CPU core voltage switching circuit

Claim 2

A Central Processing Unit, termed hereafter as “CPU”, core voltage switching circuit installed in a personal digital assistant wherein, when the personal digital assistant is using an application software product, a CPU clock frequency is reduced to a half of a frequency used when the personal digital assistant is in an initial start state or a memory data initialization state.

Claim 3

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 1 wherein the CPU clock frequency used when the personal digital assistant is using the application software product is reduced to the half of the frequency used when the personal digital assistant is in the initial start state or in the memory data initialization state to set a CPU core voltage used when the personal digital assistant is using the application software product to a lower voltage than a voltage used when the personal digital assistant is in the initial start state or in the memory data initialization state.

Claim 4

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 1 wherein the CPU clock frequency is 33 MHz when the personal digital assistant is in the initial start state or in the memory data initialization state and wherein the CPU clock frequency is 16.5 MHz when the personal digital assistant is using the application software product.

Claim 5

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 1 wherein the CPU clock frequency is set to 33 MHz to set the CPU core voltage to 2.7 V when the personal digital assistant is in the initial start state or in the memory data initialization state, and wherein the CPU clock frequency is set to 16.5 MHz to set the CPU core voltage to 2.0 V when the personal digital assistant is using the application software product.

Claim 6

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 1 , comprising: a gate circuit outputting an input voltage as the CPU core voltage in response to a voltage control signal representing a high voltage; a voltage decreasing circuit decreasing the input voltage in response to the voltage control signal representing a low voltage and outputting the input voltage as the CPU core voltage; and a voltage switching control circuit increasing the CPU clock frequency and outputting the voltage control signal representing the high voltage to said gate circuit if the control signal indicates that said personal digital assistant is in the initial start state or in the memory data initialization state, said voltage switching control circuit decreasing the CPU clock frequency and outputting the voltage control signal representing the low voltage to said voltage decreasing circuit if the control signal indicates that said personal digital assistant is using the application software product, the voltage control signal being responsive to the control signal input to said personal digital assistant from an external unit.

Claim 7

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 5 wherein said gate circuit is a field effect transistor which receives the input voltage at a source terminal (S), receives the voltage control signal representing the high voltage at a gate terminal (G), and outputs the CPU core voltage at a drain terminal (D).

Claim 8

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 5 wherein said voltage decreasing circuit is a regulator which receives the input voltage at an input terminal, receives the voltage control signal representing the low voltage at a control terminal, and outputs an output terminal voltage as the CPU core voltage at a drain terminal.

Claim 9

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 5 wherein said voltage switching control circuit comprises: a hybrid Integrated Circuit, termed “IC” herein, which increases the CPU clock frequency if the control signal indicates that said personal digital assistant is in the initial start state or in the memory data initialization state, and decreases the CPU clock frequency if the control signal indicates that said personal digital assistant is using the application software product; and an Reset-Set, termed as “RS” herein, flip-flop and an OR circuit which, in response to the CPU clock frequency, output a voltage control signal representing the high voltage to the gate circuit if the CPU clock frequency is high, and outputs a voltage control signal representing the low voltage to the gate circuit if the CPU clock frequency is low.

Claim 10

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 5 wherein said hybrid IC comprises a CPU and a system controller.

Claim 11

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 5 wherein said hybrid IC sets the CPU clock frequency to 33 MHz if the control signal indicates that said personal digital assistant is in the initial start state or in the memory data initialization state, and sets the CPU clock frequency to 16.5 MHz if the control signal indicates that said personal digital assistant is using the application software product.

Claim 12

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 10 wherein the gate circuit outputs an input voltage as the CPU core voltage of 2.7 V in response to the voltage control signal representing the high voltage.

Claim 13

The CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 10 wherein the voltage decreasing circuit decreases the input voltage in response to the voltage control signal representing the low voltage, and outputs an input voltage of 2.0 V as the CPU core voltage.

Claim 14

A personal digital assistant comprising the CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 1 .

Claim 15

A personal digital assistant comprising the CPU core voltage switching circuit as defined by claim 5 .

Claim 16

A personal digital assistant comprising a CPU core voltage switching circuit, said CPU core voltage switching circuit outputting a first CPU clock frequency when the personal digital assistant is in an initial start state or a memory data initialization state and a second lower CPU clock frequency as compared to the first frequency when the personal digital assistant is using an application software product.

Claim 17

A personal digital assistant comprising a CPU core voltage switching circuit, said CPU core voltage switching circuit outputting a first CPU clock frequency when the personal digital assistant is in an initial start state or a memory data initialization state and a second lower CPU clock frequency as compared to the first frequency when the personal digital assistant is using an application software product.

Claim 18

The personal digital assistant as defined by claim 15 wherein the second lower CPU clock frequency is reduced to a half of the first frequency.

Claim 19

The personal digital assistant as defined by claim 15 wherein upon lowering the second frequency, said CPU core voltage switching circuit sets a CPU core voltage to a lower voltage as compared to a first CPU core voltage used when the first CPU clock frequency is output.