Method for multiplexing between power supply signals for voltage limited circuits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10483974-B2
Application number	US-201816140488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2018
Priority date	Aug 8, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

In an embodiment, a system includes a plurality of functional circuits, a power supply circuit, and a power management circuit. The power supply circuit may generate a shared power signal coupled to each of the functional circuits, and to generate a plurality of adjustable power signals. One adjustable power signal may be coupled to a particular functional circuit of the functional circuits. The power management circuit may a request to the power supply circuit to change a voltage level of the one particular adjustable power signal from a first voltage to a second voltage. The particular functional circuit may couple a respective power node for a sub-circuit of the particular functional circuit to either of the shared power signal or the particular adjustable power signal. The particular functional circuit may also be configured to maintain an operational voltage level on the power node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of functional circuits;
a power supply circuit configured to:
generate a shared power signal coupled to the plurality of functional circuits; and
generate an adjustable power signal coupled to a particular functional circuit of the plurality of functional circuits; and

a power management circuit configured to send a request to the power supply circuit to change a voltage level of the adjustable power signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level;
wherein the particular functional circuit is configured to:
selectively couple a power node included in the particular functional circuit to either of the shared power signal or the adjustable power signal based on a control signal; and
maintain an operational voltage level on the power node when selectively coupling the power node to either of the shared power signal or the adjustable power signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power management circuit is further configured to assert the control signal in response to a determination that the first voltage level is greater than a voltage level of the shared power signal and the second voltage level is less than the voltage level of the shared power signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein to change the voltage level of the adjustable power signal from the first voltage level to the second voltage level, the power supply circuit is further configured to change the voltage level of the adjustable power signal to an intermediate voltage level in response to the request from the power management circuit.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the power management circuit is further configured to de-assert the control signal to cause the particular functional circuit to switch the power node in the particular functional circuit from the adjustable power signal to the shared power signal in response to a determination that the voltage level of the adjustable power signal has reached the intermediate voltage level.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the particular functional circuit is further configured to assert an acknowledge signal in response to a determination that the power node in the particular functional circuit is coupled to the shared power signal.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the power supply circuit is further configured to change the voltage level of the adjustable power signal to the second voltage level in response to the assertion of the acknowledge signal.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power management circuit is further configured to leave the control signal asserted in response to a determination that both the first voltage level and the second voltage level are greater than the voltage level of the shared power signal.

8. A method comprising:
generating, by a power supply circuit, a shared power signal coupled to a particular functional circuit included in a plurality of functional circuits;
generating, by the power supply circuit, an adjustable power signal coupled to the particular functional circuit;
requesting, by a power management circuit, to change a voltage level of the adjustable power signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level;
selectively coupling, by the particular functional circuit, a power node included in the particular functional circuit to either of the shared power signal or the adjustable power signal based on a control signal; and
maintaining an operational voltage level on the power node when selectively coupling the power node to either of the shared power signal or the adjustable power signal.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising asserting the control signal, by the power management circuit, in response to a determination that the first voltage level is less than a voltage level of the shared power signal and the second voltage level is greater than the voltage level of the shared power signal.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising asserting the control signal, by the power management circuit, in response to determining that the first voltage level is less than a threshold voltage level and the second voltage level is greater than the threshold voltage level, wherein the threshold voltage level differs from the voltage level of the shared power signal by a programmable offset.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein changing the voltage level of the adjustable power signal from the first voltage level to the second voltage level comprises changing, by the power supply circuit, the voltage level of the adjustable power signal to an intermediate voltage level.

12. The method of claim 11 , switching the power node from the adjustable power signal to the shared power signal in response to determining that the voltage level of the adjustable power signal has reached the intermediate voltage level.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising asserting an acknowledge signal, by the particular functional circuit, in response to a determination that the power node is coupled to the shared power signal.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising changing the voltage level of the adjustable power signal to the second voltage level in response to the assertion of the acknowledge signal.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the intermediate voltage level is greater than both the first voltage level and the second voltage level.

16. An apparatus, comprising:
a circuit block including a power node;
a power multiplexing circuit coupled to a shared power signal and to an adjustable power signal, and configured to:
selectively couple the power node to either of the shared power signal or the adjustable power signal based on a control signal; and
maintain an operational voltage level on the power node when selectively coupling the power node to either of the shared power signal or the adjustable power signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the power multiplexing circuit is further configured to:
couple the power node to the to the adjustable power signal while the shared power signal is coupled to the power node; and
decouple the shared power signal from the power node after the adjustable power signal has been coupled to the power node.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the power multiplexing circuit is further configured to:
couple the power node to the to the shared power signal while the adjustable power signal is coupled to the power node; and
decouple the adjustable power signal from the power node after the shared power signal has been coupled to the power node.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein to decouple the adjustable power signal from the power node, the power multiplexing circuit is further configured to delay a transition of an adjustable power disable signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the power multiplexing circuit is further configured to shift a logic voltage level of the control signal from a voltage level of the shared power signal to a voltage level of the adjustable power signal.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Cox Keith
• Zyuban Victor
• Rohrer Norman J

Classifications

• H02J1/082

  DC supplies with two or more different DC voltage levels · CPC title

• H03K19/017509 Primary

  Interface arrangements · CPC title

• G11C5/147 Primary

  Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops (G11C5/141 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03K5/01

  Shaping pulses (discrimination against noise or interference H03K5/125) · CPC title

• H03K2005/00013

  Delay, i.e. output pulse is delayed after input pulse and pulse length of output pulse is dependent on pulse length of input pulse · CPC title