US 2006/0186937 A1 · Active noise regulator

Abstract

The invention proposes noise suppression circuits mounted on the package of a high power, high frequency ULSI component. In this architecture, termed an active noise regulator (ANR), charge is stored on dedicated reservoir capacitors at a voltage substantially higher than the operating voltage of the ULSI device. These reservoir capacitors are mounted upon active circuits packaged to match the size and form factor of the capacitors and this assembly is then attached to the package substrate. Charge is conveyed from the reservoir capacitors to the ULSI power grid when there is a sudden load current demand in the ULSI device. The capacitors are depleted by the flow of charge through inductances in the discharge pathway. The capacitors are then recharged either by the overshoot that results from a sudden release of the ULSI load current demand or by a gated charging pathway connected to a high voltage supply. The use of the depleted reservoir capacitor to absorb power grid voltage overshoots assists in maintaining power integrity for the ULSI device while conserving energy in the power pathways. The circuits within the active device may be any combination of semiconductor switches and/or voltage regulators, and may also contain voltage and current sensing circuitry.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic circuit apparatus, comprising:

A first electronic switch device, a second electronic switch device and a reservoir capacitor, where an electronic switch device is a controllable conduction path for electric charges;
A first input circuit node, connecting to a first conduction terminal of the first electronic switch;
A second output circuit node, connecting to a first conduction terminal of the second switch;
A common node forming the junction of the second conduction terminal of the first switch, the second conduction terminal of the second switch and the first plate terminal of the reservoir capacitor;
And a power supply reference node connecting to the second plate terminal of the reservoir capacitor.

2 more elements

A method for noise suppression and energy recovery, comprising:

The flow of charges gated by an electronic switch from a capacitor through an inductor into a power node of a load component requiring high current flow, said flow of charges induced by a driving potential difference between the voltage on the capacitor and the voltage at the power node;
The continuation of this flow of charge from the capacitor into the power node after the said driving potential difference has reduced to near zero or beyond, such continued flow being driven by the magnetic energy stored in the inductor in series with the capacitor in the charge flow path;
The disconnection of the gating switch when said charge flow diminishes and/or attempts to change direction, or when the capacitor reaches a predetermined voltage condition;
A reconnection of the gating switch, allowing charge flow in the reverse direction from the power node into the capacitor when an opposite change in the current demand at the load component induces the voltage on the power node to change, such change being brought about by the magnetic energy developed and stored in the inductance inherent in the primary power pathway to the load component;
A disconnection of the gating switch when the charge flow diminishes and/or attempts to change direction, and continued charging of the capacitor through a separate charging path to bring it back to its initial charged state.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Active noise regulator

Life of this patent

Active noise regulator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20