Power management integrated circuit for supplying load current information and electronic device having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10205388-B2
Application number	US-201514872285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2015
Priority date	Oct 17, 2014
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

An electronic device includes a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) including a plurality of regulators. Each of the plurality of regulators has a current meter configured to measure a respective load current. A load device is configured to receive real-time load current information from the PMIC and to perform a performance improvement operation based on the real-time load current information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) including a plurality of regulators, each of the plurality of regulators having a current meter configured to measure a respective load current, the PMIC configured to generate real-time load current information in response to a request and a control signal; and
a load device configured to generate the request and the control signal and send the request and the control signal to the PMIC, the load device further configured to receive the real-time load current information from the PMIC and to perform a performance improvement operation based on the real-time load current information, the control signal including selection information identifying one of the plurality of regulators and information regarding a time or parameter for measuring the respective load current.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the PMIC is configured to measure a load current output from at least one of the plurality of regulators in response to a request from the load device and supply the measured load current as the real-time load current information.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein
each of the plurality of regulators includes a switching regulator configured to switch an input voltage and supply the switched input voltage to the load device, and
the current meter is configured to calculate an average value of a switching current and supply the average value as the load current, the switching current being based on the switched input voltage.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein
each of the plurality of regulators includes a boost converter or a buck-boost converter, and
the current meter is configured to detect a drain-source voltage of a transistor for switching between an inductor of the boost converter or the buck-boost converter and an output terminal, and output the detected drain-source voltage as the load current.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein
each of the plurality of regulators includes a buck converter, and
the current meter is configured to detect an inductor current of the buck converter and output the detected inductor current as the load current.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the PMIC comprises:
a selector configured to select load current information of the plurality of regulators according to the selection information from the load device;
an analog digital converter configured to transform the selected load current information into a digital signal; and
control logic configured to control the selector according to the selection information and to store the digital signal as the real-time load current information.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the control logic includes a plurality of registers configured to store the load current information.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the PMIC includes an interrupt generator configured to supply a ready signal to the load device if detection of the real-time load current information requested from the load device is complete.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the PMIC includes an interface configured to receive request information from the load device and supply the real-time load current information to the load device.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the performance improvement operation includes at least one of a thermal throttling operation, a power control operation, or a dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) operation.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the load device is configured to retrieve the real-time load current information from the PMIC upon receiving the ready signal.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of regulators includes a switching regulator and each switching regulator includes:
an inductor configured to receive an input voltage at a first terminal;
a first transistor configured to switch between a second terminal of the inductor and a ground voltage; and
a second transistor configured to switch between the second terminal of the inductor and an output terminal, wherein
the current meter is configured to sense a differential voltage of a drain-source node of the second transistor and to supply the sensed differential voltage as the real-time load current information.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are complementarily driven.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the current meter comprises:
an input selector configured to receive the differential voltage if the second transistor is turned on;
a voltage-current converter configured to transform the differential voltage selected by the input selector into a current signal; and
a low pass filter (LPF) configured to transform the current signal into a signal having a constant level and supply the signal having the constant level as the real-time load current information.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the input selector comprises:
a first switch configured to transmit a voltage of a drain-source node of the second transistor to an input terminal of the voltage-current converter if the second transistor is turned on; and
a second switch configured to short drain and source nodes of the second transistor if the second transistor is turned off.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of regulators includes a switching regulator and each switching regulator includes:
an inductor;
a first transistor configured to transmit an input voltage by switching a terminal of the inductor; and
a second transistor connected between the terminal of the inductor and a ground voltage, wherein
the current meter is configured to supply the load current to the terminal of the inductor, the load current having a direct current (DC) current level.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the current meter comprises:
a current sensor configured to detect the load current flowing to the terminal of the inductor;
a pseudo current generator configured to detect a peak value of the detected current and generate a pseudo current with a square wave form; and
an averaging circuit configured to calculate an average value of the pseudo current and supply the calculated average value as the load current having the DC current level.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the pseudo current generator is configured to generate the pseudo current based on the peak value and a driving signal of at least one of the first transistor and the second transistor.

19. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the current meter includes a current limiter configured to supply a peak value of the load current as a fixed peak value and calculate the load current using the fixed peak value.

Assignees

• Choi Minho
• Ko Yus
• Keum Dongjin
• Yu Hwa Yeal
• Lee Younghoon
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Minho
• Ko Yus
• Keum Dongjin
• Yu Hwa Yeal
• Lee Younghoon

Classifications

• H02M3/1584

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

• H02M3/158 Primary

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title

• G01R19/0092

  Measuring current only · CPC title

• H02M2001/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M1/008

  Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators · CPC title