INTEGRATED PROTECTION DEVICES WITH MONITORING OF ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• US 20120293017A1
• Filed: 04/23/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor Corporation (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor Corporation (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lidsky, David, Opris, Ion, You, Budong, Roessig, Trey, Djekic, Ognjen, Stratakos, Anthony J., Ikriannikov, Alexander, Beronja, Biljana
• Granted Patent: US 9,679,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/126
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16552 in I.C. power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0266 using field effect transistors as protective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/087 for dc applications
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/18 responsive to reversal of direct current
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/202 for dc systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/42 responsive to product of voltage and current

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, devices, circuits, components, mechanisms, and processes in which a switching mechanism can be coupled between components. The switching mechanism is configured to have an on state or an off state, where the on state allows current to pass along a current path. A monitoring mechanism has one or more sensing inputs coupled to sense an electrical characteristic at the current path. The electrical characteristic can be a current, voltage, and/or power by way of example. The monitoring mechanism is configured to output a reporting signal indicating the sensed electrical characteristic. The monitoring mechanism can be integrated with the switching mechanism on a chip.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a power supply;

a device;

a switching mechanism coupled between the power supply and the device, the switching mechanism configured to have an on state in which the power supply is coupled to the device or an off state in which the power supply is de-coupled from the device, the on state allowing current to pass from the power supply to the device along a current path; and

a monitoring mechanism having one or more sensing inputs and a reporting output, the one or more sensing inputs coupled to sense an electrical characteristic at the current path, the monitoring mechanism configured to provide a reporting signal at the reporting output responsive to the sensed electrical characteristic, the reporting signal indicative of the sensed electrical characteristic, the monitoring mechanism integrated with the switching mechanism on a chip.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical characteristic is a current.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical characteristic is a voltage.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical characteristic is a power.

5. The system of claim 1, the monitoring mechanism coupled to provide the reporting signal to a controller operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the on state or the off state.

6. The system of claim 5, the controller operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the sensed electrical characteristic meeting or exceeding a designated threshold.

7. The system of claim 1, the one or more sensing inputs of the monitoring mechanism including a first sensing input coupled between the power supply and the switching mechanism, and a second sensing input coupled between the switching mechanism and the device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sense resistor coupled in the current path, the one or more sensing inputs of the monitoring mechanism including a first input coupled to a first terminal of the sense resistor and a second input coupled to a second terminal of the sense resistor.

9. The system of claim 8, the sense resistor coupled between the power supply and the switching mechanism.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller having a temperature sensing input coupled to sense a temperature, the controller operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the sensed temperature.

11. The system of claim 1, the power supply being a battery, an AC-to-DC converter, or a DC-to-DC converter.

12. A device comprising:

a switching mechanism configured to have an on state or an off state, the on state allowing current to pass along a current path; and

a monitoring mechanism having one or more sensing inputs and a reporting output, the one or more sensing inputs coupled to sense an electrical characteristic at the current path, the monitoring mechanism configured to provide a reporting signal at the reporting output responsive to the sensed electrical characteristic, the reporting signal indicative of the sensed electrical characteristic, the monitoring mechanism integrated with the switching mechanism on a chip.

13. The device of claim 12, the monitoring mechanism coupled to provide the reporting signal to a controller operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the on state or the off state.

14. The device of claim 13, the controller operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the sensed electrical characteristic meeting or exceeding a designated threshold.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the designated threshold is provided by a reference signal.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the reference signal is adjustable.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the reference signal is adjustable in response to the sensed electrical characteristic.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the reference signal is a current signal, and the sensed electrical characteristic is a voltage level.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the reference signal is adjustable to maintain a power level.

20. The device of claim 14, the designated threshold indicative of a system fault condition.

21. The device of claim 12, the reporting signal indicating a current value.

22. The device of claim 12, the reporting signal indicating a voltage value.

23. The device of claim 12, the reporting signal indicating a power value.

24. The device of claim 12, the reporting signal being a digital signal.

25. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a microcontroller coupled to sense the reporting signal, the microcontroller configured to output a control signal based on the reporting signal.

26. The device of claim 25, the control signal indicative of the reporting signal exceeding a designated threshold.

27. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a comparator coupled to sense the reporting signal, the comparator configured to compare the reporting signal with a reference value and output a control signal responsive to the comparison of the reporting signal with the reference value.

28. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a resistor coupled to receive the reporting signal.

29. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a filter coupled to sense the reporting signal, the filter configured to filter the reporting signal and output a control signal based on the filtered signal.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the filter is an analog filter.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the filter is a digital filter.

32. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a power sensor having a first input coupled to sense the reporting signal and a second input coupled to sense an output voltage at a node at which the switching mechanism is coupled to a component, the power sensor configured to determine a power signal based on the reporting signal and the output voltage and output a control signal based on the determined power signal.

33. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter coupled to sense the reporting signal, the A/D converter configured to convert the reporting signal to a digital output signal.

34. The device of claim 12, the one or more sensing inputs of the monitoring mechanism including a first sensing input coupled between a first component and the switching mechanism, and a second sensing input coupled between the switching mechanism and a second component.

35. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a driver coupled between a controller and the switching mechanism, the driver operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the on state or the off state.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the driver includes one or more transistors.

37. The device of claim 35, wherein the driver includes a current source and a capacitor.

38. The device of claim 12, the current monitoring mechanism including:

a reference transistor matched with a transistor of the switching mechanism, the reference transistor configured to cause the monitoring mechanism to output the reporting signal with reference to the sensed electrical characteristic.

