Electronic Device and Method for Controlling Current
AssigneeFreescale Semiconductor, Inc.
InventorsJenifer M. Scott, Mike Garrard, Ray Marshall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic device comprises a voltage regulator supplying a current to a load such as a micro-controller unit. The load controls the current provided to the load from the voltage regulator. Preferably, the load controls the level of current supplied to the load upon start-up, thereby avoiding power surges being drawn by the load.
Claims21
An electronic device comprising:
- a voltage regulator frequency/clock generation circuit operably coupled to a processor load such that the voltage regulator supplies a current to the processor load under software control of the processor load, wherein the processor load controls the current drawn from the voltage regulator by an adjustment of the frequency/clock generation circuit.
A method of controlling a current supplied to a processor load in an electronic device having a voltage regulator operably coupled to a frequency/clock generation circuit, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
- adjusting by the processor load an average clock frequency of the frequency/clock generation circuit;
- providing current to the processor load in response to the adjusted clock frequency;
- determining by the processor load, whether the current provided is a final operating current;
- and
- repeating the steps of adjusting, providing and determining until the current level reaches the final operating current.
(canceled)
An electronic device comprising:
- a frequency/clock generation circuit operably coupled to a load that comprises one or more of the group consisting of:
- a micro-controller unit;
- a digital signal processor;
- an application specific integrated circuit and embedded controller, and
- wherein the frequency/clock generation circuit is arranged to adjust a frequency of operation of the electronic device using a hardware clock slewing approach.
-22. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.