Circuit voltage regulation

In a circuit including a number of functional blocks of circuits, each block having a minimum operating voltage, a plurality of sense lines from each of the blocks is used to measure local voltage fluctuation at each block. The power voltage(s) of the overall circuit may be globally regulating in the circuit responsive to such locally sensed voltage fluctuations to prevent the local voltages from dropping below the minimum operating voltage for each block.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to circuitry operation control techniques and apparatus, and, more particularly, to such techniques and apparatus for regulation of voltage in a circuit (e.g., integrated circuit voltage regulation).

2. Description of the Related Art

Integrated circuits typically include a plurality of functional circuit blocks which perform different functions at different times causing a differing degree of power drain in different areas of the integrated circuit. When one functional block is particularly active, a local drop in voltage may be experienced at that location in the integrated circuit. Such functional blocks typically have a minimum operating voltage. If the local voltage drops below the minimum operating voltage, a processing failure is likely to occur. Accordingly, there is a need for an innovation which allows the system to detect voltage usage at various locations throughout the integrated circuit in question, and/or to compensate for local voltage variations within an integrated circuit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The following discussion is intended to provide a detailed description of at least one example of the invention and should not be taken to be limiting of the invention itself. Rather, any number of variations may fall within the scope of the invention which is properly defined in the claims following this description.

FIG. 1shows an exemplary electrical system and/or information processing system100. System100includes power supply110, power monitor controller195and integrated circuit (IC)120, among other system elements. System100is representative of any information processing system. For example, in one embodiment, system100is a cell phone including a baseband processor (including, for example, IC120), an RF frontend and a power management chip (including, for example, power monitor controller195).

Power supply10provides an input power voltage VINto IC120via power input pad115. The power voltage VINis a voltage from which a power rail voltage (e.g., VDD190) is derived for operational circuits within IC120. Power supply110also provides a reference voltage VREFvia reference voltage input pad186. Reference voltage VREFcorresponds to a minimum operational power voltage below which operational circuitry of system100may not operate. For example, VREFmay be equal to the minimum operation power voltage, or VREFmay have a value related or proportional to the minimum operation power voltage. Although VREFis illustrated as being received from power supply110, VREFmay alternatively be derived from one or both of VINand VDD. For example, in one embodiment VREFis derived from VINat all times. In another embodiment, VREFis derived from VINduring startup and from VDDafter startup or during normal operation. Typically, VIN>VREF. In one embodiment, VIN=1.875V, and VREF=1.575V.

The reference voltage VREFis used as a reference signal to regulate the power rail voltage VDDwhich is derived from VIN. The power rail voltage VDDwill be taxed in different ways in different portions of IC120depending on the changing states of operation of the portions of IC120. Comparisons of actual, localized VDDvalues with VREFmay be used to regulate the degree to which VDDis tied to VINin order to regulate the localized VDDvalues, (e.g., in a closed loop).

Power monitor controller195controls power saving operations of system100. For example, power monitor controller monitors the power consumption and operational state of system100, and may, for example, force system100into a standby mode to save power. Power monitor controller provides a standby (SB) signal to IC120via standby pad196.

Integrated circuit120includes a number of operational circuits such as voltage regulation circuit130, memory140(e.g., DRAM, SRAM or other appropriate memory type), processing core150, digital signal processor (DSP)160and transmitter/receiver (Tx/Rx)170. Each of the operational circuits140,150,160,170are coupled to voltage regulation circuit130via power rail190. Each of the operational circuits140,150,160,170are also coupled to voltage regulation circuit130via sense lines145,155,165,175.

Power is received via power input pad115and transferred throughout IC120via power rail190. Power rail190is representative of conventional integrated circuit power rails. In the presently discussed embodiment, power rail190includes multiple power grid lines and connectors which carry a power voltage VDDto various operational circuits of IC120.

As discussed above, IC120includes a plurality of sense lines145,155,165,175and185. Each sense lines carries an indication of a measurement of a voltage level at various points of power rail190. For example, sense line145carries an indication of a power voltage level at memory140, sense line155carries an indication of a power voltage level at core150, sense line165carries an indication of a power voltage level at DSP160, sense line175carries an indication of a power voltage level at transmitter/receiver170, and sense line185carries an indication of a power voltage level at VDDpad180. Thus, voltage regulation circuit130receives in parallel a substantially contemporaneous measurement/indication of power voltage levels at various locations throughout IC120.

