Charger circuit and power conversion circuit thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10177420-B2
Application number	US-201715628109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2017
Priority date	Oct 21, 2016
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A charger circuit for providing a charging power to a battery includes a power delivery unit and a power conversion circuit. The power conversion circuit includes at least one conversion switch coupled to an inductor, a front stage switch conducting a DC power generated by the power delivery unit to generate a mid-stage power, and a direct charging switch. In a switching charging mode, the conversion switch converts the mid-stage power to the charging current onto a charging node. In a direct charging mode, the power delivery unit regulates the DC current, and the front stage switch and the direct charging switch conduct the DC current onto the charging node. The body diodes of the front stage switch and the direct charging switch are reversely coupled, and the body diodes of the front stage switch and the conversion switch are reversely coupled, for blocking the parasitic body current.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charger circuit, configured to operably convert an input power to a charging power for charging a battery which is coupled to a charging node, wherein the charging power includes a charging voltage and a charging current; the charger circuit comprising:
a power delivery unit, configured to convert the input power to a DC power, wherein the DC power includes a DC voltage and a DC current; and
a power conversion circuit which includes:
a conversion switch circuit including at least one conversion switch, the conversion switch circuit being coupled to an inductor;
a front stage switch coupled between the DC power and a mid-stage node, configured to operably convert the DC power to a mid-stage power, wherein the mid-stage power includes a mid-stage voltage and a mid-stage current;
a direct charging switch, coupled between the mid-stage node and the charging node; and
a control circuit, configured to operably generate a front stage switch control signal, a direct charging switch control signal, and a conversion switch control signal for controlling the front stage switch, the direct charging switch, and the conversion switch respectively;

wherein in a switching charging mode, the control circuit controls the front stage switch to be ON and the direct charging switch to be OFF, and operates the conversion switch to convert the mid-stage power to the charging power onto the charging node; and
in a direct charging mode, the control circuit controls both the front stage switch and the direct charging switch to be ON for conducting the DC power to the charging node as the charging power.

2. The charger circuit of claim 1 , wherein each of the front stage switch, the direct charging switch, and the conversion switch has a body diode, wherein the body diode of the front stage switch is reversely coupled to the body diode of the conversion switch, and the body diode of the front stage switch is reversely coupled to the body diode of the direct charging switch, whereby a parasitic body current of the body diode of the conversion switch or of the body diode of the direct charging switch is blocked.

3. The charger circuit of claim 1 , wherein in the direct charging mode, the power delivery unit regulates the DC current to a predetermined DC current level according to a DC current related signal, and/or regulates the DC voltage to a predetermined DC voltage level according to a DC voltage related signal.

4. The charger circuit of claim 3 , wherein the front stage switch is further configured to operably sense the DC current to generate the DC current related signal.

5. The charger circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a cable and/or a connector coupled between the power delivery unit and the front stage switch, wherein the cable and/or the connector is compliant with USB or USB PD (Universal Serial Bus Power Delivery) specification and includes one or more power lines for transmitting the DC output power and one or more signal lines for transmitting one or more of the DC current related signal, the DC voltage related signal, a charging current related signal, and a charging voltage related signal.

6. The charger circuit of claim 1 , wherein the front stage switch and/or the direct charging switch is further for use in one or more of the following functions: (1) over voltage protection of the DC voltage; (2) over current protection of the DC current, the mid-stage current and/or the charging current; and (3) plug-out protection of the DC power.

7. The charger circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power conversion circuit is integrated in one integrated circuit or is packaged in one integrated package.

8. A power conversion circuit for use in a charger circuit which is configured to provide a charging power for charging a battery which is coupled to a charging node, wherein the charging power includes a charging voltage and a charging current, and wherein the power conversion circuit receives a DC power which includes a DC voltage and a DC current; the power conversion circuit comprising:
a conversion switch circuit including at least one conversion switch, the conversion switch circuit being coupled to an inductor;
a front stage switch coupled between the DC power and a mid-stage node, configured to operably convert the DC power to a mid-stage power, wherein the mid-stage power includes a mid-stage voltage and a mid-stage current;
a direct charging switch, coupled between the mid-stage node and the charging node; and
a control circuit, configured to operably generate a front stage switch control signal, a direct charging switch control signal, and a conversion switch control signal for controlling the front stage switch, the direct charging switch, and the conversion switch respectively;
wherein in a switching charging mode, the control circuit controls the front stage switch to be ON and the direct charging switch to be OFF, and operates the conversion switch to convert the mid-stage power to the charging power onto the charging node; and
in a direct charging mode, the control circuit controls both the front stage switch and the direct charging switch to be ON for conducting the DC power to the charging node as the charging power.

9. The power conversion circuit of claim 8 , wherein each of the front stage switch, the direct charging switch, and the conversion switch has a body diode, and the body diode of the front stage switch is reversely coupled to the body diode of the conversion switch, and the body diode of the front stage switch is reversely coupled to the body diode of the direct charging switch, whereby a parasitic body current of the body diode of the conversion switch or of the body diode of the direct charging switch is blocked.

10. The power conversion circuit of claim 8 , wherein in the direct charging mode, the DC current is regulated to a predetermined DC current level according to a DC current related signal, and/or the DC voltage is regulated to a predetermined DC voltage level according to a DC voltage related signal.

11. The power conversion circuit of claim 10 , wherein the front stage switch is further configured to operably sense the DC current to generate the DC current related signal.

12. The power conversion circuit of claim 8 , wherein the front stage switch and/or the direct charging switch is further for use in one or more of the following functions: (1) over voltage protection of the DC voltage; (2) over current protection of the DC current, the mid-stage current and/or the charging current; and (3) plug-out protection of the DC power.

13. The power conversion circuit of claim 8 , which is integrated in one integrated circuit or is packaged in one integrated package.

14. A power conversion circuit for use in a charger circuit which is configured to provide a charging power for charging a battery which is coupled to a charging node, wherein the charging power includes a charging voltage and a charging current, and wherein the power conversion circuit receives a DC power which includes a DC voltage and a DC current; the charger circuit including a direct charging switch, coupled between a mid-stage node and a charging node; the power conversion circuit comprising:
a conversion switch circuit including at least one conversion switch, the conversion switch circuit being coupled to an inductor;
a front stage switch coupled between the DC power and the mid-stage node, configured to operably convert the DC power to a mid-stage power, wherein the mid-stage power includes a mid-stage voltage and a mid-stage current; and
a control circuit, configured to operably generate a front stage switch control signal,

Assignees

• Richtek Technology Corp

Inventors

• Huang Tsung-Wei
• Lee Yu-Huei
• Shih Chun-Jen
• Peng Ruei-Hong

Classifications

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• H02M3/1588

  comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element (H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title

• H01M10/443 Primary

  in response to temperature · CPC title