Memory with dynamic voltage scaling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11295803-B2
Application number	US-202016945303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for to memories using dynamic voltage scaling are presented. The apparatus includes memory configured to communicate with a host. The memory includes a peripheral portion and a memory array. The memory is further configured to receive, from at least one power management circuit, a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage. The memory further includes a switch circuit. The switch circuit is configured to selectively provide the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage to the peripheral portion. The first supply voltage is static and has a first voltage range. The second supply voltage has a low second voltage range and a high second voltage range.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory configured to communicate with a host, the memory comprising a peripheral portion and a memory array,
the memory being further configured to receive, from at least one power management circuit, a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage,
the memory further comprising a switch circuit, the switch circuit being configured to selectively provide the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage to the peripheral portion,
the first supply voltage being static and having a first voltage range,
the second supply voltage having a low second voltage range and a high second voltage range.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the low second voltage range being lower than the first voltage range of the first supply voltage, and the high second voltage range being higher than the first voltage range of the first supply voltage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory being configured to receive a data clock operating in a plurality of frequency ranges, the plurality of frequency ranges comprising a low frequency range and a high frequency range.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , the switch circuit being configured to provide the second supply voltage to the peripheral portion in response to the data clock operating in the low frequency range and in response to the data clock operating in the high frequency range.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , the second supply voltage being at the high second voltage range in response to the data clock operating in the high frequency range.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , the second supply voltage being at the low second voltage range in response to the data clock operating in the low frequency range.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory further comprising a mode register, the switch circuit being configured to selectively provide the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage to the peripheral portion, based on the mode register.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , the mode register being configured to indicate to the host that the memory supports the second supply voltage having the low second voltage range and the high second voltage range.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 , the switch circuit being further configured to provide the first supply voltage to the peripheral portion in response to the data clock operating below the high frequency range.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , the second supply voltage transitions between the low second voltage range and the high second voltage range in response to the switch circuit providing the first supply voltage to the peripheral portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a device selected from one of a computing system, a mobile computing system, an Internet of Things device, a virtual reality system, or an augmented reality system, the device incorporating the memory, the host, and the at least one power management circuit.

12. An apparatus, comprising:
a host configured to communicate with a memory,
the memory having a peripheral portion and a memory array,
the host being further configured
to cause the memory to selectively provide a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage to the peripheral portion, the first supply voltage being static and having a first voltage range, the second supply voltage having a low second voltage range and a high second voltage range, and
to cause at least one power management circuit to set a level of the second supply voltage.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , the low second voltage range being lower than the first voltage range of the first supply voltage, and the high second voltage range being higher than the first voltage range of the first supply voltage.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , the host being further configured to provide a data clock to the memory, the data clock operating in a plurality of frequency ranges, the plurality of frequency ranges comprising a low frequency range and a high frequency range.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , the host being further configured to cause the memory to provide the second supply voltage to the peripheral portion in response to the data clock operating in the low frequency range and in response to the data clock operating in the high frequency range.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , the host being further configured to cause the at least one power management circuit to provide the second supply voltage at the high second voltage range in response to the data clock operating in the high frequency range.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , the host being further configured to cause the at least one power management circuit to provide the second supply voltage at the low second voltage range in response to the data clock operating in the low frequency range.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , the host being further configured to write into a mode register in the memory to indicate to the memory to selectively provide the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage to the peripheral portion.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , the host being further configured to read from the mode register in the memory, the mode register being configured to indicate to the host that the memory supports the second supply voltage having the low second voltage range and the high second voltage range.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , the host being further configured to cause the memory to provide the first supply voltage to the peripheral portion in response to the data clock operating below the high frequency range.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , the host being further configured to cause the at least one power management circuit to transition the second supply voltage between the low second voltage range and the high second voltage range in response to the first supply voltage being provided to the peripheral portion.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a device selected from one of a computing system, a mobile computing system, an Internet of Things device, a virtual reality system, or an augmented reality system, the device incorporating the host, the memory, and the at least one power management circuit.

23. A method to provide supply voltages to a peripheral portion of a memory, the method comprising:
receiving, by the memory from at least one power management circuit, a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage; and
providing selectively, by a switch circuit of the memory, the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage to the peripheral portion of the memory, the first supply voltage being static and having a first voltage range, the second supply voltage having a low second voltage range and a high second voltage range.

24. The method of claim 23 , the low second voltage range being lower than the first voltage range of the first supply voltage, and the high second voltage range being higher than the first voltage range of the first supply voltage.

25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
receiving, by the memory, a data clock operating in a plurality of frequency ranges, the plurality of frequency ranges comprising a low frequency range and a high frequency range.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the switch circuit provides the second supply voltage to the peripheral portion in response to the data clock operating in the low frequency range and in response to the data clock operating in the high frequency range.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc
• Chun Candace Sachi

Inventors

• Suh Jungwon
• Lo Michael Hawjing
• Chun Dexter Tamio
• Leloup Xavier Loic
• Moll Laurent Rene

Classifications

• G11C5/147

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

• G11C2207/2227

  Standby or low power modes · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title

• G06F1/324

  by lowering clock frequency · CPC title

• G11C11/4074 Primary

  Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits · CPC title