Resonant switching power converter and driving circuit therein

Abstract

A resonant switching power converter and a drive circuit therein. The resonant switching power converter includes a power stage circuit and a drive circuit. The power stage circuit includes a resonant capacitor, a resonant inductor, and a plurality of switches; the drive circuit includes: a plurality of drivers for operating corresponding switches; and a power supply circuit for providing driving power corresponding to the plurality of drivers. The power supply circuit includes: a voltage boosting circuit for generating a boosting power supply based on a DC voltage and an output-related signal; a plurality of driving capacitors, each having a voltage across a corresponding driving power supply; and a plurality of supply diodes, coupled in series with each other in the forward direction of the supply diodes from the boosting power supply, with the reverse end of each supply diode coupled to the positive end of the corresponding driving power supply to charge the corresponding driving capacitor to generate the corresponding driving power supply.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a resonant switching power converter, and more particularly to a driving circuit capable of supporting switching power converters of different topologies and the resonant switching power converter thereof. Background Art

[0002] Figure 1 A known switched resonant cavity converter is shown. This known switched resonant cavity converter 10 includes a power stage circuit 101 and drive circuits 102a to 102d. The drive circuits 102a to 102d are used to respectively drive a plurality of power switches Q1 to Q10 in the power stage circuit 101. The drive circuit 102a is used to drive the power switches Q1 and Q2, and its power supply comes from a charge pump having a high voltage capacitor Ccp1. The drive circuit 102b is used to drive the power switches Q3 and Q4, and its power supply comes from another charge pump having a lower voltage capacitor Ccp2. The capacitors Ccp1 and Ccp2 in this known switched resonant cavity converter must be capacitors that can withstand high voltages, and the voltage of the capacitor C will be applied to the capacitor Ccp1, which will affect the operation of the resonant point and make the circuit more complicated.

[0003] In view of this, the present invention addresses the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art and proposes a driving circuit for a resonant switching power converter and a resonant switching power converter applicable to different topologies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one aspect, the present invention provides a resonant switching power converter for converting an input voltage into an output voltage. The resonant switching power converter includes: a power stage circuit, including: at least one resonant capacitor; at least one resonant inductor coupled to the at least one resonant capacitor; and a plurality of power switches for switching the electrical connection relationship between the at least one resonant capacitor, the at least one resonant inductor, the input voltage, and the output voltage; and a driving circuit, including: a plurality of drivers for generating a plurality of driving signals according to a plurality of operating signals, for periodically operating at least some of the plurality of corresponding power switches in at least one resonant charging process and at least one resonant discharging process, respectively, to convert the input voltage into the output voltage in a resonant manner; and a power supply circuit for providing a plurality of driving power supplies corresponding to some of the plurality of drivers, including: a voltage boosting circuit (voltage boosting circuit). A booster is provided for generating a boosted power supply according to a frequency signal, a DC voltage, and an output-related signal related to the output voltage, wherein the voltage of the boosted power supply is related to the sum of the DC voltage and the output-related signal; a plurality of driving capacitors, wherein the voltage across each driving capacitor corresponds to the corresponding driving power supply; and a plurality of supply diodes, coupled in series with each other from the boosted power supply in the forward direction of the supply diode, wherein the reverse end of each supply diode is coupled to the positive end of the corresponding driving power supply, for charging the corresponding driving capacitor to generate the corresponding driving power supply and for blocking reverse current and reverse voltage.

[0005] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit, the corresponding driving capacitor, and the corresponding supply diode form a charge pump. When the voltage boosting circuit generates the boosting power supply, the corresponding supply diode charges the driving capacitor according to the boosting power supply to generate the corresponding driving power supply, wherein the negative end of the driving power supply is coupled to the output voltage, and the corresponding driving power supply is related to the DC voltage.

[0006] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit includes a boosting capacitor, a charging diode, and a buffer. When the buffer generates a high-level voltage based on the frequency signal and the DC voltage, the voltage across the boosting capacitor is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate the boosting power supply. When the buffer generates a low-level voltage based on the frequency signal and a ground potential, the charging diode charges the boosting capacitor based on the output-related signal, wherein the output-related signal corresponds to the output voltage.

