Hybrid power switch
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsVivekanandan Venugopal, Ajay Kumar Bhatia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling a power switch are disclosed. A power switch may be coupled between a power supply signal and a virtual power supply signal coupled to a circuit block. The power switch may be configured to couple the power supply signal to the virtual power supply signal based on a first control signal, and reduce a voltage level of the virtual power supply signal to a voltage level less than a voltage level of the power supply signal based on a second control signal. The power switch may be further configured to change a current flowing from the power supply signal to the virtual power supply signal based on a third control signal.
Claims19
An apparatus, comprising:
- a circuit block coupled to a virtual power supply signal;
- and
- a power switch including a first device with a first terminal coupled to a power supply signal and a second terminal coupled to the virtual power supply signal, wherein the power switch is configured to:
- couple the power supply signal to the virtual power supply signal based on a first control signal;
- reduce a voltage level of the virtual power supply signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level based on a second control signal by coupling a control terminal of the first device to the virtual power supply signal, wherein the second voltage level is less than a voltage level of the power supply signal;
- and
- change a current flowing from the power supply signal to the virtual power supply signal based on a third control signal.
A method, comprising:
- coupling a power supply signal to a virtual power supply signal based by a power switch based on a first control signal, wherein the virtual power supply signal is coupled to a circuit block;
- reducing, by the power switch, a voltage level of the virtual power supply signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level based on a second control signal, wherein the second voltage level is less than a voltage level of the power supply signal;
- and
- changing a current flowing from the power supply signal to the virtual power supply signal by the power switch based on a third control signal.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having design information stored thereon, wherein the design information specifies a design of at least a portion of a hardware integrated circuit in a format recognized by a semiconductor fabrication system that is configured to use the design information to produce the hardware integrated circuit according to the design information, wherein the design information specifies that the hardware integrated circuit comprises:
- a circuit block coupled to a virtual power supply signal;
- and
- a power switch coupled to a power supply signal and the virtual power supply signal, wherein the power switch is configured to:
- couple the power supply signal to the virtual power supply signal based on a first control signal;
- reduce a voltage level of the virtual power supply signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level based on a second control signal, wherein the second voltage level is less than a voltage level of the power supply signal;
- and
- change a current flowing from the power supply signal to the virtual power supply signal based on a third control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.