Voltage regulator with variable impedance element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9417643-B2
Application number	US-201313842930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A method includes receiving, at a voltage regulator, an activity adjustment signal from a digital circuit. The method also includes controlling one or more variable impedance elements of the voltage regulator to modify an output voltage provided to the digital circuit. The output voltage is based at least in part on the activity adjustment signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit comprising:
a voltage regulator configured to receive an activity adjustment signal from a digital circuit and to provide an output voltage to the digital circuit, the voltage regulator including:
a first variable impedance element;
a second variable impedance element;
an active device configured to generate a first control signal to control the second variable impedance element; and
control logic responsive to the activity adjustment signal, the control logic distinct from the active device, wherein the control logic is configured generate a second control signal to control the first variable impedance element, and wherein the output voltage is based at least in part on the first variable impedance element and the second variable impedance element.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator is configured to increase the output voltage in response to a predicted increase in current demand of the digital circuit, the predicted increase indicated by the activity adjustment signal, and wherein the control logic is distinct from the first variable impedance element.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator is comprises a low drop out (LDO) regulator, and wherein the activity adjustment signal includes a plurality of activity adjustment signals.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the activity adjustment signal is configured to indicate a number of threads executed by the digital circuit.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the activity adjustment signal is configured to indicate a number of instructions to be executed during one or more subsequent clock cycles.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the activity adjustment signal is configured to indicate a type of instruction to be executed during one or more subsequent clock cycles.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the activity adjustment signal is configured to indicate receipt of an interrupt.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the activity adjustment signal is configured to indicate a cache miss event.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the activity adjustment signal is configured to indicate arrival of data from a bus.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the digital circuit includes at least one processor.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the control logic is configured to predict a processing activity level of the digital circuit based on the activity adjustment signal.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator is responsive to a clock signal, wherein the clock signal is a phase shifted version of a digital circuit clock signal, and wherein the digital circuit is responsive to the digital circuit clock signal.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator includes a plurality of passive p-type metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (pMOSFETs), n-type MOSFETS, p-type FinFETs, n-type FinFETs, or any combination thereof.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator includes a switch mode power supply, and wherein the switch mode power supply includes a plurality of passive elements.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first variable impedance element, the second variable impedance element, or both include one or more resistors.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the active device comprises a voltage comparator.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first variable impedance element and the second variable impedance element are coupled in parallel to a voltage supply.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first variable impedance element includes multiple transistors and a passive device.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator is configured to increase the output voltage to reduce a drop of the output voltage associated with an increase in current consumption of the digital circuit.

20. A method comprising:
receiving, at a voltage regulator, an activity adjustment signal from a digital circuit;
generating, at control logic that is distinct from the digital circuit, a first control signal to control a digital variable impedance element of the voltage regulator; and
generating, at an active device that is distinct from the control logic and is distinct from the digital circuit, a second control signal to control an analog variable impedance element of the voltage regulator, wherein an output voltage provided to the digital circuit from the voltage regulator is based at least in part on the digital variable impedance element and the analog variable impedance element of the voltage regulator.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising varying a resistance of the digital variable impedance element in response to the first control signal.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising varying a phase of a current that drives the digital variable impedance element in response to the first control signal.

23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising varying phases of multiple currents that drive the digital variable impedance element in response to the first control signal.

24. The method of claim 20 , further comprising increasing the output voltage in response to the activity adjustment signal indicating a predicted increase in current demand of the digital circuit.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the activity adjustment signal indicates a number of threads being executed by on the digital circuit, a number of instructions to be executed in one or more subsequent clock cycles, a type of instruction to be executed in one or more subsequent clock cycles, an interrupt signal associated with the digital circuit transitioning from a sleep state to a wake-up state, a cache miss read event, or a combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the activity adjustment signal corresponds to a projected processing activity of the digital circuit during one or more subsequent clock cycles.

27. The method of claim 20 , further comprising receiving a clock signal at the voltage regulator, wherein the clock signal is a phase shifted version of a digital circuit clock signal, and wherein the digital circuit is responsive to the digital circuit clock signal.

28. An apparatus comprising:
means for receiving, at a voltage regulator, an activity adjustment signal from a digital circuit;
means for generating a first control signal to control a first variable impedance element of the voltage regulator; and
means for generating a second control signal to control a second variable impedance element of the voltage regulator, the means for generating the second control signal distinct from the means for generating the first control signal, wherein an output voltage provided to the digital circuit from the voltage regulator is based at least in part on the first variable impedance element and the second variable impedance element.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a computer to perforin operations comprising:
receiving, at a voltage regulator, an activity adjustment signal from a digital circuit;
generating, via control logic that is distinct from the digital circuit, a first

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Saint-Laurent Martin
• Wang Yuhe

Classifications

• G05F1/468 Primary

  characterised by reference voltage circuitry, e.g. soft start, remote shutdown · CPC title

• H02M2003/1566

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G05F1/462

  as a function of the requirements of the load, e.g. delay, temperature, specific voltage/current characteristic · CPC title

• G11C5/141

  Battery and back-up supplies · CPC title

• G11C5/147

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