A charging management chip for charging a battery based on switch charging and direct charging

Abstract

A charge management chip is provided for charging a battery based on a switching charging and a direct charging. The charge management chip includes a switching charging circuit and a direct charging circuit. The switching charging circuit receives a charging power and delivers the charging power to a first node, charges a battery according to a switching charging method, and controls generation of a system voltage supplied to an electronic system. The direct charging circuit receives the charging power applied to the first node via an input node, and charges the battery according to a direct charging method based on a switching circuit therein to provide the charging power to an output node. The switching charging circuit charges the battery through a first charging path including an inductor arranged outside the charge management chip, and the direct charging circuit charges the battery through a second charging path through which the charging power delivered to the output node is directly supplied to the battery.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0113024, filed on September 11, 2019, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a charging management chip, and more specifically, to a charging management chip for charging a battery based on switching charging and direct charging methods, as well as a method for operating the charging management chip. Background Technology

[0004] Electronic systems (such as mobile or portable devices) use batteries for power. Batteries can be charged using various methods. For example, batteries can be charged directly using a charger that supports direct charging, or they can be charged using a switching charging method with a universal charger. Generally, direct charging methods can have higher charging efficiency than switching charging methods.

[0005] However, electronic systems require separate charging circuits for direct charging and switching charging methods. Typically, these circuits are implemented on discrete chips. In this case, supporting both methods increases the number of semiconductor chips installed in the electronic system, thus increasing its size. Summary of the Invention

[0006] On the one hand, a charging management chip with embedded direct charging circuit and switching charging circuit and a method for operating the charging management chip are provided.

[0007] According to an aspect of example embodiments, there is provided a charging management chip configured to control a charging operation of a battery, the charging management chip comprising: a switching charging circuit including a first input switch configured to transfer a charging power provided from an external charger to a first node, the switching charging circuit connected to one end of an inductor arranged outside the charging management chip and in a switching charging path via a second node, the switching charging circuit connected to a node corresponding to the other end of the inductor via a third node and configured to provide a system voltage, the switching charging circuit configured to charge the battery by providing the charging power to the battery when the switching charging circuit is connected to the battery via a fourth node; and a direct charging circuit configured to receive the charging power transferred via the first input switch at an input node connected to the first node, the direct charging circuit configured to charge the battery by directly providing the charging power to the battery via an output node according to a switching state of a switching circuit connected between the input node and the output node, wherein the switching charging circuit operates in a switching charging mode in which the battery is charged according to a switching charging method or in a step-down mode in which the system voltage is generated while the direct charging circuit operates in a direct charging mode.

[0008] According to an aspect of example embodiments, there is provided a charging management chip configured to control a charging operation of a battery, the charging management chip comprising: a switching charging circuit including a first input switch configured to transfer a charging power provided from an external charger to a first node, the switching charging circuit connected to one end of an inductor arranged outside the charging management chip and in a switching charging path via a second node, the switching charging circuit connected to a node corresponding to the other end of the inductor via a third node and configured to provide a system voltage, the switching charging circuit configured to charge the battery by providing the charging power to the battery when the switching charging circuit is connected to the battery via a fourth node; and a direct charging circuit configured to receive the charging power transferred via the first input switch at an input node connected to the first node, the direct charging circuit configured to charge the battery by directly providing the charging power to the battery via an output node according to a switching state of a switching circuit connected between the input node and the output node, wherein the switching charging circuit operates in a switching charging mode in which the battery is charged according to a switching charging method or in a step-down mode in which the system voltage is generated while the direct charging circuit operates in a direct charging mode.

[0009] According to an aspect of example embodiments, there is provided an operating method of a charge management chip, the operating method including: in response to connection of an external charger, charging a battery based on a switching charging method by using a switching charging circuit included in the charge management chip; determining whether the external charger supports a direct charging function; in response to determining that the external charger supports the direct charging function, transferring charging power provided to the switching charging circuit to an input node of a direct charging circuit provided in the charge management chip; charging the battery based on a direct charging method by dividing the charging power transferred to the input node and providing the divided charging power to the battery via an output node of the direct charging circuit; and in response to a voltage of the battery reaching a specific set value, terminating the charging operation based on the direct charging method and changing a charging mode to charge the battery based on the switching charging method.

[0010] According to an aspect of example embodiments, there is provided a charge management chip including: a switching charging circuit configured to receive charging power from an external charger and charge a battery according to a switching charging method by using an inductor externally connected to the charge management chip and control generation of a system voltage provided to an electronic system including the charge management chip; and a direct charging circuit configured to charge the battery according to a direct charging method by directly providing the charging power to the battery without passing through a passive component, wherein the switching charging circuit transfers the charging power to the direct charging circuit to charge the battery according to the direct charging method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Various example embodiments will be understood more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a charge management chip according to an example embodiment;

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment of Figure 1 a charge management chip;

[0014] Figure 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example embodiment of a charge management chip according to an example embodiment;

[0015] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment in which a charge management chip according to an example embodiment receives power from a USB Type-C connector;

[0016] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating a semiconductor chip according to an example embodiment;

[0017] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a charging management chip according to an example embodiment;

[0018] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a detailed example of direct charging operation according to an example embodiment;

[0019] Figure 8A , Figure 8B and Figure 8C This is a circuit diagram illustrating various charging modes of a charging management chip according to an example embodiment;

[0020] Figure 9 This illustrates the use according to an example embodiment. Figure 8A , Figure 8B and Figure 8C A flowchart illustrating examples of charging operations for various charging modes.

[0021] Figure 10 Examples of implementations of a charging management chip according to various exemplary embodiments are shown;

[0022] Figure 11A and Figure 11B The graphs show the charging curves of the switching charging method according to the prior art and the charging curves of the example embodiment in which the direct charging method is applied.

[0023] Figure 12A and Figure 13A This is a circuit diagram illustrating an example embodiment of a switching circuit configured in a direct charging circuit according to various example embodiments. Figure 12B and Figure 13B This is a diagram illustrating switch operation according to an example embodiment;

[0024] Figure 14 This is a graph illustrating another example of the charging curve of a charging management chip according to an example embodiment;

[0025] Figure 15 and Figure 16 This is a block diagram illustrating an implementation example of an electronic system including a charging management chip according to an example embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0026] In the following description, exemplary embodiments are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a charging management chip according to an example embodiment. Figure 1In the middle, a charging management chip 100 and a battery 101 connected thereto are shown, and the charging management chip 100 and the battery 101 can be components included in an electronic system (or an electronic device).

[0028] The charging management chip 100 can be implemented in various forms. For example, the charging management chip 100 can be implemented as one semiconductor device (or a semiconductor chip or a semiconductor package). According to an example embodiment, the charging management chip 100 can include a switching charging circuit 110 and a direct charging circuit 120, and when the charging management chip 100 is implemented as one semiconductor chip, various circuits included in the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120 can be formed on one semiconductor substrate. In other words, various circuits included in the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120 can be formed on the same semiconductor substrate. Further, the circuits included in the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120 can be formed on the same semiconductor substrate by using the same semiconductor process.

[0029] The charging management chip 100 can be mounted on a circuit board (not shown) in an electronic system, and when the charging management chip 100 is mounted on the circuit board in the electronic system, the charging management chip 100 can be connected to one or more circuit elements arranged in relation to a charging operation. For example, as shown in Figure 1 , the charging management chip 100 can be connected to an inductor L, a capacitor C, etc. In other words, according to an example embodiment, in the components shown in Figure 1 , the inductor L and the capacitor C can be arranged outside the charging management chip 100 corresponding to one semiconductor chip.

[0030] The charging management chip 100 according to various example embodiments can be applied to various types of electronic systems. For example, the charging management chip 100 can be included in various types of electronic systems such as a smart phone, a tablet personal computer, a mobile phone, a video phone, an electronic book reader, and a desktop personal computer, a laptop personal computer (PC), a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player, a mobile medical device, a camera, or a wearable device.

[0031] The charging management chip 100 can be connected to a wired charger and / or a wireless charger external to the electronic device or electronic system including the charging management chip 100, and can receive power from the wired charger and / or the wireless charger. According to an embodiment, the wired charger can be referred to as a travel adapter (TA), and thus, the term of the wired charger and the term of the TA can be used interchangeably. Also, the charging power to be mentioned in the following embodiments can be used in various ways. For example, the power provided from the charger can represent the charging power, or some power actually provided to the battery 101 can represent the charging power.

