Patents Assigned to CHiL Semiconductor Corporation
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Patent number: 7923974Abstract: A power supply system includes multiple power converter phases. A controller (e.g., a processor device) monitors energy delivery for each of multiple power converter phases that supply energy to a load. The controller analyzes the energy delivery associated with each of the multiple power converter phases to identify an imbalance of energy delivered by the multiple power converter phases to the load. Based on the analyzing and detection of an imbalance condition, the controller modifies a future order of activating the multiple power converter phases for powering the load. Accordingly, a single phase of a multiphase switching power converter may be prevented from becoming overloaded while delivering energy to power the load.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2008Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Gary D. Martin, Robert T. Carroll
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Patent number: 7902800Abstract: A power supply configuration includes a monitor circuit to monitor an output voltage and output current of a power supply. The output voltage can be used to supply power to a dynamic load. The power supply varies a rate of changing an adaptive output voltage reference value that tracks the output voltage. Based on a comparison of the output voltage with respect to the adaptive output voltage reference voltage value, a controller associated with the power supply controls switching operation of the power supply to maintain the output voltage within a voltage range. For example, modifying the rate of changing the adaptive output voltage reference value over time depending on current operating conditions of the power supply changes a responsiveness and ability of the power supply to provide current to the dynamic load.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2008Date of Patent: March 8, 2011Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Praveen K. Jain, Shangzhi Pan
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Patent number: 7852053Abstract: A power supply system delivers current to a load at a corresponding load voltage. The power supply system includes multiple power converter phases. Each power conversion phase comprises a phase switch and a phase inductor. In one embodiment, activation of a corresponding phase switch (e.g., a field effect transistor such as a MOSFET) electrically couples a voltage input (e.g., Vin) to an inductor electrically coupled to deliver current to a load. A controller (e.g., a processor device) associated with the power supply system is configured to monitor the load and/or a change in the current delivered to the load. Based on the monitoring, the controller modifies a relative timing of an initiation and duration of on-times of the phase switches in order to alter a rate-of-change of the current delivered by the power supply system.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2008Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Gary D. Martin, Praveen K. Jain
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Patent number: 7795915Abstract: A control circuit generates an output based on the first signal and the second signal by encoding the output to be a multi-state signal having at least three states. A magnitude of the multi-state signal generated by the controller varies depending on binary states of the first signal and the second signal. The controller utilizes the output (i.e., the multi-state signal) to control a switching circuit. A driver circuit receives the output generated by the control circuit. In one embodiment, the multi-state signal has more than two different logic states. The driver decodes the multi-state signal for generating signals to control switches in the switching circuit. One signal generated by the driver circuit is a pulse width modulation signal; another signal generated by the driver circuit is an enable/disable signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2008Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Anthony B. Candage, Gary D. Polhemus, Hrvoje Jasa, Robert T. Carroll
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Patent number: 7777461Abstract: A power supply system includes multiple power converter phases. A controller (e.g., a processor device, ASIC) monitors an output voltage generated by a combination of multiple power converter phases that supply power to a load. Based on the monitoring, the controller determines: i) a magnitude of an error signal representing a relative difference between the output voltage and a predetermined setpoint value, and ii) a rate-of-change associated with the output voltage. The controller compares the rate-of-change to threshold criteria. In response to detecting that the rate-of-change associated with the output voltage exceeds a threshold value, the controller adjusts a time of turning on of a phase switch (e.g., a power switch configured to convey an input voltage to an inductor that in turn delivers energy to the load) in one or more of the multiple power converter phases depending on the magnitude of the error signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2008Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Gary D. Martin, Praveen K. Jain
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Patent number: 7772811Abstract: A power supply circuit includes one or more reference voltage generators that respectively generate a time-varying output voltage reference value as well as a corresponding time-varying output current reference value. During operation, the reference voltage generators produce different step values for the time-varying output voltage reference value and the corresponding time-varying output current reference value over time such that the power supply has a substantially fixed output impedance value. According to one configuration, the time-varying output voltage reference value tracks the power supply output voltage. Via a comparison of the power supply output voltage with respect to the adaptive output voltage reference voltage value and a comparison of the output current to the corresponding time-varying output current reference value, a controller circuit associated with the power supply controls switching operation of the power supply to regulate the power supply output voltage.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2007Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Praveen K. Jain, Shangzhi Pan
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Patent number: 7609040Abstract: A controller circuit in a power supply system is configured to simultaneously control both a voltage regulator circuit and a dynamic power supply circuit. The controller circuit monitors voltage produced by the voltage regulator circuit. The voltage regulator circuit conveys power from a voltage source to a dynamic load such as a microprocessor, whose power consumption can change rapidly change during operation. Depending on a state (e.g., current value, trend, etc.) of the monitored voltage applied to the load by the voltage regulator circuit, the controller circuit can initiate activation of the dynamic power supply circuit in parallel with the voltage regulator circuit to selectively supply additional power to the load. Supplying additional power to the dynamic load during heavy load conditions prevents the regulated voltage supplied to the load from falling below a threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2007Date of Patent: October 27, 2009Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor CorporationInventor: Praveen K. Jain
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Patent number: 7592789Abstract: A controller circuit in a power supply system is configured to simultaneously control both a voltage regulator circuit and a dynamic power supply circuit. The controller circuit monitors voltage produced by the voltage regulator circuit. The voltage regulator circuit conveys power from a voltage source to a dynamic load such as a microprocessor, whose power consumption can change rapidly change during operation. Depending on a state (e.g., current value, trend, etc.) of the monitored voltage applied to the load by the voltage regulator circuit, the controller circuit can initiate activation of the dynamic power supply circuit in parallel with the voltage regulator circuit to selectively supply additional power to the load. Supplying additional power to the dynamic load during heavy load conditions prevents the regulated voltage supplied to the load from falling below a threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2006Date of Patent: September 22, 2009Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor CorporationInventor: Praveen K. Jain
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Patent number: 7489117Abstract: The invention relates to a dynamic conversion circuit for improving the transient response of a switching DC-DC converter, such as in a voltage regulator module (VRM). The dynamic conversion circuit may be applied to a single phase or multiphase interleaved VRM of either isolated or non-isolated design configurations, and enhances power transfer from the input to the output of the DC-DC converter and tightly regulates the output voltage during harsh load current transients.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2005Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: CHiL Semiconductor CorporationInventor: Praveen Jain