Analog combination regulator
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus may provide for multiple input voltage regulation in which a current supplied to an output node divides among voltage regulators according to their respective input voltages when the difference in input voltages falls within a voltage range. When the difference in input voltages falls outside of the voltage range, then the current to the output node is supplied substantially through the voltage regulator with the highest input voltage. In some implementations, the voltage range may be determined, at least in part, by a transistor gate-to-source threshold voltage characteristic. In one example, a dual input voltage regulator system in a combination smart card supplies current from contact and/or contactless (e.g., inductively coupled) power sources based on a relative voltage between the respective input voltages.
1. A system comprising:
a first current path providing a first current I 1 between a first supply node and an output node;
a second current path providing a second current I 2 between a second supply node and the output node; and
a control circuit to regulate a voltage at the output node by supplying a control signal to each current path, the control circuit being operable to divide a current supplied to the output nodes along said current paths when a difference between a voltage at the first supply node and a voltage at the second supply node falls within a voltage range, the division defined by a function characterized by three regions bound by two threshold voltage levels including a first, second and third region where
I 1 >I 2 in the first region,
I 1 =I 2 in the second region, and
I 1 <I 2 in the third region,
and otherwise to supply substantially all the output current from the supply node with the higher voltage.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein current supplied to the output node transitions substantially smoothly from the first current path to the second current path as voltage at the second supply node increases within the voltage range.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein current supplied to the output node transitions substantially smoothly from the second current path to the first current path as voltage at the first supply node increases within the voltage range.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit divides the current by supplying the control signal to bias a transistor in one of the current paths.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first current path comprises a first PMOS transistor having a source terminal connected to the first supply node.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second current path comprises a second PMOS transistor having a source terminal connected to the second supply node.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the output node connects to a drain terminal of the first PMOS transistor in the first current path and to a drain terminal of the second PMOS transistor in the second current path.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the control circuit provides a bias signal to modulate the first and second PMOS transistors.
9. The system of claim 6 , further comprising gate bias circuits to supply substantially a same voltage to a gate terminal of the first PMOS transistor and to a gate terminal of the second PMOS transistor when the difference is characterized by the second region.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a smart card including the first current path, the second current path, and the controller.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the voltage range spans up to about 1 Volt.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the voltage range spans between about 0.2 Volts and about 0.8 Volts.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first current path and the second current path each comprise a junction field effect transistor.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first current path and the second current path each comprise a bipolar junction transistor.
15. A method comprising:
receiving a first voltage at a first input of a voltage regulator;
receiving a second voltage at a second input of the voltage regulator;
regulating a voltage at an output of the voltage regulator; and
supplying current to the output substantially only from an input with a higher input voltage when a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage falls outside of a voltage range, and supplying current to the output such that a current supplied from each of the first and second inputs divides according to voltages at their respective inputs when a difference between the first and second voltage falls within the voltage range.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the voltage range depends substantially on a gate-to-source threshold voltage of a transistor.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the voltage range comprises a voltage difference between a first trigger and a second trigger where each trigger defines a transitional threshold from supplying current from only one input to supplying at least a portion of current from both the first and second input, the difference selected from of a group consisting of: about 0.1, about 0.2, about 0.3, about 0.4, about 0.5, about 0.6, about 0.7, about 0.8, about 0.9, and about 1.0 Volts.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising supplying power to the first input through physical contact with a connector.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising supplying power to the second input through a wireless interface.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising transferring data through an interface operable to receive the first voltage.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising transferring data through an interface operable to receive the second voltage.
22. The method of claim 15 , further comprising selecting a highest available voltage at the first and second inputs to bias a substrate of a transistor in the voltage regulator.