O2Micro receives patent for power management architecture

O2Micro Int. Ltd, a supplier of power management and security ICs, has been granted 71 claims under U.S. patent number 6,507,173 for its single chip power management unit (PMU) apparatus and method.

Intended for cellular phones, PDAs, and other portable wireless-enabled appliances and adapters, this PMU architecture is expected to achieve a high level of analog and digital integration. Integrated logic is known to load off much of the power management overhead from the system and assures power integrity under severe conditions.

"Combining multiple power supplies, protection circuitry, digital timing logic and more into a tiny, thermally efficient package, yields a near optimum solution," said Bruce Denning, O2Micro's Director of Engineering, Intelligent Battery business unit.