Method for providing over-voltage protection and circuit therefor

• US 8,416,549 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Migliavacca, Paolo
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROOKS, ANGELA D
• Application Number:
  US12/863,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20110051303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 361/56, 361/82
• US Class Current: 361/91.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence

Abstract

A bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit and a method for blocking current flow therein. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit comprises a regulator coupled to a lockout circuit, wherein the regulator and the lockout circuit are coupled for receiving an input signal and are coupled to a charging control circuit. A reverse path control circuit has an input coupled for receiving a control signal and an output coupled to the charging control circuit. A multi-transistor switching circuit is coupled to the forward control circuit. Preferably, the gate of each n-channel MOSFET is coupled to the charging control circuit, the drains are coupled together, and the source of one of the n-channel MOSFETS is coupled to an input and the source of the other n-channel MOSFET is coupled to an output of the bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit.

Claims

1. A bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit, comprising:

a regulator having an input and an output;

a lockout circuit having first and second inputs and an output, the first input of the lockout circuit coupled to the input of the regulator and coupled for receiving an input signal;

a first control circuit having first and second inputs and first and second outputs, the first input coupled to the output of the regulator and the second input coupled to the output of the lockout circuit;

a second control circuit having first and second inputs and an output, the first input coupled for receiving a control signal and the output coupled to the first input of the first control circuit;

a first transistor having a control electrode and first and second current carrying electrodes, the first current carrying electrode coupled for receiving the input signal and the control electrode coupled to the first output of the first control circuit; and

a second transistor having a control electrode and first and second current carrying electrodes, the control electrode coupled to the second output of the first control circuit, the first current carrying electrode of the second transistor coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the first transistor, the second current carrying electrode of the second transistor coupled to the second input of the second control circuit.

2. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 1, wherein the first control circuit comprises:

a charge pump having an input and an output;

a logic circuit having an input and an output, the input coupled to the output of the lockout circuit; and

a gate drive circuit having first and second inputs and first and second outputs, the first input coupled to the output of the charge pump, the second input coupled to the output of the logic circuit, the first output coupled the control electrode of the first transistor, and the second output coupled to the control electrode of the second transistor.

3. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 2, wherein the lockout circuit comprises:

a first differential pair having first and second current carrying electrodes and first and second control electrodes;

a first current mirror coupled to the first and second current carrying electrodes of the first differential pair;

a first level shift circuit having a control electrode and a current carrying electrode, the control electrode coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the first differential pair; and

a first plurality of series-connected inverters coupled to the first current carrying electrode of the first level shift circuit.

4. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 3, wherein the lockout circuit further comprises:

a second differential pair having first and second current carrying electrodes and first and second control electrodes;

a second current mirror coupled to the first and second current carrying electrodes of the second differential pair;

a second level shift circuit having a control electrode and a current carrying electrode, the control electrode coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the second differential pair; and

a second plurality of series-connected inverters coupled to the first current carrying electrode of the second level shift circuit.

5. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 4, wherein the first plurality of series-connected inverters comprises three series-connected inverters and the second plurality of series-connected inverters comprises two series-connected inverters.

6. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 2, wherein the output of the regulator is coupled to the second input of the lockout circuit.

7. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 2, wherein the first and second transistors are N-channel field effect transistors.

8. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 1, further including a charger coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the second transistor.

9. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 1, wherein the output of the regulator is coupled to the second input of the lockout circuit.

10. A bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit, comprising:

a forward multi-transistor switching control circuit capable of regulating an input voltage, the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit having first and second inputs and first and second outputs, the first input coupled for receiving the input voltage;

a reverse multi-transistor switching control circuit having first and second inputs and an output, the output coupled to the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit; and

a multi-transistor switching circuit having first and second inputs and first and second current carrying electrodes, the first and second inputs coupled to the first and second outputs of the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit, respectively, and the first current carrying electrode coupled for receiving the input voltage.

11. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 10, wherein the multi-transistor switching circuit comprises:

a first transistor having a control electrode and first and second current carrying electrodes, the control electrode coupled to the first output of the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit, the first current carrying electrode of the first transistor serving as the first current carrying electrode of the multi-transistor switching circuit; and

a second transistor having a control electrode and first and second current carrying electrodes, the control electrode of the second transistor coupled to the second output of the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit, the first current carrying electrode of the second transistor coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the first transistor, and the second current carrying electrode of the second transistor coupled to the first input of the reverse multi-transistor switching control circuit.

12. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 11, wherein the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit comprises:

a regulator having an input coupled for receiving the input voltage; and

a gate drive circuit coupled to the regulator, the gate drive circuit having first and second outputs, the first and second outputs of the gate drive circuit serving as the first and second outputs of the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit.

13. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 12, wherein the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit further comprises a lockout circuit having first and second inputs and an output, the first input coupled for receiving the input voltage and the output coupled to the gate drive circuit.

14. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 13, wherein the output of the reverse multi-transistor switching control circuit is coupled to the second input of the lockout circuit.

15. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 13, wherein the lockout circuit comprises:

a first differential pair having first and second current carrying electrodes and first and second control electrodes;

a first current mirror coupled to the first and second current carrying electrodes of the first differential pair;

a first level shift circuit having a control electrode and a current carrying electrode, the control electrode coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the first differential pair;

a first plurality of series-connected inverters coupled to the first current carrying electrode of the first level shift circuit;

a second differential pair having first and second current carrying electrodes and first and second control electrodes;

a second current mirror coupled to the first and second current carrying electrodes of the second differential pair;

a second level shift circuit having a control electrode and a current carrying electrode, the control electrode coupled to the second current carrying electrode of the second differential pair; and

a second plurality of series-connected inverters coupled to the first current carrying electrode of the second level shift circuit.

16. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 10, further including:

a charger coupled to the second output of the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit; and

an accessory circuit coupled to the first current carrying electrode of the forward multi-transistor switching control circuit.

17. The bi-directional over-voltage protection circuit of claim 10, further including a battery coupled to the charger.

18. A method for blocking current flow in an over-voltage protection circuit, comprising:

providing an input signal at a first node;

generating a first current that flows through the first node in response to the input signal, wherein the first current flows from the first node to a second node in response to a first control signal;

blocking the first current from flowing to the second node in response to a second control signal; and

generating a second current that flows through the second node in response to the second control signal, wherein the second current flows from the second node to the first node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein

generating the first current includes generating the first current to flow along a first current path;

and

generating the second current includes generating the second current to flow along a second current path.

20. The method of claim 19, further including using the first current to charge a power source coupled to the over-voltage protection circuit and using the second current to drive an accessory coupled to the over-voltage protection circuit.