[0007] In one embodiment, the operating frequency of the charge pump is greater than or equal to the switching frequency of the power switches.

[0008] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit, the corresponding driving capacitor, the corresponding supply diode, and the corresponding power switch form a bootstrap circuit. When the voltage boosting circuit generates the boosted power supply, the corresponding supply diode charges the driving capacitor according to a second boosted power supply to generate the corresponding driving power supply. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply varies with the switching of the multiple power switches, and the voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply also varies with the switching of the multiple power switches. In a steady state, the corresponding driving power supply is correlated to the DC voltage, and the second boosted power supply is correlated to the boosted power supply.

[0009] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit includes a boosting capacitor, a charging diode, and a buffer. When the buffer generates a high-level voltage based on the frequency signal and the voltage at the negative terminal of at least one of the driving power supplies, the voltage across the boosting capacitor is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate the boosting power supply. When the buffer generates a low-level voltage based on the frequency signal and a ground potential, the charging diode charges the boosting capacitor based on the DC voltage.

[0010] In one embodiment, the at least one resonant inductor includes at least one charging resonant inductor and at least one discharging resonant inductor. The at least one discharging resonant inductor is coupled between the output voltage and the negative terminal of the driving power supply. The negative terminal of the driving capacitor, a corresponding terminal of the power switch, and a high-voltage terminal of the at least one discharging resonant inductor are all coupled to the negative terminal of the driving power supply. The at least one charging resonant inductor is used to be connected in series with the at least one resonant capacitor to charge in a resonant manner during the at least one resonant charging process, and the at least one discharging resonant inductor is used to be connected in series with the at least one resonant capacitor to discharge in a resonant manner during the at least one resonant discharging process.

[0011] In one embodiment, the power stage circuit corresponds to a resonant switched capacitor converter, wherein in the at least one resonant charging process, the switching of the multiple power switches is controlled so that the at least one resonant capacitor and the at least one resonant inductor are connected in series between the input voltage and the output voltage to form a charging path, thereby resonantly charging the at least one resonant capacitor and the at least one resonant inductor. In the at least one resonant discharging process, the switching of the multiple power switches is controlled so that each resonant capacitor and the corresponding resonant inductor are connected in series between the output voltage and a ground potential, thereby simultaneously or alternately forming multiple discharge paths, thereby causing the corresponding at least one resonant capacitor and the at least one resonant inductor to discharge in a resonant manner to generate the output voltage.

[0012] In one embodiment, the power stage circuit corresponds to a switched resonant cavity converter, wherein the power stage circuit further includes at least one resonant cavity and at least one corresponding non-resonant capacitor, the at least one resonant cavity having the at least one resonant capacitor and the at least one resonant inductor connected in series with each other, and the plurality of power switches coupled to the at least one resonant cavity and the at least one corresponding non-resonant capacitor to switch the electrical connection relationship between the corresponding resonant cavity and the corresponding at least one non-resonant capacitor. In the at least one resonant charging process, the corresponding resonant cavity is resonantly charged, and in the at least one resonant discharging process, the corresponding resonant cavity is resonantly discharged to the corresponding non-resonant capacitor, thereby generating the output voltage.

[0013] In one embodiment, the power supply circuit further includes a plurality of driving power switches, each driving power switch being connected in parallel to the corresponding supply diode, wherein when the power stage circuit corresponds to a resonant switched capacitor converter, the driving power switch is set to be constantly on, and when the power stage circuit corresponds to a switched resonant cavity converter, the driving power switch is set to be constantly off.

[0014] In one embodiment, the driving power switch is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, and its body diode corresponds to the supply diode.

[0015] In one embodiment, the resonant switching power converter is a bidirectional resonant switching power converter.

[0016] In one embodiment, when the voltage conversion ratio between the input voltage and the output voltage of the resonant switching power converter is N:1, the at least one resonant capacitor is N-1 resonant capacitors, where N is a positive integer.

[0017] In one embodiment, the resonant switching power converter operates according to the following sequence: the DC voltage and the frequency signal are prepared to be provided to the voltage boosting circuit; then, the multiple operating signals are prepared to be provided to the multiple drivers; then, the input voltage is prepared to be provided to the power stage circuit.

