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公开(公告)号:US11803219B2
公开(公告)日:2023-10-31
申请号:US17211527
申请日:2021-03-24
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Shawn Searles , Fabio Gozzini , Sanjay Pant , Inder M. Sodhi
CPC classification number: G06F1/26 , G01R15/146 , G11C7/1096
Abstract: A power converter circuit included in a computer system may include a phase circuit and a sample circuit. The phase circuit compares a voltage level of the regulated power supply node to a reference voltage to generate a demand current that is used to adjust the voltage level of the regulated power supply node. The phase circuit also digitizes the demand current and stores the resultant bit stream in a memory circuit. The sample circuit generates timestamp information that points to particular storage locations in the memory circuit that correspond to trigger events, allowing the operation of the power converter circuit to be analyzed during different circumstances as well as to adjust operating parameters of the power converter circuit.
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公开(公告)号:US11714480B2
公开(公告)日:2023-08-01
申请号:US17499723
申请日:2021-10-12
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Jay B. Fletcher , Karthik Manickam , Bo Yang , Vincent R. von Kaenel , Shawn Searles , Hubert Attah , Nir Dahan , Olivier Girard
IPC: G06F1/32 , G06F1/3296 , G01R31/28 , G06F1/3206
CPC classification number: G06F1/3296 , G01R31/2851 , G06F1/3206
Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may generate a voltage level on a power supply signal using a source power supply signal and based initial values of one or more operation parameters derived from wafer-level test data. One or more operation characteristics of the voltage regulator circuit may be sampled, by a measurement circuit, at multiple time points to generated measurement data. A control circuit may adapt operation of the voltage regulator circuit based on the measurement data.
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公开(公告)号:US11675380B2
公开(公告)日:2023-06-13
申请号:US17658408
申请日:2022-04-07
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Shawn Searles , Victor Zyuban , Mohamed Abu-Rahma
CPC classification number: G05F1/575 , H03K17/223
Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit may generate a regulated voltage level using a voltage level of a feedback node. The regulated voltage level may be distributed, via a power distribution network, to package power supply node of a package, into which an integrated circuit has been mounted. Power switches included in the integrated circuit may couple the package power supply node to respective local power supply nodes in the integrated circuit. A particular power switch may selectively couple different ones of the local power supply nodes to the feedback node, allowing the voltage regulator circuit to compensate for reductions in the regulated voltage level due to the power distribution network, as well as adjust the regulated voltage level based on power consumptions of load circuits coupled to the local power supply nodes.
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公开(公告)号:US11430606B2
公开(公告)日:2022-08-30
申请号:US16335075
申请日:2017-08-24
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: David P. Cappabianca , Joseph T. DiBene, II , Shawn Searles , Le Wang , Yizhang Yang , Sean Cian O'Mathuna , Santosh Kulkarni , Paul McCloskey , Zoran Pavlovic , William Lawton , Graeme Maxwell , Joseph O'Brien , Hugh Charles Smiddy
Abstract: An inductor is disclosed, including a first wire, a non-conductive material, and a shell. The non-conductive material may cover the first wire, with a portion of each end of the first wire uncovered. The shell may include a top portion and a bottom portion and include at least one magnetized layer and at least one gap between the first portion and the second portion. The shell may also surround a portion of the non-conductive material.
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公开(公告)号:US10587195B2
公开(公告)日:2020-03-10
申请号:US15489798
申请日:2017-04-18
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Shawn Searles , Vidhya Ramachandran
IPC: H02M3/158 , H01L25/065 , H01L25/16 , H01L25/00
Abstract: A system that includes multiple integrated circuits is disclosed. A first integrated circuit of the system includes a plurality of circuit blocks, and a first circuit block of the plurality of circuit blocks includes a first power terminal. A second integrated circuit of the system includes multiple voltage regulation circuits, a second power terminal coupled to an output of a given voltage regulation circuit, and a third power terminal coupled to an input of the given voltage regulation circuit. A substrate, included in the system, includes a plurality of conductive paths, each of which includes a plurality of wires fabricated on a plurality of conductive layers. The system further includes a power management unit that may be configured to generate a power supply voltage at a fourth power terminal that is coupled to the third power terminal via a first conductive path of the plurality of conductive paths.
