公开(公告)号：US11962245B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-16

申请号：US18168276

申请日：2023-02-13

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Sanjay Pant ,  Fabio Gozzini ,  Hubert Attah ,  Jonathan F. Bolus ,  Wenxun Huang

IPC: H02M3/157 ,  G06F1/3203 ,  H02M3/158 ,  H03M1/12

CPC classification number: H02M3/1584 ,  G06F1/3203 ,  H02M3/157 ,  H03M1/12 ,  H02M3/1586

Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple phase circuits coupled to a regulated power supply line via corresponding one of multiple inductors. The phase circuits may modify a voltage level of the regulated power supply line using respective control signals generated by a digital control circuit that processes multiple data bits. An analog-to-digital converter circuit may compare the voltage level of the regulated power supply node to multiple reference voltage levels and sample the resultant comparisons to generate the multiple data bits.

公开(公告)号：US11323033B2

公开(公告)日：2022-05-03

申请号：US17201712

申请日：2021-03-15

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Sanjay Pant ,  Fabio Gozzini ,  Hubert Attah ,  Jonathan F. Bolus ,  Wenxun Huang

IPC: H02M3/158 ,  H02M1/12 ,  H02M3/157 ,  G06F1/3203 ,  H03M1/12

Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple phase circuits each coupled to a regulated power supply node via a corresponding inductor. The phase circuits may modify a voltage level of the regulated power supply node using respective control signals generated by a digital control circuit that processes multiple data bits. An analog-to-digital converter circuit may compare the voltage level of the regulated power supply node to multiple reference voltage levels and sample the resultant comparisons to generate the multiple data bits.

公开(公告)号：US20200026345A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-23

申请号：US16039842

申请日：2018-07-19

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 ,  G01R31/28

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.

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.

公开(公告)号：US11581813B2

公开(公告)日：2023-02-14

申请号：US17661693

申请日：2022-05-02

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Sanjay Pant ,  Fabio Gozzini ,  Hubert Attah ,  Jonathan F. Bolus ,  Wenxun Huang

IPC: H02M3/158 ,  H03M1/12 ,  H02M3/157 ,  G06F1/3203

Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple phase circuits each coupled to a regulated power supply node via a corresponding inductor. The phase circuits may modify a voltage level of the regulated power supply node using respective control signals generated by a digital control circuit that processes multiple data bits. An analog-to-digital converter circuit may compare the voltage level of the regulated power supply node to multiple reference voltage levels and sample the resultant comparisons to generate the multiple data bits.

公开(公告)号：US20220255436A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-11

申请号：US17661693

申请日：2022-05-02

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Sanjay Pant ,  Fabio Gozzini ,  Hubert Attah ,  Jonathan F. Bolus ,  Wenxun Huang

IPC: H02M3/158 ,  H02M3/157 ,  G06F1/3203 ,  H03M1/12

Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple phase circuits each coupled to a regulated power supply node via a corresponding inductor. The phase circuits may modify a voltage level of the regulated power supply node using respective control signals generated by a digital control circuit that processes multiple data bits. An analog-to-digital converter circuit may compare the voltage level of the regulated power supply node to multiple reference voltage levels and sample the resultant comparisons to generate the multiple data bits.

公开(公告)号：US09843330B1

公开(公告)日：2017-12-12

申请号：US15272526

申请日：2016-09-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Hubert Attah ,  Jay B. Fletcher ,  Erick O. Torres ,  Fabio Gozzini

IPC: H03K21/02 ,  H03K19/21

CPC classification number: H03K21/026 ,  H02M3/157 ,  H03K19/21

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed, including a driver circuit, a comparator circuit, and a counter circuit. The driver circuit may be configured to source a current to a load circuit. The comparator circuit may be configured to perform a comparison of a reference voltage to a voltage across the load circuit. The counter circuit may be configured to modify a digital count value based on the comparison. The driver circuit may be further configured to adjust a value of the current using the digital count value.

公开(公告)号：US20250112541A1

公开(公告)日：2025-04-03

申请号：US18443501

申请日：2024-02-16

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Dingkun Du ,  Balaji Virajpet ,  Hao Zhou ,  Hubert Attah ,  Jitendra K. Agrawal

IPC: H02M1/00 ,  H02M1/08

Abstract: Phase reassignment among power converters is disclosed. Multi-phase power converters of a plurality are arranged such that the various phases of each can be shared. When a given power converter has a high demand current and a phase of another power converter in the same group is currently unused, that phase may be borrowed by the given power converter to meet the demand current. The power converter that borrows a phase from another power converter is designated as the leader, while the borrowed phase is designated as a follower. The regulated supply voltage is determined by the leader power converter, irrespective of the regulated output voltage to be generated by the power converter from which another phase is borrowed.

公开(公告)号：US11909306B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-20

申请号：US17229470

申请日：2021-04-13

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Yue Wen ,  Hubert Attah ,  Wenxun Huang ,  Hao Zhou

IPC: H02M1/32 ,  H02M1/00 ,  H02M3/158

CPC classification number: H02M1/32 ,  H02M1/0009 ,  H02M3/158

Abstract: A power converter circuit included in a computer system regulates a power supply voltage used by other circuits in the computer system. During operation, the power converter circuit monitors the load current, and, in response to a transient in the load current, switches regulation modes to adapt to the new load conditions. Upon a detection of the end of the transient in the load current, the power converter returns to its original regulation mode.

公开(公告)号：US20240014739A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-11

申请号：US18474677

申请日：2023-09-26

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Sanjay Pant ,  Fabio Gozzini ,  Hubert Attah ,  Jonathan F. Bolus ,  Wenxun Huang ,  Koushik Vaithyanathan ,  Alberto Puggelli

IPC: H02M3/158 ,  H02M3/157 ,  G06F1/3203 ,  H03M1/12

CPC classification number: H02M3/1584 ,  H02M3/157 ,  G06F1/3203 ,  H03M1/12 ,  H02M3/1586

Abstract: A power converter with slew rate detection is disclosed. A power converter comprises a plurality of phase circuits coupled to a regulated power supply line via corresponding ones of a plurality of inductors. A first control loop generates, using digital samples and based on comparisons of a reference voltage to a voltage on the regulated power supply line, a first plurality of control signals. A second control loop, using the digital samples, generates a second plurality of control signals based on a rate of change of the voltage of the regulated power supply line. The second control loop causes the first control loop to control the plurality of phase circuits in response to detecting that the rate of change is within a specified range, and causes the second control loop to control the plurality of phase circuits, in response to detecting that the rate of change exceeds the specified range.