Leakage current supply circuit for reducing low drop-out voltage regulator headroom
US9625924B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 22, 2015 |
| Grant date | Apr 18, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 22, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K19/0008
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Systems and methods relate to a low-dropout voltage (LDO) voltage regulator which receives a maximum supply voltage and provides a regulated voltage to a load, where the load may be a processing core of a multi-core processing system. A leakage current supply source includes a leakage current sensor to determine a leakage current demand of the load of the LDO voltage regulator and a leakage current supply circuit to supply the leakage current demand. In this manner, the leakage current supply source provides current assistance to the LDO voltage regulator, such that the LDO voltage regulator can supply only dynamic current. Thus, headroom voltage of the LDO voltage regulator, which is a difference between the maximum supply voltage and the regulated voltage, can be reduced. Reducing the headroom voltage allows greater number of dynamic voltage and frequency scaling states of the load.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.