Power management system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorJohn Swope
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power management system includes a voltage source configured to provide at least a first voltage and a second voltage, and a controller configured to couple the first voltage to a first voltage supply terminal or couple the second voltage to a second voltage supply terminal in response to a comparison of one or more first variables associated with the first voltage supply terminal to one or more second variables associated with the second voltage supply terminal.
Claims38
A power management system, comprising:
- a voltage source configured to provide at least a first voltage and a second voltage;
- and
- a controller configured to couple a selected one of the first voltage to a first voltage supply terminal and the second voltage to a second voltage supply terminal in response to a comparison of one or more first variables associated with the first voltage supply terminal to one or more second variables associated with the second voltage supply terminal.
A voltage distribution system, comprising:
- voltage converters, wherein each voltage converter is configured to provide one or more voltage levels, wherein each of the voltage converters is configured to couple a selected one of the one or more voltage levels to a corresponding voltage supply terminal in response to a comparison of a variable associated with the corresponding voltage supply terminal to variables associated with other corresponding voltage supply terminals.
A power management system for a computer system, comprising:
- a first DC to DC converter which provides a first voltage to a first voltage rail within the computer system;
- a second DC to DC converter which provides a second voltage to a second voltage rail within the computer system;
- a third DC to DC converter which is configured to provide a selected one of the first voltage to the first voltage rail and the second voltage to the second voltage rail;
- and
- a first controller configured to enable the third DC to DC converter to provide a selected one of the first voltage to the first voltage rail and the second voltage to the second voltage rail in response to a comparison of one or more first variables associated with the first voltage rail to one or more second variables associated with the second voltage rail.
A method of managing power in a computer system which includes a first voltage supply terminal and a second voltage supply terminal, the method comprising:
- providing a first voltage and a second voltage;
- comparing one or more first variables associated with the first voltage supply terminal to one or more second variables associated with the second voltage supply terminal;
- and
- coupling the first voltage to the first voltage supply terminal if a selected one of the one or more first variables is greater than a selected one of the one or more second variables and coupling the second voltage to the second voltage supply terminal if the selected one of the one or more second variables is greater than the selected one of the one or more first variables.
A method of distributing voltage levels to corresponding voltage supply terminals in a computer system, comprising:
- comparing a variable associated with one of the corresponding voltage supply terminals to variables associated with other corresponding voltage supply terminals;
- coupling one of the voltage levels to the corresponding voltage supply terminal if the variable associated with the corresponding voltage supply terminal is greater than the variables associated with lower ordered voltage supply terminals and greater than the variables associated with higher ordered voltage supply terminals.
A power management system, comprising:
- means for providing a first voltage and a second voltage;
- means for comparing one or more first variables associated with the first voltage supply terminal to one or more second variables associated with the second voltage supply terminal;
- means for coupling the first voltage to the first voltage supply terminal if a selected one of the one or more first variables is greater than a selected one of the one or more second variables and coupling the second voltage to the second voltage supply terminal if the selected one of the one or more second variables is greater than the selected one of the one or more first variables.
A voltage distribution system, comprising:
- means for providing one or more voltage levels;
- and
- means for coupling one of the one or more voltage levels to a corresponding voltage supply terminal in response to a comparison of a variable associated with the corresponding voltage supply terminal to variables associated with other corresponding voltage supply terminals, wherein the variables are compared in an order, and wherein the one of the one or more voltage levels is coupled to the corresponding voltage supply terminal if the variable associated with the corresponding voltage supply terminal is greater than the variables associated with lower ordered voltage supply terminals and greater than the variables associated with higher ordered voltage supply terminals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.