Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for distributing power to a system of independently powered devices

US6314523A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
30References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 9, 1997
Grant dateNov 6, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 9, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F1/32
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

According to the present invention, an apparatus having a plurality of independently operable and powerable devices is disclosed. The apparatus includes a plurality of power rails, a plurality of ground planes, and a power management circuit. One of the power rails is associated with one of the plurality of independently operable devices. One of the plurality of ground planes is selectively associated with one or more of the plurality of power rails. The power management circuit couples to the plurality of power rails and the second plurality of ground planes, for selectively deactivating at least one of the plurality of ground planes independently of any of the other plurality of power rails.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.