[0032] In an embodiment, the electronic system employing the charging management chip 100 can include a wired interface TAIN and a wireless interface WCIN. Power from the wired charger can be provided to the charging management chip 100 via the wired interface TAIN, and power from the wireless charger can be provided to the charging management chip 100 via the wireless interface WCIN. At least some of the power from the wired charger and the wireless charger can be used as charging power to charge the battery 101.

[0033] The wired interface TAIN can include various types of connectors such as a universal serial bus (USB), and can be connected to the external wired charger via the connector. Also, the wireless interface WCIN can include a coil (e.g., a conductive pattern) and a wireless charging integrated circuit (IC), and can wirelessly transmit / receive power to / from a wireless charger such as a charging pad.

[0034] The charging management chip 100 can charge the battery 101 by using various methods such as a normal charging method, a fast charging method, and a direct charging method. For example, the switching charging circuit 110 can charge the battery 101 in the normal charging method and the fast charging method, and the direct charging circuit 120 can charge the battery 101 in the direct charging method. The direct charging method can be a method of directly supplying power provided by the wired charger and / or the wireless charger (which can be collectively referred to as a charger according to an embodiment) to the battery 101, and can improve power efficiency, and thus, reduce heat and charging time of the battery 101. Here, directly supplying power provided by the wired charger and / or the wireless charger can mean that the power is directly supplied to the battery without passing through a frequency component such as an inductor or a capacitor.

[0035] For example, the charger can support only a normal charging function or a fast charging function, and the switching charging circuit 110 can perform normal charging supporting a charging capacity of about 5W to about 15W according to the type of the charger, or perform a fast charging function supporting a charging capacity of about 15W to about 20W, while in the case of the switching charging method, the charging efficiency can be about 90% to about 93%. When the charger supports a direct charging function, the direct charging circuit 120 can perform direct charging with a charging efficiency of about 96% to about 98%, and since the charging efficiency of direct charging is high, heat dissipation characteristics can also be improved.

[0036] In the switching charging method, the charging operation of the battery 101 can be performed based on constant voltage control and constant current control. In the direct charging method, the charging operation of the battery 101 can be performed mainly based on constant current control. However, it is difficult to precisely control the charging amount (i.e., the voltage of the battery) of the battery 101 by using constant voltage control. Therefore, in the direct charging method, even though the electronic system is connected with a dedicated charger supporting a direct charging function, it is necessary to charge the battery 101 by using the direct charging method and the switching charging method together.

[0037] The switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120 can each include a charging path for transferring charging power from the charger to the battery 101. As an example, the switching charging circuit 110 or the direct charging circuit 120 can selectively charge the battery 101, or the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120 can charge the battery 101 together. In other words, only one of the switching charging circuit 110 or the direct charging circuit 120 can charge the battery 101, or both the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120 can charge the battery 101. For example, the switching charging circuit 110 can include a first node VBYP through which charging power from the charger is directly provided to an input node VIN of the direct charging circuit 120. In other words, the switching charging circuit 110 causes the charging power from the charger to bypass other components of the switching charging circuit 110 and be directly delivered to the direct charging circuit 120 via the first node VBYP.

[0038] The switching charging circuit 110 can further include a second node LX, a third node VSYS, and a fourth node VBAT. In the switching charging operation, the charging power can be provided to the battery 101 through a first charging path via the second node LX, the inductor L, the third node VSYS, and the fourth node VBAT. The third node VSYS can be connected to a system voltage Vsys (see FIG. 1) provided to a circuit block inside and / or outside the charging management chip 100. Figure 2In addition, inductor L can be connected between the second node LX and the third node VSYS, and capacitor C can be connected between the third node VSYS and ground. The fourth node VBAT can output the voltage for charging battery 101.

[0039] The direct charging circuit 120 may include an input node VIN and an output node VOUT. The input node VIN may be connected to the first node VBYP of the switching charging circuit 110, and the output node VOUT may be connected to the battery 101. In the direct charging method, the charging power received via the input node VIN can be directly supplied to the battery 101 via the output node VOUT. In other words, the charging power in the direct charging method can be provided through the input circuit of the switching charging circuit 110; therefore, the input circuit for charging power used in switching charging and direct charging can be shared. Furthermore, the output node VOUT of the direct charging circuit 120 can be directly connected to the battery 101. For example, the charging path of the direct charging method may include a path that does not include passive components such as external inductors or external capacitors.

[0040] According to an example embodiment, the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120 may include circuitry for switching charging power, and components (not shown) for controlling this circuitry may be integrated together in a semiconductor chip corresponding to the charging management chip 100. Furthermore, since the charging management chip 100 is implemented as a semiconductor chip, it may include one or more terminals for connecting to external devices. In other words, one or more pins of the charging management chip 100 may be connected to external devices. For example, the charging management chip 100 may include terminals connected to a wired interface TAIN and a wireless interface WCIN, terminals connected to external circuitry (e.g., an inductor L, a capacitor C, etc.), and terminals connected to the battery 101.

[0041] According to the example embodiment, since the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120 can be integrated into a single semiconductor chip, and the input circuit for the charging power used for switching charging and direct charging can be shared, the size of the charging management chip 100 can be reduced. In addition, the size of the mobile device or portable device using the charging management chip 100 can be reduced.

[0042] In the example embodiment, battery 101 may include nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery, nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery, lithium-ion battery, etc., but the example embodiment is not limited to this.

[0043] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A block diagram of an example implementation of the charging management chip 100.

[0044] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the switching charging circuit 110 can include an input switching circuit 111, a step-down control circuit 112, and a power path control circuit 113. Also, the direct charging circuit 120 can include a switching circuit 121 connected between the input node VIN and the output node VOUT. Also, according to the above-described example embodiment, the charging management chip 100 can be connected to circuit elements related to charging of the battery 101, and as an example, an inductor L and a capacitor C connected to one or more nodes of the switching charging circuit 110 are further illustrated.

[0045] As illustrated in Figure 2 , the electronic system can further include an overvoltage protection (OVP) IC 102, and charging power from the wired charger can be provided to the charging management chip 100 via the OVP IC 102. As an implementation example, the OVP IC 102 can be implemented as a separate semiconductor chip, and thus, the OVP IC 102 can be located outside the charging management chip 100. When a voltage provided from the wired charger corresponds to an overvoltage, the OVP IC 102 can prevent damage to circuits inside the charging management chip 100 by blocking power from the wired charger from being provided to the charging management chip 100.

[0046] The input switching circuit 111 can include one or more switches for switching charging power from the wired charger and the wireless charger into the charging management chip 100. According to a configuration of the one or more switches and on / off states of the switches, the input switching circuit 111 can provide the charging power to the step-down control circuit 112, or can pass the charging power to be directly provided to the direct charging circuit 120 via the first node VBYP, bypassing the step-down control circuit 112 and the power path control circuit 113 of the switching charging circuit 110.

[0047] The step-down control circuit 112 can control an operation of converting charging power received via the input switching circuit 111 into a voltage or a current having a magnitude suitable for charging the battery 101, and also can control an operation of converting charging power from the battery 101 into a voltage or a current having a magnitude suitable for use inside the electronic system. As an example, the step-down control circuit 112 can include one or more switches, and can control a charging operation or an operation of generating a system voltage Vsys by controlling the switches according to various modes. The step-down control circuit 112 can be connected to one end of the inductor L outside the charging management chip 100 via the second node LX, and can provide charging power to the second node LX via switching operations.

[0048] The power path control circuit 113 can control the power path so that the charging power provided from the charger is provided to the battery 101, or can perform an operation of controlling the power path so that the power from the battery 101 is provided as a system voltage Vsys used inside the electronic system. The power path control circuit 113 can be connected to the third node Vsys and the fourth node VBAT, and perform an operation of controlling the power path.

[0049] As an example, the power path control circuit 113 can include one or more switches, and provide a part of the power provided from the charger as the charging power to the battery 101, and can control the power path so that the other part of the power is provided as the system voltage Vsys used inside the electronic system. As an example of operation, when the power of the electronic system is turned off, the power supplied from the charger can be provided as the charging power to the battery 101, and when the power of the electronic system is turned on, some of the power provided from the charger can be provided as the charging power to the battery 101, and some of the power provided from the charger can be provided as the system voltage Vsys to the electronic system.

