US 12,308,740 B2
Predictive load transient based voltage regulator turbo for voltage droop minimization
Chenhao Nan, Santa Clara, CA (US); Qiong Wang, Palo Alto, CA (US); Kaushik Vaidyanathan, Santa Clara, CA (US); Houle Gan, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Xin Li, Cupertino, CA (US)
Assigned to Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/712,648.
Prior Publication US 2023/0318456 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. H02M 3/158 (2006.01); H02M 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02M 3/158 (2013.01) [H02M 1/0009 (2021.05)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling voltage supplied to a load comprising:
predicting a large load current transient;
generating a turbo signal in response to predicting the large load current transient; and
increasing, in response to the turbo signal, responsiveness of a voltage regulator supplying voltage to the load, and maintaining increased responsiveness of the voltage regulator for a configured duration of the turbo signal such that when a subsequent large load current transient occurs at a time after the large load current transient and before expiration of the configured duration, the increased responsiveness is maintained continuously to the time of the subsequent large load current transient, and such that when the subsequent large load current transient occurs at the time after the large load current transient and after expiration of the configured duration, the increased responsiveness is not maintained continuously to the time of the subsequent large load current transient,
wherein the voltage regulator is operable to generate a power throttling signal upon detecting that a voltage regulator failure occurred or that a voltage regulator performance degradation is likely, and the method further comprises reducing load current transients in response to the power throttling signal, and
wherein a delay between generation of the power throttling signal and actual throttling action is larger than a time between de-assertion the turbo signal and start of a large load current transient.