Load detecting circuits and the method thereof

• US 9,252,766 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Company Limited (Monolithic Power Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Company Limited (Monolithic Power Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ren, Yuancheng, Li, En, Kuang, Naixing, Li, Yike
• Primary Examiner(s): Patidar, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): RHODES-VIVOUR, TEMILADE S
• Application Number:
  US13/538,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 324/76.11, 324/429, 324/525, 324/713, 324/714, 324/723, 324/72.5, 324/98
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/00 Program-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/30 Modifications for providing a predetermined threshold before switching shaping pulses by thresholding H03K5/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/307 circuits simulating a diode, e.g. threshold zero
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission

Abstract

A no-load detecting circuit and the method thereof are disclosed. The no-load detecting circuit may be applied in switching mode power supplies or other circuits. The no-load detecting circuit comprises: a variable resistance circuit coupled in series to a load of the switching mode power supply; and a first comparison circuit coupled to the variable resistance circuit to receive the voltage across the variable resistance circuit, wherein based on the comparison of the voltage across the variable resistance circuit and a first threshold, the first comparison circuit generates a no-load detecting signal indicative of the load status; wherein the equivalent resistance of the variable resistance circuit varies based on the varying of the load of the switching mode power supply.

Claims

1. A no-load detecting circuit for a switching mode power supply, comprising:

a variable resistance circuit coupled between the switching mode power supply and a load of the switching mode power supply, wherein an equivalent resistance of the variable resistance circuit will vary depending on the status of the load of the switching mode power supply; and

a first comparison circuit coupled to the variable resistance circuit to receive a voltage across the variable resistance circuit, wherein based on the comparison of the voltage across the variable resistance circuit and a first threshold, the first comparison circuit generates a no-load detecting signal indicative of the load status;

wherein the variable resistance circuit comprises;

a first transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the switching mode power supply, and the second terminal is coupled to the load; and

a second transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the second transistor is coupled in parallel to the first transistor;

and wherein the first transistor is ON and the second transistor is OFF under light load status, and the first transistor and the second transistor are both ON under heavy load status; and

the first comparison circuit is coupled to the first transistor to receive a drain-source voltage of the first transistor, wherein based on the comparison of the drain-source voltage of the first transistor and the first threshold, the first comparison circuit generates the no-load detecting signal.

2. The no-load detecting circuit of claim 1, wherein the variable resistance circuit further comprises a second comparison circuit coupled to the first transistor to receive the drain-source voltage of the first transistor, wherein the second comparison circuit is configured to compare the drain-source voltage of the first transistor with a second threshold.

3. The no-load detecting circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a third transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the control terminal is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor and the first terminal is coupled to the first terminal of the first transistor; and

a first current source coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor;

wherein

the drain-source voltage of the first transistor is regulated to a reference voltage when the second transistor is turned OFF;

the first comparison circuit has a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor to receive the voltage at the second terminal of the first transistor, and the second input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor to receive the voltage at the second terminal of the third transistor which serves as the first threshold, wherein based on the comparison of the voltage at the second terminal of the first transistor and the voltage at the second terminal of the third transistor, the first comparison circuit generates the no-load detecting signal.

4. The no-load detecting circuit of claim 3, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are both turned ON when the drain-source voltage of the first transistor is larger than a drain-source voltage of the third transistor.

5. A no-load detecting circuit for a switching mode power supply, comprising:

a variable resistance circuit coupled between the switching mode power supply and a load of the switching mode power supply, wherein the variable resistance circuit comprises a first transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the second terminal is coupled to the load, and wherein a drain-source voltage of the first transistor is configured to be regulated to a reference voltage;

a third transistor has a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the control terminal is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor and the first terminal is coupled to the first terminal of the first transistor;

a first current source coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor; and

a first comparison circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor to receive a voltage at the second terminal of the first transistor, and the second input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor to receive a voltage at the second terminal of the third transistor, wherein based on the comparison of the voltage at the second terminal of the first transistor and the voltage at the second terminal of the third transistor, the first comparison circuit generates a no-load detecting signal indicative of the load status.

6. A load detecting circuit for a switching mode power supply configured to supply power to a load, wherein the switching mode power supply comprises a switching circuit, and wherein the load detecting circuit comprises:

a no-load detecting circuit coupled to the load to detect the load status and to generate a no-load detecting signal indicative of the load status, wherein the no-load detecting circuit comprises;

(i) a variable resistance circuit coupled to the load; and

(ii) a first comparison circuit coupled to the variable resistance circuit to receive the voltage across the variable resistance circuit, and based on the comparison of the voltage across the variable resistance circuit and a first threshold, the first comparison circuit generates a no-load detecting signal indicative of the load status;

wherein

(iii) an equivalent resistance of the variable resistance circuit is higher under heavy load status than that under light load status; and

a reload detecting circuit configured to supply a current to the load when the no-load detecting signal indicates the no-load status, and generates a reload determining signal indicating whether the switching circuit is reloaded based on the comparison of the voltage across the load and a third threshold;

wherein

the switching circuit is shut down when the no-load detecting signal indicates the no-load status, and is restarted when the reload determining signal indicates the reload status.

7. The load detecting circuit of claim 6, wherein the reload detecting circuit comprises:

a second current source coupled to the load to supply a current to the load when the no-load detecting signal indicates the no-load status;

a fourth comparison circuit coupled to the load to receive the voltage across the load, to generate the reload determining signal indicative of the load status based on the comparison of the voltage across the load and a fourth threshold.