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公开(公告)号:US10431737B2
公开(公告)日:2019-10-01
申请号:US16112006
申请日:2018-08-24
Inventor: Alexander Kalnitsky , Shawn Searles , David Cappabianca
Abstract: Co-fired integrated circuit devices and methods for fabricating and integrating such on a workpiece are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes forming a first passive device and a second passive device over a carrier substrate. The first passive device and the second passive device each include at least one material layer that includes a co-fired ceramic material. The carrier substrate is removed after performing a co-firing process to cause chemical changes in the co-fired ceramic material. The first passive device may include a conductive loop disposed between a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer. The first magnetic layer, the second magnetic layer, or both includes a co-fired ceramic magnetic material. The second passive device may include a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer separated by a dielectric layer. The first conductive layer, the second conductive layer, or both includes a co-fired ceramic conductive material.
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公开(公告)号:US10122269B2
公开(公告)日:2018-11-06
申请号:US15402827
申请日:2017-01-10
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Fabio Gozzini , Jay B. Fletcher , Shawn Searles , Sanjay Pant
Abstract: A system that includes a regulator circuit is disclosed. The regulator circuit includes first and second phase units whose outputs are coupled to a power supply node of a circuit block, via respective coupled inductors. The first phase unit may initiate a charge cycle of the power supply node in response to assertion of a clock signal and generate a compensated current using currents measure through both inductors and the clock signal. In response to a determination that the compensated current is greater than a demand current generated using a voltage level of the power supply node and a reference voltage, the first phase unit may halt the charge cycle.
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公开(公告)号:US20180083534A1
公开(公告)日:2018-03-22
申请号:US15403255
申请日:2017-01-11
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Sanjay Pant , Fabio Gozzini , Jay B. Fletcher , Shawn Searles
CPC classification number: H02M3/158 , H02M1/08 , H02M3/1584 , H02M2001/0009 , H02M2003/1586
Abstract: A system that includes a regulator unit is disclosed. The regulator unit includes first and second phase units whose outputs are coupled to through first and second coupled inductors, respectively, to a power supply node of a circuit block. The first phase unit may be configured to discharge, for a first period of time, the power supply node through the first inductor in response to determining a sense current is greater than a demand current. The operation of the second phase unit may follow that of the first phase unit after a second period of time has elapsed.
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公开(公告)号:US20170141116A1
公开(公告)日:2017-05-18
申请号:US15420572
申请日:2017-01-31
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Jared L. Zerbe , Emerson S. Fang , Jun Zhai , Shawn Searles
IPC: H01L27/10 , H01L23/498 , H01L25/18 , H01L49/02 , H01L23/00 , H01L25/065 , H01L23/48 , H01L23/64
CPC classification number: H01L27/101 , H01G4/228 , H01L23/13 , H01L23/481 , H01L23/49816 , H01L23/49827 , H01L23/50 , H01L23/642 , H01L24/14 , H01L24/16 , H01L24/32 , H01L24/48 , H01L24/73 , H01L25/0657 , H01L25/105 , H01L25/16 , H01L25/18 , H01L28/40 , H01L2224/0401 , H01L2224/13025 , H01L2224/1403 , H01L2224/14181 , H01L2224/16145 , H01L2224/16227 , H01L2224/16265 , H01L2224/32225 , H01L2224/48227 , H01L2224/73265 , H01L2225/06513 , H01L2225/06517 , H01L2225/1023 , H01L2225/1058 , H01L2225/1088 , H01L2924/00014 , H01L2924/1033 , H01L2924/12042 , H01L2924/1205 , H01L2924/1427 , H01L2924/1432 , H01L2924/1434 , H01L2924/1436 , H01L2924/15153 , H01L2924/15159 , H01L2924/15174 , H01L2924/15311 , H01L2924/15331 , H01L2924/157 , H01L2924/19011 , H01L2924/19041 , H01L2924/19042 , H01L2924/19103 , H01L2924/19104 , H01L2924/00012 , H01L2924/00 , H01L2224/45099 , H01L2224/45015 , H01L2924/207
Abstract: A semiconductor device package is described that includes a power consuming device (such as an SOC device). The power consuming device may include one or more current consuming elements. A passive device may be coupled to the power consuming device. The passive device may include a plurality of passive elements formed on a semiconductor substrate. The passive elements may be arranged in an array of structures on the semiconductor substrate. The power consuming device and the passive device may be coupled using one or more terminals. The passive device and power consuming device coupling may be configured in such a way that the power consuming device determines functionally the way the passive device elements will be used.
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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
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。
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