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US 11,742,754 B2Granted
Enhanced constant-on-time buck intellectual property apparatus and method
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsAnup J Deka, Shobhit Tyagi, Sudhir Polarouthu, Biranchinath Sahu
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Abstract
A one-shot inductor current scheme which includes a controller to generate a signal to control a high-side switch and a low-side switch such that the high-side switch remains turned on beyond a turn-on time if a voltage level on an output supply rail remains below a reference. The scheme reduces the minimum operating voltage Vmin and/or frequency guard-band of the SoCs (system-on-chips).
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a bridge including a high-side switch and a low-side switch, wherein the high-side switch is coupled in series with the low-side switch;
- a comparator to compare a voltage level on an output supply rail, coupled to the bridge, with a reference;
- and
- a modulator to receive an output of the comparator, wherein:
- in response to the output of the comparator, the modulator is to generate a signal to control the high-side switch and the low-side switch,
- the signal is to turn on the high-side switch for a turn-on time when the voltage level on the output supply rail falls below the reference, and
- at an expiration of the turn-on time, if the voltage level on the output supply rail remains below the reference, the signal is to continue to turn on the high-side switch until the voltage level on the output supply rail is above the reference.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a bridge including a high-side switch and a low-side switch, wherein the low-side switch is coupled in series with the high-side switch;
- an inductor coupled to the bridge;
- a capacitor coupled to the inductor and an output supply rail;
- and
- a controller to generate a signal to control the high-side switch and the low-side switch such that the high-side switch remains turned on beyond a turn-on time if a voltage level on the output supply rail remains below a reference, wherein the controller receives an output of a comparator to determine, after the high-side switch is turned on and after the turn-on time expires, if an on-pulse, that determines the turn-on time, is sufficient to charge the voltage level on the output supply rail above the reference.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a memory;
- a processor core coupled to the memory;
- and
- a voltage regulator to power the processor core, wherein the voltage regulator comprises:
- a bridge including a high-side switch and a low-side switch, wherein the low-side switch is coupled in series with the high-side switch;
- a comparator to compare a voltage level on an output supply rail, coupled to the bridge, with a reference;
- a circuitry to generate a turn-on time for an on-pulse;
- and
- a modulator to generate the on-pulse to turn on the high-side switch for a duration of the turn-on time and to keep the high-side switch turned on beyond an expiration of the turn-on time if the voltage level on the output supply rail remains below the reference at the expiration of the turn-on time.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.