8. The load detecting circuit of claim 6, wherein the no-load detecting circuit comprises:

a variable resistance circuit coupled to the load; and

a first comparison circuit coupled to the variable resistance circuit to receive the voltage across the variable resistance circuit, and based on the comparison of the voltage across the variable resistance circuit and a first threshold, the first comparison circuit generates a no-load detecting signal indicative of the load status;

wherein

an equivalent resistance of the variable resistance circuit is higher under heavy load status than that under light load status.

9. The load detecting circuit of claim 6, wherein the variable resistance circuit comprises:

a first transistor coupled to the load; and

a second transistor coupled in parallel to the first transistor; and

wherein

the first transistor is ON and the second transistor is OFF under light load status, and the first transistor and the second transistor are both ON under heavy load status;

the first comparison circuit is coupled to the first transistor to receive a drain-source voltage of the first transistor, and generates the no-load detecting signal based on the comparison of the drain-source voltage of the first transistor and the first threshold.

10. The load detecting circuit of claim 9, wherein the no-load detecting circuit further comprises a second comparison circuit coupled to the first transistor to receive the drain-source voltage of the first transistor, to compare the drain-source voltage of the first transistor with a second threshold.

11. The load detecting circuit of claim 9, wherein the no-load detecting circuit further comprises:

a third transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the control terminal is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor and the first terminal is coupled to the first terminal of the first transistor; and

a first current source coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor;

wherein

the drain-source voltage of the first transistor is regulated to a reference voltage when the second transistor is turned OFF; and

the first comparison circuit has a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor to receive the voltage at the second terminal of the first transistor, and the second input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor to receive the voltage at the second terminal of the third transistor which is served as the first threshold, wherein based on the comparison of the voltage at the second terminal of the first transistor and the voltage at the second terminal of the third transistor, the first comparison circuit generates the no-load detecting signal.

12. The load detecting circuit of claim 11, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are both turned ON when the drain-source voltage of the first transistor is larger than a drain-source voltage of the third transistor.

13. The load detecting circuit of claim 9, wherein the no-load detecting circuit further comprises a third transistor and a first current source, and wherein:

the variable resistance circuit comprises a first transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the second terminal is coupled to the load, and wherein a drain-source voltage of the first transistor is configured to be regulated to a reference voltage;

the third transistor has a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the control terminal is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor and the first terminal is coupled to the first terminal of the first transistor;

the first current source is coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor; and

wherein

the first comparison circuit has a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor to receive a voltage at the second terminal of the first transistor, and the second input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor to receive a voltage at the second terminal of the third transistor which is served as the first threshold, wherein based on the comparison of the voltage at the second terminal of the first transistor and the voltage at the second terminal of the third transistor, the first comparison circuit generates the no-load detecting signal.

14. The load detecting circuit of claim 6, further comprising:

an under voltage lockout circuit configured to receive an internal power of the switching mode power supply, and based on the comparison of the internal power and a fifth threshold, the under voltage lockout circuit generates a restart signal;

an OR gate coupled to the under voltage lockout circuit and the reload detecting circuit to receive the restart signal and the reload determining signal, wherein based on the restart signal and the reload determining signal, the OR gate generates a reload signal; and

a RS flip-flop having a set terminal, a reset terminal and an output signal, wherein the set terminal is configured to receive the no-load detecting signal, the reset terminal is configured to receive the reload signal, and wherein based on the no-load detecting signal and the reload signal, the flip-flop generates a load determining signal at the output terminal.

15. A load detecting method for a switching mode power supply which provides power to a load, wherein the load detecting method comprises:

coupling a first transistor to the load;

coupling a second transistor in parallel to the first transistor;

comparing a drain-source voltage of the first transistor to a second threshold to determine the load status;

turning ON the first transistor and the second transistor when the load is light; and

turning ON the first transistor and turning OFF the second transistor when the load is heavy

coupling a third transistor to the first transistor, wherein a first terminal of the first transistor and a first terminal of the third transistor are connected together, and a control terminal of the first transistor and a control terminal of the third transistor are connected together;

supplying a current to a second terminal of the third transistor;

regulating the drain-source voltage of the first transistor to a reference voltage after the second transistor is turned OFF; and

comparing the drain-source voltage of the first transistor to a drain-source voltage of the third transistor, wherein if the drain-source voltage of the first transistor is lower than or equal to the drain-source voltage of the third transistor, a no-load status is determined.

16. The load detecting method of claim 15 further comprises:

shutting down the switching mode power supply and supplying a current to the load when the no-load detecting signal indicates the no-load status;

comparing the voltage across the load with a fourth threshold to determine whether the switching circuit is reloaded;

restarting the switching mode power supply when the switching circuit is reloaded.

17. The load detecting method of claim 15 further comprises:

coupling a third transistor to the first transistor, wherein a first terminal of the first transistor and a first terminal of the third transistor are connected together, and a control terminal of the first transistor and a control terminal of the third transistor are connected together;

supplying a current to a second terminal of the third transistor;

regulating the drain-source voltage of the first transistor to a reference voltage after the second transistor is turned OFF; and

comparing the drain-source voltage of the first transistor to a drain-source voltage of the third transistor, wherein if the drain-source voltage of the first transistor is lower than or equal to the drain-source voltage of the third transistor, a no-load status is determined.

18. The load detecting method of claim 15 further comprises turning ON the first transistor and the second transistor when the drain-source voltage of the first transistor is larger than the drain-source voltage of the third transistor.