# US 10,481,673 B2 · Multi-port extension for multi-rail point-to-point power management interfaces > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,673 B2 - Document ID: US10481673B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/634,510 - Filed: 2017-06-27 - Published: 2018-12-27 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-27 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies Austria AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies Austria AG - Inventors: Benjamim Tang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481673B2 ## CPC - H02J 13/1321: {using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus} - G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) - G06F 1/266: {Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips} - G06F 1/3253: {Power saving in bus} - G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage - G06F 13/4291: {using a clocked protocol} - H02J 1/08: Three-wire DC power distribution systems; Systems having more than three wires - G06F 13/364: using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines - H02M 1/0012: {Control circuits using digital or numerical techniques (in DC/DC converters H02M3/157, H02M3/33515; in DC-AC converters H02M7/53873)} - H02M 1/008: {Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators} - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract A power converter system is provided that supports multiple voltage rails through a plurality of point-to-point power management communication buses. The power converter system includes a plurality of power converters each of which is operable to output an independent voltage rail regulated at a defined voltage level, a plurality of ports each of which is configured for point-to-point communication over a dedicated serial communication power management bus with single and multiple voltage rail support, each port being dedicated to a single serial communication power management bus, the power converter system having fewer ports than voltage rails, and configuration logic operable to flexibly assign each power converter to one of the ports based on configuration information stored in or provided to the power converter system, so that each power converter communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the port assigned to that power converter is dedicated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power converter system supporting multiple voltage rails through a plurality of point-to-point power management communication buses, the power converter system comprising: a plurality of power converters each of which is operable to output an independent voltage rail regulated at a defined voltage level; a plurality of ports, each of which is configured for point-to-point communication over a serial communication power management bus with single and multiple voltage rail support, each port being dedicated to the serial communication power management bus for which that port is configured, the power converter system having fewer ports than voltage rails; and configuration logic operable to flexibly assign each power converter to one of the ports based on configuration information stored in or provided to the power converter system, so that each power converter communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the port assigned to that power converter is dedicated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power converter system of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises system configuration bits which indicate power converter-to-port assignments for the plurality of power converters. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power converter system of claim 1, further comprising a controller operable to communicate information associated with one of the power converters over the serial communication power management bus to which the port assigned to that power converter is dedicated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power converter system of claim 1, wherein the power converter system comprises a first power converter entity which includes a first subset of the power converters and a first one of the ports and a second power converter entity separate from the first power converter entity and which includes a second subset of the power converters and a second one of the ports, and wherein the configuration logic is operable to flexibly assign the first subset of power converters to the first port and the second subset of power converters to the second port based on the configuration information, so that each power converter in the first subset of the power converters communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the first port is dedicated and each power converter in the second subset of the power converters communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the second port is dedicated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The power converter system of claim 1, wherein each power converter is included in a single power converter entity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power converter system of claim 1, wherein each port is configured to support the serial communication power management bus dedicated to that port, wherein said serial communication power management bus includes a first wire for carrying clock information, a second wire for carrying information from an electronic system in communication with the power converter system over the serial communication power management bus, and a third wire for carrying information from the power converter system to the electronic system over the serial communication power management bus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power converter system of claim 1, wherein each port is configured to support the serial communication power management bus dedicated to that port, wherein said serial communication power management bus includes a first wire for carrying clock information and a second wire for carrying bidirectional information between the power converter system and an electronic system in communication with the power converter system over the serial communication power management bus. ### Claim 8 An electronic system, comprising: a plurality of electrical loads, each of which is configured to be powered by one or more independent voltage rails, each regulated at a defined voltage level; a plurality of ports, each of which is configured for point-to-point communication over a serial communication power management bus with single and multiple voltage rail support, each port being dedicated to the serial communication power management bus for which that port is configured, the electronic system having fewer ports than voltage rails; and configuration logic operable to flexibly assign each electrical load to one of the ports based on configuration information stored in or provided to the electronic system, so that each electrical load communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the port assigned to that electrical load is dedicated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic system of claim 8, wherein the configuration information comprises system configuration bits which indicate electrical load-to-port assignments for the plurality of electrical loads. