Electronic device and method of supplying power

Abstract

Electronic devices and methods of supply power are provided. The electronic device includes a connector, a logic circuit, and a switch. The connector has a first pin and a second pin, respectively configured to receive a first input voltage and a second input voltage of a supply connector. The logic circuit is coupled to the connector. The logic circuit is configured to determine whether the first input voltage falls within a first voltage range, and to determine whether the second input voltage falls within a second voltage range, to generate a control signal. The switch is coupled to the connector and the logic circuit. The switch is configured to determine whether to output the second input voltage from the connector to a system according to the control signal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to an apparatus and method, and more particularly to an electronic device and a method for supplying power. [Previous Technology]

[0002] To determine whether a power supply connector is set correctly, a typical electronic device compares the power supply pins on the connector to determine if the power supply voltage is stable. A comparator is commonly used in this way. One input of the comparator directly receives the power supply voltage, while the other input receives it through a resistor. The comparator determines the stability of the power supply voltage by comparing the voltage difference between the two inputs to see if it is excessive, thereby controlling the power supply to the electronic device.

[0003] However, to achieve the power supply voltage monitoring described above, resistors with fine resistance values ​​and analog circuit comparators are required, which increases manufacturing costs and design complexity. Furthermore, the power supply voltage monitoring achieved using the comparator can also determine whether the connector is correctly or incorrectly connected. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] This disclosure provides an electronic device and a method for supplying power, which can reduce manufacturing costs and simultaneously determine the directionality of connector connection.

[0005] The electronic device disclosed herein includes a connector, a logic circuit, and a switch. The connector has a first pin and a second pin, respectively for receiving a first input voltage and a second input voltage from the power supply connector. The logic circuit is coupled to the connector. The logic circuit is used to determine whether the first input voltage falls within a first voltage range and whether the second input voltage falls within a second voltage range, thereby generating a control signal. The switch is coupled to the connector and the logic circuit. The switch is used to determine, based on the control signal, whether to provide the second input voltage from the connector to the system.

[0006] The method for supplying voltage disclosed herein includes receiving a first input voltage and a second input voltage from a power supply connector through a first pin and a second pin of the connector, respectively; determining whether the first input voltage falls within a first voltage range and whether the second input voltage falls within a second voltage range, so as to generate a control signal; and determining whether to supply the second input voltage from the connector to the system based on the control signal.

[0007] Based on the above, the electronic device and power supply method disclosed herein can effectively determine the orientation of the power supply connector and the connector itself, and improve the manufacturing cost and design complexity of the electronic device.

Implementation Method

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The electronic device 10 includes a connector 100, a switch 101, a logic circuit 102, and a system 103.

[0009] Connector 100 has a first pin Pn1 and a second pin Pn2, used to receive a first input voltage and a second input voltage from power supply connector 11, respectively. Logic circuit 102 is coupled to connector 100. Logic circuit 102 is used to determine whether the first input voltage falls within a first voltage range and whether the second input voltage falls within a second voltage range, thereby generating a control signal DR. Switch 101 is coupled to connector 100 and logic circuit 102. Switch 101 is used to determine, based on control signal DR, whether to provide the second input voltage from connector 100 to system 103.

[0010] In simple terms, the connector 100 of the electronic device 10 is adapted to the power supply connector 11. When the power supply connector 11 is inserted into the connector 100 of the electronic device 10, the electronic device 10 can send and receive signals through the power supply connector 11 and obtain power voltage to supply the operation of the system 103.

[0011] Specifically, the connector 100 may have multiple pins, wherein two pins Pn1 and Pn2 that are symmetrical about rotation (or symmetrical about rotation angle with respect to its center point) may be used to receive two first input voltages Vin1 and a second input voltage Vin2 with different voltage values, respectively. In some embodiments, the first input voltage Vin1 may be, for example, a ground voltage, and the second input voltage Vin2 may be, for example, a power supply voltage. In some embodiments, in order to determine whether the power supply connector 11 is connected correctly or incorrectly to the connector 100 of the electronic device 10, the electronic device 10 may further detect the first input voltage Vin1 and the second input voltage Vin2 to generate a control signal DR, and control the switch 101 according to the control signal DR, so that when the power supply connector 11 is indeed connected correctly to the connector 100, the switch 101 will provide the second input voltage Vin2 as a power supply to the system 103. Conversely, when the power supply connector 11 is reverse-connected (i.e., coupled in the rotational direction) to the connector 100, the switch 101 remains open, and the second input voltage Vin2 received at pin Pn2 will not be supplied to the system 103. Therefore, the electronic device 10 can detect the orientation of the insertion of the power supply connector 11 and the connector 100 through the logic circuit 102, and control the switch 101 accordingly to supply power to the system 103 only at the appropriate time, thereby improving the operational stability of the electronic device 10.