[0018] In another aspect, the present invention provides a driving circuit for driving a resonant switching power converter, the resonant switching power converter for converting an input voltage into an output voltage and comprising a power stage circuit, the power stage circuit comprising a plurality of power switches, the driving circuit comprising: a plurality of drivers for generating a plurality of driving signals according to a plurality of operating signals, for periodically operating at least a portion of the plurality of corresponding power switches in at least one resonant charging process and at least one resonant discharging process, respectively, to convert the input voltage into the output voltage in a resonant manner; and a power supply circuit for providing a plurality of driving power sources corresponding to a portion of the plurality of drivers, including: a voltage boosting circuit (voltage boosting circuit); A booster is provided for generating a boosted power supply according to a frequency signal, a DC voltage, and an output-related signal related to the output voltage, wherein the voltage of the boosted power supply is related to the sum of the DC voltage and the output-related signal; a plurality of driving capacitors, wherein the voltage across each driving capacitor corresponds to the corresponding driving power supply; and a plurality of supply diodes, coupled in series with each other from the boosted power supply in the forward direction of the supply diode, wherein the reverse end of each supply diode is coupled to the positive end of the corresponding driving power supply, for charging the corresponding driving capacitor to generate the corresponding driving power supply and for blocking reverse current and reverse voltage.

[0019] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit, the corresponding driving capacitor, and the corresponding supply diode form a charge pump. When the voltage boosting circuit generates the boosting power supply, the corresponding supply diode charges the driving capacitor according to the boosting power supply to generate the corresponding driving power supply, wherein the negative end of the driving power supply is coupled to the output voltage, and the corresponding driving power supply is related to the DC voltage.

[0020] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit includes a boosting capacitor, a charging diode, and a buffer. When the buffer generates a high-level voltage based on the frequency signal and the DC voltage, the voltage across the boosting capacitor is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate the boosting power supply. When the buffer generates a low-level voltage based on the frequency signal and a ground potential, the charging diode charges the boosting capacitor based on the output-related signal, wherein the output-related signal corresponds to the output voltage.

[0021] In one embodiment, the operating frequency of the charge pump is greater than or equal to the switching frequency of the power switches.

[0022] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit, the corresponding driving capacitor, the corresponding supply diode, and the corresponding power switch form a bootstrap circuit. When the voltage boosting circuit generates the boosted power supply, the corresponding supply diode charges the driving capacitor according to a second boosted power supply to generate the corresponding driving power supply. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply varies with the switching of the multiple power switches, and the voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply also varies with the switching of the multiple power switches. In a steady state, the corresponding driving power supply is correlated to the DC voltage, and the second boosted power supply is correlated to the boosted power supply.

[0023] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit includes a boosting capacitor, a charging diode, and a buffer. When the buffer generates a high-level voltage based on the frequency signal and the voltage at the negative terminal of at least one of the driving power supplies, the voltage across the boosting capacitor is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate the boosting power supply. When the buffer generates a low-level voltage based on the frequency signal and a ground potential, the charging diode charges the boosting capacitor based on the DC voltage.

[0024] In one embodiment, the power supply circuit further includes a plurality of driving power switches, each driving power switch being connected in parallel to the corresponding supply diode, wherein when the power stage circuit corresponds to a resonant switched capacitor converter, the driving power switch is set to be constantly on, and when the power stage circuit corresponds to a switched resonant cavity converter, the driving power switch is set to be constantly off.

[0025] In one embodiment, the driving power switch is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, and its body diode corresponds to the supply diode.

[0026] An advantage of the present invention is that the driving circuit of the present invention can support switching power converters of different topologies and can provide sufficient power to the power stage circuit using only a single power supply circuit.

[0027] Another advantage of the present invention is that the driving circuit of the present invention can adjust the supply voltage to achieve optimal power efficiency.

[0028] Another advantage of the present invention is that the driving circuit of the present invention has fewer components and fewer pins than conventional driving circuits.

