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US 7,444,524 B2Granted
Dynamic voltage transitions
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsStephen H. Gunther, Robert Greiner, Matthew M. Ma, Kevin Dai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The operating voltage of an integrated circuit (e.g., a processor) is changed in response to one or more conditions (e.g., a laptop computer is connected to an AC power source). Both the operating frequency and the operating voltage of the integrated circuit are changed. The voltage regulator providing the operating voltage to the integrated circuit is caused to transition between voltage levels using one or more intermediate steps. The integrated circuit continues to operate in the normal manner both at the new voltage and throughout the voltage transition.
Claims24
A method comprising:
- storing voltage step information for each supply voltage level for a plurality of supply voltage levels in separate memory locations in a memory, wherein the memory locations for the respective voltage step information of each supply voltage level storing
- a respective first step voltage for a step increase in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level, and
- a respective second step voltage for a step decrease in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level;
- operating an integrated circuit at a first supply voltage level in the plurality of supply voltage levels;
- determining a second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit based on the respective step voltage information of the first supply voltage level;
- transmitting, from the integrated circuit to a voltage regulator, an indication of the determined second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit;
- receiving the second supply voltage level from the voltage regulator;
- and
- operating the integrated circuit at the second supply voltage level.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing, with a voltage regulator, a first supply voltage level to an integrated circuit;
- storing voltage step information for each supply voltage level for a plurality of supply voltage levels in separate memory locations in a memory, wherein the memory locations for the respective voltage step information of each supply voltage level storing
- a respective first step voltage for a step increase in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level, and
- a respective second step voltage for a step decrease in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level;
- determining a second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit based on the respective step voltage information of the first supply voltage level;
- receiving at the voltage regulator voltage step information indicating the determined second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit by the voltage regulator;
- providing the second supply voltage level to the integrated circuit with the voltage regulator.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a memory to store voltage step information for each supply voltage level for a plurality of supply voltage levels in separate memory locations in the memory, wherein the memory locations for the respective voltage step information of each supply voltage level storing
- a respective first step voltage for a step increase in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level, and
- a respective second step voltage for a step decrease in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level;
- an integrated circuit having a control circuit and a voltage regulator controller coupled to the control circuit and to the memory, the voltage regulator controller to determine a second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit based on the respective step voltage information of a first supply voltage level of the plurality of supply voltage levels;
- a voltage regulator coupled to the voltage regulator controller, wherein the voltage regulator provides the first supply voltage level to the integrated circuit and further wherein the voltage regulator controller transmits to the voltage regulator an indication of the determined second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit, and further wherein the voltage regulator provides the second supply voltage level to the integrated circuit in response to receiving the indication.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a memory to store voltage step information for each supply voltage level for a plurality of supply voltage levels in separate memory locations, wherein the memory locations for the respective voltage step information of each supply voltage level storing
- a respective first step voltage for a step increase in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level, and
- a respective second step voltage for a step decrease in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level,
- means for operating an integrated circuit at a first supply voltage level in the plurality of supply voltage levels;
- means for determining a second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit based on the respective step voltage information of the first supply voltage level;
- means for transmitting, from the integrated circuit to a voltage regulator, an indication of the determined second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit;
- means for receiving the second supply voltage level from the voltage regulator;
- and
- means for operating the integrated circuit at the second supply voltage level.
6 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a memory to store voltage step information for each supply voltage level for a plurality of supply voltage levels in separate memory locations, wherein the memory locations for the respective voltage step information of each supply voltage level storing
- a respective first step voltage for a step increase in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level, and
- a respective second step voltage for a step decrease in voltage from the respective each supply voltage level,
- a means for providing, with a voltage regulator, a first supply voltage level to an integrated circuit;
- means for determining a second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit based on the respective step voltage information of the first supply voltage level;
- means for receiving, from the integrated circuit, voltage step information indicating the determined second supply voltage level to be provided to the integrated circuit by the voltage regulator;
- a means for providing the second supply voltage level to the integrated circuit with the voltage regulator.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.