POWER MANAGEMENT CIRCUIT

• US 20100270862A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ito, Akihito, Shibata, Yutaka, Miyanaga, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,350,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An external power source is connected to an adapter input terminal (first terminal). A battery is connected to a path input terminal (second terminal). A selection circuit (a first switch, a second switch, a logic circuit compares the input voltage input from the external power supply with the battery voltage, and selects one of the two. The voltage thus selected by the selection circuit is output to an external load circuit via a system power supply terminal. A charging circuit charges the battery using the input voltage supplied from the external power supply.

Claims

1. A power management circuit comprising:

a first terminal connected to an external power supply;

a second terminal connected to a battery;

a selection circuit configured to make a comparison between a voltage supplied from the external power supply via the first terminal and a battery voltage supplied from the battery via the second terminal, and to select one from among the voltage supplied from the external power supply and the battery voltage supplied from the battery;

an output terminal configured to output the voltage thus selected by the selection circuit to an external load circuit; and

a DC/DC converter charging circuit configured to charge the battery using the voltage supplied from the external power supply.

2. A power management circuit according to claim 1, wherein the selection circuit comprises:

a first switch arranged between the first terminal and the output terminal; and

a second switch arranged between the second terminal and the output terminal.

3. A power management circuit according to claim 2, further comprising an input voltage detection comparator configured to compare a detection voltage that corresponds to the voltage input to the first terminal from the external power supply with a predetermined first threshold voltage,

wherein, when the detection voltage is lower than the first threshold voltage, the first switch is switched off, and the second switch is switched on.

4. A power management circuit according to claim 3, wherein, when the voltage input to the first terminal is higher than the first threshold voltage, a comparison is made between the voltage at the first terminal and the voltage at the second terminal,

and wherein, when the voltage at the first terminal is lower than the voltage at the second terminal, the second switch is switched on and the first switch is switched off,

and wherein, when the voltage at the first terminal is higher than the voltage at the second terminal, the first switch is switched on and the second switch is switched off

5. A power management circuit according to claim 2, further comprising an input voltage detection comparator configured to compare a detection voltage that corresponds to the voltage input to the first terminal from the external power supply with a predetermined second threshold voltage,

wherein, when the detection voltage is higher than the second threshold voltage, the first switch is switched off, and the second switch is switched on.

6. A power management circuit according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC converter charging circuit is a switching regulator which comprises a first transistor provided between the first terminal and a fixed voltage terminal,

and wherein the power management circuit further comprises an input current detection unit configured to detect a current that flows through the first transistor,

and wherein the input current detection unit comprises:

a first resistor one terminal of which is connected to the first terminal, and which is provided in series with the first transistor;

a second resistor, a third transistor, and a third resistor arranged in series between the first terminal and the fixed voltage terminal; and

an operational amplifier arranged such that the electric potential at the other terminal of the first resistor is input to a non-inverting input terminal thereof, and such that the electric potential at a connection node that connects the second resistor and the third transistor is input to an inverting input terminal thereof, where the operational amplifier outputs a voltage drop that occurs at the third resistor as a signal which corresponds to the current that flows through the first transistor,

and wherein the switching operation of the first transistor is controlled according to a signal output from the input current detection unit.

7. A power management circuit according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC converter charging circuit is a switching regulator which comprises a first transistor provided between the first terminal and a fixed voltage terminal,

and wherein the power management circuit further comprises a charging current detection circuit configured to detect a charging current supplied to the battery from the charging circuit,

wherein the charging current detection circuit comprises:

a detection resistor arranged on a path for the charging current such that one terminal thereof is connected to the battery;

a fourth resistor, a fourth transistor, and a fifth resistor arranged in series between the other terminal of the detection resistor and the fixed voltage terminal; and

an operational amplifier arranged such that the electric potential at one terminal of the detection resistor is input to a non-inverting input terminal thereof, and such that the electric potential at a connection node that connects the fourth resistor and the fourth transistor is input to an inverting input terminal thereof, where the operational amplifier outputs a voltage drop that occurs at the fifth resistor as a signal that corresponds to the charging current,

and wherein the switching operation of the first transistor is controlled such that the signal output from the charging current detection circuit approaches a predetermined target value.

8. A power management circuit according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC converter charging circuit is a switching regulator which comprises a first transistor provided between the first terminal and a fixed voltage terminal,

and wherein the power management circuit further comprises a battery voltage detection circuit configured to compare the voltage supplied from the battery with a predetermined reference voltage,

and wherein the switching operation of the first transistor is controlled such that the voltage supplied from the battery approaches the reference voltage.