[0029] The following detailed description with reference to specific embodiments will make it easier to understand the purpose, technical content, characteristics and effects achieved by the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional power converter.

[0031] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a resonant switching power converter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 and Figure 4 According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 Schematic diagram of signal waveforms of relevant signals of a resonant switching power converter.

[0033] Figure 5 FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a resonant switching power converter according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 Schematic diagram of signal waveforms of relevant signals of a resonant switching power converter.

[0035] Figure 7 FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a resonant switching power converter according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a resonant switching power converter according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 9 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit in a resonant switching power converter according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Explanation of symbols in the figure

[0039] 10: Switched Resonant Cavity Converter

[0040] 20, 30, 40, 50, 60: Resonant switching power converter

[0041] 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601: Power stage circuits

[0042] 102a-102d, 202a, 202b, 302a, 302b, 402a, 402b, 502a, 502b, 602a, 602b: driving circuit

[0043] 2011, 2012: Resonant Cavity

[0044] 2021, 3021, 4021, 5021, 6021: Power supply circuit

[0045] 20211, 30211, 40211, 50211, 60211: Voltage boost circuit

[0046] 203, 303, 403, 503, 603: Controller

[0047] B: Buffer

[0048] BT1, S1, S2, S5: nodes

[0049] C: Capacitor

[0050] C1~C3: resonant capacitors

[0051] Cb: Increased capacitance

[0052] Ccp1, Ccp2: (high voltage) capacitors

[0053] Cd1~Cd7: driving capacitors

[0054] CLK: frequency signal

[0055] Co: output capacitance

[0056] Dc: charging diode

[0057] Dn1 to Dn3: nodes

[0058] Drv1 to Drv10: drivers

[0059] Ds1~Ds4: supply diodes

[0060] L1: resonant inductor

[0061] L2: (discharge) resonant inductor

[0062] L3: (charging) resonant inductor

[0063] Q1~Q10: power switch

[0064] GA: Charging operation signal

[0065] GB: discharge operation signal

[0066] G1~G10: drive signal

[0067] S1, S2: drive power switch

[0068] Vb: boost power supply

[0069] Vb1~Vb3: Second boost power supply

[0070] Vbo: buffer output

[0071] VDD: DC voltage

[0072] Vcb: Increase the voltage across the capacitor

[0073] Vcd1~Vcd7: driving power supply

[0074] Vin: input voltage

[0075] Vlp: high voltage end of discharge resonant inductor

[0076] Vlpr: related signal of the high voltage end of the resonant inductor

[0077] Vor: output related signal

[0078] Vout: output voltage DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0079] The drawings in the present invention are schematic diagrams, mainly intended to illustrate the coupling relationship between various circuits and the relationship between various signal waveforms. The circuits, signal waveforms and frequencies are not drawn according to scale.

[0080] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a resonant switching power converter according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the resonant switching power converter 20 includes a power stage circuit 201, drive circuits 202a and 202b, and a controller 203. The power stage circuit 201 includes resonant capacitors C1 and C3, at least one non-resonant capacitor C2, power switches Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9, and Q10, and resonant inductors L1 and L2. The resonant switching power converter 20 includes at least one resonant cavity, such as resonant cavities 2011 and 2012. The resonant cavity 2011 includes a resonant capacitor C1 and a resonant inductor L1 connected in series, while the resonant cavity 2012 includes a resonant capacitor C3 and a resonant inductor L2 connected in series.

[0081] Power switches Q1-Q10 are coupled to resonant cavities 2011 and 2012, respectively, and switch the electrical connections between the corresponding resonant cavities 2011 and 2012 according to corresponding drive signals G1-G10, thereby corresponding to a resonant charging process and a resonant discharging process. In the resonant charging process, the corresponding resonant cavities 2011 and 2012 are resonantly charged, while in the resonant discharging process, the corresponding resonant cavities 2011 and 2012 are resonantly discharged.

[0082] At least one non-resonant capacitor C2 is coupled to at least one resonant cavity 2011, 2012. Drive signals G1-G10 switch the electrical connection between the non-resonant capacitor C2 and the at least one resonant cavity 2011, 2012. The voltage across the non-resonant capacitor C2 is maintained at a fixed ratio to the input voltage Vin, for example, half the input voltage Vin in this embodiment. The controller 203 generates a charging operation signal GA and a discharging operation signal GB corresponding to a resonant charging process and a resonant discharging process, respectively.

