Method and apparatus for sensing a current in a circuit

• US 7,310,048 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Balakrishnan, Balu, Odell, Arthur B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/121,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 340/664, 340/657, 340/545.4, 340/636.1, 340/636.13, 340/636.15, 340/636.19, 320/132, 320/148, 320/156, 323/277, 324/522
• US Class Current: 340/664
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16552 in I.C. power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed to sense a current in a circuit. For instance, current sense circuit according to the teachings of the present invention includes a current sense resistor coupled to an input of the current sense circuit. The current sense resistor is coupled to receive a current to be sensed from the input of the current sense circuit. The current to be sensed is converted to a current sense voltage. A first PN junction diode is coupled to the current sense resistor. A light emitting diode (LED) is coupled to the first PN junction diode to provide a current sense threshold substantially proportional to a difference between a forward voltage drop of the LED and a forward voltage drop of the first PN junction diode. The first PN junction diode is coupled to be biased from the forward voltage drop of the LED. The LED is coupled to the current sense resistor to generate an output when the current sense voltage from the current sense resistor reaches the current sense threshold.

Claims

1. A current sense circuit, comprising:

a current sense resistor coupled to an input of the current sense circuit, the current sense resistor to receive a current to be sensed from the input of the current sense circuit to convert the current to be sensed to a current sense voltage;

a first PN junction diode coupled to the current sense resistor; and

a light emitting diode (LED) coupled to the first PN junction diode to provide a current sense threshold substantially equal to a difference between a forward voltage drop of the first PN junction diode and a fraction of a forward voltage drop of the LED, the first PN junction diode coupled to be biased from the forward voltage drop of the LED, the LED coupled to the current sense resistor to generate an output when the current sense voltage from the current sense resistor reaches the current sense threshold.

2. The current sense circuit of claim 1 further comprising a second PN junction diode coupled to the current sense resistor, wherein the current sense threshold is substantially equal to a difference between the forward voltage drop of the the first PN junction diode a fraction of a forward voltage drop of the second PN junction diode.

3. The current sense circuit of claim 2 wherein the first PN junction diode comprises a base emitter junction of a first bipolar transistor coupled to the current sense resistor and the second PN junction diode comprises a base emitter junction of a second bipolar transistor coupled to the current sense resistor.

4. The current sense circuit of claim 3 further comprising a third bipolar transistor coupled to the first bipolar transistor and coupled to the LED, wherein a collector of the first bipolar transistor is coupled to a base of the third bipolar transistor and wherein a collector of the third bipolar transistor is coupled to drive the LED such that an output of the current sense circuit comprises light output generated by the LED.

5. The current sense circuit of claim 4 further comprising a third resistor coupled to an emitter of the third bipolar transistor.

6. The current sense circuit of claim 4 further comprising an optocoupler coupled to the current sense resistor, wherein the optocoupler includes the LED.

7. The current sense circuit of claim 1 further comprising a first resistor coupled between an emitter and a base of a first bipolar transistor including the first PN junction diode, wherein the the fraction of the forward voltage drop of the LED is substantially equal to the voltage across the first resistor.

8. The current sense circuit of claim 7 further comprising a second resistor coupled between the base of the first bipolar transistor and the LED.

9. The current sense circuit of claim 1 wherein the current sense circuit is included in a power supply.

10. The current sense circuit of claim 1 wherein the power supply is an isolated power supply comprising a secondary side circuit including the current sense circuit.

11. A current sense circuit, comprising:

a current sense resistor coupled to a direct current (DC) output of a power supply, wherein the current sense circuit is to be powered entirely from the DC output, wherein the current sense resistor is to convert a current at the DC output into a current sense voltage; and

a PN junction diode coupled to the current sense resistor, wherein a current sense threshold is less than a forward voltage of the PN junction diode by a fraction of a forward voltage drop of a light emitting diode (LED) coupled to the PN junction diode, wherein the current sense circuit is to generate an output when the current sense voltage reaches the current sense threshold to sense or regulate the current at the DC output.

12. The current sense circuit of claim 11 wherein the output of the current sense circuit comprises a light output of the LED coupled to the PN junction diode.

13. The current sense circuit of claim 12 wherein the LED is off when an output voltage at the DC output of the power supply is too low.

14. The current sense circuit of claim 11 wherein the current sense threshold is substantially temperature compensated.

15. The current sense circuit of claim 11 wherein the output of the current sense circuit is to be used as a feedback signal to regulate a current at the DC output.

16. The current sense circuit of claim 15 wherein the current at the DC output is maintained substantially at a constant current level over a voltage range at the DC output.

17. The current sense circuit of claim 16 wherein the current at the DC output is reduced below the constant current level outside of the voltage range at the DC output.

18. The current sense circuit of claim 16 wherein a lower limit of the voltage range at the DC output is substantially equal to a sum of a forward drop of a the LED coupled to the PN junction diode and a minimum collector to emitter voltage of a bipolar transistor coupled to drive the LED.

19. The current sense circuit of claim 11 wherein the current sense threshold is substantially constant over a voltage range at the DC output.

20. The current sense circuit of claim 19 wherein a lower limit of the voltage range at the DC output is substantially equal to a sum of a forward drop of the LED coupled to the PN junction diode and a minimum collector to emitter voltage of a bipolar transistor coupled to drive the LED.