Patent ID: 8051304

Claim:
A power supply apparatus for supplying a power supply voltage to a microprocessor, comprising: a system controller which sets a target power supply voltage to be supplied to the microprocessor based on a voltage configuration signal outputted from the microprocessor and outputs a voltage setting signal corresponding to the set target power supply voltage; and a regulator circuit which generates the target power supply voltage set by the system controller, based on the voltage setting signal outputted from the system controller, and supplies the target power supply voltage to the microprocessor, wherein the system controller acquires an operating time of the microprocessor and reflects the obtained time on the setting of the target power supply voltage, the system controller and the microprocessor are connected to each other through a bus such that the system controller gradually lowers the setting value of the target power supply voltage, the microprocessor transmits an enable signal, which indicates whether the microprocessor can be operated with the power supply voltage applied thereto, to the system controller through the bus, and the system controller dynamically sets the target power supply voltage based on the enable signal.