REGULATOR DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20200136499A1
• Filed: 06/28/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Original Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Inventors: OU, Wei-Wen, CHEN, Shih-Chieh, CHEN, Chien-Sheng
• Granted Patent: US 10,756,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load

Abstract

A regulator device includes a first switch, a second switch, a protecting circuit, and a driving circuit. The first switch is configured to receive power supply voltage. One terminal of the second switch and the first switch are coupled at a node. The other terminal of the second switch is coupled to ground. The protecting circuit is coupled to the node, and outputs at least one protecting signal according to the turn on/off state of the first switch and the second switch and the voltage of the node. The driving circuit is coupled to the first switch, the second switch, and the protecting circuit, and turns off the first switch or the second switch according the at least one protecting signal.

Claims

1. A regulator device, comprising:

a first switch configured to receive a power supply voltage;

a second switch, wherein one terminal of the second switch and the first switch are coupled at a node, and the other terminal of the second switch is coupled to a ground terminal;

a protecting circuit coupled to the node, wherein the protecting circuit is configured to output at least one protecting signal according to a turn on/off state of the first switch and the second switch and a voltage of the node; and

a driving circuit coupled to the first switch, the second switch, and the protecting circuit, wherein the driving circuit is configured to turn off the first switch or the second switch according to the at least one protecting signal.

2. The regulator device of claim 1, wherein when the first switch is in the turn on state and the voltage of the node is at a low level, the protecting circuit outputs a first protecting signal to the driving circuit, and the driving circuit turns off the first switch according to the first protecting signal.

3. The regulator device of claim 2, wherein when the first switch is in the turn on state and the second switch is shorted, the voltage of the node is at the low level, and the protecting circuit outputs the first protecting signal to the driving circuit, wherein when the voltage of the node is at the low level having been maintained for a first delay time, the protecting circuit outputs the first protecting signal to the driving circuit.

4. The regulator device of claim 3, wherein when the voltage of the node is at the low level having been maintained for the first delay time, the protecting circuit outputs the protecting signal to the driving circuit.

5. The regulator device of claim 4, wherein when the second switch is in the turn on state and the voltage of the node is at a high level, the protecting circuit outputs a second protecting signal to the driving circuit, and the driving circuit turns off the second switch according to the second protecting signal.

6. The regulator device of claim 5, wherein when the second switch is in the turn on state and the first switch is shorted, the voltage of the node is at the high level, and the protecting circuit outputs the second protecting signal to the driving circuit, wherein when the voltage of the node is at the high level and has been maintained for a second delay time, the protecting circuit outputs the second protecting signal to the driving circuit.

7. The regulator device of claim 6, wherein when the voltage of the node is at the high level and has been maintained for the second delay time, the protecting circuit outputs the second protecting signal to the driving circuit.

8. The regulator device of claim 1, wherein the first switch comprises:

a first terminal configured to receive the power supply voltage;

a control terminal coupled to the driving circuit; and

a second terminal;

wherein the second switch comprises;

a first terminal coupled to the first switch at the node;

a control terminal coupled to the driving circuit; and

a second terminal coupled to the ground terminal.

9. The regulator device of claim 8, further comprising:

an inductance comprising;

a first terminal coupled to the node; and

a second terminal; and

a capacitance comprising;

a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the inductance; and

a second terminal coupled to the ground terminal.

10. The regulator device of claim 1, wherein the protecting circuit comprises:

a first comparator configured to receive the voltage and a first reference voltage of the node, and to output a first logic signal; and

a first logic gate configured to receive the first logic signal and a first control signal of the first switch, and to output the first protecting signal.

11. The regulator device of claim 10, wherein the protecting circuit further comprises:

a first retarder, coupled to the first comparator, configured to receive the voltage of the node, and to provide the voltage of the node to the first comparator.

12. The regulator device of claim 11, wherein the first reference voltage is at the low level, and when the voltage of the node is at the low level, the first comparator outputs the first logic signal which is at the low level according to the voltage of the node which is at the low level and the first reference voltage, wherein the first control signal is at the low level, and the first logic gate outputs the first protecting signal according to the first logic signal which is at the low level and the first control signal.

13. The regulator device of claim 12, wherein the protecting circuit further comprises:

a second comparator configured to receive the voltage of the node and a second reference voltage, and to output a second logic signal accordingly; and

a second logic gate configured to receive the second logic signal and a second control signal of the second switch, and to output the second protecting signal accordingly.

14. The regulator device of claim 13, wherein the protecting circuit further comprises:

a second retarder, coupled to the third logic gate, configured to receive the voltage of the node, and to provide the voltage of the node to the third logic gate.

15. The regulator device of claim 12, wherein the second reference voltage is at the high level, and when the voltage of the node is at the high level, the third logic gate outputs the second logic signal which is at the high level according to the voltage of the node which is at the high level and the second reference voltage, wherein the second control signal is at the high level, and the fourth logic gate outputs the second protecting signal according to the second logic signal which is at the high level and the second control signal.

16. A control method of controlling a regulator device, wherein the regulator device comprises a first switch and a second switch, and one terminal of the first switch is configured to receive a power supply voltage, one terminal of the second switch and the first switch are coupled at a node, and the other terminal of the second switch is coupled to a ground terminal, wherein the control method comprises:

outputting at least one protecting signal according to a turn on/off state of the first switch and the second switch and a voltage of the node; and

turning off the first switch or the second switch according to the at least one protecting signal.

17. The control method of claim 16, wherein outputting the at least one protecting signal according to the turn on/off state of the first switch and the second switch and the voltage of the node comprises:

outputting a first protecting signal while the first switch being in the turn on state and the voltage of the node being at a low level.

18. The control method of claim 17, wherein turning off the first switch or the second switch according to the at least one protecting signal comprises:

turning off the first switch according to the first protecting signal.

19. The control method of claim 18, wherein outputting the at least one protecting signal according to the turn on/off state of the first switch and the second switch and a voltage of the node comprises:

outputting a second protecting signal while the second switch being in the turn on state and the voltage of the node being at a high level.

20. The control method of claim 19, wherein turning off the first switch or the second switch according to the at least one protecting signal comprises:

turning off the second switch according to the second protecting signal.