Voltage Regulator Sensing Modules for Transient Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional voltage regulators face inefficiencies and increased chip area due to complex structures and additional paths, which do not significantly improve performance.
Innovation Solution
A voltage regulator apparatus comprising a bandgap reference circuit, multiple sensing modules, and a voltage regulator module that generates and regulates output voltage by sensing variations to control it, reducing abrupt changes without additional paths or elements, thereby enhancing performance and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If additional paths and elements are configured in a traditional voltage regulator to improve operation efficiency, then the operation efficiency is improved, but the chip area increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensing functions (over-voltage protection, under-voltage protection, transient response control) into a single integrated sensing module that shares common circuitry. The sensing module integrates voltage division circuits, comparison circuits, and control circuits that work together to perform multiple functions simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate additional paths and elements for each function, thus improving operation efficiency without significantly increasing chip area
2Reliability
If the structure of a traditional voltage regulator is made more complicated to improve performance, then the performance is improved, but the structure becomes too complicated without remarkable improvement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the voltage regulator into distinct functional modules: a voltage regulator module for basic voltage regulation, and a sensing module for monitoring and control. The sensing module is further segmented into voltage division circuits, comparison circuits, and control circuits that operate independently but coordinate together. This modular segmentation improves performance by allowing each module to be optimized for its specific function while keeping the overall structure manageable and not excessively complicated
3Speed
If additional sensing modules are added to control output voltage variations, then the transient response is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing module is designed with multi-functionality to perform over-voltage protection, under-voltage protection, and transient response control using the same basic circuit structure. The voltage division circuits, comparison circuits, and control circuits work together to achieve multiple protection and control functions simultaneously, improving transient response without proportionally increasing device complexity through redundant additional modules
Data Source
AI summary
A voltage regulator apparatus and an associated method are provided, where the voltage regulator apparatus includes: a voltage regulator module for regulating an input voltage according to a bandgap reference voltage to generate an output voltage; and a plurality of sensing modules. Ina situation where the output voltage abruptly decreases, a sensing module reduces, based on a variation amount of the output voltage, a decrement of the output voltage. In a situation where the output voltage abruptly increases, another sensing module reduces, based on another variation amount of the output voltage, an increment of the output voltage. In addition, yet another sensing module senses variation of the output voltage, converts the variation of the output voltage into a current signal, and applies the current signal to a control terminal within the voltage regulator module to indirectly control the output voltage.