[0083] The driving circuit 202a includes a plurality of drivers Drv1-Drv4 and a power supply circuit 2021. The driving circuit 202b includes a plurality of drivers Drv5-Drv10. The drivers Drv1-Drv10 are configured to generate corresponding charging driving signals G1, G3, G5, G8, and G9, and corresponding discharging driving signals G2, G4, G6, G7, and G10, based on corresponding charging operation signals GA and discharging operation signals GB. These drivers are configured to periodically operate corresponding power switches Q1-Q10 in at least one resonant charging process and at least one resonant discharging process, respectively, to resonantly convert the input voltage Vin into the output voltage Vout. In one embodiment, the charging driving signals G1, G3, G5, G8, and G9 are in phase with the charging operation signal GA, and the discharging driving signals G2, G4, G6, G7, and G10 are in phase with the discharging operation signal GB. In one embodiment, the charging operation signal GA and the discharging operation signal GB are in opposite phases. The power supply circuit 2021 is used to provide a plurality of driving power supplies Vcd1-Vcd4 corresponding to a portion of the plurality of drivers Drv1-Drv4. The power supply circuit 2021 includes a voltage booster circuit 20211, a plurality of driving capacitors Cd1-Cd4, and a plurality of supply diodes Ds1-Ds4. The voltage booster circuit 20211 is used to generate a boosted power supply Vb based on a clock signal CLK, a DC voltage VDD, and an output-related signal Vor related to the output voltage Vout. In one embodiment, the voltage of the boosted power supply Vb is related to the sum of the DC voltage VDD and the output-related signal Vor. The voltage across each of the driving capacitors Cd1-Cd4 corresponds to the corresponding driving power supply Vcd1-Vcd4.

[0084] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit 20211 includes a boosting capacitor Cb, a charging diode Dc, and a buffer B. The clock signal CLK is coupled to the input terminal of buffer B, the DC voltage VDD is coupled to the positive power supply terminal of buffer B, and the ground potential is coupled to the negative power supply terminal of buffer B. The output terminal of buffer B is coupled to the negative terminal of boosting capacitor Cb. The positive terminal of boosting capacitor Cb and the inverting terminal of charging diode Dc are jointly coupled to boosting power supply Vb, and the output-related signal Vor is coupled to the non-inverting terminal of charging diode Dc. When buffer B generates a low-level voltage at buffer output Vbo in response to the clock signal CLK and a ground potential, charging diode Dc charges boosting capacitor Cb in response to output-related signal Vor. When buffer B generates a high-level voltage at buffer output Vbo in response to the clock signal CLK and DC voltage VDD, a voltage across boosting capacitor Cb Vcb is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate boosting power supply Vb. In one embodiment, output-related signal Vor corresponds to output voltage Vout. In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit 20211, the corresponding driving capacitor Cd4, and the corresponding supply diode Ds4 form a charge pump. When the voltage boosting circuit 20211 generates the boosted power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds4 charges the driving capacitor Cd4 according to the boosted power supply Vb to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd4. In one embodiment, the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd4 is coupled to the output voltage Vout, and the corresponding driving power supply Vcd4 is correlated to the DC voltage VDD. In one embodiment, the operating frequency of the charge pump is greater than or equal to the switching frequency of the multiple power switches Q1-Q10.