Each of operational circuits140,150,160,170typically requires a minimum power voltage supplied to it to operate effectively. In operation, different ones of operational circuits140,150,160and170will draw different amounts of power. For example, during a particularly memory intensive operation memory140may require more power than the rest of the operational circuits. In such a case, the actual power voltage VDDat memory140may tend to be drawn lower than the actual power voltage VDDat other operational circuits. Such a drop in local VDDwould be indicated via sense line145to voltage regulation circuit130. Voltage regulation circuit130uses the voltage indications received via the multiple sense lines145,155,165,175and185to correct for dropping VDDat any particular operational circuit, and can therefore correct for the exemplary voltage drop tendency at memory140. For example, regulator130corrects for such a local drop in VDDby effecting a global change in VDD. By increasing VDDoutput to power rail190by regulator130, the local VDDs are increased, with a resulting increase in the local VDDat memory140, thereby ensuring that the local VDDat memory140does not drop below VREF.

FIG. 2shows an exemplary voltage regulation circuit130. Voltage regulation circuit130includes a voltage regulator control circuit205and a regulator270. Minimum voltage detection circuit205detects voltage fluctuations (e.g., a lowering of VDD) at remote sensing locations in IC120, and provides a signal indicative of the most significant fluctuation (e.g., lowest fluctuation) of the sensed voltages. Regulator270modifies VDDdepending on the value of the signal indicative of the fluctuation.

Minimum voltage detection circuit205includes a sense circuit portion for comparing indications of remote voltages and a minimum voltage detection portion for providing a control signal295to the regulator270responsive to the comparison(s). As shown, the sense circuit portion of voltage regulator control circuit205includes operational amplifiers (opamps)210,220,230,240,250and260, and the minimum voltage detection portion of voltage regulator control circuit205includes minimum voltage controllers (e.g., transistors)212,222,232,242,252and262.

Each of the opamps210,220,230,240,250and260receives a reference voltage VREFon node186at an inverting input. Each of the opamps receives a remote voltage sense indication via one of sense lines185,155,175,145, and165at a non-inverting input. (Other embodiments may include configurations in which the inputs are swapped.) Each received remote voltage sense indication is an indication of a voltage which is remote from voltage regulation circuit130but local to each of a plurality of sense locations. The sense locations are typically at an operational circuit, pad location or other circuit location. As illustrated, opamp210receives sense line185indicating a remote voltage indication from VDDpad180, opamp220receives sense line155indicating a remote voltage indication from core150, opamp230receives sense line175indicating a remote voltage indication from Tx/Rx170, opamp240receives sense line145indicating a remote voltage indication from RAM140, opamp250receives sense line165indicating a remote voltage indication from DSP160. Also as illustrated, opamp260receives a sense line corresponding to a regulator local VDD(that is, the VDDvalue substantially close to the output from, and therefore local to, voltage regulation circuit130).

Voltage regulator control circuit205may also be conceived of as including a number of sense cells, each sense cell including a sense portion (e.g., opamp) and a priority portion (e.g., pull-down PMOS transistor), wherein the priority portions vie for priority control of the control signal295depending on the relative values of sensed voltages. Each priority PMOS transistor is controllable to pull control line295down when the sensed voltage corresponding to the priority circuit is pulled down. In this way, the priority cell corresponding to the sensed voltage which decreases the most has the most pull down effect on control line295, thereby turning on the PMOS transistor of regulator270, which ties VDDmore directly to VIN, thereby raising all local values of VDD.

As illustrated, regulator270is a PMOS transistor which controllably ties VDDto VIN. Regulator270includes a current handling terminal (source) which is coupled to VIN, a current handling terminal (drain) which is coupled to VDD, and a control terminal which is coupled to voltage control node295. The extent to which regulator270conducts is controlled by the voltage on voltage control node295. When regulator270ties VDDto VINfully (is fully conducting), VDD=VIN. Typically, VDDis at a value below that of VIN. VDDneed only be raised to a higher value closer to VINwhen there is a local fluctuation of VDD. For example, if a localized value of VDDis pulled lower due to intensified localized power drain by a particular operational circuit, the regulator output of VDDcan be raised so that the lower remote value of VDDremains above a minimum operational value for the operational circuit in question. In this case, regulator270is controlled by voltage regulator control circuit205to conduct to a greater extent so that there is less voltage drop over regulator transistor270and VDDis raised, thereby raising the remote but localized value of VDDwhich would otherwise decrease if left unregulated.

