Charge pump ldo with secondary sensing for low power need based refresh
AssigneeNXP USA, Inc.
InventorsMITEN H. NAGDA, JOSE A. CAMARENA, DALE J. MCQUIRK
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Abstract
A voltage regulation system includes a voltage regulator configured to output a control signal indicating whether a voltage based on output of the voltage regulator is lower than a specified value. A charge pump is configured to output a voltage and a charging current. A pump monitor is configured to receive the control signal and the output voltage of the charge pump, and activate the charge pump when the control signal indicates the voltage based on output of the voltage regulator is lower than a specified value and the output voltage of the charge pump is lower than a threshold value.
Claims20
A voltage regulation system comprising:
- a voltage regulator configured to output a control signal indicating whether a voltage based on output of the voltage regulator is lower than a specified value;
- a charge pump configured to output a voltage and a charging current;
- and
- a pump monitor configured to:
- receive the control signal and the output voltage of the charge pump, and
- activate the charge pump when the control signal indicates the voltage based on output of the voltage regulator is lower than a specified value and the output voltage of the charge pump is lower than a threshold value.
A method of regulating voltage, comprising:
- comparing a voltage output of a voltage regulator to a reference voltage and providing a signal indicating whether the voltage based on output of the voltage regulator is lower than the reference voltage;
- and
- if the voltage based on output of the voltage regulator is lower than the reference voltage, operating a pump monitor to enable a clock to provide a clock signal to a charge pump when an output voltage of the charge pump is lower than a threshold value, the charge pump being coupled to provide charging current to raise the voltage based on output of the voltage regulator.
A voltage regulation system, comprising:
- a voltage regulator including:
- a first comparator configured to compare an output voltage of the voltage regulator to a reference voltage and provide a signal indicating the voltage based on output of the voltage regulator is lower than a specified value;
- a charge pump monitor coupled to receive the signal indicating the voltage based on output of the voltage regulator is lower than a specified value;
- and
- a charge pump operated by the charge pump monitor to provide a charging current to the voltage regulator when the voltage based on output of the voltage regulator is lower than the specified value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.