[0085] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit 20211, the corresponding driving capacitors Cd1-Cd3, the corresponding supply diodes Ds1-Ds3, and the corresponding power switches Q2-Q4 form a bootstrap circuit. For example, when the voltage boosting circuit 20211 generates the boosting power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds3 charges the driving capacitor Cd3 from a second boosting power supply, such as Vb1, to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd3. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd3 varies with the switching of the power switch Q3, and the voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply Vcd3 also varies with the switching of the power switch Q3. In a steady state, the corresponding driving power supply Vcd3 is relative to the DC voltage VDD. When the voltage boosting circuit 20211 generates the boosting power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds2 charges the driving capacitor Cd2 from a second boosting power supply, such as Vb2, to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd2. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd2 varies with the switching of the power switch Q2. The voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply Vcd2 also varies with the switching of the power switch Q2. Consequently, the driving power supply Vcd2 is relative to the DC voltage VDD in a steady state. When the voltage boosting circuit 20211 generates the boosting power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds1 charges the driving capacitor Cd1 from a second boosting power supply, such as Vb3, to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd1. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd1 varies with the switching of the power switch Q1. The voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply Vcd1 (BT1) also varies with the switching of the power switch Q1. Consequently, the driving power supply Vcd1 is relative to the DC voltage VDD in a steady state. In one embodiment, the second boosting power sources Vb1, Vb2, and Vb3 are related to the boosting power source Vb. Supply diodes Ds1-Ds3 not only provide the second boosting power sources Vb1, Vb2, and Vb3 in the forward direction, but also block reverse current and voltage. In one embodiment, supply diodes Ds1-Ds3 may be PN junction diodes, Schottky diodes, or other types of diodes.

[0086] In one aspect, a plurality of supply diodes Ds1-Ds4 are coupled in series with one another in the forward direction of the supply diodes Ds1-Ds4, from a boost voltage source Vb. Each of the drive capacitors Cd2-Cd4 is coupled between a node between the plurality of supply diodes Ds1-Ds4 and the source terminal of a corresponding power switch Q2-Q4. For example, the drive capacitor Cd4 is coupled between a node Dn3 between the supply diodes Ds4 and Ds3 and the source terminal of the power switch Q4; the drive capacitor Cd3 is coupled between a node Dn2 between the supply diodes Ds3 and Ds2 and the source terminal of the power switch Q3; and the drive capacitor Cd2 is coupled between a node Dn1 between the supply diodes Ds2 and Ds1 and the source terminal of the power switch Q2. The drive capacitor Cd1 is coupled between the reverse terminal of the supply diode Ds1 and the source terminal of the power switch Q1. In one embodiment, the voltage across each of the driving capacitors Cd1-Cd4 corresponds to the corresponding driving power supply Vcd1-Vcd4, which is supplied to the drivers Drv1-Drv4, respectively. In one embodiment, each of the driving capacitors Cd1-Cd4 is connected in parallel with the corresponding driver Drv1-Drv4 between the positive and negative terminals of the corresponding driving capacitors Cd1-Cd4, and the output terminals of the drivers Drv1-Drv4 are coupled to the gate terminals of the corresponding power switches Q1-Q4, respectively, to output the charging driving signals G1 and G3 and the discharging driving signals G2 and G4 to the corresponding power switches Q1-Q4, respectively. In one embodiment, the reverse terminal of each supply diode Ds1-Ds4 is coupled to the positive terminal of the corresponding driving power source to charge the corresponding driving capacitors Cd1-Cd4 to generate the corresponding driving power source and to block reverse current and reverse voltage. Specifically, the second boosting power sources Vb1, Vb2, and Vb3 each reduce the forward voltage of a corresponding number of diodes from the boosting power source Vb. The negative terminal of the driving power source is coupled to the source terminal of the corresponding power switches Q1-Q4.

[0087] The resonant charging process and the resonant discharging process are repeatedly and alternately sequenced to convert the input voltage Vin into the output voltage Vout. The charging operation signal GA and the discharging operation signal GB are each switched to a conduction level for a conduction period, and the multiple conduction periods of the charging operation signal GA and the discharging operation signal GB do not overlap, thereby preventing the resonant charging process and the resonant discharging process from overlapping.

[0088] In one embodiment, the resonant switching power converter operates according to the following sequence to perform power conversion: DC voltage and frequency signals are prepared to be provided to the voltage boosting circuit; then, multiple operating signals are prepared to be provided to multiple drivers; then, the input voltage is prepared to be provided to the power stage circuit.

