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US 10,541,019 B2Granted
Apparatuses and methods for dynamic voltage and frequency switching for dynamic random access memory
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorDean Gans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to one embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first power supply having a first fixed voltage, a second power supply having a second fixed voltage, a plurality of circuits coupled to the first power supply via a first switch and the second power supply via a second switch, and a power control circuit configured to selectively enable one of the first switch and the second switch responsive to power demand information.
Claims14
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first voltage rail configured to provide a first voltage;
- a second voltage rail configured to provide a second voltage, wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage;
- a local domain power block including first internal circuits and second internal circuits;
- a first switch configured to be enabled to couple the first voltage to the first internal circuits responsive to a first operating frequency and configured to be disabled to decouple the first voltage from the first internal circuits responsive to a second operating frequency, wherein the second operating frequency is less than the first operating frequency;
- and
- a second switch configured to be enabled to couple the second voltage to the first internal circuits responsive to the second operating frequency and configured to be disabled to decouple the second voltage from the first internal circuits responsive to the first operating frequency,
- wherein the second internal circuits are configured to be powered by the first voltage for both the first and second operating frequencies.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising a memory device,
- wherein the memory device comprises:
- a mode register configured to store power demand information;
- a first internal circuit;
- a power control circuit configured to, responsive to the power demand information indicating a first state, cause the first internal circuit to receive a first power voltage and operate on the first power voltage, the power control circuit further configured to, responsive to the power demand information indicating a second state, cause the first internal circuit to receive a second power voltage and operate on the second power voltage;
- a second internal circuit configured to operate on the first power voltage irrespective of the power demand information indicating any one of the first state and the second state;
- and
- a third internal circuit configured to operate on the second power voltage irrespective of the power demand information indicating any one of the first state and the second state,
- wherein the first power voltage is greater than the second power voltage.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- operating first internal circuits from a first power voltage responsive to a first frequency set point (FSP);
- switching from operating the first internal circuits from the first power voltage to operating the first internal circuits from a second power voltage responsive to changing from the first FSP to a second FSP;
- operating second internal circuits from the first power voltage for both the first and second FSPs;
- and
- operating third internal circuits from the second power voltage for both the first and second FSPs.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.