[0012] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of the logic circuit 202 of the present disclosure embodiment. The logic circuit 202 in Figure 2 shows a more detailed circuit structure and can be applied to the electronic device 10 in Figure 1 to replace the logic circuit 102. The logic circuit 202 includes a first detection circuit 2020, a second detection circuit 2021, and a judgment circuit 2022. Generally speaking, the first detection circuit 2020 is used to receive a first input voltage Vin1 from pin Pn1 and determine whether the first input voltage Vin1 falls within a first voltage range to generate a first voltage detection result DR1. The second detection circuit 2021 is used to receive a second input voltage Vin2 and determine whether the second input voltage Vin2 falls within a second voltage range to generate a second voltage detection result DR2. The judgment circuit 2022 is used to generate a control signal DR based on the first voltage detection result DR1 and the second voltage detection result DR2.

[0013] In some embodiments, when connected in the correct direction, the first input voltage Vin1 is, for example, a 0-volt ground voltage, and the second input voltage Vin2 is, for example, a 48-volt power supply voltage. Therefore, the first detection circuit 2020 can determine whether the first input voltage Vin1 is 0 volts or close to a 0-volt ground voltage by determining whether the first input voltage Vin1 falls within a first voltage range, and generate a first voltage detection result DR1 accordingly. In addition, the second detection circuit 2021 can determine whether the second input voltage Vin2 is 48 volts or close to a 48-volt power supply voltage by determining whether the second input voltage Vin1 falls within a second voltage range, and generate a second voltage detection result DR2 accordingly. In this way, the judgment circuit 2022 can determine whether the power supply connector 11 and connector 100 are connected in the correct or reverse direction, or whether either the first input voltage Vin1 or the second input voltage Vin2 is abnormal, based on the first voltage detection result DR1 and the second voltage detection result DR2, and generate a corresponding control signal DR. The switch 101 that receives the control signal DR will only supply power to the system 103 based on the second input voltage Vin2 if the power supply connector 11 and connector 100 are connected correctly and both the first input voltage Vin1 and the second input voltage Vin2 are normal.

[0014] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of the detection circuit 302 of the present disclosure embodiment. The logic circuit 302 in Figure 3 illustrates a more detailed circuit structure and can be applied to the electronic device 10 in Figure 1 to replace the logic circuit 102. The logic circuit 302 includes a first detection circuit 3020, a second detection circuit 3021, and a judgment circuit 3022.

[0015] Regarding the detection of the first input voltage Vin1, in this embodiment, the first input voltage Vin1 input by pin Pn1 when connected in the positive direction is, for example, a 0-volt ground voltage. Therefore, in order to determine whether the first input voltage Vin1 is a 0-volt ground voltage, the first detection circuit 3020 includes an N-type transistor NM. The transistor NM has a gate for receiving the first input voltage Vin1, a drain for receiving the first voltage VS1 and outputting the first voltage detection result DR1, and a source for receiving the second voltage VS2. Specifically, the first detection circuit 3020 can compare the first input voltage Vin1 with the threshold voltage of the transistor NM and determine whether the first input voltage Vin1 falls into a first voltage range lower than the threshold voltage of the transistor NM. When the transistor NM in the first detection circuit 302 determines that the first input voltage Vin1 is indeed less than its threshold voltage, the transistor NM can remain in a cutoff state, so that the first voltage VS1 is output as the first voltage detection result DR1. In some embodiments, the first voltage VS1 and the second voltage VS2 are, for example, 3.3 volts and 0 volts, respectively. When the transistor NM is controlled to be off by the first input voltage VS1, which is below the threshold voltage, the first voltage VS1 can be output as the first detection result DR1. Alternatively, when the transistor NM is controlled to be on by the first input voltage VS1, which is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage, the on-state transistor NM can provide its source voltage to its drain to output the second voltage VS2 as the first detection result DR1.