[0089] About Figure 2The operation of the resonant switching power converter 20 with the resonant cavities 2011 and 2012 is well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0090] Figure 3 and Figure 4 According to one embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2 ) shows a schematic diagram of signal waveforms of relevant signals of a resonant switching power converter. Figure 4 for Figure 3 The second boost power supply Vb1, the voltage of the node BT1, the charge drive signal G1, the voltage of the node S1, the discharge drive signal G2, the voltage of the node S2 and the output voltage Vout are as follows: Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown.

[0091] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a resonant switching power converter according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 As shown, the resonant switching power converter 30 of the present invention includes a power stage circuit 301, drive circuits 302a and 302b, and a controller 303. The power stage circuit 301 includes resonant capacitors C1, C2, and C3, power switches Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9, and Q10, and resonant inductors L1, L2, and L3. The power switches Q1-Q3 are connected in series with the corresponding resonant capacitors C1-C3, respectively, and the resonant capacitors C1-C3 are connected in series with the corresponding resonant inductors L1-L3, respectively. It should be noted that the number of resonant capacitors in the resonant switching power converter of the present invention is not limited to three as in this embodiment, but may be two or more. The number of resonant inductors is also not limited to three as in this embodiment, but may be two or more. The number of components shown in this embodiment is merely for illustration and is not intended to limit the present invention. In one embodiment, the resonant switching power converter may be a bidirectional resonant switching power converter. The so-called bidirectional resonant switching power converter refers to the role of the input end (providing input voltage Vin) and the output end (providing output voltage Vout) being reversed. Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the resonant switching power converter 30 can convert the output voltage Vout into the input voltage Vin.

[0092] like Figure 5As shown, one end of the power switch Q5 is coupled to the node between the power switch Q1 and the resonant capacitor C1, one end of the power switch Q6 is coupled to the node between the power switch Q2 and the resonant capacitor C2, and one end of the power switch Q7 is coupled to the node between the power switch Q3 and the resonant capacitor C3. One end of the power switch Q8 is coupled to the node between the resonant inductor L1 and the power switch Q2, one end of the power switch Q9 is coupled to the node between the resonant inductor L2 and the power switch Q3, and one end of the power switch Q10 is coupled to the node between the resonant inductor L3 and the power switch Q4. Figure 5 As shown, the other terminals of power switches Q5-Q7 are commonly coupled to the output voltage Vout. The other terminals of power switches Q8-Q10 are commonly coupled to ground. Power switch Q4 is coupled between resonant inductor L3 and output voltage Vout, and one terminal of power switch Q1 is coupled to input voltage Vin. Controller 303 generates a charging operation signal GA and a discharging operation signal GB, corresponding to a resonant charging process and a resonant discharging process, respectively.

[0093] Driving circuit 302a includes a plurality of drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7, and a power supply circuit 3021. Driving circuit 302b includes a plurality of drivers Drv2-Drv4, Drv8-Drv10. Drivers Drv1-Drv10 generate corresponding charging driving signals G1-G4 and corresponding discharging driving signals G5-G10 based on corresponding charging operation signals GA and discharging operation signals GB, respectively, for periodically performing at least one resonant charging process and at least one resonant discharging process. Driving circuits 302a and 302b operate corresponding power switches Q1-Q10 to resonantly convert an input voltage Vin into an output voltage Vout. In one embodiment, the charging driving signals G1-G4 and the discharging driving signals G5-G10 are in phase with the corresponding charging operation signals GA and discharging operation signals GB, respectively. The power supply circuit 3021 is used to provide a plurality of driving power supplies Vcd1, Vcd5-Vcd7 corresponding to a portion of the plurality of drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7. The power supply circuit 3021 includes a voltage booster circuit 30211, a plurality of driving capacitors Cd1, Cd5-Cd7, and a plurality of supply diodes Ds1 and Ds2. The voltage booster circuit 30211 is used to generate a boosted power supply Vb based on a clock signal CLK, a DC voltage VDD, and an output-related signal Vor related to the output voltage Vout. In one embodiment, the voltage of the boosted power supply Vb is related to the sum of the DC voltage VDD and the output-related signal Vor.