[0050] The switching circuit 121 included in the direct charging circuit 120 can include one or more switches, and according to the switching state of the switching circuit 121, the circuit between the input node VIN and the output node VOUT can be controlled. As an example, in some example embodiments, the direct charging circuit 120 can perform the function of a voltage divider (or a capacitor voltage divider), divide the charging power applied to the input node VIN, and provide the divided charging power to the output node VOUT to be provided to the battery 101. However, this is only an example, and the switching circuit 121 can be implemented in various forms. According to the type of implementation of the switching circuit 121, power having the same magnitude as the charging power provided to the input node VIN can be provided to the output node VOUT, or power having a different magnitude from the charging power provided to the input node VIN can be provided to the output node VOUT.

[0051] According to Figure 2 According to the embodiment shown, the input switching circuit 111 can be used as a circuit that commonly receives the charging power in the switching charging operation and the direct charging operation, and thus the size of the charging management chip 100 implemented as one semiconductor chip (100) can be reduced. Further, various charging modes using the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120 can be supported in one semiconductor chip, and thus the charging operation to the battery 101 can be selectively performed by any one of the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120, or the charging operation to the battery 101 can be performed by both of the switching charging circuit 110 and the direct charging circuit 120.

[0052] As described above, Figure 2 The various components shown in FIG. 2 can include one or more switches, and the switches can be controlled by control signals (not shown in FIG. 2) generated in the charging management chip 100. As an example, the charging management chip 100 can include a circuit for generating a control signal according to a voltage / current detected from each node therein or according to a detection result of a voltage / current of the battery 101, and can control various switches in the charging management chip 100 based on the detection result of the voltage / current. For example, the circuit for generating a control signal can be implemented as a hardware logic circuit, or can be implemented as a microprocessor that accesses a memory to execute various codes for generating a control signal. Figure 2

[0053] Figure 3 is a circuit diagram showing an example implementation of a charging management chip 200 according to an example embodiment. Figure 3 The circuit diagram shown in FIG. 2 shows only one implementation example of a charging management chip, and according to an example embodiment, a specific circuit design can have some modified forms in performing a charging function.

[0054] Referring to Figure 3 , the charging management chip 200 can be implemented as a single semiconductor chip, and can include a switching charging circuit 210 and a direct charging circuit 220. In addition, the switching charging circuit 210 can include an input switching circuit 211, a step-down control circuit 212, and a power path control circuit 213, and the direct charging circuit 220 can include a switching circuit Q31. In addition, the charging management chip 200 can be connected to a wired interface TAIN that communicates with a wired charger and a wireless interface WCIN that communicates with a wireless charger. In addition, Figure 3 shows an example in which the OVP IC 201 in the example embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is located outside the charging management chip 200, and charging power via the wired interface TAIN can be provided to the charging management chip 200 via the OVP IC 201. In addition, additional circuit elements related to a charging operation of the battery 202 can be used, and as shown in Figure 2 , an inductor L, a capacitor C, etc. can be components arranged outside the charging management chip 200. Figure 3

[0055] As shown in Figure 2 ​​The input switch circuit 211, the step-down control circuit 212, and the power path control circuit 213 can each include one or more switches in the example embodiment shown. As an example, the input switch circuit 211 can include a first input switch Q1 for transferring charging power received via the wired interface TAIN and a second input switch Q2 for transferring charging power received via the wireless interface WCIN. Further, the step-down control circuit 212 can include one or more switches connected in series between the output of the input switch circuit 211 and the ground, and as an example, can include a first step-down control switch Q11 and a second step-down control switch Q12. A node between the first step-down control switch Q11 and the second step-down control switch Q12 can be connected to the second node LX.

[0056] The power path control circuit 213 can include a path control switch Q21, and the path control switch Q21 can be connected between the third node VSYS and the fourth node VBAT. The path control switch Q21 can be connected to a node to which the system voltage Vsys is applied via the third node VSYS, and can be connected to the battery 202 via the fourth node VBAT. Further, a first charging path Path_S according to the switched charging method can be formed according to the switching state of the path control switch Q21 along with the other switches. For example, as shown in Figure 3 The first charging path Path_S can extend from the wired interface TAIN and the wireless interface WCIN to the battery through the inductor L, as shown.

[0057] Various control signals for controlling the switches (Q1, Q2, Q11, Q12, and Q21) included in the switched charging circuit 210 can be generated in the charge management chip 200. According to Figure 2 According to the example embodiment shown, the various control signals can be generated based on the detection results of the voltage / current amount values of the respective nodes in the charge management chip 200 and / or the respective nodes connected to the battery 202. In Figure 3 In the example shown, the control signals (Ctrl_Q1 and Ctrl_Q2) provided to the input switch circuit 211, the control signals (Ctrl_Q11 and Ctrl_Q12) provided to the step-down control circuit 212, and the control signal Ctrl_Q21 provided to the power path control circuit 213 are shown.

[0058] When charging is performed according to the direct charging method, the direct charging circuit 220 can receive charging power via the first node VBYP and a wiring inside the charging management chip 200, and the input node VIN and the output node VOUT can be electrically connected to each other based on switching operations of switches (e.g., direct charging switches Q31) provided in the switching circuit, and thus a second charging path Path_D according to the direct charging method can be formed, and charging power can be supplied to the battery 202. For example, as shown in Figure 3 the second charging path Path_D can extend from the wired interface TAIN and the wireless interface WCIN to the battery through the input node VIN and the output node VOUT. In Figure 3 the control signal Ctrl_Q31 corresponding to one direct charging switch Q31 is shown in the switching circuit, but in some embodiments, a larger number of switches can be provided in the switching circuit.

[0059] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment example in which the charging management chip 320 receives power from the connector 310 having a C-type Universal Serial Bus (USB) structure. As an example, Figure 4 an electronic system 300 including the connector 310 having the C-type USB structure and the charging management chip 320 according to an example embodiment is shown. A person of ordinary skill in the art can easily understand various terms described in relation to the C-type USB structure in Figure 4 by referring to the C-type USB specification, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted for brevity.

[0060] Referring to the electronic system 300 of Figure 4 the connector 310 having the C-type USB structure can be a component provided in the wired interface of the above-described embodiments. In addition, pins included in the connector 310 having the C-type USB structure can have a symmetrical structure. In other words, when a wired charger is connected to the connector 310, due to the symmetrical structure, the wired charger can be connected regardless of the directional characteristics of the wired charger.

[0061] The connector 310 can include two rows of pins. For example, the connector 310 can include a first row of pins (A1 to A12) and a second row of pins (B1 to B12), and can support data communication of various speeds. For example, the connector 310 can include pins (A2 and A3, A10 and A11, B2 and B3, and B10 and B11) supporting high-speed data communication according to a first standard (e.g., USB 3.1) and pins (A6 and A7 and B6 and B7) supporting low-speed data communication according to a second standard (e.g., USB 2.0). In addition, each pin in the first row of pins (A1 to A12) and the second row of pins (B1 to B12) can perform a unique function. For example, the VBUS pins (A4, A9, B4, and B9) can correspond to power pins, the GND pins (A1, A12, B1, and B12) can correspond to pins that transmit a ground voltage, the sideband usage (SBU) pins (A8 and B8) can be used to support an alternate (ALT) mode and can be used in cables including Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, HDMI, etc.

[0062] The electronic system 300 including the connector 310 can perform bidirectional communication. As an example, when the electronic system 300 is connected to an external device via the connector 310, the electronic system 300 can function as a master device (e.g., a downstream-facing port (DFP)) or a slave device (an upstream-facing port (UFP)). Alternatively, the above-described electronic system 300 can function as a dual-role port (DRP), in which case the system 300 can adaptively change the role of a master device (DFP) or a slave device (UFP).

[0063] The role of the electronic system 300 as described above can be designated via the configuration channel (CC) pins (A5 and B5) of the connector 310. As an example, in the case of a USB interface, data connection and control can be performed by digital communication via the CC1 pin A5 and the CC2 pin B5.

[0064] The charge management chip 320 can receive charging power V_TA via the connector 310, for example, can receive charging power V_TA via various pins (e.g., VBUS pins) of the connector 310. The charge management chip 320 can include a configuration channel (CC) circuit block 321, a switched charging circuit 322, and a direct charging circuit 323. In addition to receiving charging power V_TA via the connector 310, the charge management chip 320 can receive charging power V_WCIN provided from a wireless charger (not shown).

[0065] The CC circuit block 321 can be connected to at least one pin of the connector 310, for example, can be connected to the CC1 pin A5 and the CC2 pin B5. As described above, the CC circuit block 321 can communicate with an external device (for example, a wired charger) via the connector 310, and provide various information to the external device. For example, the CC circuit block 321 can provide the magnitude adjustment information Info_UD to the wired charger via the connector 310 to adjust the magnitude of the charging power V_TA provided from the wired charger, and accordingly, can receive the charging power V_TA whose magnitude has been adjusted.

