# US 2019/0379284 A1 · Time-based supply voltage difference to digital conversion > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0379284 A1 - Document ID: US20190379284A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/004,738 - Filed: 2018-06-11 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-11 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG - Inventors: Franesco Brandonisio - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190379284A1 ## CPC - H02M 3/155: using semiconductor devices only - H03L 7/093: using special filtering or amplification characteristics in the loop (H03L7/087 - H03L7/091 take precedence) - G04F 10/005: {Time-to-digital converters [TDC] (analog-to-digital converters with intermediate conversion to time or phase H03M1/50, H03M1/60)} - H03K 3/0315: {Ring oscillators} - H03L 7/0995: {the oscillator comprising a ring oscillator} - G05F 1/562: {with a threshold detection shunting the control path of the final control device} - H02M 1/0012: {Control circuits using digital or numerical techniques (in DC/DC converters H02M3/157, H02M3/33515; in DC-AC converters H02M7/53873)} - H02M 3/157: with digital control - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - H03L: AUTOMATIC CONTROL, STARTING, SYNCHRONISATION OR STABILISATION OF GENERATORS OF ELECTRONIC OSCILLATIONS OR PULSES (generation of oscillations H03B) - G04F: TIME-INTERVAL MEASURING (measuring pulse characteristics G01R, e.g. G01R29/02; in radar or like systems G01S) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES ## Abstract Systems, methods, and circuitries are provided to generate a regulated supply voltage based on a target voltage. In one example, a method includes converting the target voltage to a first digital time-based signal and converting the regulated supply voltage to a second digital time-based signal. A difference signal is generated based at least on a difference between the first digital time-based signal and the second digital time-based signal. Regulator circuitry is controlled to generate the regulated supply voltage based at least on the difference signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating a regulated supply voltage for a load based on a target voltage, the method comprising: converting the target voltage to a first digital time-based signal; converting the regulated supply voltage to a second digital time-based signal; generating a difference signal based at least on a difference between the first digital time-based signal and the second digital time-based signal; and controlling regulator circuitry to generate the regulated supply voltage based at least on the difference signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the first digital time-based signal prior to generating the difference signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: converting the target voltage to the first digital time-based signal comprises: supplying a first oscillator with the target voltage to cause the first oscillator to generate a first signal having a frequency related to the target voltage; determining a first period of the first signal; and generating the first digital time-based signal based at least on the first period; and converting the regulated supply voltage to the second digital time-based signal comprises: supplying a second oscillator with the regulated supply voltage to cause the second oscillator to generate a second signal having a frequency related to the regulated supply voltage; determining a second period of the second signal; and generating the second digital time-based signal based at least on the second period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising calibrating the first oscillator and the second oscillator by: supplying the first oscillator and the second oscillator with the target voltage; generating the difference signal; and controlling the first oscillator and the second oscillator in a manner to minimize the difference signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the difference signal is a digital signal, and wherein the method further comprises converting the difference signal to an analog difference signal and controlling the regulator circuitry with the analog difference signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the difference signal and controlling the regulator circuitry with the filtered difference signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising integrating the difference signal and controlling the regulator circuitry with the integrated difference signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein controlling the regulator circuitry comprises providing the integrated difference signal to a pass device that selectively passes an unregulated supply voltage to the load based on the difference signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: converting a second regulated supply voltage to a third digital time-based signal; generating a digital second difference signal based at least on a second difference between the first digital time-based signal and the third digital time-based signal; and controlling regulator circuitry to generate the second regulated supply voltage based at least on the second difference signal, such that the same target voltage is used to generate both the regulated supply voltage and the second regulated supply voltage. ### Claim 10 A supply voltage regulation system configured to generate a regulated supply voltage for a load based on a target voltage, the system comprising: target voltage-to-time conversion circuitry configured to convert the target voltage to a first digital time-based signal; regulated supply voltage-to-time conversion circuitry configured to convert the regulated supply voltage to a second digital time-based signal; difference circuitry configured to: generate a difference signal based at least on a difference between the first digital time-based signal and the second digital time-based signal; and provide the difference signal to a regulator circuitry to cause the regulator circuitry to generate the regulated supply voltage based at least on the difference signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The supply voltage regulation system of claim 10, wherein the target voltage-to-time conversion circuitry includes a digital filter configured to filter the first digital time-based signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The supply voltage regulation system of claim 10, wherein: the target voltage-to-time conversion circuitry comprises: a first oscillator configured to input the target voltage and generate a first signal having a frequency related to the target voltage; and first period digitization circuitry configured to: determine a first period of the first signal; and generate the first digital time-based signal based at least on the first period; and the regulated supply voltage-to-time conversion circuitry comprises: a second oscillator configured to input the regulated supply voltage and generate a second signal having a frequency related to the regulated supply voltage; and second period digitization circuitry configured to: determine a second period of the second signal; and generate the second digital time-based signal based at least on the second period. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The supply voltage regulation system of claim 12, wherein the first oscillator and the second oscillator comprise ring oscillators. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The supply voltage regulation system of claim 12, wherein the first period digitization circuitry and the second period digitization circuitry comprise counters configured to count input signal cycles that occur during the one period of a reference clock, and wherein each of the first period digitization circuitry and the second period digitization circuitry generates the first digital time-based signal and the second digital time-based signal, respectively, corresponding to a number of cycles of the first signal and the second signal in a reference clock period, respectively. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The supply voltage regulation system of claim 10, further comprising a digital to analog converter configured to convert the difference signal to an analog difference signal and provide the regulator circuitry with the analog difference signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The supply voltage regulation system of claim 15, wherein the digital to analog converter integrates the digital difference signal and converts the digital difference signal to the analog difference signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The supply voltage regulation system of claim 10, further comprising a digital filter configured to filter the difference signal and provide the regulator circuitry with the filtered difference signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The supply voltage regulation system of claim 10, further comprising: second regulated supply voltage-to-time conversion circuitry configured to convert the regulated supply voltage to a third digital time-based signal; second difference circuitry configured to: determine a second difference between the first digital time-based signal and the third digital time-based signal; generate a second difference signal based at least on the second difference; and provide the second difference signal to a second regulator circuitry to cause the second regulator circuitry to generate the second regulated supply voltage based at least on the second difference signal, such that the same target voltage is used to generate both the regulated supply voltage and the second regulated supply voltage. ### Claim 19 Voltage-to-time conversion circuitry comprising: an oscillator configured to input a voltage and generate an oscillator signal having a frequency related to the voltage; and period digitization circuitry configured to: determine a period of the oscillator signal; and generate the digital time-based signal based at least on the period; and provide the digital time-based signal for use in controlling an electronic component based on the voltage. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The voltage-to-time conversion circuitry of claim 19, wherein the oscillator comprises a ring oscillator. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The voltage-to-time conversion circuitry of claim 19, wherein the period digitization circuitry is configured to generate the digital time-based signal corresponding to a number of cycles of the oscillator signal occurring in a reference clock period. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The voltage-to-time conversion circuitry of claim 19, further comprising a digital filter configured to filter the digital time-based signal.