[0016] In some embodiments, in order to effectively pull down the drain voltage when transistor NM is turned on, the driving capability of the second voltage VS2 provided by transistor NM is higher than that of the first voltage VS1. Therefore, although not shown in FIG3, in some embodiments, a resistor is also provided between the first voltage VS1 and the drain of transistor NM1, and the impedance value of the provided resistor is greater than the on-resistance of transistor NM, so that the driving force of the first voltage VS1 on the drain of transistor NM is less than the driving force of the second voltage VS2 on the drain of transistor NM, thus achieving a weak pull-up of the first voltage VS1 on the drain of transistor NM and a strong pull-down of the second voltage VS2 on the drain of transistor NM. In this way, when transistor NM is not turned on, the first voltage VS1 can pull up the drain voltage. When transistor NM is turned on, the second voltage VS2, which has a stronger driving capability, can dominate the drain voltage and pull it down.

[0017] Regarding the detection of the second input voltage Vin2, in this embodiment, the second input voltage Vin2 input by pin Pn2 when connected in the positive direction is, for example, a power supply voltage of 48 volts. Therefore, in order to determine whether the second input voltage Vin2 is a power supply voltage of 48 volts, the second voltage detector 3021 can be implemented by a voltage level shifter. In detail, the voltage level shifter 3021 can, for example, pull down the second input voltage Vin2 by a predetermined voltage value. For example, the voltage level shifter 3021 can, for example, pull down the second input voltage Vin2 by a voltage value of 46 volts. In this case, the voltage level shifter 3021 can pull down the voltage value of 46 to 48 volts to a voltage value of 0 to 2 volts, and set the voltage value below 46 volts to a voltage value of 0 volts, thereby outputting the second detection result DR2.

[0018] The first detection result DR1 and the second detection result DR2 are provided to the judgment circuit 3022 for calculation. In this embodiment, the judgment circuit 3022 is implemented as an AND gate, which can receive the first detection result DR1 and the second detection result DR2 to generate a detection result DR. Specifically, the judgment circuit 3022 can generate an enabled detection result DR when the digital values ​​of both the first detection result DR1 and the second detection result DR2 are 1, thereby controlling the switch 101 to be turned on. And it can generate a disabled detection result DR when the digital value of either the first detection result DR1 or the second detection result DR2 is 0, thereby controlling the switch 101 to be turned off.

[0019] In detail, the voltage range of the first detection result DR1 and the second detection result DR2 is between 0 and 2 volts. The judgment circuit 3022 can judge a voltage value greater than 1 volt as a digital value 1, and a voltage value less than 1 volt as a digital value 0.

[0020] Regarding the first detection result DR1, when the first input voltage Vin1 is less than the threshold voltage of the transistor NM, the first detection result DR1 can be set to a value of 1, representing that the first input voltage Vin1 is a ground voltage. When the first input voltage Vin1 is greater than the threshold voltage of the transistor NM, the first detection result DR1 can be set to a value of 0, representing that the first input voltage Vin1 is not a ground voltage. In this way, the low input voltage threshold can be considered as the threshold voltage of the transistor NM, and the first voltage range can be the voltage range less than the threshold voltage of the transistor NM.

[0021] Regarding the second detection result DR2, since its voltage value is generated by shifting down the second input voltage Vin2, a second detection result DR2 with a value of 1 corresponds to a second input voltage Vin2 with a voltage value of 47-48 volts, while a second detection result DR2 with a value of 0 corresponds to a second input voltage Vin2 with a voltage value of 0-47 volts. Thus, the power supply voltage threshold can be considered as 47 volts, and the second voltage range can be 0-47 volts. When the second detection circuit 3021 receives a second input voltage Vin2 higher than the power supply voltage threshold, the second detection circuit 3021 generates a second detection result DR2 with a value of 1. When the second detection circuit 3021 receives a second input voltage Vin2 lower than the power supply voltage threshold, the second detection circuit 3021 generates a second detection result DR2 with a value of 0.

[0022] In this embodiment, since the second input voltage Vin2 below 47 volts is judged as the second detection result DR2 with a digital value of 0, some additional tolerance space is obtained in the judgment of the second input voltage Vin2, so that the second input voltage Vin2 is slightly unstable, and when it fluctuates slightly within a certain voltage range, it will not cause changes in the second detection result DR2 and the control signal DR, thus maintaining the stability of the power supply voltage supplied by switch 101.

