Patent ID: 7626444

Claim:
A method to operate an arrangement of one or more charge pumps with two or more power supplies where each supply is able to vary over a range of voltages, and where any one supply can be of a higher or lower voltage than any of the others and wherein said arrangement of one or more charge pumps provides power to an electronic device, comprising the following steps: (1) providing an arrangement of one or more reconfigurable charge pumps, multiple supply voltages, means to measure said supply voltages, a control unit, and an electronic device requiring an output voltage of said arrangement of one or more charge pumps; (2) selecting strongest supply source and measuring voltage of selected source; (3) configuring said arrangement of charge pumps according power source selected and start its operation; (4) starting supply change process comprising the steps: (5) checking if said electronic device is ON, and, if positive, go to step (6), else turn off said arrangement of charge pumps and go to step (12); (6) checking if change of source of supply voltage is required, and, if negative, go to step (5), else go directly to step (7); (7) suspending said arrangement of charge pumps, disconnecting said arrangement of charge pumps from supply source, selecting and switching to new supply source; (8) measuring selected supply voltage; (9) configuring said arrangement of charge pumps according selected power supply; (10) connecting said arrangement of charge pumps to new supply source; (11) resuming operation of said arrangement of charge pumps and go to step (5); and (12) end.