The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 10, 2006
Filed:
Jan. 19, 2002
Dragan Maksimovic, Boulder, CO (US);
Sandeep Dhar, Boulder, CO (US);
Dragan Maksimovic, Boulder, CO (US);
Sandeep Dhar, Boulder, CO (US);
National Semiconductor Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
There is disclosed control circuitry for adjusting a power supply level, VDD, of a digital processing component having varying operating frequencies. The control circuitry comprises N delay cells and power supply adjustment circuitry. The N delay cells are coupled in series, each of which has a delay D determined by a value of VDD, such that a clock edge applied to an input of a first delay cell ripples sequentially through the N delay cells. The power supply adjustment circuitry capable of adjusting VDD and is operable to (i) monitor outputs of at least a K delay cell and a K+1 delay cell, (ii) determine that the clock edge has reached an output of the K delay cell and has not reached an output of the K+1 delay cell, and (iii) generate a control signal capable of adjusting VDD in response thereto.