[0066] The charging process of the battery can correspond to an operation according to a certain charging profile, and the certain charging profile can include various charging modes. As an example, when it is assumed that the battery is charged by the wired charger, the magnitude of the charging power V_TA can be increased or decreased according to the charging profile, and since the CC circuit block 321 provides the magnitude adjustment information Info_UD to the wired charger, the magnitude of the charging power V_TA can be changed. As an example, the voltage magnitude of the battery or the current magnitude supplied to the battery can need to be maintained at a certain magnitude within a certain range, and based on a detection result of the voltage and / or current of the battery, the magnitude of the charging power V_TA can be increased or decreased by providing the magnitude adjustment information Info_UD to the wired charger.

[0067] Figure 4 An example in which the charging management chip 320 is connected to the connector 310 having a C-type USB structure is illustrated. However, example embodiments are not limited thereto, and can be applied to a connector having various other structures.

[0068] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating a semiconductor chip 400 according to an example embodiment. In Figure 5 Various other functions are illustrated in the semiconductor chip 400 integrated with the above-described circuit for switched charging and direct charging, and the semiconductor chip 400 can be referred to as a charging management chip in the example embodiment as described above.

[0069] Referring to Figure 5 , the semiconductor chip 400 can include a CC circuit block 410, a switched charging circuit 420, a direct charging circuit 430, a power meter block 440, and a charge meter block 450. The CC circuit block 410 can be connected to at least one pin of the connector 310 according to Figure 4The USB type-based connector (not shown) of the illustrated example embodiment, and can be connected to an external device (e.g., a wired charger) via the connector. According to an embodiment, the CC circuit block 410 can be connected to a CC1 pin A5 and a CC2 pin B5 of the connector having a C-type USB structure, and can perform CC communication with the wired charger. Each of the switch charging circuit 420 and the direct charging circuit 430 can be implemented according to the above-described embodiments, and thus, the switch charging circuit 420 can charge the battery via a first charging path Path_S according to a switch charging method, and the direct charging circuit 430 can charge the battery via a second charging path Path_D according to a direct charging method.

[0070] The power meter block 440 and the capacity meter block 450 can detect voltages, currents, etc. of respective nodes in the semiconductor chip 400, and can output the detection results. For example, the power meter block 440 and the capacity meter block 450 can detect voltages, currents, etc. of the battery, and can output the detection results. As an example, the power meter block 440 and the capacity meter block 450 can each include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and can convert the detection results of the voltages and the currents into digital signals and output the digital signals. As an example, the power meter block 440 can provide the detection results (Det_S1 and Det_D1) to the switch charging circuit 420 and the direct charging circuit 430, and the capacity meter block 450 can provide the detection results (Det_S2 and Det_D2) to the switch charging circuit 420 and the direct charging circuit 430.

[0071] As an implementation example, the switch charging circuit 420 and the direct charging circuit 430 can each include a hardware circuit block that operates a switch according to a specific charging profile, and by using the hardware circuit block, a control signal corresponding to the detection results (Det_S1, Det_D1, Det_S2, and Det_D2) from the power meter block 440 and the capacity meter block 450 can be generated to control the switch included in the switch charging circuit 420 and the direct charging circuit 430.

[0072] As one of other various implementation examples, the control signal from each of the power meter block 440 and the capacity meter block 450 can be used as a control signal for controlling the switch disposed in the switch charging circuit 420 and the direct charging circuit 430.

[0073] The power meter block 440 can detect voltage values and current values of respective nodes in the semiconductor chip 400, and as an example of operation, can detect voltage values and current values at an input terminal that receives charging power from a charger. Further, the capacity meter block 450 can detect various information (e.g., capacity, number of charge / discharge cycles, temperature, and / or voltage / current) of the battery. Although Figure 5The various types of information can be provided from the power meter block 440 and the charge meter block 450 to an application processor outside the CC circuit block 410 or outside the semiconductor chip 400.

[0074] According to the above-described embodiments, the CC circuit block 410 can perform communication for adjusting the magnitude of the charging power according to a detection result of the magnitude (e.g., the voltage magnitude and / or the current magnitude) of the charging power from the charger. For example, the CC circuit block 410 can receive the detection result from the power meter block 440 and / or the charge meter block 450, or can receive the detection result from a separate circuit (e.g., a detection sensor) included in the semiconductor chip 400.

[0075] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a charging management chip according to an example embodiment.

[0076] Referring to Figure 6 A wired charger or a wireless charger can be connected (S11). The charging management chip can be provided in an electronic system including a battery, and can be connected to an external wired charger via a wired interface for wired charging of the electronic system, and can also be connected to an external wireless charger via a wireless interface for wireless charging. The charging management chip can charge the battery by using charging power from the wired charger or the wireless charger. For example, since the charging management chip includes a switching charging circuit and a direct charging circuit, the charging management chip can enter various charging modes and perform a charging operation.

[0077] The battery is charged using the switching charging circuit (S12). When the wired charger or the wireless charger (hereinafter, referred to as a charger) is connected to the electronic system, the switching charging circuit of the charging management chip can operate in a charging mode, and thus the battery can be charged by using a switching charging method, and the charge (or battery voltage) of the battery can be increased.

[0078] It is determined whether to switch to direct charging (S13). In order to perform a direct charging operation according to a direct charging method, a certain requirement can need to be satisfied, and thus it can be determined whether the certain requirement for performing the direct charging operation is satisfied. As an example, it can be determined whether the charger connected to the electronic system corresponds to a charger supporting a direct charging function. Also, the voltage of the battery and / or the voltage of one or more nodes in the charging management chip can be determined, and it can be determined whether to switch to direct charging based on the voltage of the battery and / or the voltage of the one or more nodes. For example, in the case where the direct charging operation is performed only when the voltage of the battery is greater than or equal to a certain reference magnitude (e.g., a first reference magnitude), it can be determined whether the certain requirement is satisfied by detecting whether the voltage of the battery is greater than or equal to the certain reference magnitude.

[0079] When it is determined not to switch to direct charging (S13, No), the process can proceed to S18. On the other hand, when it is determined to switch to direct charging (S13, Yes), the direct charging circuit can operate in the direct charging mode, and the switching charging circuit can be bypassed (S14). For example, the direct charging circuit can operate in the direct charging mode, the switching charging circuit can be bypassed, and the charging power from the charger can be transferred from the input circuit via the switching charging circuit and provided to the input node of the direct charging circuit. The battery can be charged using the direct charging circuit (S15). For example, the charging power can be provided to the battery via the switching circuit and the output node of the direct charging circuit by using the switching operation of the switching circuit in the direct charging circuit, and thus the battery charging operation using the direct charging circuit can be performed.

[0080] The charging operation according to the direct charging method can be performed when the voltage magnitude of the battery is within a certain range. For example, as described above, when the battery voltage is equal to or greater than a certain first reference magnitude, the charging operation according to the direct charging method can be started, and when the battery voltage rises to a certain set magnitude (e.g., a second reference magnitude), the direct charging operation can be terminated, and the charging operation according to the switching charging method can be performed again.

[0081] Accordingly, it can be determined whether the charge of the battery is greater than a set level (S16). When the charge of the battery is not greater than the set level (S16, No), the battery charging according to the direct charging method can be continued to be performed. On the other hand, when the charge of the battery is greater than the set level (S16, Yes), the charging can be changed back to the charging using the switching charging circuit (S17). For example, the charging mode can be changed back to the charging using the switching charging circuit based on a constant voltage control scheme to finely adjust the charge of the battery, and thus the operation of charging the battery by using the switching charging circuit can be performed.

[0082] Thereafter, it can be determined whether the charge of the battery is greater than or equal to a maximum charging value MAX (S18). For example, the maximum charging value MAX can be a maximum charging value supported by the charging, and when the charge of the battery reaches the maximum charging value MAX, the charging operation can be terminated (S19). When the charge of the battery has not reached the maximum charging value MAX (S18, No), the charging can be continued to be performed.

[0083] Figure 7 FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed example of a direct charging operation according to an example embodiment.

