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US 2004/0000895 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for operating a voltage regulator based on inductor current detection
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorThovane Solivan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed matter, a voltage regulator may supply power to one or more components within a computer system. The voltage regulator may include an inductor and a current detection circuit to detect current through the inductor. When the inductor current is detected to be above a threshold, the voltage regulator operates synchronously. When the inductor current is detected to be below the threshold, the voltage regulator operates non-synchronously.
Claims26
A voltage regulator comprising:
- an inductor;
- a current detection circuit to detect current through the inductor;
- and
- a plurality of power transistors to operate synchronously when the circuit detects that the current is above a threshold.
1 more element
A computer system comprising:
- a component;
- and
- a voltage regulator including an inductor, the voltage regulator to supply power to the component and to operate synchronously or non-synchronously depending on current through the inductor.
A method comprising:
- determining a current through an inductor of a voltage regulator;
- operating the voltage regulator synchronously when the current is determined to be above a threshold;
- and
- operating the voltage regulator non-synchronously when the current is determined to be below the threshold.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.