided energy that is available beyond the first power demand profile. Further, the regulator circuit is configured to store that energy in the energy storage device, and the energy storage device is configured to augment deliverable peak power to the load device when the load device requires more power than is provided by the regulator circuit.