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The electronic system of claim 8, further comprising a controller operable to communicate information associated with one of the electrical loads over the serial communication power management bus to which the port assigned to that electrical load is dedicated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The electronic system of claim 8, wherein the electronic system comprises a first electronic system entity which includes a first subset of the electrical loads and a first one of the ports and a second electronic system entity separate from the first electronic system entity and which includes a second subset of the electrical loads and a second one of the ports, and wherein the configuration logic is operable to flexibly assign the first subset of electrical loads to the first port and the second subset of electrical loads to the second port based on the configuration information, so that each electrical load in the first subset of the electrical loads communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the first port is dedicated and each electrical load in the second subset of the electrical loads communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the second port is dedicated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The electronic system of claim 8, wherein each electrical load is included in a single electronic system entity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The electronic system of claim 8, wherein each port is configured to support the serial communication power management bus dedicated to that port, wherein said serial communication power management bus includes a first wire for carrying clock information, a second wire for carrying information from the electronic system to a power converter system in communication with the electronic system over the serial communication power management bus, and a third wire for carrying information from the power converter system to the electronic system over the serial communication power management bus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The electronic system of claim 8, wherein each port is configured to support the serial communication power management bus dedicated to that port, wherein said serial communication power management bus includes a first wire for carrying clock information and a second wire for carrying bidirectional information between the electronic system and a power converter system in communication with the electronic system over the serial communication power management bus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The electronic system of claim 8, wherein the electrical loads are included in at least one of an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), a processor and a memory device, and wherein the independent voltage rails are different voltage domains of the at least one of the ASIC, processor and memory device. ### Claim 16 An apparatus, comprising: a point-to-point power management interface comprising a plurality of serial communication power management buses, each of which is configured for point-to-point communication with single and multiple voltage rail support; a power converter system comprising: a plurality of power converters, each of which is operable to output an independent voltage rail regulated at a defined voltage level; a plurality of ports, each of which is dedicated to one of the plurality of serial communication power management buses, the power converter system having fewer ports than voltage rails; and configuration logic operable to flexibly assign each power converter to one of the ports of the power converter system based on configuration information stored in or provided to the power converter system, so that each power converter communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the port assigned to that power converter is dedicated; and an electronic system comprising: a plurality of electrical loads each of which is configured to be powered by at least one of the voltage rails provided by the power converter system; a plurality of ports each, of which is dedicated to one of the plurality of serial communication power management buses, the electronic system having fewer ports than voltage rails; and configuration logic operable to flexibly assign each electrical load to one of the ports of the electronic system based on configuration information stored in or provided to the electronic system, so that each electrical load communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the port assigned to that electrical load is dedicated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the power converter system comprises a first power converter entity which includes a first subset of the power converters and a first one of the ports of the power converter system and a second power converter entity separate from the first power converter entity and which includes a second subset of the power converters and a second one of the ports of the power converter system, and wherein the configuration logic of the power converter system is operable to flexibly assign the first subset of power converters to the first port and the second subset of power converters to the second port so that each power converter in the first subset of the power converters communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the first port is dedicated and each power converter in the second subset of the power converters communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the second port is dedicated. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electronic system comprises a first electronic system entity which includes a first subset of the electrical loads and a first one of the ports of the electronic system and a second electronic system entity separate from the first electronic system entity and which includes a second subset of the electrical loads and a second one of the ports of the electronic system, and wherein the configuration logic of the electronic system is operable to flexibly assign the first subset of electrical loads to the first port and the second subset of electrical loads to the second port so that each electrical load in the first subset of the electrical loads communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the first port is dedicated and each electrical load in the second subset of the electrical loads communicates over the serial communication power management bus to which the second port is dedicated. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of serial communication power management buses includes a first wire for carrying clock information, a second wire for carrying information from the electronic system to the power converter system, and a third wire for carrying information from the power converter system to the electronic system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of serial communication power management buses includes a first wire for carrying clock information and a second wire for carrying bidirectional information between the power converter system and the electronic system.