Detection circuit for an active discharge circuit of an X-capacitor, related active discharge circuit, integrated circuit and method

• US 10,345,348 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Gobbi, Massimiliano, Bellomo, Ignazio Salvatore, Tripodi, Domenico, Borrello, Antonio, Bianco, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trischler, John T
• Application Number:
  US14/838,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20160124029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 320166, 324 7611
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/04 Measuring peak values or amplitude or envelope of ac or of pulses
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16557 Logic probes, i.e. circuits indicating logic state (high, low, O); modifications of electronic switches or gates for indicating state of switch H03K17/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/322 Means for rapidly discharging a capacitor of the converter for protecting electrical components or for preventing electrical shock

Abstract

An active discharge circuit discharges an X capacitor and includes a sensor circuit that generates a sensor signal indicative of an AC voltage at the X capacitor. A processing unit generates a reset signal as a function of a comparison signal. A comparator circuit generates the comparison signal by comparing the sensor signal with a threshold. A timer circuit sets a discharge enable signal to a first logic level when the timer circuit is reset via a reset signal. The timer circuit determines the time elapsed since the last reset and tests whether the time elapsed exceeds a given timeout value. If the time elapsed exceeds the given timeout value, the timer circuit sets the discharge enable signal to a second logic level. A dynamic threshold generator circuit varies the threshold of the comparator circuit as a function of the sensor signal.

Claims

1. A detection circuit, comprising:

a sensor circuit configured to be coupled to an X capacitor, said sensor circuit configured to generate a sensor signal indicative of a voltage at said X capacitor;

a window comparator configured to generate a comparison signal indicating whether said sensor signal is between a lower threshold value and an upper threshold value;

a timer circuit configured to;

set a discharge enable signal to a first logic level in response to said timer circuit being reset via a reset signal; and

determine a time elapsed since said timer circuit has been reset via the reset signal;

determine whether said time elapsed exceeds a given timeout value; and

if said time elapsed exceeds said given timeout value, set said discharge enable signal to a second logic level to cause the active discharge circuit to discharge the X capacitor;

an elaboration circuit configured to generate said reset signal for said timer circuit as a function of said comparison signal, the elaboration circuit configured to;

detect whether said comparison signal includes both a leading and a falling edge; and

in the case where said comparison signal includes both said leading edge and said falling edge, determine a time elapsed between said leading edge and said falling edge;

detect whether said time elapsed between said leading edge and said falling edge is smaller than a given time threshold value; and

reset said timer circuit via said reset signal in response to detecting that said time elapsed between said leading and said falling edge is smaller than said given time threshold value; and

to generate, based on the comparison signal from said window comparator, first and second control signals indicating whether the sensor signal is increasing or decreasing; and

a dynamic threshold generator circuit configured to generate said lower and upper threshold values of said window comparator based on the sensor signal, and said dynamic threshold generator circuit further configured to vary in a feed-back manner said lower and upper threshold values of said window comparator as a function of said first and second control signals from said elaboration circuit.

2. The detection circuit of claim 1, wherein said elaboration circuit is configured to:

detect an edge of said comparison signal; and

reset said timer circuit via said reset signal in response to detecting the edge of said comparison signal.

3. The detection circuit of claim 1, wherein said dynamic threshold generator circuit is configured to vary in a feed-forward manner said lower and upper threshold values of said window comparator as a function of said sensor signal.

4. The detection circuit of claim 3, wherein said dynamic threshold generator circuit comprises:

a peak detector circuit configured to determine the upper threshold value indicative of a peak value of said sensor signal; and

a threshold generator circuit configured to determine the lower threshold value as a function of said upper threshold value.

5. The detection circuit of claim 1, wherein said window comparator comprises:

a first comparator configured to generate a first comparison signal indicating whether said sensor signal is greater than the lower threshold value; and

a second comparator configured to generate a second comparison signal indicating whether said sensor signal is greater than the upper threshold value.

6. The detection circuit of claim 5, wherein said elaboration circuit is further configured to:

generate, based on said first and said second comparison signals from the window comparator, the first control signal indicating whether said sensor signal is greater than both of said upper and lower threshold values;

generate, based on said first and said second comparison signals from the window comparator, the second control signal indicating whether said sensor signal is smaller than both of said upper and lower threshold values; and

reset said timer circuit via said reset signal in response to said first and said second comparison signals indicating that said sensor signal is greater than both of said first and second threshold values.

