Optimized Power Supply Architecture
AssigneeTRW Automotive U.S. LLC
InventorsKerfegar K. Katrak, Paul Yuska
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power supply architecture provides for the efficient distribution and failsafe monitoring of power in a microcontroller system. The power supply architecture incorporates various components with high integrity and diverse monitoring schemes that allow the associated control processors to operate with high safety standards. The various embodiments provide an integrated method or apparatus for an electronic module safety architecture which includes diversity, time and space independence for power supplies for the various microprocessors and control communication buses.
Claims26
A circuit for providing redundant monitoring of an operating voltage V present at a predetermined point in an electrical system, the circuit comprising:
- a voltage divider connected between the predetermined point and a ground, the voltage divider defining a first intermediate node at a potential V1 less than the operating voltage V and a second intermediate node at a potential V2 less than the potential V1;
- a first monitor coupled to the first node and operable to detect a voltage fault or discrepancy in the level of the operating voltage V;
- and
- a second monitor coupled to the second node and operable to detect a voltage fault or discrepancy in the level of the operating voltage V.
A power supply architecture comprising:
- a first processor;
- a second processor;
- a first power supply for supplying a first group of operating voltages to the first processor, at least a portion of the first group also coupled to monitoring inputs of both the first and second processors;
- a second power supply for supplying a second group of operating voltages to the second processor, at least a portion of the second group also coupled to monitoring inputs of both the first and second processors;
- each of the first and second processors operates to monitor and evaluate the statuses of the portion of the first group and to determine whether any anomalies are present;
- and
- each of the first and second processors operates to monitor and evaluate the statuses of the portion of the second group and to a determine whether any anomalies are present.
A power supply architecture comprising:
- a first processor partitioned into two MPU applications to define a first control section and first monitoring section;
- a first power supply for supplying a first group of operating voltages to the first processor, at least a portion of the first group coupled to monitoring inputs of the both the first control section and the first monitoring section;
- and
- the first control section and the first monitoring section operative to evaluate the statuses of the portion of the first group and to determine whether any anomalies are present.
A power supply architecture comprising:
- a processor;
- a power management controller (PMC) operable to supply a group of different operating voltages to the processor;
- a first voltage regulator connected to supply a voltage V1 to a first input of the PMC;
- a second voltage regulator connected to supply a voltage V2 to a second input of the PMC and to a memory associated with the processor;
- the PMC operable to generating a delayed enable signal to an enable input of the second voltage regulator such that the memory of the processor is activated with a delay relative to its core voltages.
A power supply architecture comprising:
- a processor;
- a power management controller (PMC) operable to supply a group of different operating voltages to the processor;
- a voltage regulator connected to supply a voltage V1 signal to an input of the PMC;
- and
- the processor is operative to monitor and evaluate the status of the voltage V1 signal to determine whether an anomaly is present.
A power supply architecture comprising:
- a processor;
- a power management controller (PMC) operable to supply a group of different operating voltages to the processor;
- a voltage regulator connected to supply an operating voltage to the PMC;
- and
- the processor is operative to monitor and evaluate at least a portion of the group of operating voltages to determine whether an anomaly is present.
A power supply architecture for a vehicle comprising:
- a processor;
- a first communication bus connected between the processor and a vehicle control system;
- a first power supply for supplying a first operating voltage to the first communication bus;
- a second communication bus connected between the processor and the vehicle control system;
- and
- a second power supply separate from the first power supply for supplying a second operating voltage to the second communication bus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.