Voltage Stabilizer with Active Power Consumption Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional digital circuit units face significant voltage fluctuations due to load changes, which are not adequately addressed by existing blocking capacitors, leading to reduced switching speed and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A digital circuit unit with an additional power consumption unit that monitors and anticipates load changes, activating to drain current slowly before a load change occurs, thereby smoothing the voltage fluctuations and maintaining a stable supply voltage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If blocking capacitors are used to buffer charge for load changes, then voltage fluctuations are reduced, but the response speed is too slow to balance transient load changes occurring within nanoseconds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by activating a power consumption unit before the actual load change occurs. The control unit detects an upcoming load change (e.g., mode transition) and pre-activates the power consumption unit to drain excess charge, thereby preparing the power supply network in advance. This prevents voltage fluctuations before they happen, rather than reacting after the load change occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary anti-action by introducing a counteracting power consumption unit that opposes the upcoming voltage fluctuation. When a load increase is anticipated, the power consumption unit is activated to draw current and counterbalance the voltage rise that would otherwise occur. This creates a compensating effect that neutralizes the harmful voltage fluctuation before it impacts the circuit block.
2Quantity of substance
If off-chip capacitors are used to provide necessary capacitance, then voltage fluctuations are buffered, but bond or bump inductances still cause voltage fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a power consumption unit as an intermediary element between the voltage source and the circuit block. This intermediary actively manages voltage fluctuations by consuming or releasing power as needed, mediating the interaction between the power supply network and the load. The power consumption unit compensates for the limitations of both off-chip and on-chip capacitors by providing active control rather than passive buffering.
3Speed
If on-chip capacitors are used to provide fast response, then transient load changes are balanced quickly, but chip area requirement increases and capacitance remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power management function into separate controllable units. Instead of relying on a single large on-chip capacitor, the system divides the power supply network into multiple segments, each with its own power consumption unit that can be independently controlled. This allows for distributed power management that achieves fast response without requiring a single large capacitor occupying significant chip area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the static capacitor-based power buffering approach into a dynamic system. The power consumption unit's activation state is dynamically controlled based on real-time detection of load changes and voltage conditions. This dynamic control allows the system to adapt its power consumption characteristics continuously, achieving fast response to transient load changes without the need for large fixed capacitance values.
4Stability of the object's composition
If voltage fluctuations are reduced by conventional means, then supply voltage stability improves, but switching speed is reduced by up to 10%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback-based control system where the control unit continuously monitors the power supply network's state, including voltage levels and load conditions. Based on this feedback, the control unit dynamically adjusts the activation state of the power consumption unit. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain voltage stability while adapting to changing load conditions, thereby preserving switching speed that would otherwise be reduced by conventional fixed capacitor approaches.
Data Source
AI summary
A digital circuit unit includes at least one circuit block, a voltage source for supplying the circuit block, a detection unit, which monitors the change of current drain by the at least one circuit block, an additional power consumption unit, which upon activation consumes power in addition to the at least one circuit block, and a control unit, which controls the power consumption unit in such a way that upon a change in the power consumption of the circuit block the power consumption unit is activated and drains current.