Switched mode power supply circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9887564-B2
Application number	US-201514603664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2015
Priority date	Feb 13, 2014
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A switched mode power supply circuit includes a switching converter receiving an input voltage and generating an output voltage from the input voltage in accordance with a switching signal. A switching controller unit is configured to generate the switching signal in accordance with a control parameter set such that the output voltage matches a set-point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switched mode power supply circuit comprising:
a switching converter configured to receive an input voltage and to generate an output voltage from the input voltage in accordance with a switching signal, the switching converter including a transformer to provide a galvanic isolation between a primary side and a secondary side of the switching converter; and
a switching controller unit configured to generate the switching signal in accordance with a control parameter set and dependent on input data received via a galvanically isolated transmission path, wherein the input data includes a serial data stream provided by a load supplied with the output voltage, wherein the galvanically isolated transmission path includes a second transformer, and the second transformer comprises a coreless transformer integrated in the same chip or chip package as the switching controller unit.

2. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 1 ,
wherein the switching controller unit is configured to generate the switching signal in accordance with a control parameter set such that the output voltage approximately matches a set-point,
wherein the switched mode power supply circuit further comprises a detection circuit configured to detect a change of the set-point and to signal the changed set-point to the switching controller unit, and
wherein the switching controller unit is further configured to update the control parameter set in response to a detected change of a set-point value.

3. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 1 , wherein the switching controller unit is configured to generate the switching signal such that the output voltage approximately matches a set-point value which is included in the input data.

4. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 3 , wherein the switching controller unit is further configured to update the control parameter set in response to a detected change of the set-point value.

5. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a voltage sense circuit configured to provide a signal representing the output voltage, the signal representing the output voltage being transmitted to the switching controller unit via the galvanically isolated transmission path.

6. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 5 , wherein the switching controller unit includes a voltage controller that receives a set-point and the signal representing the output voltage and is configured to generate the switching signal based on the set-point and the signal representing the output voltage.

7. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer circuit coupled to an output of the switching converter and configured to provide a signal representing output current supplied to a load connected to the output.

8. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 7 , wherein the signal representing the output current is transmitted to the switching controller unit via the galvanically isolated transmission path.

9. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the input data is received by the switching controller unit by decoding a modulation of the output current.

10. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 1 , wherein the serial data stream is received from a load supplied with the output voltage via at least one data line coupled to the switching controller unit via the galvanically isolated transmission path.

11. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 1 , wherein the switching controller unit is configured to transmit output data to a mobile device via the galvanic isolation.

12. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 1 , wherein the switching controller unit is galvanically isolated from all electronic components galvanically coupled to the secondary side of the switching converter.

13. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 1 , wherein the switching converter includes a synchronous rectifier configured to rectify a secondary current of the switching converter.

14. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 13 , wherein the switching controller unit is configured to generate a drive signal for the synchronous rectifier, the drive signal to be transmitted to the synchronous rectifier via a galvanically isolating transmission path.

15. A charging circuit for charging a battery included in a mobile device, the charging circuit comprising:
a switching converter configured to receive an input voltage and to generate an output voltage for the mobile device from the input voltage in accordance with a switching signal, the switching converter including a transformer that provides a galvanic isolation between a primary side and a secondary side of the switching converter; and
a switching controller unit configured to generate the switching signal in accordance with a control parameter set and dependent on input data received via a galvanically isolated transmission path, wherein the input data includes a serial data stream provided by the mobile device supplied with the output voltage, wherein the galvanically isolated transmission path includes a second transformer, and the second transformer comprises a coreless transformer integrated in the same chip or chip package as the switching controller unit.

16. The charging circuit of claim 15 , wherein the switching controller unit is configured to generate the switching signal such that the output voltage approximately matches a set-point that is included in the input data.

17. The charging circuit of claim 16 wherein the input data includes information concerning at least one of charging mode, battery status, desired output voltage or current.

18. The charging circuit of claim 15 , wherein the switching controller unit is configured to transmit output data to the mobile device via the galvanically isolated transmission path.

19. The charging circuit of claim 18 , wherein the output data includes information concerning at least one of a set of possible values of the output voltage, a maximum output voltage, or available charging modes.

20. The charging circuit of claim 15 , wherein the switching controller unit includes a programmable processor.

21. The charging circuit of claim 15 , wherein no programmable processor is connected to the secondary side of the charging circuit without an intervening galvanic isolation.

22. The charging circuit of claim 15 , wherein the switching controller unit is configured to transmit output data to the mobile device via the galvanic isolation.

23. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 2 , wherein the input data includes the set-point.

24. The switched mode power supply circuit of claim 2
wherein the control parameter set defines control characteristics of the switching controller unit, and
wherein the control parameter set includes at least one of: criteria for switching off a semiconductor switch of the switching converter, criteria for switching on the semiconductor switch, or criteria for mode switching of the switching converter from DCM to CCM and vice versa.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Austria Ag

Inventors

• Fahlenkamp Marc
• Krueger Martin
• Keitel Schulz Doris
• Rossi Sergio
• Wald Christian

Classifications

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M1/32

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

• H02M3/33523

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

• H02J7/00

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

• H02M3/33507

  with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters (H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence) · CPC title