[0084] Referring to Figure 7The charger can be connected to the electronic system, and the voltage value of the battery can be detected (S21). As an example, it can be determined whether the voltage value of the battery corresponds to a value that can be reached by direct charging between the first reference value Vref1 and the second reference value Vref2. It can be determined whether the voltage value of the battery is less than the first reference value Vref1 (S22), and when the voltage value of the battery is less than the first reference value Vref1 (S22, Yes), the battery can be charged according to the switching charging method (S23), and the process can return to S22. For example, since the battery is charged according to the switching charging method, the voltage value of the battery can be increased.

[0085] When the voltage value of the battery is greater than or equal to the first reference value Vref1 (S22, No), it can be determined whether the voltage value of the battery is greater than the second reference value Vref2 (S24), and when the voltage value of the battery is greater than the second reference value Vref2 (S24, Yes), the battery can be charged according to the constant voltage control method (S26). For example, the battery can be charged according to the constant voltage control method based on the switching charging method without performing the direct charging method. On the other hand, when the voltage value of the battery is less than or equal to the second reference value Vref2 (S24, No), since the requirement for direct charging is satisfied, the battery can be charged according to the direct charging method (S25). As described above, when the voltage of the battery is greater than the second reference value Vref2 in the case where the charger is connected to the electronic system, the charging operation of the battery can be completed without performing direct charging, and when the voltage of the battery corresponds to a value between the first reference value Vref1 and the second reference value Vref2, the direct charging operation can be directly performed.

[0086] The input current from the charger can be detected, and it can be determined whether the input current is less than a minimum set value (S27). In the charging operation according to the direct charging method, the magnitude of the input current from the charger (or the current applied to the battery) is required to satisfy a certain range (for example, a range between a minimum set value and a maximum set value), and thus the magnitude of the input current from the charger can be detected, and it can be determined whether the magnitude of the input current is less than the minimum set value. When the magnitude of the input current is less than the minimum set value (S27, Yes), the charging power V_TA can be increased (S28). For example, the charging power V_TA can be increased through communication between the charging management chip and the charger. When the input current is greater than or equal to the minimum set value (S27, No), it can be determined whether the input current is greater than a maximum set value (S29). When the input current is greater than the maximum set value (S29, Yes), the charging power V_TA can be decreased (S30). For example, the charging power V_TA can be decreased through communication between the charging management chip and the charger. On the other hand, when the input current is less than or equal to the maximum set value (S29, No), the process returns to S24.

[0087] In the charging process according to the direct charging method, the operation of determining whether the battery voltage is greater than the second reference magnitude Vref2 can be continuously performed, and when the battery voltage rises to exceed the second reference magnitude Vref2 (S24, Yes), the charging operation according to the constant voltage control method can be performed as described above. Thereafter, it can be determined whether the battery voltage is equal to the maximum charging amount (S31), and when the battery voltage is equal to the maximum charging amount (S31, Yes), the charging operation can be terminated (S32). Otherwise, when the battery voltage is not equal to the maximum charging amount (S31, No), the charging according to the constant voltage control method can be continuously performed until the battery voltage is equal to the maximum charging amount. That is, the process can return to S31.

[0088] Figure 8A , Figure 8B and Figure 8C are circuit diagrams illustrating various charging modes of the charging management chip according to example embodiments. The configurations and operations of the various circuits illustrated in Figure 8A , Figure 8B and Figure 8C have been described in the above embodiments, and thus detailed descriptions thereof are omitted for brevity. In Figure 8A , Figure 8B and Figure 8CIn the illustrated embodiment, it is assumed that the charge management chip 500 receives charging power via the wired interface when the charger corresponding to the wired charger is connected to the electronic system. However, this is merely an example, and in some embodiments, the charge management chip 500 can receive charging power from the charger via the wireless interface, as described above, or can receive charging power from the charger via both the wired interface and the wireless interface.

[0089] Referring to Figure 8A , it is shown that the switching charging circuit 510 is operating in the charging mode and the direct charging circuit 520 is in the off mode. Accordingly, the first charging path via the switching charging circuit 510 (e.g., see Path_S in Figure 3 ) can be enabled, whereas the second charging path via the direct charging circuit 520 (e.g., see Path_D in Figure 3 ) can be disabled. Charging power from the charger can be provided to the switching charging circuit 510 via the OVP IC, and the charging power can be provided to the buck control circuit via the first input switch Q1. Further, the battery can be charged through the first charging path including the buck control circuit, the inductor L, and the path control switch Q21.

[0090] Figure 8B It is shown that the direct charging circuit 520 is operating in the charging mode and the switching charging circuit 510 is operating in the buck mode. Accordingly, the first charging path via the switching charging circuit 510 can be disabled, whereas the second charging path via the direct charging circuit 520 can be enabled. As an example, since the charging power provided to the switching charging circuit 510 is provided to the direct charging circuit 520 via the first node VBYP, and the switching circuit (not shown) in the direct charging circuit 520 is turned on, the battery can be charged through the second charging path including the input node VIN, the switching circuit (not shown) in the direct charging circuit 520, and the output node VOUT.

[0091] In Figure 8B the illustrated embodiment, since the switching charging circuit 510 is operating in the buck mode, some power from the charger can be provided as the system voltage Vsys via the first buck switch Q11 and the inductor L. Further, when the path control switch Q21 is turned off, the first charging path through the switching charging circuit 510 can be disabled.

[0092] Figure 8C It is shown that the following example: the switching charging circuit 510 and the direct charging circuit 520 are both operating in the charging mode, and accordingly, the first charging path via the switching charging circuit 510 (e.g., see Path_S in Figure 3Path_S in the text) and the second charging path via the direct charging circuit 520 (e.g., see ... Figure 3 The Path_D in the circuit can be enabled together. As an example, the battery can be charged via a first charging path including a buck control circuit, a power path control circuit, and a path control switch Q21, and via a second charging path including an input node VIN, a switching circuit (not shown) in the direct charging circuit 520, and an output node VOUT in the direct charging circuit 520. In other words, in Figure 8C In the example shown, Figure 3 The Path_S and Path_D in the model can be used together.

[0093] Figure 9 This illustrates the use according to an example embodiment. Figure 8A , Figure 8B and Figure 8C The flowchart shows examples of charging operations for various charging modes.

[0094] Reference Figure 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 8C and Figure 9 Connect an external charger (S41). For example, the external charger can be connected to an electronic system. The charging management chip can charge the battery in both switch-charge (SC) and direct-charge (DC) off modes (S42). For example, the charging management chip can utilize the above reference in switch-charge mode. Figure 8A The described switching charging method charges the battery until the type of the connected charger is identified. Therefore, the switching charging circuit can operate in switching charging (SC) mode, and the direct charging circuit can maintain a direct charging (DC) off mode.

[0095] The type of charger can be determined and the battery charge level (or voltage) can be verified (S43). For example, to determine whether to charge the battery according to the direct charging method, the type of charger can be determined and the battery charge level (or voltage) can be verified. As an example, it can be determined whether the connected charger only supports normal charging, or whether the connected charger supports fast charging and normal charging and supports direct charging according to the above embodiment. Furthermore, when the battery voltage exceeds a certain reference value, the battery can be charged according to the direct charging method.

[0096] Based on the type of charger and the charge amount (or voltage) of the battery, the switching charging circuit can operate in a switching charging (SC) step-down mode and the direct charging circuit can operate in a direct charging (DC) charging mode (S44_1), or the switching charging circuit can operate in a switching charging (SC) charging mode and the direct charging circuit can operate in a direct charging (DC) charging mode (S44_2). That is, the direct charging circuit can enter the direct charging mode. Also, in the charging mode of the direct charging circuit, the switching charging circuit can operate in various modes. As an example of operation, when the power of the electronic system is turned on, it is necessary to provide a system voltage to various components inside the electronic system, in which case, when the switching charging circuit operates in the step-down mode, the system voltage can be provided. When the power of the electronic system is turned off, the switching charging circuit can operate in the charging mode.

[0097] Thereafter, when the battery is charged according to the direct charging method, the battery voltage can increase, and the battery voltage can reach a set amount (S45). When the battery voltage reaches the set amount, the switching charging circuit can operate in a switching charging (SC) charging mode to finely adjust the charge amount of the battery, and the direct charging circuit can become a direct charging (DC) off mode (S46), and thus, the switching charging circuit can finely control the charge amount of the battery in the constant voltage charging method.

[0098] Figure 10 An embodiment example of a charging management chip according to various example embodiments is illustrated.

[0099] An electronic system employing a charging management chip can support charging by using various methods such as wired charging and wireless charging. However, some electronic systems can support only wired charging. In this case, the charging management chip 600 in the electronic system supporting only wired charging can omit the wireless interface, and thus, the configuration of the input switching circuit 611 of the switching charging circuit 610 of the charging management chip 600 can be modified with respect to the above-described embodiment.

