USB power supply apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9584016-B2
Application number	US-201514919062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2015
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A USB power supply apparatus conforms to the USB (Universal Serial Bus) specification, and supplies electric power to a USB power receiving apparatus. A bus line connects the output of a power supply circuit and the USB power receiving apparatus. A switch is provided on a path of the bus line. A selector selects one from among the output voltage V OUT of the power supply circuit and the bus voltage V BUS at a position that is closer to the USB power receiving apparatus side than the switch. A feedback circuit feedback controls the power supply circuit such that the voltage V S selected by the selector approaches a setting voltage V SET . A controller controls the switch and the selector based on the state of the USB power supply apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A USB power supply apparatus that conforms to the USB (Universal Serial Bus) specification, and that supplies electric power to a USB power receiving apparatus, the USB power supply apparatus comprising:
a power supply circuit;
a bus line that connects an output of the power supply circuit and the USB power receiving apparatus;
a switch provided on a path of the bus line;
a selector that selects one from among an output voltage of the power supply circuit and a bus voltage at a position that is closer to the USB power receiving apparatus side than the switch;
a feedback circuit that performs a feedback control operation for the power supply circuit such that the voltage thus selected by the selector approaches a setting voltage; and
a controller that controls the switch and the selector based on a state of the USB power supply apparatus.

2. The USB power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller instructs the selector to select the output voltage during a period in which the switch is in the off state.

3. The USB power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the selector based on a supply current supplied to the USB power receiving apparatus via the bus line.

4. The USB power supply apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, when the supply current is larger than a predetermined threshold value, the controller instructs the selector to select the bus voltage,
and wherein, when the supply current is smaller than the threshold value, the controller instructs the selector to select the output voltage.

5. The USB power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a receptacle into which a USB cable is to be inserted is provided to an end of a cable,
and wherein the selector receives, as its input signals, the output voltage of the power supply circuit and the bus voltage at the end of the cable.

6. The USB power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the selector receives, as its input signals, voltages respectively obtained by dividing the output voltage and the bus voltage by means of resistors.

7. The USB power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply circuit comprises:
a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding;
a switching transistor connected to the primary winding of the transformer;
a rectifier circuit that rectifies a current that flows through the secondary winding of the transformer; and
a power supply controller that switches the switching transistor according to a feedback signal,
and wherein the feedback circuit comprises:
an error amplifier that is provided to the secondary side of the transformer, and that generates a signal according to a difference between an output voltage of the selector and the setting voltage; and

a photocoupler that transmits an output signal of the error amplifier as the feedback signal to the primary side of the transformer.

8. The USB power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a communication unit that communicates with the USB power receiving apparatus,
and wherein the controller determines the setting voltage based on negotiation with the USB power receiving apparatus.

9. The USB power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , that conforms to the USB-PD (Power Delivery) specification, further comprising an inductor provided at a position that is closer to the USB power receiving apparatus side than the switch,
wherein the selector receives, as its input signal, the bus voltage at a position that is closer to the USB power receiving apparatus side than the inductor.

10. The USB power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , that conforms to the USB-PD (Universal Serial Bus-Power Delivery) specification or otherwise the USB Type-C specification.

11. An electronic device comprising the USB power receiving apparatus according to claim 1 .

12. A control method for controlling a USB power supply apparatus that conforms to the USB (Universal Serial Bus) specification, and that supplies an electric power to a USB power receiving apparatus, wherein the USB power supply apparatus comprises:
a power supply circuit;
a bus line that connects an output of the power supply circuit and the USB power receiving apparatus; and
a switch provided on a path of the bus line,
and wherein the control method comprises:
voltage selecting in which an output voltage of the power supply circuit is selected when the switch is in the off state, or otherwise a bus voltage at a position that is closer to the USB power receiving apparatus side than the switch is selected when the switch is in the on state; and

feedback controlling the power supply circuit such that the voltage thus selected approaches a setting voltage.

Assignees

• Rohm Co Ltd

Inventors

• Motoki Kenichi

Classifications

• H02M3/33523

  with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop · CPC title

• H02M3/156 Primary

  with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators · CPC title