Electronic device including a power management integrated circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10075071-B2
Application number	US-201715652701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2017
Priority date	Aug 9, 2016
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device includes a load device and a power management integrated circuit. The power management integrated circuit is configured to calculate a load power value and provide the load power value to the load device in response to a request from the load device. The power management integrated circuit includes a plurality of regulators and a controller. Each of the plurality of regulators includes a current meter for measuring a load current value to be provided to the load device, and the controller is configured to calculate the load power value by using the load current value measured by the current meter and a load voltage value provided from each of the plurality of regulators to the load device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a power management integrated circuit configured to calculate a load power value and provide the load power value to a load device in response to a request from the load device connected to the power management integrated circuit,
wherein the power management integrated circuit comprises:
a plurality of regulators, each comprising a current meter for measuring a load current value to be provided to the load device; and
a controller configured to calculate the load power value by using the load current value measured by the current meter and a load voltage value provided from each of the plurality of regulators to the load device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power management integrated circuit further comprises:
a multiplexer configured to select the load current value provided by one of the plurality of regulators; and
an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the selected load current value provided from the multiplexer to output a converted load current value.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the load device is configured to provide an enable signal and a regulator selection signal to the power management integrated circuit,
the multiplexer is configured to select the load current value provided by one of the plurality of regulators in response to the regulator selection signal, and
the ADC is configured to provide the converted load current value to the controller.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the load power value by using the selected load current value converted by the ADC and the load voltage value provided from one of the plurality of regulators, and
the controller is configured to provide the load power value with an interrupt signal to the load device.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the current meter of each of the plurality of regulators is configured to convert the load current value into a voltage level and to provide the voltage level to the multiplexer.

6. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the multiplexer is configured to receive an output voltage of an output terminal of each of the plurality of regulators, and configured to select and output either the load current value of one of the plurality of regulators or the output voltage of one of the plurality of regulators.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of regulators is configured to adjust the load voltage value thereof by adjusting a switching period in accordance with a voltage command value provided by the controller, and
the controller is configured to calculate the load power value by using the voltage command value and the load current value.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of regulators comprises a buck converter, and
the current meter is configured to measure a current value flowing through an inductor included in the buck converter.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the buck converter comprises a PMOS transistor connected to a power supply voltage and an NMOS transistor connected to a ground voltage, and
the PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor are turned on/off alternately according to a predetermined cycle to generate an output voltage.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the load device is configured to provide an enable signal and a regulator selection signal to the power management integrated circuit, and
the power management integrated circuit is configured to measure the load current value of one of the plurality of regulators corresponding to the regulator selection signal in response to the enable signal, and to provide the load power value with an interrupt signal to the load device.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a power management integrated circuit configured to calculate a load power value and provide the load power value to a load device in response to a request from the load device connected to the power management integrated circuit,
wherein the power management integrated circuit comprises:
at least one regulator comprising a current meter for measuring a load current value to be provided to the load device; and
a controller comprising an arithmetic unit configured to calculate the load power value by using the load current value measured by the at least one regulator and a load voltage value provided from the at least one regulator to the load device.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the controller comprises a register configured to store a change history of the load current value and the load voltage value.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to receive the change history of the load current value and the load voltage value stored in the register, and to calculate an average value of the load power value over a predetermined time period.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to generate a voltage command value for controlling an output voltage of the at least one regulator and provide the voltage command value to the at least one regulator, and
the arithmetic unit is configured to calculate the load power value by using the load current value and the voltage command value.

15. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one regulator comprises a buck converter, and
the current meter is configured to measure a current value flowing through an inductor included in the buck converter.

16. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a load device and a power management integrated circuit, the method comprising:
determining whether a first enable signal and a control signal have been received from the load device;
selecting, at a multiplexer included in the power management integrated circuit, a load current value in response to the control signal;
performing analog-to-digital conversion of the load current value to output a digital load current value;
storing a change history of a voltage command value, generated by a controller included in the power management integrated circuit, over a predetermined amount of time;
calculating an average value of the voltage command value using the change history; and
determining a load voltage value using the average value of the voltage command value,
calculating a load power value using the digital load current value and the load voltage value; and
outputting the load power value to the load device.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein outputting the load power value is terminated if a second enable signal is not received.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the load power value is continuously updated and output to the load device until a turn-off signal is provided from the load device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Young Min
• Lee Young Hoon
• Ko Yus
• Yu Hwa Yeal
• Choi Min Ho

Classifications

• H02M1/08

  Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters · CPC title

• H02M2001/0019

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M3/1584

  with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel · CPC title

• H02M3/156 Primary

  with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators · CPC title

• H02M2003/1566

  Electricity · mapped topic