20240012464. Very Low Power Microcontroller System simplified abstract (Ambiq Micro, Inc.)

Very Low Power Microcontroller System

Organization Name

Ambiq Micro, Inc.

Inventor(s)

Scott McLean Hanson of Austin TX (US)

Daniel Martin Cermak of Austin TX (US)

Eric Jonathan Deal of Austin TX (US)

Stephen James Sheafor of Boulder CO (US)

Donovan Scott Popps of Austin TX (US)

Mark A. Baur of Austin TX (US)

Very Low Power Microcontroller System - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240012464 titled 'Very Low Power Microcontroller System

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes a microcontroller system that includes a processing unit, memory blocks, a power control system, a wake-up interrupt controller, and a voltage regulator system. The memory blocks are independently power controlled using power gates. The power control system uses power gates to control the power of at least the memory blocks. The wake-up interrupt controller is connected to the power control system, and the voltage regulator system supplies voltage to separate power domains, with the power gates operated by the power control system.

• The microcontroller system includes a processing unit, memory blocks, a power control system, a wake-up interrupt controller, and a voltage regulator system.
• The memory blocks are connected to a DMA controller and independently power controlled using power gates.
• The power control system uses power gates to control the power of at least the memory blocks.
• The wake-up interrupt controller is connected to the power control system.
• The voltage regulator system supplies voltage to separate power domains.
• The voltage regulator systems are controlled at least in part by power gates operated by the power control system.
• Multiple clocks can be connected to define clock domains associated with separate power domains.

Potential applications of this technology:

• Low-power microcontroller systems for battery-operated devices such as IoT devices, wearables, and mobile devices.
• Power-efficient embedded systems for industrial automation, automotive, and aerospace applications.
• Energy-saving microcontroller systems for smart home devices, medical devices, and environmental monitoring systems.

Problems solved by this technology:

• Power consumption and energy efficiency in microcontroller systems.
• Power management and control in systems with multiple power domains.
• Efficient use of memory resources in microcontroller systems.

Benefits of this technology:

• Improved battery life in battery-operated devices.
• Reduced power consumption and energy costs.
• Enhanced system reliability and performance.
• Flexibility in managing power domains and memory resources.

Original Abstract Submitted

a microcontroller system includes a processing unit supporting at least one near or sub vt circuit and a plurality of memory blocks, each memory block connected to a dma controller and independently power controlled. a power control system uses power gates to power control at least the memory blocks. in some embodiments, a wake-up interrupt controller is connected to the power control system and a voltage regulator system is used to supply voltage to separate power domains, with the voltage regulator systems controlled at least in part by power gates operated by the power control system. a plurality of clocks can be connected to define clock domains associated with separate power domains.