[0100] As an example, by including the switching charging circuit 610 and the direct charging circuit 620, the charging management chip 600 can operate according to various charging modes, and charging power from an external wired charger can be provided to the input switching circuit 611 of the switching charging circuit 610 via the OVP IC 601.

[0101] The input switch circuit 611 may include a first input switch Q1 and a second input switch Q2. A node of the first input switch Q1 may be connected to a first input terminal of the input switch circuit 611, and a node of the second input switch Q2 may be connected to a second input terminal of the input switch circuit 611. Furthermore, when using the charging management chip 600 in an electronic system that does not support wireless charging, the second input terminal may not be connected to the wireless interface.

[0102] In this configuration, the first and second input terminals can be electrically short-circuited. Therefore, when the first input switch Q1 and the second input switch Q2 are connected in parallel and turned on, the equivalent resistance values ​​of the first and second input switches Q1 and Q2 can be reduced, and charging efficiency can be improved. In this embodiment, the OVP IC 601 can provide charging power from the wired charger via the charging power output node, and the first input terminal of the input switch circuit 611 can be electrically connected to the charging power output node. Furthermore, the second input terminal of the input switch circuit 611 can be connected to wiring formed outside the charging management chip 600, and since the wiring connected to the second input terminal is connected to the aforementioned charging power output node, the first and second input terminals can be electrically short-circuited.

[0103] According to the above example embodiments, when the charging management chip according to the example embodiments is used in an electronic system that supports both wired and wireless charging functions, even if both a wired charger and a wireless charger are connected to the electronic system simultaneously, the charging power from one charger can be selected by using the selective switching operation of the first input switch Q1 and the second input switch Q2. Therefore, short circuits between multiple chargers can be prevented. When the electronic system only supports... Figure 10 During wired charging in the example embodiment shown, charging efficiency can be improved by short-circuiting the first and second input terminals of the input switch circuit 611.

[0104] exist Figure 10 The illustrated example embodiment describes a situation where the first and second input terminals are short-circuited via wiring formed outside the charging management chip 600. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. In some embodiments, a connection control switch (not shown) connected between the first and second input terminals can be provided in the charging management chip 600, and it can be verified whether wireless charging of an electronic system employing the charging management chip 600 is possible. By turning on the connection control switch (not shown) according to the verification result, the first and second input terminals can be electrically connected.

[0105] Further, according to some example embodiments, it can be determined whether to provide the charging power to the charging management chip 600 via the wireless interface, and according to a result of the determination, it can be controlled to turn on / off a connection control switch (not shown). As an example, when the connection control switch (not shown) is further included in the charging management chip and the charging power is not provided via the wireless interface (or the wireless charger is not connected), by turning on the connection control switch (not shown), the first input terminal and the second input terminal can be electrically connected.

[0106] Figure 11A and Figure 11B The graphs of FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show an example of a charging profile according to a prior art switching charging method and a charging profile in which a direct charging method is applied according to an example embodiment. In Figure 11A and Figure 11B In the graphs of FIGS. 1 and 2, the horizontal axis can represent time, and the vertical axis can represent a charging current Ibat and a battery voltage Vbat. Further, Figure 11A and Figure 11B The charging current Ibat shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can correspond to a current provided to the battery, or can correspond to a current of the charging power provided from the charger. For example, the current Ibat of the charging power provided from the charger can be defined as a sum of a current actually provided to the battery and a current (e.g., a load current) provided to a node VSYS connected to a system voltage Vsys. In the following embodiments, it is assumed that Figure 11A and Figure 11B The charging current Ibat of FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponds to a current of the charging power supplied from the charger.

[0107] Referring to Figure 11A Since the charger connected to the electronic system does not support a direct charging function, the battery can be charged by a switching charging method. For example, since various magnitudes of charging current or charging voltage are provided to the battery in the switching charging method, the switching charging operation can include a plurality of time periods, like an example of FIG. 3. Figure 11A In FIG. 3, an example shows a first time period T1 to a fourth time period T4.

[0108] In the first time period T1, the battery can be in an over-discharged state such that the voltage VBat is lower than a certain magnitude (e.g., lower than about 3.1V), and since the battery stability can be degraded when a high current is provided to the battery in the over-discharged state, the battery can be charged based on a charging current Ibat having a relatively low magnitude, and thus, the battery voltage Vbat can be slowly increased during the first time period T1.

[0109] The second time period T2 can correspond to a constant current period, and since the battery is charged by using a charging current Ibat having a magnitude higher than that of the first time period T1, the battery voltage Vbat can rapidly increase. As an example of operation, the magnitude of the charging current Ibat can be maintained constant during the second time period T2. In an example embodiment, the second time period T2 can correspond to a fast charging period when the charger supports fast charging. When the battery voltage Vbat rises to a certain set magnitude, the switching charging operation can enter a third time period T3.

[0110] The third time period T3 can correspond to a constant voltage period, and during the third time period T3, the battery voltage Vbat can be maintained constant while the magnitude of the charging current Ibat can decrease. When the magnitude of the charging current Ibat decreases to a certain set magnitude, the supply of current to the battery can be stopped. When the supply of current to the battery is stopped, the battery can be discharged. When the battery voltage Vbat decreases to a set magnitude, the switching charging operation can enter a fourth time period T4. To increase the battery voltage Vbat during the fourth time period T4, the charging current Ibat can be temporarily supplied to the battery.

[0111] Figure 11B An example of a charging curve when a direct charging method is applied according to an example embodiment is shown. In Figure 11B A charger connected to the electronic system supports a direct charging function, and thus, the electronic system can communicate with the charger via various terminals (e.g., CC pins in a C-type USB structure) to provide magnitude adjustment information to the charger, and the charger can adjust and output charging power according to the magnitude adjustment information from the electronic system. According to an example embodiment, Figure 11B The charging curve in

[0112] First, a charger supporting a direct charging function can be connected to the electronic system, and during a first time period T1, the battery can be charged by a switching charging operation using a relatively low magnitude of charging current Ibat, and thus, during the first time period T1, the battery voltage Vbat can slowly increase. In addition, it can be determined during the first time period T1 whether the charger connected to the electronic system supports a direct charging function, and when the magnitude of the battery voltage Vbat rises to a magnitude that can be directly charged, the battery charging mode can change from a switching charging mode to a direct charging mode at a second time period T2.

[0113] According to example embodiments, a minimum set value ISET_MIN and a maximum set value ISET_MAX can be defined such that the magnitude of the charging current Ibat is maintained within a certain range for the second time period T2. According to example embodiments, the magnitude of the charging current Ibat can be compared with the minimum set value ISET_MIN and the maximum set value ISET_MAX, and according to the comparison result, the magnitude of the charging power (or the charging current) can be adjusted.

[0114] For the second time period T2, before the magnitude of the charging current Ibat becomes greater than the minimum set value ISET_MIN, the electronic system can provide magnitude adjustment information to the external charger to increase the magnitude of the charging power, the external charger can increase the magnitude of the charging power, and provide the resulting charging power to the electronic system. Thus, before the magnitude of the charging current Ibat becomes greater than the minimum set value ISET_MIN, the magnitude adjustment information can be provided to the external charger to gradually increase the magnitude of the charging power such that the magnitude of the charging current Ibat reaches the maximum set value ISET_MAX. Note that, Figure 11B Four steps to reach the minimum set value ISET_MIN are shown in FIG. 4. However, this is merely an example, and in implementations, the number of steps can be greater than or less than four. Further, when the magnitude of the charging current Ibat reaches the maximum set value ISET_MAX, the magnitude adjustment information can be provided to the external charger to decrease the magnitude of the charging current Ibat by one step. In this way, the magnitude of the charging current Ibat can be maintained between the minimum set value ISET_MIN and the maximum set value ISET_MAX during the second time period T2.

[0115] The third time period T3 can also correspond to a charging operation based on a direct charging method, and the charging operation can be controlled according to a method similar to a constant voltage (CV) control method. As an example, during the third time period T3, the magnitude of the charging current Ibat can be gradually decreased based on communication between the electronic system and the external charger, and the battery voltage Vbat can be finely increased or maintained at a constant magnitude. Thereafter, when the magnitude of the charging current Ibat decreases to a certain set value (or when the battery voltage Vbat reaches a certain set magnitude), the switching charging operation can change from the direct charging mode to the switching charging mode, and thus, the charging operation can enter the fourth time period T4.

