Hierarchical Power Delivery With Local Bypass Regulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern computer systems face inefficiencies in power delivery due to the rarity of simultaneous peak power consumption across multiple circuit blocks, leading to over-design and increased costs of power converter circuits to handle worst-case load conditions, which can result in larger form factors and higher costs.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a power delivery system with a primary voltage regulator circuit and multiple local voltage regulator circuits, including bypass regulator circuits that source bypass currents to maintain desired voltage levels on local power supply nodes, allowing for efficient power distribution by clamping voltage levels and reducing the likelihood of performance drops or failures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If power converter circuits are over-designed to handle worst-case load conditions, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower delivery reliabilityVSAvoidpower converter circuit complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The power delivery system is segmented into a primary voltage regulator circuit and multiple local voltage regulator circuits, each serving specific circuit blocks. This segmentation allows each regulator to be sized appropriately for its local load rather than designing one large regulator for the worst-case total load, reducing overall complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Local voltage regulator circuits are placed near specific circuit blocks to provide tailored power regulation. Each local regulator handles only the power needs of its adjacent circuit blocks, allowing for optimized, smaller-scale designs rather than one large over-designed regulator, thus reducing device complexity while ensuring local reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If power converter circuits are over-designed to handle worst-case load conditions, then power delivery reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower delivery reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Dividing the power conversion function into primary and local regulator circuits allows each component to be manufactured at an optimal scale. Smaller local regulators can be manufactured more efficiently than one large regulator designed for worst-case conditions, reducing overall manufacturing cost while maintaining the same reliability level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Local voltage regulator circuits are designed to match the specific power needs of adjacent circuit blocks, allowing for optimized component selection and manufacturing. This localized approach avoids the cost penalty of manufacturing oversized power converter circuits that would be required to handle worst-case total system load.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If multiple local voltage regulator circuits are implemented, then power delivery efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower delivery efficiencyVSAvoidregulator circuit architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The power delivery system is divided into a primary voltage regulator circuit that provides bulk regulation and multiple local voltage regulator circuits that provide fine-grained local regulation. This segmentation improves efficiency by placing regulation closer to the load while maintaining a manageable architecture through the hierarchical structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The primary voltage regulator circuit and multiple local voltage regulator circuits are merged into a coordinated hierarchical system. The primary regulator handles overall power conversion while local regulators handle precise local regulation, combining the benefits of both approaches without creating excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If bypass regulator circuits are added to maintain voltage levels, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevoltage level stabilityVSAvoidregulator circuit configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Bypass regulator circuits are pre-configured to automatically activate when voltage drops are detected at local power supply nodes. This preliminary action ensures voltage stability and reliability by having backup regulation paths ready before failures occur, while adding complexity only where and when needed rather than throughout the entire system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250015701A1Merged Power Delivery

Publication Date: 2025.01.09 APPLE INC

AI summary

A power delivery sub-system included in a computer system employs a primary voltage regulator circuit that generates a primary supply voltage on a primary power supply node. The power delivery sub-system also includes multiple bypass voltage regulator circuits that source corresponding bypass currents to a local power supply nodes in an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes multiple circuit blocks coupled to corresponding ones of the local power supply nodes, and multiple local voltage regulator circuits coupled to the primary power supply node. When a voltage level of a given local power supply node drops below a threshold value, a corresponding local voltage regulator circuit sources a supply current to the given local power supply node.