Battery charging safety circuit for simultaneous startup and rapid surge current clamping

• US 6,958,591 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sparks, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, LAWRENCE W
• Application Number:
  US10/155,374
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 320/136, 320/134, 320/137, 320/135, 320/127, 320/163, 320/162, 320/158, 320/156, 320/152, 320/151, 320/159, 320/164, 320/143, 320/149, 320/157, 320/160, 307/108, 307/110
• US Class Current: 320/163
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/06 using discharge tubes or semiconductor devices

Abstract

A safety circuit monitors a charging signal supplied by a charging circuit for charging a battery. Damage to the battery may occur when the voltage at the input terminal of the battery rises above the safe level for the battery. A voltage drop across a coupling circuit is used to generate an activation signal. The activation signal causes a power amplifier to lower the voltage of the charging signal before the charging signal can drive the inductances associated with the battery input terminal and leads to the point where damage to the battery may occur.

Claims

1. A safety circuit for protecting a battery against an over-voltage condition associated with a voltage at an output terminal of a charging circuit, comprising:

a coupling circuit wherein the coupling circuit is coupled between the output terminal of the charging circuit and an input terminal of the battery, and wherein the coupling circuit is configured to produce an IR drop in response to the over-voltage condition such that the voltage at the output terminal of the charging circuit is increased;

a control transistor wherein a source of the control transistor is coupled to the output terminal of the charging circuit, wherein the control transistor has an associated gate-to-source voltage (VGS), and wherein the control transistor is configured to provide a first activation signal when the increased voltage at the output terminal of the charging circuit increases the magnitude of the control transistor VGS beyond a conduction threshold of the control transistor; and

a regulator wherein the regulator is coupled to the output terminal of the charging circuit, wherein the regulator is activated in response to the first activation signal such that the voltage at the output terminal of the charging circuit is lowered.

2. The safety circuit of claim 1, further comprising a slew rate detector wherein the slew rate detector is coupled to a gate of the control transistor, wherein the slew rate detector is configured to detect when a slew rate of a charging signal supplied by the charging circuit exceeds an expected slew rate of a steady-state charging signal, and wherein in response to the detection of the excessive slew rate, the slew rate detector is configured to increase the magnitude of the control transistor VGS beyond the conduction threshold of the control transistor in response such that the first activation signal is provided.

3. The safety circuit of claim 1, further comprising an over-temperature detector that is configured to detect the presence of the over-temperature condition and in response thereto to increase the magnitude of the control transistor VGS beyond the conduction threshold of the control transistor such that the first activation signal is provided.

4. The safety circuit of claim 3 further comprising a switching circuit that is arranged to selectively couple the input terminal of the battery to the gate of the shunt transistor in response to the second activation signal.

5. The safety circuit of claim 3 wherein a first input of the voltage comparator circuit is coupled to the charging circuit, and wherein the voltage comparator circuit is configured to provide the second activation signal when the voltage at the output terminal of the charging circuit exceeds a voltage level that is safe for charging the battery.

6. The safety circuit of claim 3 wherein a second input of the voltage comparator circuit is coupled to the input terminal of the battery, and wherein the voltage comparator circuit is configured to provide the second activation signal when a voltage at the input terminal of the battery exceeds a voltage level that is safe for charging the battery.

7. The safety circuit of claim 1, further comprising a voltage comparator circuit that is configured to detect the presence of the over-voltage condition and provide a second activation signal in response, wherein the regulator is activated in response to the second activation signal such that the voltage at the output terminal of the charging circuit is lowered.

8. The safety circuit of claim 7 wherein the regulator comprises a shunt transistor that is arranged to shunt current from the charging signal in response to one of the first and second activation signals.

9. The safety circuit of claim 1 further comprising a coupling circuit that is arranged to couple the output terminal of the charging circuit to the input terminal of the battery in response to a coupling signal.

10. A method for protecting a battery against an over-voltage condition of a charging signal supplied by a charging circuit, comprising:

increasing the voltage of the charging signal across an IR drop provided by a coupling circuit;

applying the increased voltage to a source of a control transistor such that the magnitude of the control transistor VGS is increased;

providing a first activation signal in response to the magnitude of the control transistor VGS increasing beyond a conduction threshold of the control transistor; and

reducing the voltage of the charging signal in response to the first activation signal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting when a slew rate of the charging signal exceeds a maximum expected slew rate of a stable charging circuit; and

lowering a voltage of a gate of the control transistor such that the magnitude of the control transistor VGS is increased.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting the presence of the over-voltage condition and providing a second activation signal in response; and

reducing the voltage of the charging signal in response to the second activation signal.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first activation signal is maintained for at least the time duration required from detecting when the charging signal exceeds the maximum expected slew rate to providing the second activation signal in response.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting the presence of the charging signal; and

coupling the charging circuit to an input terminal of the battery in response to detecting the charging signal.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting the presence of the charging signal;

coupling at a first time a resistor between the charging circuit and an input terminal of the battery in response to detecting an application of the charging signal; and

coupling at a second time the charging signal to the input terminal of the battery in response to detecting an application of the charging signal.

16. An apparatus for protecting a battery against an over-voltage condition of a charging signal supplied by a charging circuit, comprising:

means for increasing the voltage of the charging signal across an IR drop provided by a coupling circuit;

means for applying the increased voltage to a source of a control transistor such that the magnitude of the control transistor VGS is increased;

means for providing a first activation signal in response to the magnitude of the control transistor VGS increasing beyond a conduction threshold of the control transistor; and

means for reducing the voltage of the charging signal in response to the first activation signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for detecting when a slew rate of the charging signal exceeds a maximum expected slew rate of a stable charging circuit; and

means for lowering a voltage of a gate of the control transistor such that the magnitude of the control transistor VGS is increased.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for detecting the presence of the over-voltage condition and providing a second activation signal in response; and

means for reducing the voltage of the charging signal in response to the second activation signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for detecting the presence of the charging signal; and

means for coupling the charging circuit to an input terminal of the battery in response to detecting the charging signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for detecting the presence of the charging signal;

means for coupling at a first time a resistor between the charging circuit and an input terminal of the battery in response to detecting an application of the charging signal; and

means for coupling at a second time the charging signal to the input terminal of the battery in response to detecting an application of the charging signal.