On-chip dual-supply multi-mode CMOS regulators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11095216-B2
Application number	US-201514630506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product are provided. The apparatus may be a regulator circuit. The regulator circuit includes a first voltage regulator to regulate a first input voltage to the first voltage regulator, the first voltage regulator including a P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS), and a second voltage regulator to regulate a second input voltage to the second voltage regulator, the second voltage regulator including an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS). In an aspect, the first voltage regulator is coupled to the second voltage regulator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) regulator circuit, comprising:
a first voltage regulator to regulate a first input voltage received by the first voltage regulator, the first voltage regulator including a P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) pass element;
a second voltage regulator to regulate a second input voltage received by the second voltage regulator, the second voltage regulator including an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) pass element, wherein the first voltage regulator is connected to the second voltage regulator; and
a switch circuit to select a voltage mode to selectively activate at least one of the first voltage regulator or the second voltage regulator based on the selected voltage mode to regulate a supply voltage for a VCO,
wherein the switch circuit is configured to select the voltage mode based on effects of the VCO connected to the VCO regulator circuit, and to selectively activate the at least one of the first voltage regulator or the second voltage regulator based on the effects.

2. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage regulator and the second voltage regulator are connected in series.

3. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage regulator and the second voltage regulator are connected in parallel.

4. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage regulator includes a two-stage amplifier circuit to amplify the first input voltage in two stages.

5. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second voltage regulator includes a two-stage amplifier circuit to amplify the second input voltage in two stages.

6. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second voltage regulator includes a pole-cancelation circuit.

7. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second voltage regulator includes a capacitor and a resistor, and wherein one end of the resistor is connected to the capacitor and another end of the resistor is connected to a source of the NMOS pass element.

8. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage regulator and the second voltage regulator are tunable to change a degree of input voltage regulation.

9. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage regulator and the second voltage regulator have different input impedance and output impedance.

10. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage mode is selected from one of a high voltage mode and a low voltage mode.

11. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the switch circuit is further configured to activate the first voltage regulator and the second voltage regulator at the same time.

12. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the effects of the VCO are based on one or more of: levels of phase noise, power consumption, supply coupling, or sensitivity to electromagnetic coupling.

13. The regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the effects of the VCO are based on a type of a wireless communication system.

14. A method by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) regulator circuit, comprising:
regulating, via a first voltage regulator, a first input voltage received by the first voltage regulator, the first voltage regulator including a P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) pass element;
regulating, via a second voltage regulator, a second input voltage received by the second voltage regulator, the second voltage regulator including an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) pass element, wherein the first voltage regulator is connected to the second voltage regulator; and
selecting a voltage mode, via a switch circuit, to selectively activate at least one of the first voltage regulator or the second voltage regulator based on the selected voltage mode to regulate a supply voltage for a VCO,
wherein the voltage mode is selected based on effects of the VCO connected to the VCO regulator circuit, and to selectively activate the at least one of the first voltage regulator or the second voltage regulator based on the effects.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the voltage mode is selected from one of a high voltage mode and a low voltage mode.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first voltage regulator and the second voltage regulator are activated at the same time.

17. A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) regulator circuit, comprising:
means for regulating a first input voltage received by the means for regulating the first input voltage, the means for regulating the first input voltage including a P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) pass element;
means for regulating a second input voltage received by the means for regulating the second voltage, the means for regulating the second voltage including an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) pass element, wherein the means for regulating the first input voltage is connected to the means for regulating the second voltage; and
means for selecting a voltage mode, via a switch circuit, to selectively activate at least one of the means for regulating the first input voltage or the means for regulating the second voltage based on the selected voltage mode to regulate a supply voltage for a VCO,
wherein the means for selecting the voltage mode is configured to select the voltage mode based on effects of the VCO connected to the VCO regulator circuit, and to selectively activate the at least one of the means for regulating the first input voltage or the means for regulating the second voltage based on the effects.

18. The regulator circuit of claim 17 , wherein the voltage mode is selected from one of a high voltage mode and a low voltage mode.

19. The regulator circuit of claim 17 , wherein the switch circuit is configured to active the means for regulating the first input voltage and the means for regulating the second voltage at the same time.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Lo Yung-Chung
• Zhang Gang
• Han Yiping
• Bossu Frederic
• Hung Tsai-Pi
• Chang Jae-Hong

Classifications

• H02M3/156 Primary

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

• G05F1/575 Primary

  characterised by the feedback circuit · CPC title

• H02M1/0077

  Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series · CPC title

• H02M1/00

  Details of apparatus for conversion · CPC title

• H02M2001/0077

  Electricity · mapped topic