Battery charger architecture

• US 9,018,921 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gurlahosur, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US13/211,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20130043828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/134, 320/163, 320/164
• US Class Current: 320/164
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00718 in response to charge current gradient
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A control circuit for use in a battery charger circuit that includes a switching voltage regulator, with the control circuit having a constant current charging mode and a constant voltage charging mode. A switcher controller is provided which configured to control a state of a top side switching transistor and a low side transistor of the switching voltage regulator in response to at least one error signal. A power path transistor switch is disposed intermediate an output of the switching voltage regulator and a first node for receiving a first terminal of a battery to be charged. Feedback circuitry is further provided to produce a first error signal relating to a difference between a first voltage and a first target voltage, with the first voltage being between the output of the switching voltage regulator and a second node for receiving a second terminal of the battery to be charged, with the first error signal being used by the switcher controller when the control circuit is in the constant voltage charging mode for controlling the top and low side switching transistors.

Claims

1. A control circuit for use in a battery charger circuit that includes a switching voltage regulator, said control circuit having a constant current charging mode and a constant voltage charging mode, said control circuit comprising:

a switcher controller configured to control a state of a top side switching transistor and a low side transistor of the switching voltage regulator in response to at least one error signal;

a power path transistor switch disposed intermediate an output of the switching voltage regulator and a first node for receiving a first terminal of a battery to be charged, the power path switch including at least two transistor segments with different ON resistances, and having common source electrodes, common drain electrodes and separate gate electrodes;

a power path switch turn-on controller configured to turn ON the power path switch by sequentially turning ON the at least two transistor segments starting with the segment having the largest ON resistance; and

first feedback circuitry configured to produce a first error signal relating to a difference between a first voltage and a first target voltage, with the first voltage being between the output of the switching voltage regulator and a second node for receiving a second terminal of the battery to be charged, with the first error signal being used by the switcher controller when the control circuit is in the constant voltage charging mode for controlling the top and low side switching transistors.

2. The control circuit of claim 1 further including second feedback circuitry configured to produce a second error signal relating to current flow though the power path switch, with the second error signal being used by the switcher controller when the control circuit is in the constant current charging mode.

3. The control circuit of claim 2 wherein a second voltage is produced when a current sense resistor is connected in series with the power path switch and wherein the second error signal relates to a difference between the second voltage and a second target voltage.

4. The control circuit of claim 3 wherein the second feedback circuitry further includes an error amplifier having one input relating to the second voltage and a second input relating to the second target voltage.

5. The control circuit of claim 2 wherein a first sensed voltage is produced when a resistive voltage divider is connected between the output of the switching voltage regulator and the second node, with the first sensed voltage being a fraction of the first voltage determined by the resistive voltage divider and wherein the first feedback circuitry further includes an error amplifier having one input coupled to receive the first sensed voltage when the resistive divider is present and having a second input relating to the first target voltage.

6. The control circuit of claim 1 wherein the power path switch turn-on controller produces separate gate drive signals for each of the at least two transistor segments, with the separate gate drive signals having differing times for transitioning from an off state where the at least two transistor segments are OFF to an on state where the at least two transistor segments are ON.

7. The control circuit of claim 6 wherein the power path switch includes at least four transistor segments.

8. The control circuit of claim 7 wherein the at least four transistor segments have respective relative ON resistances of 2R, 4R, 8R and 16R and wherein the power path switch turn-on controller sequentially turns the transistor segments ON starting with the segment with the 16R ON resistance.

9. The control circuit of claim 7 wherein the power path switch includes at least six transistor segments.

10. The control circuit of claim 9 wherein the at least six transistor segments have respective relative ON resistances of 2R, 4R, 8R, 16R, 32R and 32R and wherein the power path switch turn-on controller sequentially turns the transistor segments ON resistances starting in the following sequence:

32R, 32R, 16R, 8R, 4R and 2R.

11. The control circuit of claim 1 wherein, at a point in time during a charging cycle when a battery connected to the first node has reached a charge termination voltage, a voltage difference between the output of the switching voltage regulator and the first node is less than 20mV.