FIG. 3is a timing diagram showing exemplary remote VDDsense indications185,155and145. Each of the illustrated remote VDDsense indications corresponds to one of the sense lines illustrated in FIG.2. As shown in FIG.2and discussed above, sense185corresponds to a sense line sensing a localized VDDat VDDpad180(pad VDD), sense155corresponds to a sense line sensing a localized VDDat core150(core VDD), and sense145corresponds to a sense line sensing a localized VDDat RAM140(RAM VDD).

During time310, all of the sensed locations have normal (operational) values of VDD. At time315, a pull-down fluctuation of VDDat the remote location sensed by sense145is detected. For example, a memory intensive operation may be occurring, causing locally increased power drain by RAM140. Before RAM VDDcan be drawn below a value which would prevent operation of RAM140, opamp240detects the fluctuation (indicated at time315) on sense line145(in comparison to VREFon line186; seeFIG. 2) and more strongly turns on transistor242, thereby drawing more current from node295and turning on regulator transistor270to raise the value of VDDoutput by voltage regulation circuit130. Because VDDat the output of voltage regulation circuit130is raised at time315, the core VDD(sense line155) and the pad VDD(sense line185) are raised, and the value of RAM VDD(sense line145), remains at an operational value throughout period320.

At time325, the memory intensive operation terminates, thereby ending the additional draw of power by RAM140. This would tend to increase the RAM VDDas shown at time325, but an initial increase of RAM VDDis detected on sense line145by opamp240, which in turn more strongly turns off transistor242, thereby drawing less current from node295and allowing regulator transistor270to turn off (unless turned on by another localized VDDfluctuation) to allow the value of VDDoutput by voltage regulation circuit130to lower (unless the regulator VDDis raised by another localized VDDfluctuation). Because VDDat the output of voltage regulation circuit130is lowered at time325, the core VDD(sense line155) and the pad VDD(sense line185) are lowered at time325and continue at normal operational values throughout period330, and the value of RAM VDD(sense line145) remains at an operational value throughout period330.

During time320, RAM140drew additional power from the VDDpower rail, thereby causing the VDDpower rail to increase to a higher voltage as shown in FIG.3. This caused other localized VDDvalues to increase as well. For example, sense155and sense185increased with VDDbecause there was not a commensurate drop in voltage on their corresponding localized power rails (core VDDand pad VDD) due to additional processing or power drain at either of pad180or core150. Because RAM140was tending to draw down the value of RAM VDD, and because voltage regulation circuit130was tending to draw the value of RAM VDDup by increasing global VDD, the value of RAM VDDremained substantially the same as shown in the ideal simulation representation of FIG.3.

During time330, all of the sensed locations have normal (operational) values of VDD. At time335, a pull-down fluctuation of VDDat the remote location sensed by sense185is detected. For example, an external power intensive operation may be occurring, causing locally increased power drain at VDDpad180. Before pad VDDcan be drawn below a value which would cause operational problems, opamp210detects the fluctuation (indicated at time335) on sense line185(in comparison to VREFon line186; seeFIG. 2) and more strongly turns on transistor212, thereby drawing more current from node295and turning on regulator transistor270to raise the value of VDDoutput by voltage regulation circuit130. Because VDDat the output of voltage regulation circuit130is raised at time335, the core VDD(sense line155) and the RAM VDD(sense line145) are raised, and the value of pad VDD(sense line185), remains at an operational value throughout period340.

Referring again toFIG. 2, voltage regulator control circuit205is power control enabled. For example, voltage regulator control circuit205is coupled to receive a system standby signal (SB) on node196which can shut off one or some or all of the opamps of voltage regulator control circuit205. As illustrated, standby signal SB disables sense lines originating from operational circuits of IC120, but allows the sense line local to voltage regulation circuit130. Various different embodiments may include different configurations in which the opamps are selectively disabled (e.g., when portions of IC120are selectively disabled for power savings) or in which all opamps are disabled (e.g., during a power saving state).

FIG. 4shows an alternative embodiment of a voltage regulation circuit in which a minimum voltage detection circuit405performs the sensing and priority functions using fewer opamps. Specifically, minimum voltage detection circuit405includes a single opamp410which has an output coupled to the gate of PMOS regulator270, an inverting input coupled to receive a signal indicative of VREF, and a noninverting input coupled to receive a signal indicative of a voltage drop in a portion of IC120which is experience the largest voltage drop (e.g., the portion of IC120which has priority to request an increase in VDD). Each voltage drop indications on sense lines185,155,175,145and185are received at a respective control terminal of corresponding PMOS transistors412,422,432,442and452. Each of PMOS transistors412,422,432,442and452pulls current from an input of opamp410where the comparison with VREFis made to adjust global VDD.