7. The detection circuit of claim 6, wherein said dynamic threshold generator circuit is further configured to determine, based on the first and second control signals, whether said first and said second comparison signals indicate that said sensor signal is greater than both of said upper and lower threshold values, smaller than both of said upper and lower threshold values, or between said upper and lower threshold values, and wherein the dynamic threshold generator circuit is further configured, in response to said first and second control signals indicating that said sensor signal is greater than both of said upper and lower threshold values, to increase the lower threshold value to a new value that is greater than a current value of the upper threshold value, and wherein the dynamic threshold generator circuit is further configured, in response to said first and second control signals indicating that said sensor signal is smaller than both of said upper and lower threshold values, to decrease the upper threshold value to a value that is smaller than a current value of the lower threshold value.

8. An active discharge circuit, comprising:

a detection circuit configured to generate a discharge enable signal signaling whether an AC oscillation is applied to an X capacitor of a device, wherein said detection circuit comprises;

a sensor circuit for connection to said X capacitor, said sensor circuit configured to generate a sensor signal indicative of the voltage at said X capacitor;

a window comparator circuit configured to generate at least one comparison signal by comparing said sensor signal with a high threshold and a low threshold, the window comparator circuit including;

a first comparator configured to generate a first comparison signal indicating whether said sensor signal is greater than a first threshold value; and

a second comparator configured to generate a second comparison signal indicating whether said sensor signal is greater than a second threshold value;

a timer circuit configured to;

set said discharge enable signal to a first logic level responsive to said timer circuit being reset via a reset signal;

determine the time elapsed since said timer circuit has been reset via a reset signal;

test whether said time elapsed exceeds a given timeout value; and

in case said time elapsed exceeds said given timeout value, set said discharge enable signal to a second logic level;

an elaboration circuit configured to generate said reset signal for said timer circuit and to generate a first control signal and a second control signal as a function of said first and second comparison signals; and

a dynamic threshold generator circuit configured to vary said high and low threshold of said comparator circuit in response to said first and second control signals, the dynamic threshold generator circuit further configured to;

determine which of said first and second threshold values is greater;

determine whether said first and said second comparison signals indicate that said sensor signal is greater than both of said first and second threshold values;

determine whether said first and second comparison signals indicate that said sensor signal is smaller than both of said first and second threshold values;

where said first and said second comparison signals indicate that said sensor signal is greater than both of said first and second threshold values, increase the smaller one of said first or said second threshold values; and

where said first and said second comparison signals indicate that said sensor signal is smaller than both of said first and second threshold values, decrease the greater one of said first and said second threshold values; and

a discharge circuit adapted to be coupled to said X-capacitor and configured to discharge said X-capacitor as a function of said discharge enable signal generated by said detection circuit.

9. The active discharge circuit of claim 8, wherein said discharge circuit comprises at least one electronic switch connected to a resistive element and/or a current generator.

10. The active discharge circuit of claim 9, wherein the resistive element comprises a resistor and the current generator comprises a constant current generator, or either a linear or non-linear current generator.

11. A method, comprising:

detecting whether an AC oscillation is applied to an X capacitor of a device, the detecting including;

monitoring a voltage at said X capacitor;

generating at least one comparison signal indicating whether said voltage at said X capacitor is contained in a voltage window defined by a lower threshold value and an upper threshold value;

generating, based on the at least one comparison signal, first and second control signals indicating whether said monitored voltage is increasing or decreasing;

varying said upper and lower threshold values based on feed-back based on feed-back as a function of said first and second control signals;

detecting said AC oscillation is applied to said X capacitor based on said monitored voltage at said X capacitor and said upper and lower threshold values;

detecting at least one of leading or falling edges of the comparison signal;

incrementing a count value over time starting from an initial value for the count value, the count value indicating a time between the at least one of leading or falling edges of the comparison signal;

resetting the count value to the initial value as a function of the detected at least one of leading or falling edges of the comparison signal;

determining whether the count value has reached a time threshold value; and

discharging the X capacitor responsive to the time count reaching the time threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein monitoring the voltage at said X capacitor comprises:

generating a sensor signal responsive to the voltage at said X capacitor;

determining the upper threshold value indicative of a peak value of said sensor signal; and

determining the lower threshold value as a function of said upper threshold value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein varying said at least one threshold as a function of said monitored voltage at said X capacitor comprises varying the at least one threshold value as a function the comparison signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the comparison signal comprises first and second comparison signals and wherein the method further comprises:

generating a first comparison signal indicating whether said monitored voltage at said X capacitor is greater than a first threshold value; and

generating a second comparison signal indicating whether said monitored voltage at said X capacitor is greater than a second threshold value.