[0023] In this embodiment, the judgment circuit 3022, which implements the gate, can generate an enable control signal DR when both the first detection result DR1 and the second detection result DR2 are digital values ​​of 1. When either the first detection result DR1 or the second detection result DR2 is zero, the judgment circuit 3022 can generate a disable control signal DR.

[0024] In other embodiments, the circuit structure of the logic circuit 302 can naturally be adjusted appropriately according to different design requirements. For example, the first detection circuit 3020 can also be implemented by an inverter or other circuits with similar functions. Depending on the conduction mode of the switch 101, such as high voltage conduction or low voltage conduction, the judgment circuit 3022 can also be implemented by different digital circuits. Its implementation process can generally be derived from truth tables and Karnaugh maps, which will not be elaborated here.

[0025] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a power supply method according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. The power supply method in Figure 4 can be applied to, for example, the electronic device 10 in Figure 1.

[0026] In step S40, the electronic device 10 can receive a first input voltage Vin1 and a second input voltage Vin2 from the power supply connector 11 through the first pin Pn1 and the second pin Pn2 of the connector 100, respectively. In step S41, the logic circuit 102 can determine whether the first input voltage Vin1 falls within a first voltage range and whether the second input voltage Vin2 falls within a second voltage range, so as to generate a control signal DR. In step S42, the switch 101 can determine whether to provide the second input voltage Vin2 from the connector 100 to the system 103 according to the control signal DR.

[0027] In summary, the electronic device and power supply method disclosed herein can effectively determine the orientation of the power supply connector and the connector itself, and only supply power when it is determined that the power supply connector and the connector are correctly connected, thus maintaining power supply safety. In addition, the logic circuit implemented with digital circuitry can reduce the overall design complexity and at the same time provide a certain tolerance margin for power supply voltage detection, thereby improving the stability of the power supply voltage. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a logic circuit according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a logic circuit according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Figure 4 is a flowchart of a power supply method according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising: A connector having a first pin and a second pin for receiving a first input voltage and a second input voltage from a power supply connector, respectively; a logic circuit coupled to the connector for determining whether the first input voltage falls within a first voltage range and whether the second input voltage falls within a second voltage range, thereby generating a control signal. and a switch coupled to the connector and the logic circuit, the switch being used to determine, based on the control signal, whether to provide the second input voltage from the connector to a system, wherein the logic circuit includes: a first detection circuit for receiving the first input voltage and determining whether the first input voltage falls within the first voltage range to generate a first voltage detection result, wherein the first detection circuit includes: an N-type transistor having a gate for receiving the first input voltage, a drain for receiving a first voltage and outputting the first voltage detection result, and a source for receiving a second voltage.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positions of the first pin and the second pin are rotationally symmetrical about 180° in the connector.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the logic circuitry comprises: A second detection circuit is used to receive the second input voltage and determine whether the second input voltage falls within the second voltage range to generate a second voltage detection result; And a judgment circuit that generates the control signal based on the first voltage detection result and the second voltage detection result.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first detection circuit is configured to determine whether the first input voltage is lower than an input low voltage threshold in order to generate the first voltage detection result.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the second detection circuit is used to determine whether the second input voltage is higher than a power supply voltage threshold to generate the first voltage detection result.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second detection circuit comprises: A voltage level shifter is used to shift the second input voltage downward based on the power supply voltage threshold to generate the second voltage detection result.

7. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the determination circuit includes a gate that receives the first voltage detection result and the second voltage detection result to generate the control signal.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the switch is controlled by the control signal to provide the second input voltage to the system when the first voltage detection result indicates that the first input voltage is lower than an input low voltage threshold and the second voltage detection result indicates that the second input voltage is higher than a power supply voltage threshold.

9. A method for supplying voltage, comprising: A first input voltage and a second input voltage from a power supply connector are received through a first pin and a second pin of a connector, respectively; a logic circuit determines whether the first input voltage falls within a first voltage range and whether the second input voltage falls within a second voltage range, so as to generate a control signal. The system also determines whether to provide the second input voltage from the connector to a system based on the control signal. The logic circuit includes: a first detection circuit for receiving the first input voltage and determining whether the first input voltage falls within the first voltage range to generate a first voltage detection result. The first detection circuit includes: an N-type transistor having a gate for receiving the first input voltage, a drain for receiving a first voltage and outputting the first voltage detection result, and a source for receiving a second voltage.

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