Integrated circuit and power supply circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12362675-B2
Application number	US-202318321336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2023
Priority date	Jul 15, 2022
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

An integrated circuit for a power supply circuit. The integrated circuit includes: a first terminal to which a first resistor, a second resistors, and a switch, of the power supply circuit are coupled; a current output circuit outputting a current to the first terminal; a switch control circuit causing the switch to be in a first state or a second state, in which a voltage according to the first resistor or the second resister are respectively applied to the first terminal; a storage circuit; a processing circuit storing an operating condition of the integrated circuit in the storage circuit, based on a first voltage at the first terminal when the switch is in the first state; and a temperature detection circuit detecting a temperature, based on a second voltage at the first terminal when the switch is in the second state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit for a power supply circuit that includes a first resistor, a second resistor for temperature sensing, and a switch, the integrated circuit comprising:
a first terminal to which the first resistor, the second resistor, and the switch are coupled;
a current output circuit configured to output a current to the first terminal;
a switch control circuit configured to cause the switch to be in
a first state in which a voltage according to the first resistor is applied to the first terminal, or
a second state in which another voltage according to the second resistor is applied to the first terminal;

a storage circuit;
a processing circuit configured to store an operating condition of the integrated circuit in the storage circuit, based on a first voltage at the first terminal when the switch is in the first state; and
a temperature detection circuit configured to detect a temperature, based on a second voltage at the first terminal when the switch is in the second state.

2. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the power supply circuit further includes
an inductor,
a transistor configured to control an inductor current flowing through the inductor, and
a control electrode configured to control a state of the switch,

the power supply circuit being configured to generate an output voltage at a target level from an input voltage thereof;
the integrated circuit is configured to control switching of the transistor, and further comprises
a second terminal to which the control electrode is coupled, and
a load detection circuit configured to apply, to the second terminal, a third voltage according to power consumption of the power supply circuit;

the switch control circuit applies, to the second terminal, a fourth voltage for causing the switch to be in the first state, upon startup of the integrated circuit; and
a level of the fourth voltage is out of a range of the third voltage when a load of the power supply circuit is changed from a no-load state to an overload state.

3. The integrated circuit according to claim 2 , further comprising: a driver circuit configured to drive the transistor, based on a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage, wherein
the operating condition includes a condition for determining whether an operating mode of the driver circuit is a burst mode or a normal mode, and
the processing circuit changes the operating mode of the driver circuit, based on the third voltage and the operating condition.

4. The integrated circuit according to claim 3 , wherein
the operating condition further includes a condition for detecting that the load of the power supply circuit is in the overload state, and
the processing circuit controls the driver circuit so as to stop driving the transistor, in response to the load entering the overload state, based on the third voltage and the operating condition.

5. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the current output circuit is further configured to
output a first current, in response to the switch entering the first state, and
output a second current different from the first current, after the switch enters the second state.

6. The integrated circuit according to claim 5 , wherein
the power supply circuit further includes a capacitor coupled to the first terminal, and
the integrated circuit further includes a discharge circuit configured to discharge the capacitor, after the operating condition is stored in the storage circuit and before the second current is outputted.

7. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature detection circuit includes a comparator circuit configured to detect whether the temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature, based on a reference voltage and the second voltage when the switch is in the second state.

8. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising: a signal output circuit configured to output a setting signal, for setting an operation of an external circuit, to the external circuit provided outside the integrated circuit, after the switch enters the second state.

9. The integrated circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the current output circuit stops outputting the current during a time period during which the setting signal is outputted.

10. A power supply circuit configured to generate an output voltage at a target level from an input voltage thereof, the power supply circuit comprising:
an inductor;
a transistor configured to control an inductor current flowing through the inductor;
a first resistor;
a second resistor for temperature sensing;
a switch; and
an integrated circuit configured to control switching of the transistor, the integrated circuit including:
a first terminal to which the first resistor, the second resistor, and the switch are coupled,
a current output circuit configured to output a current to the first terminal,
a switch control circuit configured to cause the switch to be in
a first state in which a voltage according to the first resistor is applied to the first terminal, or
a second state in which another voltage according to the second resistor is applied to the first terminal,

a storage circuit,
a processing circuit configured to store an operating condition of the integrated circuit in the storage circuit, based on a first voltage at the first terminal when the switch is in the first state,
a temperature detection circuit configured to detect a temperature, based on a second voltage at the first terminal when the switch is in the second state.

11. An integrated circuit comprising:
a first terminal to which a first resistor is coupled;
a current output circuit configured to output, to the first terminal, a current to pass through the first resistor;
a temperature detection circuit configured to detect a temperature, based on a first voltage at the first terminal generated by the current from the current output circuit; and
a signal output circuit configured to output, through the first terminal, a setting signal for setting an operation of the external circuit, to an external circuit provided outside the integrated circuit.

12. A power supply circuit configured to generate an output voltage at a target level from an input voltage thereof, the power supply circuit comprising:
an inductor;
a transistor configured to control an inductor current flowing through the inductor;
a first resistor; and
an integrated circuit configured to control switching of the transistor, wherein
the integrated circuit includes
a first terminal to which the first resistor is coupled,
a current output circuit configured to output, to the first terminal, a current to pass through the first resistor,
a temperature detection circuit configured to detect a temperature, based on a first voltage at the first terminal generated by the current from the current output circuit, and
a signal output circuit configured to output, through the first terminal, a setting signal for setting an operation of an external circuit provided outside the integrated circuit, to the external circuit.

Assignees

• Fuji Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Yoshinori

Classifications

• H02M1/327 Primary

  against abnormal temperatures · CPC title

• H02H3/085

  making use of a thermal sensor, e.g. thermistor, heated by the excess current (also responsive to the temperature of the protected device H02H5/041, thermal images H02H6/00) · CPC title

• H02H5/04

  responsive to abnormal temperature {(specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852)} · CPC title

• H02M1/4208

  Arrangements for improving power factor of AC input · CPC title

• H02M1/0035

  using burst mode control · CPC title