The above description is intended to describe at least one embodiment of the invention. The above description is not intended to define the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined in the claims below. Thus, other embodiments of the invention include other variations, modifications, additions, and/or improvements to the above description.

For example, in one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a voltage regulator, a power rail, and a number of sense lines. The voltage regulator has an output to provide a regulated voltage. The power rail (e.g., a voltage rail) is coupled to the output of the voltage regulator to provide the regulated voltage to circuitry of the integrated circuit. Each sense line is coupled to provide an indication of a voltage at a location of a plurality of locations on the power rail during operation. The voltage regulator includes a voltage regulator control circuit coupled to each of the plurality of sense lines. The voltage regulator control circuit has an output to provide a control signal to control the regulated voltage. The voltage regulator control circuit can adjust the control signal such that a minimum voltage of voltages indicated by the indications of the plurality of sense lines meets a voltage reference requirement.

In a further embodiment, the aforementioned integrated circuit further includes a number of operational circuits coupled to the output of the regulator via the voltage rail. Each sense line or each of a subset of the sense lines is coupled to provide an indication of a voltage at a location on the power rail associated with an operational circuit. In still further embodiments, the functional circuits include one or more of a memory, a processor core, a transceiver and a receiver. In another further embodiment, a location on the power rail associated with an operational circuit includes a location within or adjacent to an operational circuit.

In another further embodiment, the voltage regulator control circuit is coupled to receive a reference voltage signal indicating the voltage reference requirement. In yet a further embodiment, the reference voltage signal is generated by a circuit external to the integrated circuit. In another further embodiment, the voltage regulator control circuit includes a plurality of amplifiers, wherein each amplifier has a first input coupled to the voltage reference signal, a second input coupled to a sense line of the plurality, and an output, and the voltage regulator control circuit adjusts the control signal based upon the outputs of the plurality of amplifiers. The voltage control regulator circuit may also include a number of transistors in which the control electrode of each is coupled to an output of an amplifier of the plurality and in which the current electrode of each is coupled to the output of the voltage regulator control circuit. The voltage of the control signal may be determined by the output of an amplifier indicating that an indication received by the sense line coupled to its input indicates the lowest voltage of the voltages indicated by the indications of the sense lines as indicated by the outputs of the amplifiers of the plurality.

In another further embodiment, the voltage regulator control circuit is responsive to a reduction voltage of voltages indicated by the indications of a first number of sense lines meets the voltage reference requirement in response to the reduction signal being at a first state. The voltage regulator control circuit can also adjust the control signal such that a minimum voltage of voltages indicated by the indications of a second number of sense lines of the plurality meets the voltage reference requirement in response to the reduction signal being at a second state. This embodiment may include the first number of sense lines, and the second number (e.g., one) may be less than the first number. In yet a further embodiment, the voltage regulator control circuit includes a plurality of amplifiers, wherein each amplifier has a first input coupled to the voltage reference signal, a second input coupled to a sense line of the plurality, and an output, and wherein the voltage regulator control circuit adjusts the control signal based upon the outputs of the plurality of amplifiers. The set of amplifiers (e.g., the first number minus the second number of amplifiers) may be disabled in response to the reduction signal being at the second state.

In another further embodiment, the voltage regulator control circuit includes a minimum voltage detection circuit having an out put to provide and indication of the minimum voltage. The minimum voltage detection circuit may include a plurality of transistors such that for each transistor, the control electrode i s coupled to receive an indication of a voltage indicated by a sense line of the plurality and the current electrode of each of the plurality of transistors is coupled to the output of the minimum voltage detection circuit. The voltage regulator control circuit may further include an amplifier having a first input coupled to the output of the minimum voltage detection circuit, a second input coupled to receive a reference voltage signal indicating the voltage reference requirement, and an output coupled to the output of the voltage regulator control circuit. The output of the minimum voltage detection circuit may be coupled to the output of the voltage regulation control circuit. The control signal may be dependent upon the output of the minimum voltage detection circuit.

