US7007176B2 — System and method for highly phased power regulat…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 148 words

A power regulation system coupled to an input source voltage (Vin) and an output voltage (Vout), said Vout electrically coupled to a load, the system comprising: a plurality of power conversion blocks in a multi-phase configuration, each block electrically coupled to said Vin at a power IC and coupled to said Vout at an output inductance, said power IC including a command interface having read/write capabilities for storing data; a controller in communication with and providing an instruction to each of said power conversion blocks, said controller having an adaptive algorithm configured to receive digital power conversion data from said blocks and to determine a power compensation from said data, said power compensation comprising a proportional-integral-derivative (PlD) control algorithm and modifying said instruction to each of said power conversion blocks; and a digital bus providing a communication channel between said plurality of power conversion blocks and said controller.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 148 words

A power regulation system coupled to an input source voltage (Vin) and an output voltage (Vout), said Vout electrically coupled to a load, the system comprising: a plurality of power conversion blocks in a multi-phase configuration, each block electrically coupled to said Vin at a power IC and coupled to said Vout at an output inductance, said power IC including a command interface having read/write capabilities for storing data; a controller in communication with and providing an instruction to each of said power conversion blocks, said controller having an adaptive algorithm configured to receive digital power conversion data from said blocks and to determine a power compensation from said data, said power compensation comprising a proportional-integral-derivative (PlD) control algorithm and modifying said instruction to each of said power conversion blocks; and a digital bus providing a communication channel between said plurality of power conversion blocks and said controller.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 22 words

The power regulation system of claim 1 , wherein said controller comprises one of a digital signal processor (DSP) or a microprocessor.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 28 words

The power regulation system of claim 1 , further comprising a current feedback line between each of said power conversion blocks and said controller to facilitate current balancing.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 21 words

The power regulation system of claim 1 , wherein said command interface of said power IC further comprises a fault register.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 31 words

The power regulation system of claim 4 , wherein said controller periodically polls said fault register via said digital bus to determine if a fault within said power IC has occurred.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 23 words

The power regulation system of claim 1 , wherein each of said power ICs comprises an identification (ID) as assigned by said controller.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 23 words

The power regulation system of claim 1 , wherein said power compensation comprises an adaptive slope control algorithm for peak current mode control.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

The power regulation system of claim 1 , wherein said PID control algorithm comprises a proportional gain (K p ), an integral gain (K i ), and a differential gain (K d ).

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 18 words

The power regulation system of claim 8 , wherein said PID control algorithm further comprises an error signal.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 26 words

The power regulation system of claim 9 , wherein said error signal comprises a summation of said digital power conversion data from said power conversion blocks.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 23 words

The power regulation system of claim 9 , wherein said error signal comprises a summation of a voltage error and a load current.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 18 words

The power regulation system of claim 9 , wherein said instruction is offset by said (K d ).

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 17 words

The power regulation system of claim 12 , wherein said instruction is offset during a load step.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 43 words

A power regulation system as in claim 1 , wherein said power IC comprises: a voltage sense block for sensing an input and including a window comparator for providing either an active transient response high output or an active transient response low output.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 93 words

A method of compensation control in a multi-phased power regulation system, said method comprising the steps of: receiving, at a controller, a plurality of digital information from each of a plurality of power conversion blocks in a multi-phase configuration, said information comprising a net error; optimizing a set of coefficients of a compensation transfer function in response to said received digital information by modifying said set of coefficients to compensate for system changes; and transmitting control information from said controller to each of said power conversion blocks in response to said optimizing step.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 93 words

A method of compensation control in a multi-phased power regulation system, said method comprising the steps of: receiving, at a controller, a plurality of digital information from each of a plurality of power conversion blocks in a multi-phase configuration, said information comprising a net error; optimizing a set of coefficients of a compensation transfer function in response to said received digital information by modifying said set of coefficients to compensate for system changes; and transmitting control information from said controller to each of said power conversion blocks in response to said optimizing step.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 15 , wherein said optimizing step comprises optimizing a proportional gain (K p ), an integral gain (K i ), and a differential gain (K d ).

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 16 , wherein said optimizing step further comprises forming a PI block comprising said (K p ) and said (K i ), and forming a D block comprising said (K d ).

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 17 , wherein said optimizing step further comprises offsetting said PI block by said D block during a load step.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 16 , wherein said optimizing step further comprises increasing said (K d ) and decreasing said (K i ) to increase a transient response of said system.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 16 , wherein said optimizing step further comprises decreasing said (K d ) and increasing said (K i ) to increase a steady-state response of said system.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 15 , wherein said controller comprises a digital signal processor (DSP) and said receiving step occurs at said DSP.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of forming a synchronized current share line between said controller and each of said power conversion blocks.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of addressing each of said power conversion blocks.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 23 , further comprising the step of determining a number of available power conversion blocks in response to said addressing step.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 23 , further comprising the step of determining a relative phase relationship between a plurality of channels in response to said addressing step.

Claim 28

Independent Claim 168 words

A method of proportional-integral-derivative (PID) compensation control in a highly phased power conversion system, said system having a voltage input and a voltage output, said voltage output received at a load, method comprising the steps of: comparing a voltage output from a power conversion block to a predetermined voltage to determine a voltage error; converting said voltage error to a digital representation of said voltage error; converting a current received at said load to a digital representation; determining a net error from said voltage digital representation and said current digital representation; receiving said net error at a PI block of said compensation control; receiving said current digital representation at a D block of said compensation control; offsetting said PI block with said D block during a load change; determining a set of PID coefficients in accordance with static and transient conditions of said system; outputting a compensated instruction in response to said PI and said D blocks; and modifying said voltage output in response to said compensated instruction.

Claim 29

Independent Claim 168 words

A method of proportional-integral-derivative (PID) compensation control in a highly phased power conversion system, said system having a voltage input and a voltage output, said voltage output received at a load, method comprising the steps of: comparing a voltage output from a power conversion block to a predetermined voltage to determine a voltage error; converting said voltage error to a digital representation of said voltage error; converting a current received at said load to a digital representation; determining a net error from said voltage digital representation and said current digital representation; receiving said net error at a PI block of said compensation control; receiving said current digital representation at a D block of said compensation control; offsetting said PI block with said D block during a load change; determining a set of PID coefficients in accordance with static and transient conditions of said system; outputting a compensated instruction in response to said PI and said D blocks; and modifying said voltage output in response to said compensated instruction.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2009-02-27	2009-08-29	2010-02-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2013-02-27	2013-08-29	2014-02-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2017-02-27	2017-08-29	2018-02-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System and method for highly phased power regulation using adaptive compensation control

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