[0116] The fourth time period T4 can correspond to a CV time period of the switch charging operation, and thus, the magnitude of the charging current Ibat can be reduced, and the battery voltage Vbat can be maintained constant. When the fourth time period T4 ends and the fifth time period T5 starts, the charging operation can end within the fifth time period T5. Also, the supply of the charging current is stopped within the fifth time period T5, and the battery can be discharged, and in some example embodiments, within the fifth time period T5, the charging current Ibat can be temporarily supplied to the battery to increase the battery voltage Vbat.

[0117] In Figure 11B In the example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the switch charging operation is described as being terminated during the direct charging operation, but example embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the switch charging operation and the direct charging operation can be performed together, and thus, the switch charging operation and the direct charging operation can be performed together within the second time period T2 and the third time period T3.

[0118] Figure 12A And Figure 13A is a circuit diagram illustrating an example implementation of a switching circuit provided in a direct charging circuit; Figure 12B and Figure 13B is a diagram illustrating a switching operation according to an example embodiment. The switching circuit according to an example embodiment is not limited to Figure 12A , Figure 12B , Figure 13A and Figure 13B the configuration of the circuit diagram illustrated in FIG. 4, various types of modifications are possible as long as the same or similar functions to those according to an example embodiment can be performed.

[0119] Referring to Figure 12A and Figure 12B , the switching circuit of the direct charging circuit can include a plurality of switches, and as an example, a first switch Q41, a second switch Q42, a third switch Q43, and a fourth switch Q44 are illustrated. The first switch Q41 to the fourth switch Q44 can be connected in series between an input node VIN and a ground voltage, and a node between the second switch Q42 and the third switch Q43 can be an output node VOUT. Also, the direct charging circuit can be connected to one or more capacitors (Ca and Cout), and as an example, the capacitors (Ca and Cout) can be passive devices arranged outside a charging management chip. The first capacitor Ca can be connected between one node of the first switch Q41 and one node of the fourth switch Q44, and the output capacitor Cout can be connected to the output node VOUT. Thus, the direct charging circuit can function as a voltage divider (or a capacitor voltage divider).

[0120] Referring to Figure 12BThe switching operations of the first to fourth switches Q41 to Q44 can be controlled in the charging operation according to the direct charging method. For example, when the first and third switches Q41 and Q43 are turned on (ON), the second and fourth switches Q42 and Q44 can be turned off (OFF), and during the corresponding time period, the first capacitor Ca can be charged. Also, when the first and third switches Q41 and Q43 are turned off, the second and fourth switches Q42 and Q44 can be turned on, and during the corresponding time period, the first capacitor Ca can be discharged. The above time periods can be repeatedly performed, and the voltage magnitude of the output node VOUT corresponding to the voltage charged into the output capacitor Cout can repeatedly rise and fall within a certain range, and the voltage output via the output node VOUT can be provided to the battery.

[0121] Referring to Figure 13A and Figure 13B The switching circuit of the direct charging circuit can include a plurality of switches, for example, the first to fourth switches Q51a to Q54a can be provided in the first capacitor block CB1, and the fifth to eighth switches Q51b to Q54b can be provided in the second capacitor block CB2. Also, a node between the second and third switches Q52a and Q53a can be connected to the first output node VOUT1 of the first capacitor block CB1, and a node between the sixth and seventh switches Q52b and Q53b can be connected to the second output node VOUT2 of the second capacitor block CB2. Also, the first capacitor Ca can be connected between one node of the first switch Q51a and one node of the fourth switch Q54a, and the second capacitor Cb can be connected between one node of the fifth switch Q51b and one node of the eighth switch Q54b. The first and second capacitors Ca and Cb can be connected to the output capacitor Cout. Also, the first and second capacitors Ca and Cb and the output capacitor Cout can be passive components disposed outside the charging management chip.

[0122] Referring to Figure 13BIn the charging operation according to the direct charging method, the switching operations of the first to eighth switches (Q51a to Q54a and Q51b to Q54b) in the first capacitor block CB1 and the second capacitor block CB2 can be controlled. For example, the second capacitor Cb can be discharged while the first capacitor Ca is charged, and the second capacitor Cb is charged while the first capacitor Ca is discharged. Accordingly, the voltage of the second output node VOUT2 can be decreased while the voltage of the first output node VOUT1 is increased, and in addition, the voltage of the second output node VOUT2 can be increased while the voltage of the first output node VOUT1 is decreased, and thus the voltage of the output node VOUT supplied to the battery can be maintained at a substantially constant magnitude.

[0123] Figure 14 is a graph showing another example of a charging profile of a charging management chip according to an example embodiment. In Figure 14 , it is shown that fast charging is applied during the charging of the battery, and this fast charging is performed together with the switching charging method and the direct charging method.

[0124] Referring to Figure 14 , in the first time period T1, the battery can be charged using a charging current Ibat having a relatively low magnitude by a normal charging operation based on the switching charging method, and the battery voltage Vbat can be slowly increased. In the second time period T2, the battery can be charged using a charging current Ibat having a relatively high magnitude by a fast charging operation based on the switching charging method, and thus the increase rate of the battery voltage Vbat can be improved.

[0125] If the requirement for direct charging of the battery is satisfied, in the third time period T3, charging according to the switching charging method (e.g., the fast charging method) and the direct charging method can be performed together, and thus the magnitude of the battery voltage Vbat can be increased more quickly. In the third time period T3, the magnitude of the charging power can be adjusted based on communication with the external charger, for example, similarly to the example embodiment shown with respect to Figure 11B , the magnitude adjustment information can be provided to the external charger so that the charging current Ibat has a magnitude between the minimum set value ISET_MIN and the maximum set value ISET_MAX. Thereafter, the direct charging operation can be terminated. In the fourth time period T4, the charging operation of the battery can be performed based on the fast charging operation of the switching charging method; in the fifth time period T5, the charging current can be decreased since the battery is charged according to the CV control method, and thus the battery voltage Vbat can be maintained constant; and the charging operation can be terminated in the sixth time period T6.

[0126] Figure 15 and Figure 16are block diagrams respectively illustrating implementation examples of electronic systems 700A and 700B including a charge management chip according to example embodiments. Figure 15 and Figure 16 Communication examples between an electronic system and an external charger according to various methods are illustrated.

[0127] Referring to Figure 15 , the electronic system 700A can include a charge management chip 710A and an application processor (AP) 720A, and the charge management chip 710A can include a CC circuit block, a switched charging circuit, and a direct charging circuit. The charge management chip 710A and the AP 720A can transmit and receive various types of information. For example, the charge management chip 710A can provide the AP 720A with various information Info_B including a battery charging state or a magnitude of charging power provided from a charger. The AP 720A can determine a battery state based on the various information Info_B, and thus can perform a function such as a control operation of a display.

[0128] The charge management chip 710A and the AP 720A can be implemented as separate chips, and since the CC circuit block is disposed in the charge management chip 710A, the charge management chip 710A can communicate with an external charger through a connector. According to an example embodiment, the charge management chip 710A can communicate with the external charger without being controlled by the AP 720A, and in a process of charging a battery according to a charging profile according to the above-described example embodiment, the charge management chip 710A can provide the external charger with magnitude adjustment information Info_UD and receive charging power V_TA whose magnitude has been adjusted from the external charger.

[0129] Referring to Figure 16 , the electronic system 700B can include a charge management chip 710B and an application processor (AP) 720B, and the charge management chip 710B can include a CC circuit block, a switched charging circuit, and a direct charging circuit, similar to the electronic system 700A of Figure 15 . However, in the electronic system 700B of Figure 16In the electronic system 700B, the magnitude adjustment information Info UD can be provided to the external charger by the AP 720B, and the AP 720B can receive various information Info B from the charging management chip 710B, and based on the received various information Info B, can provide the charging management chip 710B with a request Req UD for adjusting the magnitude of the charging power V TA. According to an example embodiment, the AP 720B can determine whether the magnitude of the charging power from the charger has been adjusted based on the various information Info B, and can provide the charging management chip 710B with the request Req UD according to the determination result. The charging management chip 710B can provide the magnitude adjustment information Info UD to the external charger based on the request Req UD from the AP 720B.