In another further embodiment, the integrated circuit further includes a pass device having a first current electrode coupled to the output of the voltage regulator, a control electrode coupled to the output of the voltage regulator control circuit, and a second current electrode coupled to a power supply.

In another embodiment, an electric system includes one or more of the integrated circuit embodiments described herein. The electric system further includes a power supply having an output for supplying a first power supply voltage, and the voltage regulator is coupled to the power supply to received the power supply voltage.

In another embodiment, a method for controlling a regulated voltage of a voltage regulator of an integrated circuit is provided. The integrated circuit includes a power rail coupled to an output of the voltage regulator. The method includes the step of sensing one or more voltages on the power rail at a plurality of locations on the power rail and determining a minimum voltage of the voltages sensed in the sensing. The regulated voltage is adjusted such that the minimum voltage meets a voltage reference requirement. The steps of sensing, determining, and adjusting are performed by circuitry of the integrated circuit.

One embodiment of the method for controlling the regulated voltage of the voltage regulator may include the step of comparing the voltage with a reference voltage to obtain a voltage difference for each location of the plurality of locations. In such an embodiment, the step of determining the minimum voltage includes determining the minimum voltage based upon the voltage differences obtain from each location.

Another embodiment of the method includes the step of receiving a reduction signal and includes various other characteristics. For example, the step of determining further includes determining the minimum voltage of the voltages sensed at the first number of the plurality of locations in response to the reduction signal being at a first state, and determining the minimum voltage of the voltages sensed at a second number of the plurality of locations in response to a the reduction signal being at a second state, wherein the plurality of locations is of a first number, and the second number is less than the first number.

In another embodiment of the method, the step of determining further includes providing an indication of the minimum voltage, and the step of adjusting further includes providing a control signal dependent upon the indication of the minimum voltage for controlling the regulated voltage.

In another embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a voltage regulator, a power rail, and a number of sense lines. The voltage regulator has an output to provide a regulated voltage. The power rail is coupled to the output of the voltage regulator to provide the regulated voltage to circuitry of the integrated circuit. Each sense line provides an indication of a voltage at a location on the power rail. The voltage regulator includes means for controlling the regulated voltage such that a minimum voltage of voltages indicated by the indications of the plurality of sense lines meets a voltage reference requirement, wherein the means is responsive to the plurality of sense lines. In a further embodiment, the integrated circuit further includes a plurality of operational circuits coupled to the output of the regulator via the voltage rail, wherein each sense line of a plurality of at least a portion of the plurality of the sense lines provides an indication of a voltage at a location on the power rail associated with an operational circuit of the plurality.

In another embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a voltage regulator, a power rail, and a plurality of sense lines. The voltage regulator has an output to provide a regulated voltage. The power rail is coupled to the output of the voltage regulator to provide the regulated voltage to circuitry of the integrated circuit. Each of the plurality of sense lines is configured to provide an indication of a voltage at a location of a plurality of locations on the power rail. The voltage regulator includes a voltage regulator control circuit coupled to each of the plurality of sense lines. The voltage regulator control circuit has an output to provide a control signal to control the regulated voltage. The voltage regulator control circuit includes a minimum voltage detection circuit. The minimum voltage detection circuit is responsive to a first group of indications of voltages in response to a reduction signal being at a first state to provide an indication of the minimum voltage indicated by the first group of indications wherein each indication of the first group is indicative of a voltage at a location of the plurality of locations. The minimum voltage detection circuit is responsive to a second group of at least one indication of voltages in response to the reduction signal being at a second state to provide an indication of the minimum voltage indicated by the second group wherein each indication of the second group is indicative of a voltage at a location of the plurality of locations, the second group being a smaller number than the first group. The voltage regulator control circuit adjusts the control signal such that the minimum voltage as indicated by the minimum voltage detection circuit meets a voltage reference requirement. In a further embodiment, the second group includes only one indication.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that circuit elements in circuit diagrams and boundaries between logic blocks are merely illustrative and to some extent perhaps even artificial, and that such logic demarcations are often offered for instruction rather than to indicate any physical demarcation. Alternative embodiments may merge logic blocks or circuit elements or impose an alternate decomposition of functionality upon various logic blocks or circuit elements. Moreover, alternative embodiments may combine multiple instances of a particular component.

