Power Supply Circuit with Shared Regulator Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power supply circuits face unnecessary circuit area overhead due to multiple independent voltage regulators, leading to increased costs and reduced product margin, especially when thermal limitations result in oversized high-power voltage regulators being used for moderate current levels.
Innovation Solution
A power supply circuit design that integrates multiple independent voltage regulators with shared power element components and switchable configurations, allowing operation as either one voltage regulator or multiple independent regulators, optimizing circuit area and cost without compromising performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple independent voltage regulators are used, then the power supply circuit can provide multiple output voltages, but the circuit area overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple voltage regulator functions into a single integrated circuit that can operate as either one voltage regulator with multiple outputs or multiple independent voltage regulators, sharing common circuit components to reduce overall circuit area while maintaining versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage regulator circuit is designed with multi-functionality to operate in different modes (single regulator with multiple outputs or multiple independent regulators) based on configuration, allowing the same circuit to adapt to different application requirements without requiring separate dedicated circuits for each mode
2Temperature
If oversized high-power voltage regulators are used to meet thermal limitations, then thermal management is improved, but circuit area and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power regulation function into multiple independent voltage regulator modules within the integrated circuit, allowing each module to handle moderate current levels separately, which improves thermal management by distributing heat generation across multiple smaller components rather than concentrating it in one oversized regulator
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage regulator circuit incorporates dynamic switching capability that allows it to reconfigure between different operating modes based on real-time power and thermal requirements, enabling the circuit to optimize its thermal performance and circuit area utilization dynamically rather than being fixed at an oversized design
3Reliability
If multiple independent voltage regulators are used, then each regulator can be optimized for specific outputs, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple voltage regulator functions into a single integrated circuit with shared control logic and power management resources, reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining the ability to provide multiple optimized output voltages through configurable operation modes
Data Source
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AI summary
A power supply circuit and a method for operating the power supply circuit are described. In one embodiment, a power supply circuit includes at least one input terminal to receive at least one input voltage, a power element including multiple power element components configured to convert the at least one input voltage to at least one output voltage, multiple regulator controllers configured to control the power element components for the conversion of the at least one input voltage to the at least one output voltage, at least one first switch coupled to the regulator controllers and the power element components, and multiple output terminals to output the at least one output voltage. The at least one first switch is used to configure the power supply circuit to function as either one voltage regulator or multiple independent voltage regulators. Other embodiments are also described.