Charge control circuit using battery voltage tracking, and a device having the same

• US 10,110,032 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kong, Tae Hwang, Lee, Sun Kyu, Lee, Sung Yong, Kim, Dae Yong, Kim, Sang Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US15/096,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20170040818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 320164
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A charge control circuit includes: a charge current control circuit configured to receive an input voltage at a first node, output a sensing current to a second node, and turn on a power transistor; a comparator configured to compare a voltage level of the second node with a voltage level of a third node, wherein the third node receives a charging current from the power transistor; a current mirror configured to generate a mirror current corresponding to the sensing current; and an amplifier configured to receive a first feedback voltage based on the mirror current, and amplify a difference between the first feedback voltage and a reference voltage to generate a switch control signal, wherein in response to the switch control signal and a plurality of control signals, the charge current control circuit is configured to decrease the sensing current and turn on the power transistor.

Claims

1. A charge control circuit, comprising:

a charge current control circuit configured to receive an input voltage at a first node, output a sensing current to a second node, and turn on a power transistor;

a comparator configured to compare a voltage level of the second node with respect to a voltage level of a third node, wherein the third node receives a charging current from the power transistor;

a current mirror configured to generate a mirror current corresponding to the sensing current; and

an amplifier configured to receive a first feedback voltage based on the mirror current, and amplify a difference between the first feedback voltage and a reference voltage to generate a switch control signal,

wherein in response to the switch control signal and a plurality of control signals, the charge current control circuit is configured to decrease the sensing current and turn on the power transistor,

wherein the amplifier includes a multiplexer, a first input terminal to receive the reference, voltage, a second input terminal to receive the first feedback voltage, a third input terminal to receive a second feedback voltage, and a comparator.

2. The charge control circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of control signals are provided to the charge control circuit from a control circuit.

3. The charge control circuit of claim 1, wherein an output of the comparator is provided to the current mirror via a plurality of transistors.

4. The charge control circuit of claim 1, wherein when the first feedback voltage is greater than the second feedback voltage, the first feedback voltage is passed through the multiplexer to an input terminal of the comparator of the amplifier for comparison with the reference voltage.

5. The charge control circuit of claim 1, wherein the first feedback voltage is passed through the multiplexer in a constant current mode.

6. The charge control circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a control signal generator connected to an output terminal of the power transistor and configured to generate control signals according to a voltage at the output terminal of the power transistor.

9. The charge control circuit of claim 1, wherein the charge current control circuit includes a plurality of transistors and a plurality of switches.

10. The charge control circuit of claim 9, wherein a number of the transistors to be turned on is determined by the plurality of control signals.

11. The charge control circuit of claim 10, wherein values of the plurality of control signals are determined by the voltage level at the third node.

12. The charge control circuit of claim 11, wherein when the sensing current is decreased a voltage of the switch control signal is decreased.

13. The charge control circuit of claim 12, wherein when the voltage of the switch control signal is decreased the power transistor is fully turned on.

7. A charge control circuit, comprising:

a charge current control circuit configured to receive an input voltage at a first node, output a sensing current to a second node, and turn on a power transistor;

a comparator configured to compare a voltage level of the second node with respect to a voltage level of a third node, wherein the third node receives a charging current from the power transistor;

a current mirror configure to generate a mirror current corresponding to the sensing current; and

an amplifier configured to receive a first feedback voltage based on the mirror current, and amplify a difference between the first feedback voltage and a reference voltage to generate a switch control signal,

wherein in response to the switch control signal and a plurality of control signals, the charge current control circuit is configured to decrease the sensing current and turn on the power transistor,

wherein the input voltage has a first current level, the sensing current has a second current level greater than the first current level, and the power transistor is partially turned on by the first current level of the input voltage.

8. The charge control circuit of claim 7, wherein the power transistor is fully turned on by decreasing the sensing current, wherein the sensing current is decreased by decreasing a number of transistors that are turned on in the charge current control circuit.

14. A charge control circuit included within a wireless power receiving device performing a wireless charging operation, comprising:

a charge current control circuit configured to receive an input voltage at a first node directly connected to an output terminal of a rectifier circuit configured to rectify an AC signal acquired by an antenna to the input voltage, output a sensing current to a second node, and turn on a power transistor;

a comparator configured to compare a voltage level of the second node with respect to a voltage level of a third node, wherein the third node receives a charging current from the power transistor;

a current mirror configured to generate a mirror current corresponding to the sensing current; and

an amplifier configured to receive a first feedback voltage based on the mirror current, and amplify a difference between the first feedback voltage and a reference voltage to generate a switch control signal,

wherein in response to the switch control signal and a plurality of control signals, the charge current control circuit is configured to decrease the sensing current and turn on the power transistor,

wherein the rectifier circuit and the antenna are included within the wireless power receiving device.

15. The charge control circuit of claim 14, wherein the charge control circuit is configured to use an energy stored in a capacitor connected to the first node.

16. The charge control circuit of claim 14, wherein the charge control circuit is configured to control the input voltage so that the input voltage input into the first node tracks an output voltage of the third node, wherein the output voltage of the third node is supplied to a battery.

17. The charge control circuit of claim 14, wherein the antenna is configured to generate the AC signal using an alternating magnetic field generated by an antenna of a wireless power transmitting device.