公开(公告)号：US09397567B2

公开(公告)日：2016-07-19

申请号：US14287931

申请日：2014-05-27

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shawn Searles ,  Emerson S Fang

IPC: G05F1/10 ,  H02M3/158 ,  H02M1/088

CPC classification number: H02M3/158 ,  H02M1/088 ,  H02M3/1584 ,  H02M3/1588 ,  Y02B70/1466

Abstract: A method and apparatus for augmenting an external voltage regulator with a shunt integrated voltage regulator is disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) includes a load circuit coupled to a supply voltage node. The supply voltage node is electrically coupled to receive a supply voltage from an external voltage regulator. The IC also includes a shunt integrated voltage regulator coupled to the supply voltage node and implemented on the same IC die as the load circuit. If the supply voltage falls below a specified value (e.g., to increased current demand), the integrated voltage regulator may begin supplying current to the load. This may cause the supply voltage to return to within its specified range of the specified value, while allowing the external voltage regulator sufficient time to respond to the increased current demand. Thus, voltage droops on the supply voltage node may be minimized.

Abstract translation: 公开了一种用于利用分流集成稳压器增强外部电压调节器的方法和装置。 在一个实施例中，集成电路（IC）包括耦合到电源电压节点的负载电路。 电源节点电耦合以从外部电压调节器接收电源电压。 IC还包括耦合到电源电压节点并在与负载电路相同的IC管芯上实现的分流集成稳压器。 如果电源电压低于指定值（例如，增加电流需求），集成稳压器可能开始向负载提供电流。 这可能导致电源电压恢复到指定值的指定范围内，同时允许外部电压调节器有足够的时间来响应增加的电流需求。 因此，电源电压节点上的电压下降可以被最小化。