Semiconductor integrated circuit device and power supply circuit
US8664798B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 22, 2010 |
| Grant date | Mar 4, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 18, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02J1/08
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a power supply circuit that generates one or more internal supply voltages from an external supply voltage, and one or more functional circuits that operate on the one or more internal supply voltages. A step-down converter in the power supply circuit generates one or more stepped-down voltages from the external supply voltage. A control circuit in the power supply circuit compares the external supply voltage with a reference voltage and selects the internal supply voltages from among the external supply voltage and the stepped-down voltages according to the result of the comparison. The semiconductor integrated circuit device can accordingly operate on different external power supplies, and can continue to operate on battery power even if the battery voltage drops.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.