IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,376,854
Granted Patent B2
US 7,376,854 · App. 10/816,438 · Granted May 20, 2008

System for enabling and disabling voltage regulator controller of electronic appliance according to a series of delay times assigned to voltage regulator controllers

Assignee: Intel Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,376,854
App. No.
10/816,438
Granted
May 20, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some embodiments, a method, apparatus and system for enabling and disabling voltage regulator controllers are generally presented. In this regard, a sequencer agent is introduced to selectively enable or disable the outputs of voltage regulator controllers in an electronic appliance based at least in part on settings stored in non-volatile memory. Other embodiments are discussed and claimed.

Claims (14)

1. An electronic appliance, comprising:

a power supply;

an electronic circuit board coupled with the power supply; and

a sequencer engine coupled with the electronic circuit board, the sequencer engine to sequentially enable voltage regulator controllers on the electronic circuit board during a power up based at least in part on settings stored in non-volatile memory, the sequencer engine to retrieve delay times for a future power state change, and the sequencer engine to prevent the power supply from changing states until voltage regulator controller outputs are stable.

2. The electronic appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:

the sequencer engine to sequentially disable voltage regulator controllers on the electronic circuit board during a power down based at least in part on settings stored in non-volatile memory.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a non-volatile memory interface;

a power supply interface;

a voltage regulator controller interface; and

control logic coupled with the non-volatile memory, power supply and voltage regulator controller interfaces, the control logic to retrieve delay times from non-volatile memory, to enable voltage regulator controller outputs at expiration of associated delay times in response to a power up request, and to prevent a power supply from changing states until the voltage regulator controller outputs are stable.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising control logic to disable voltage regulator controller outputs at expiration of associated delay times in response to a power down request.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising control logic to retrieve ramp rate settings from non-volatile memory and to set voltage regulator controller output ramp rates.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising control logic to retrieve delay times for a future power state change.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2004
From: LEHWALDER, PHILIP R.; PETER, ERIK W.
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015958/0383 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050223259A1 · Oct 6, 2005