The foregoing components and devices are used herein as examples for sake of conceptual clarity. As for (nonexclusive) example, the depiction of a MOSFET transistor is representative of any type of switching device or circuit which may be appropriately employed to achieve the same or similar switching functionality. Consequently, as used herein the use of any specific exemplar herein is also intended to be representative of its class and the noninclusion of any specific devices in any exemplary lists herein should not be taken as indicating that limitation is desired.

The transistors described herein (whether bipolar, field effect, etc.) may be conceptualized as having a control terminal which controls the flow of current between a first current handling terminal and a second current handling terminal. An appropriate condition on the control terminal causes a current to flow from/to the first current handling terminal and to/from the second current handling terminal.

For example, in a bipolar NPN transistor, the first current handling terminal is the collector, the control terminal is the base, and the second current handling terminal is the emitter. A sufficient current into the base causes a collector-to-emitter current to flow. In a bipolar PNP transistor, the first current handling terminal is the emitter, the control terminal is the base, and the second current handling terminal is the collector. A current flowing between the base and emitter causes an emitter-to-collector current to flow.

Also, although field effect transistors (FETs) are frequently discussed as having a drain, a gate, and a source, in most such devices the drain is interchangeable with the source. This is because the layout and semiconductor processing of the transistor is frequently symmetrical. For an n-channel FET, the current handling terminal normally residing at the higher voltage is customarily called the drain. The current handling terminal normally residing at the lower voltage is customarily called the source. A sufficient voltage on the gate (relative to the source voltage) causes a current to therefore flow from the drain to the source. The source voltage referred to in n-channel FET device equations merely refers to which drain or source terminal has the lower voltage at any given point in time. For example, the “source” of the n-channel device of a bi-directional CMOS transfer gate depends on which side of the transfer gate is at the lower voltage. To reflect this symmetry of most n-channel FET devices, the control terminal may be deemed the gate, the first current handling terminal may be termed the “drain/source”, and the second current handling terminal may be termed the “source/drain”. Such a description is equally valid for a p-channel FET device, since the polarity between drain and source voltages, and the direction of current flow between drain and source, is not implied by such terminology. Alternatively, one current-handling terminal may arbitrarily deemed the “drain” and the other deemed the “source”, with an implicit understanding that the two are not distinct, but interchangeable.

Insulated gate FETs (IGFETs) are commonly referred to as MOSFET devices (which literally is an acronym for “Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor”), even though the gate material may be polysilicon or some material other than metal, and the dielectric may be oxynitride, nitride, or some material other than an oxide. The use of such historical legacy terms as MOSFET should not be interpreted to literally specify a metal gate FET having an oxide dielectric unless the context indicates that such a restriction is intended.

Because the above detailed description is exemplary, when “one embodiment” is described, it is an exemplary embodiment. Accordingly, the use of the word “one” in this context is not intended to indicate that one and only one embodiment may have a described feature. Rather, many other embodiments may, and often do, have the described feature of the exemplary “one embodiment.” Thus, as used above, when the invention is described in the context of one embodiment, that one embodiment is one of many possible embodiments of the invention.

Notwithstanding the above caveat regarding the use of the words “one embodiment” in the detailed description, it will be understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim element is intended in the below claims, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such limitation is present or intended. For example, in the claims below, when a claim element is described as having “one” feature, it is intended that the element be limited to one and only one of the feature described. Furthermore, when a claim element is described in the claims below as including or comprising “a” feature, it is not intended that the element be limited to one and only one of the feature described. Rather, for example, the claim including “a” feature reads upon an apparatus or method including one or more of the feature in question. That is, because the apparatus or method in question includes a feature, the claim reads on the apparatus or method regardless of whether the apparatus or method includes another such similar feature. This use of the word “a” as a nonlimiting, introductory article to a feature of a claim is adopted herein by Applicants as being identical to the interpretation adopted by many courts in the past, notwithstanding any anomalous or precedential case law to the contrary that may be found. Similarly, when a claim element is described in the claims below as including or comprising an aforementioned feature (e.g., “the” feature), it is intended that the element not be limited to one and only one of the feature described merely by the incidental use of the definite article.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the invention claimed herein. Consequently, the appended claims encompass within their scope all such changes, modifications, etc. as are within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. The above description is not intended to present an exhaustive list of embodiments of the invention. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each example presented herein is a nonlimiting or nonexclusive example, whether or not the terms nonlimiting, nonexclusive or similar terms are contemporaneously expressed with each example. Although an attempt has been made to outline some exemplary embodiments and exemplary variations thereto, other embodiments and/or variations are within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims below.