[0130] While the present concept has been particularly shown and described with reference to various example embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A charge management chip comprising: a switching charging circuit configured to receive charging power from an external charger and transfer the charging power to a first node, configured to charge a battery according to a switching charging method, and control generation of a system voltage provided to an electronic system including the charge management chip; and a direct charging circuit configured to receive the charging power applied to the first node via an input node, and configured to charge the battery according to a direct charging method by providing the charging power to the battery via an output node based on switching operation of a switching circuit in the direct charging circuit, wherein the switching charging circuit charges the battery through a first charging path including an inductor arranged outside the charge management chip, and the direct charging circuit charges the battery through a second charging path through which the charging power transferred to the output node is directly provided to the battery, wherein the charge management chip charges the battery according to a charging profile using the switching charging circuit and the direct charging circuit, wherein the charging profile includes: a first time period in which the battery is charged based on the switching charging method when a voltage of the battery is less than a first reference value; a second time period in which the battery is charged based on the direct charging method when the voltage of the battery is equal to or greater than the first reference value; and a third time period in which a magnitude of a current provided to the battery is reduced so that the voltage magnitude of the battery is substantially maintained constant when the voltage of the battery is greater than a second reference value. 2.The charge management chip of claim 1, wherein: the switching charging circuit and the direct charging circuit are formed on a same semiconductor substrate. 3.The charge management chip of claim 1, wherein: when the electronic system is in a power-on state, the switching charging circuit generates the system voltage and the direct charging circuit charges the battery, when the electronic system is in a power-off state, both the switching charging circuit and the direct charging circuit charge the battery. the switching charging circuit includes:

4. The charge management chip of claim 1, wherein, an input switching circuit including a first input switch configured to transfer the charging power provided from the external charger corresponding to a wired charger to the first node; a step-down control circuit including a first step-down control switch and a second step-down control switch connected between the first node and a ground voltage, the step-down control circuit being connected to one end of the inductor via a second node, and configured to control a charging operation or generation of the system voltage; and the direct charging circuit includes: a direct charging control circuit including a third input switch configured to transfer the charging power provided from the external charger corresponding to a wireless charger to the first node, and a second input switch configured to transfer the charging power provided from the external charger corresponding to the wired charger to the first node, and a direct charging control circuit including a first direct charging switch and a second direct charging switch connected between the first node and the ground voltage, the direct charging control circuit being connected to the other end of the inductor via the second node, and configured to control the charging operation or generation of the system voltage. a power path control circuit including a path control switch configured to control a path of the charging power transmitted to the battery.

5. The charging management chip according to claim 4, wherein the charging management chip is connected to an external wireless charger via a wireless interface, and further receives the charging power from the external wireless charger, the input switch circuit further includes a second input switch configured to transmit the charging power from the external wireless charger to the first node.

6. The charging management chip according to claim 4, wherein the input switch circuit further includes a second input switch connected to the first node and arranged in parallel with the first input switch, the second input switch is electrically connected to an input terminal of the first input switch via a wiring outside the charging management chip.

7. The charge management chip of claim 1, wherein, the switch circuit of the direct charging circuit includes: one or more first switches connected between the input node and the output node; and one or more second switches connected between the output node and a ground voltage, wherein the output node is connected to an output capacitor arranged outside the charging management chip, the switch circuit functions as a voltage divider according to a switching configuration of the one or more first switches and the one or more second switches.

8. The charging management chip according to claim 1, wherein the charging management chip receives the charging power via a C-type USB connector, and the charging management chip includes a configuration channel circuit block configured to communicate with the external charger via at least one of a CC1 pin and a CC2 pin among a plurality of pins included in the C-type USB connector, wherein, during a charging operation according to the direct charging method, the configuration channel circuit block provides magnitude adjustment information to the external charger to adjust a magnitude of the charging power provided from the external charger.

9. The charging management chip according to claim 8, wherein the charging management chip further includes a power meter configured to detect at least one of a voltage magnitude and a current magnitude of the charging power provided from the external charger, and generate a first detection result, and the first detection result is provided to at least one of the switch charging circuit and the direct charging circuit.

10. The charging management chip according to claim 8, wherein the charging management chip further includes a power meter configured to detect at least one of a voltage magnitude and a current magnitude of the battery, and generate a second detection result, the second detection result is provided to at least one of the switch charging circuit and the direct charging circuit.

11. The charging management chip according to claim 1, wherein during the first time period, it is determined whether the external charger supports a direct charging function, and a charging operation according to the direct charging method is selectively performed according to a determination result. 12.The charge management chip of claim 1, wherein, the third time period includes a time period in which a current supplied to the battery is gradually reduced by communication with the external charger according to the direct charging method, and a time period in which the current supplied to the battery is reduced according to the switch charging method. 13.A charge management chip configured to control a charging operation of a battery, the charge management chip comprising: a switch charging circuit including a first input switch configured to transfer a charging power provided from an external charger to a first node, the switch charging circuit being connected to one end of an inductor arranged outside the charge management chip and in a switch charging path via a second node, the switch charging circuit being connected to a node corresponding to the other end of the inductor via a third node and configured to provide a system voltage, the switch charging circuit being configured to charge the battery by supplying the charging power to the battery when the switch charging circuit is connected to the battery via a fourth node; and a direct charging circuit configured to receive the charging power transferred via the first input switch at an input node connected to the first node, the direct charging circuit being configured to charge the battery by directly supplying the charging power to the battery via an output node according to a switching state of a switching circuit connected between the input node and the output node, wherein, while the direct charging circuit operates in a direct charging mode, the switch charging circuit operates in a switch charging mode in which the battery is charged according to a switch charging method, or operates in a step-down mode in which the system voltage is generated, wherein, the charge management chip charges the battery according to a charging profile using the switch charging circuit and the direct charging circuit, wherein, the charging profile includes: a first time period in which the battery is charged based on the switch charging method when a voltage of the battery is less than a first reference value; a second time period in which the battery is charged based on a direct charging method when the voltage of the battery is equal to or greater than the first reference value; and a third time period in which a magnitude of a current supplied to the battery is reduced so that the voltage magnitude of the battery is substantially maintained constant when the voltage of the battery is greater than a second reference value.

14. The charge management chip of claim 13, wherein, the switch charging circuit further comprises: a step-down control circuit including a first step-down control switch and a second step-down control switch connected in series between the first node and a ground voltage, the step-down control circuit including the second node between the first step-down control switch and the second step-down control switch; and A power path control circuit, the power path control circuit including a path control switch connected between the third node and the fourth node, and the path control switch being configured to control the path for transmitting the charging power to the battery.

15. The charging management chip according to claim 13, wherein, The switching charging circuit and the direct charging circuit are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

16. A charging management chip, comprising: A switching charging circuit is configured to receive charging power from an external charger, charge the battery via an inductor connected externally to the charging management chip according to a switching charging method, and control the generation of the system voltage supplied to the electronic system including the charging management chip. as well as A direct charging circuit is configured to charge the battery according to a direct charging method by providing charging power directly to the battery without passing through passive components. The switching charging circuit transfers the charging power to the direct charging circuit to charge the battery according to the direct charging method. The charging management chip uses the switching charging circuit and the direct charging circuit to charge the battery according to the charging curve. The charging curve includes: In the first time period, when the voltage of the battery is less than a first reference value, the battery is charged based on the switching charging method. In the second time period, when the battery voltage is equal to or greater than the first reference value, the battery is charged using the direct charging method; and In the third time period, when the battery voltage is greater than the second reference value, the amount of current supplied to the battery is reduced so that the battery voltage remains basically constant.

17. The charging management chip according to claim 16, wherein, The switching charging circuit and the direct charging circuit are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

18. The charging management chip according to claim 16, wherein, When the electronic system is powered on, the switching charging circuit generates the system voltage and the direct charging circuit charges the battery. When the electronic system is in the off state, the switching charging circuit and the direct charging circuit charge the battery together.

19. The charge management chip of claim 16, wherein, The switching charging circuit includes: An input switch circuit, the input switch circuit including a first input switch, the first input switch being configured to transmit the charging power provided from the external charger corresponding to the wired charger to a first node connected to the direct charging circuit; A buck control circuit, comprising a first buck control switch and a second buck control switch connected between the first node and ground voltage, the buck control circuit being connected to one end of the inductor via the second node and configured to control charging operation or the generation of the system voltage; and a power path control circuit comprising a path control switch configured to control a path of the charging power to the battery.

20. The charge management chip of claim 19, wherein, The direct charging circuit comprises: an input node connected to the first node; an output node directly connected to the battery; one or more first switches connected between the input node and the output node; and one or more second switches connected between the output node and the ground voltage, wherein the output node is connected to an output capacitor arranged outside the charging management chip.

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