39. The device of claim 38, the reference transistor having a scale ratio with respect to the switching mechanism transistor, the reporting signal indicating a scaled electrical characteristic having the scale ratio with respect to the sensed electrical characteristic.

40. The device of claim 39, further comprising:

a controller operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the scaled electrical characteristic.

41. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a sense resistor coupled in the current path, the one or more sensing inputs of the monitoring mechanism including a first input coupled to a first terminal of the sense resistor and a second input coupled to a second terminal of the sense resistor.

42. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a controller having a temperature sensing input coupled to sense a temperature, the controller operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the sensed temperature.

43. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature, a controller having a temperature sensing input coupled to the temperature sensor.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein the temperature sensor is integrated with the switching mechanism.

45. The device of claim 43, wherein the temperature sensor is integrated with the controller.

46. The device of claim 12, the switching mechanism including a transistor.

47. The device of claim 46, the transistor being a field effect transistor (FET).

48. The device of claim 12, the switching mechanism being an item selected from the group consisting of:

a load switch, an OR'"'"'ing switch, a circuit breaker, a fuse, and a hot swap switch.

49. The device of claim 46, the transistor being a bipolar junction transistor (BJT).

50. A process comprising:

sensing, at a monitoring mechanism, an electrical characteristic at a current path between a power supply and a device, a switching mechanism being coupled between the power supply and the device, the switching mechanism configured to have an on state in which the power supply is coupled to the device or an off state in which the power supply is de-coupled from the device, the on state allowing current to pass from the power supply to the device along the current path, the monitoring mechanism being integrated with the switching mechanism;

determining whether to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the sensed electrical characteristic; and

providing, at the monitoring mechanism, a reporting signal responsive to the sensed electrical characteristic, the reporting signal indicative of the sensed electrical characteristic.

51. The process of claim 50, further comprising:

determining whether to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to a temperature.

52. The process of claim 51, wherein the temperature is sensed at a location proximate the switching mechanism.

53. The process of claim 51, wherein the temperature is sensed at a location proximate the device.

54. The process of claim 50, further comprising:

generating, a control signal based on the reporting signal.

55. A process comprising:

sensing, at a monitoring mechanism, an electrical characteristic at a current path between a power supply and a device, a switching mechanism being coupled between the power supply and the device, the switching mechanism configured to have an on state in which the power supply is coupled to the device or an off state in which the power supply is de-coupled from the device, the on state allowing current to pass from the power supply to the device along the current path;

setting an adjustable reference electrical characteristic in response to the sensed electrical characteristic to provide a designated power level;

comparing the sensed electrical characteristic with the adjustable reference electrical characteristic; and

causing the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the sensed electrical characteristic meeting or exceeding the reference electrical characteristic.

56. A device comprising:

a switching mechanism capable of being coupled between a power supply and a device, the switching mechanism configured to have an on state in which the power supply is coupled to the device or an off state in which the power supply is de-coupled from the device, the on state allowing current to pass from the power supply to the device along a current path; and

a controller including a power measuring mechanism having;

one or more current sensing inputs coupled to sense a current at the current path, and a voltage sensing input coupled to sense a voltage at a node between the switching mechanism and the device, the power measuring mechanism configured to measure a power based on the sensed current and the sensed voltage, the controller operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to one or more events indicative of a system fault condition, the one or more events including the measured power exceeding a designated power threshold, the controller integrated with the switching mechanism on a chip.

57. The device of claim 56, the chip being a flip chip.

58. The device of claim 56, the controller further operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the one or more events including the sensed current exceeding a designated current threshold.

59. The device of claim 56, the controller further having a temperature sensing input coupled to sense a temperature, the controller further operatively coupled to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the one or more events including the sensed temperature exceeding a designated temperature threshold.

60. The device of claim 56, the power being measured using a scaled sensed current having a scale ratio with respect to the sensed current.

61. The device of claim 56, further comprising a reverse current switch coupled in series with the switching mechanism, the reverse current switch configured to have the on state or the off state.

62. The device of claim 61, the switching mechanism having a bulk connection, the reverse current switch having a reverse bulk connection.

63. A process comprising:

sensing a first electrical characteristic at a current path between a power supply and a device, a switching mechanism being coupled between the power supply and the device, the switching mechanism configured to have an on state in which the power supply is coupled to the device or an off state in which the power supply is de-coupled from the device, the on state allowing current to pass from the power supply to the device along the current path;

sensing a second electrical characteristic at the current path after a time period;

determining whether to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the sensed first and second electrical characteristics meeting or exceeding a threshold; and

providing a reporting signal responsive to the sensed first and second electrical characteristics, the reporting signal indicative of the sensed first and second electrical characteristics.

64. The process of claim 63, wherein the time period is one of a plurality of selectable time periods.

65. The process of claim 63, wherein the time period is programmable.

66. The process of claim 63, further comprising:

causing the switching mechanism to have the off state after passing of the time period.

67. A process comprising:

sensing a first electrical characteristic at a current path between a power supply and a device, a switching mechanism being coupled between the power supply and the device, the switching mechanism configured to have an on state in which the power supply is coupled to the device or an off state in which the power supply is de-coupled from the device, the on state allowing current to pass from the power supply to the device along the current path;

comparing the sensed first electrical characteristic with a first threshold and a second threshold;

when the sensed first electrical characteristic meets or exceeds the first threshold but does not meet or exceed the second threshold, sensing a second electrical characteristic at the current path;

when the sensed second electrical characteristic meets or exceeds both the first threshold and the second threshold, causing the switching mechanism to have the off state; and

when the sensed second electrical characteristic does not exceed the second threshold, generating a signal indicative of the sensed first electrical characteristic.

68. The process of claim 67, wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are adjustable.