Adjusting source voltage based on operating voltage response

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10498219-B2
Application number	US-201514918163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus and a method to adjust a source voltage based on an operating voltage response are provided. The apparatus includes a circuit configured to change state from a first state to a second state comprising receiving an operating voltage from a power source through a power distribution network. The apparatus further includes a sensor configured to measure an operating voltage response to the circuit changing state to receiving the operating voltage. The apparatus further includes a control circuit configured to adjust a source voltage at the power source based on the operating voltage response measured by the sensor. The method includes changing a state to receiving an operating voltage from a power source through a power distribution network, measuring an operating voltage response to the changing state to receiving the operating voltage, and adjusting the source voltage at the power source based on the measured operating voltage response.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a circuit configured to change state from not receiving an operating voltage to receiving an operating voltage from a power source through a power distribution network;
a sensor configured to measure an operating voltage response to the circuit changing state to receiving the operating voltage;
a control circuit configured to adjust a source voltage at the power source based on ringing in the operating voltage response measured by the sensor, the control circuit further configured to reduce ringing in the operating voltage response based on the operating voltage response measured by the sensor; and
a plurality of switches through which the circuit receives the operating voltage, wherein the circuit is configured to change state in response to the control circuit closing the switches, wherein the control circuit is further configured to initially close a first set of the plurality of switches followed by closing a second set of the plurality of switches after a delay to reduce ringing, wherein the second set of the plurality of switches having a greater number of unit switches.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to adjust the source voltage at the power source based on resonance frequency of the operating voltage response.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to adjust the source voltage at the power source by determining an inductance from the operating voltage response and adjusting the source voltage based on the inductance.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the circuit is configured to change state to receiving the operating voltage in response to both sets of switches close at the one time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sensors, including the sensor, disposed in different locations and configured to measure operating voltage responses in the different locations, wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the source voltage at the power source based on an average of the operating voltage responses.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to adjust the source voltage at the power source based on an impedance profile determined from the operating voltage response.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine the impedance profile over a range of operating frequencies of the circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit characterizes the power distribution network and adjusts a voltage margin based on characteristics of the power distribution network.

9. A method to adjust a source voltage, comprising:
changing a state from not receiving an operating voltage to receiving an operating voltage from a power source through a power distribution network;
measuring an operating voltage response to the changing state to receiving the operating voltage;
adjusting the source voltage at the power source based on ringing in the operating voltage response, and reducing ringing in the operating voltage response based on the measuring of the operating voltage response; and
wherein the changing state comprises closing a plurality of switches through which the operating voltage is received, including initially closing a first set of the plurality of switches followed by closing a second set of the plurality of switches after a delay to reduce ringing, wherein the second set of the plurality of switches having a greater number of unit switches.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the adjusting the source voltage at the power source is based on resonance frequency of the operating voltage response.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining an inductance from the operating voltage response, wherein the adjusting the source voltage at the power source is based on the inductance.

12. The method of claim 9 , comprising measuring operating voltage responses in different locations, wherein the adjusting the source voltage at the power source is based on an average of the operating voltage responses.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining an impedance profile determined from the operating voltage response, wherein the adjusting the source voltage at the power source is based on the determined impedance profile.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the impedance profile is determined over a range of operating frequencies.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a circuit configured to receive an operating voltage from a power source through a power distribution network;
a sensor configured to measure an operating voltage response to the power source having been applied to the circuit;
a control circuit configured to detect ringing in the operating voltage response and to adjust a source voltage based on the detected ringing to reduce ringing in the operating voltage response; and
a plurality of switches through which the circuit receives the operating voltage, wherein the sensor is further configured to measure the operating voltage response when the power source is applied to the circuit by the control circuit closing each of the switches, wherein the control circuit is further configured to initially close a first set of the plurality of switches followed by closing a second set of the plurality of switches after a delay to reduce ringing, wherein the second set of the plurality of switches having a greater number of unit switches.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to adjust the source voltage at the power source based on resonance frequency determined from the ringing in the operating voltage response.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to adjust the source voltage at the power source by determining an inductance from the ringing and adjusting the source voltage based on the inductance.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the sensor is configured to measure the operating voltage response in response to both sets of switches close at the one time.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of sensors, including the sensor, disposed in different locations and configured to measure operating voltage responses in the different locations, wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the source voltage at the power source based on an average of the operating voltage responses.

20. An apparatus, comprising:
a circuit configured to receive an operating voltage from a power source through a power distribution network;
a sensor configured to measure an operating voltage response to the power source having been applied to the circuit;
a control circuit configured to detect a resonance frequency in the operating voltage response and a second peak, and to adjust a source voltage based on the resonance frequency to reduce ringing in the operating voltage response based on the resonance frequency; and
a plurality of switches through which the circuit receives the operating voltage, wherein the sensor is further configured to measure the operating voltage response when the power source is applied to the circuit by the control circuit closing each of the switches, wherein the control circuit is further configured to initially close a first set of the plurality of switches followed by closing a second set of the plurality of switches after a delay to reduce ringing, wherein the second set of the plurality of

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Wang Lingyun
• Pan Yuan-Cheng
• Zhang Junmou
• Chen Nan
• Allam Mohamed Waleed

Classifications

• H02M1/14 Primary

  Arrangements for reducing ripples from DC input or output · CPC title

• H02M3/156

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

• G06F1/26

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• G06F1/3296

  by lowering the supply or operating voltage · CPC title

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title