Voltage down pump and method of operation
AssigneeSonic Innovations, Inc.
InventorRobert S. Green
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A regulated voltage down pump circuit comprises a reference generator circuit receiving a voltage. P channel and N channel device voltage thresholds are measured and compared. A first reference voltage is generated using the largest voltage threshold. A second reference voltage is generated an amount (which may be programmable) above the first reference voltage. The second reference voltage is compared with an output voltage of a pump circuit. When the output voltage is less than the second reference voltage, a clock signal is sent to the pump circuit that generates and pumps up the output voltage to the reference voltage. The pumped voltage at the second reference is then used for logic circuits at reduced power and nearly constant gate delay over voltage, temperature and process variations.
Claims23
A method for regulating the output voltage of a voltage pump circuit, comprising:
- supplying a voltage to a reference generator circuit;
- measuring a first threshold voltage of a P channel device within said reference generator circuit;
- measuring a second threshold voltage of a N channel device within said reference generator circuit;
- and
- generating a first reference voltage by comparing said first threshold voltage with said second threshold voltage, said first reference voltage being the largest of said first threshold voltage and said second threshold voltage.
An apparatus for regulating the output voltage of a voltage pump circuit, comprising:
- means for supplying a voltage to a reference generator circuit;
- means for measuring a first threshold voltage of a P channel device within said reference generator circuit;
- means for measuring a second threshold voltage of a N channel device within said reference generator circuit;
- and
- means for generating a first reference voltage by comparing said first threshold voltage with said second threshold voltage, said first reference voltage being the largest of said first threshold voltage and said second threshold voltage.
A regulated voltage down pump circuit comprising:
- a reference generator circuit receiving a voltage;
- and
- a comparator within said reference generator circuit, comparing a first threshold voltage of a P channel device with a second threshold voltage of a N channel device, and generating a first reference voltage, said first reference voltage being the largest of said first threshold voltage and said second threshold voltage.
An apparatus comprising:
- one or more digital circuits operable to perform at least one function;
- a power source supplying a first fixed voltage;
- and
- at least one pump down circuit having said first fixed voltage supplied thereto, wherein said at least one pump down circuit generates a second fixed voltage to the one or more digital circuits, said second fixed voltage being lower than said first fixed voltage and regulated to a fixed delta above the voltage threshold of the one or more digital circuits, wherein the voltage threshold is the larger of a P type or N type voltage threshold of the one or more digital circuits.
An apparatus comprising:
- one or more analog circuits operable to perform at least one function;
- one or more digital circuits operable to perform at least one function;
- means for supplying a first fixed voltage;
- and
- means for generating a second fixed voltage supplied to the one or more analog circuits and to the one or more digital circuits, said second fixed voltage being lower than said first fixed voltage and regulated to a fixed delta above a voltage threshold of the one or more analog circuits and of the one or more digital circuits,
- wherein the voltage threshold is the larger of a P type or N type voltage threshold of the one or more digital circuits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.