Laptop Power Supply Phase Throttling for Battery Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voltage regulators in laptops suffer from poor load efficiency in battery mode due to excessive phase numbers, leading to reduced battery life and inability to sustain long usage times.
Innovation Solution
A power supply device with an adjustment circuit, voltage adjustment control circuit, and driver circuit that allows for dynamic phase number adjustment by enabling or disabling voltage conversion circuits based on mode transitions, entering a throttling mode before switching from AC to DC mode to reduce system wattage and phase number.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the phase number of the voltage regulator is designed based on the highest system wattage, then the voltage regulator can withstand high wattage and large current, but the load efficiency deteriorates at low current
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic phase adjustment by enabling or disabling specific phases of the voltage regulator based on real-time operating conditions. The system transitions from a static phase configuration designed for maximum power to a dynamic configuration that adapts the active phase count to the current load requirements, thereby maintaining high efficiency at low current while preserving the capability to handle high wattage when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of phase number dynamically. By adjusting the number of active phases according to the current power demand, the voltage regulator optimizes its efficiency characteristics. At low current conditions, fewer phases are activated to reduce energy loss, while at high wattage conditions, all phases are engaged to provide sufficient power capacity
2Power
If a larger phase number is used, then the voltage regulator can handle high wattage, but the battery life is reduced due to poor load efficiency in battery mode
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the phase configuration based on power source detection. When operating in battery mode, the system automatically reduces the number of active phases to match the lower power requirements, thereby improving load efficiency and extending battery life. When AC power is available, the system can utilize all phases to handle high wattage demands without impacting battery longevity
3Loss of energy
If the phase number is reduced for low current operation, then the load efficiency improves, but the capability to withstand high wattage is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage regulator employs dynamic phase scaling that allows it to operate with fewer phases during low current conditions to maximize efficiency, while automatically transitioning to a full-phase configuration when high wattage is detected. This dynamic adaptation ensures the system maintains both high efficiency at low load and sufficient power capacity at high load without compromising either extreme
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a power supply device and a power supply method thereof. The power supply device is controlled to enter a throttling mode before the power supply device switches from an AC mode to a DC mode, a system wattage of the power supply device is reduced to a preset wattage in the throttling mode, and part of a plurality of voltage conversion circuits are disabled to reduce a phase number of an output voltage. The preset wattage is lower than the system wattage of the power supply device in the AC mode and in the DC mode.