[0094] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit 30211 includes a boosting capacitor Cb, a charging diode Dc, and a buffer B. The clock signal CLK is coupled to the input terminal of buffer B, the DC voltage VDD is coupled to the positive power terminal of buffer B, and the ground potential is coupled to the negative power terminal of buffer B. The output terminal of buffer B is coupled to the negative terminal of boosting capacitor Cb. The positive terminal of boosting capacitor Cb and the inverting terminal of charging diode Dc are jointly coupled to boosting power supply Vb, and the output-related signal Vor is coupled to the non-inverting terminal of charging diode Dc. When buffer B generates a low-level voltage at buffer output Vbo in response to the clock signal CLK and a ground potential, charging diode Dc charges boosting capacitor Cb in response to output-related signal Vor. When buffer B generates a high-level voltage at buffer output Vbo in response to the clock signal CLK and DC voltage VDD, a voltage across boosting capacitor Cb Vcb is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate boosting power supply Vb. In one embodiment, output-related signal Vor corresponds to output voltage Vout. In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit 30211, the corresponding driving capacitors Cd5-Cd7, and the corresponding supply diode Ds2 form a charge pump. For example, when the voltage boosting circuit 30211 generates the boosting power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds2 charges the driving capacitor Cd7 according to the boosting power supply Vb to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd7. The corresponding supply diode Ds2 charges the driving capacitor Cd6 according to the boosting power supply Vb to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd6. The corresponding supply diode Ds2 charges the driving capacitor Cd5 according to the boosting power supply Vb to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd5. In one embodiment, the negative terminals of the driving power supplies Vcd5-Vcd7 are coupled to the output voltage Vout, and the corresponding driving power supplies are related to the DC voltage VDD. In one embodiment, the operating frequency of the charge pump is greater than or equal to the switching frequency of the multiple power switches Q1-Q10.

[0095] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit 30211, the corresponding driving capacitor Cd1, the corresponding supply diode Ds1, and the corresponding power switch Q1 form a bootstrap circuit. When the voltage boosting circuit 30211 generates the boosting power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds1 charges the driving capacitor Cd1 based on the second boosting power supply Vb1 to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd1. In one embodiment, the voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd1 varies with the switching of the power switch Q1, and the voltage (BT1) at the positive terminal of the driving power supply Vcd1 also varies with the switching of the power switch Q1. In a steady state, the corresponding driving power supply is correlated to the DC voltage VDD. In one embodiment, the second boosting power supply Vb1 is correlated to the boosting power supply Vb.

[0096] A plurality of supply diodes Ds1 and Ds2 are coupled in series with each other in the forward direction of the supply diodes Ds1 and Ds2, derived from a boost voltage Vb. The positive terminals of each of the drive capacitors Cd5-Cd7 are commonly coupled to a node between the plurality of supply diodes Ds1 and Ds2, while the negative terminals of each of the drive capacitors Cd5-Cd7 are commonly coupled to an output-related signal Vor. The drive capacitor Cd1 is coupled between the reverse terminal of the supply diode Ds1 and the source terminal of the power switch Q1. In one embodiment, the voltage across each of the drive capacitors Cd1, Cd5-Cd7 corresponds to the corresponding drive voltage Vcd1, Vcd5-Vcd7, and is used to supply power to the drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7, respectively. The drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7 are respectively coupled between the controller 303 and the corresponding power switches Q1, Q5-Q7, and are used to control the corresponding power switches Q1, Q5-Q7 according to the charge operation signal GA or the discharge operation signal GB. In one embodiment, each driving capacitor Cd1, Cd5-Cd7 is connected in parallel with a corresponding driver Drv1, Drv5-Drv7 between the positive and negative terminals of the corresponding driving capacitors Cd1, Cd5-Cd7. ​​The output terminals of the drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7 are coupled to the gate terminals of the corresponding power switches Q1, Q5-Q7 to output the charging driving signal G1 and the discharging driving signal G5-G7 to the corresponding power switches Q1, Q5-Q7. In one embodiment, the reverse terminal of each supply diode Ds1 and Ds2 is coupled to the positive terminal of the corresponding driving power source to charge the corresponding driving capacitor Cd1, Cd5-Cd7 to generate the corresponding driving power source and to block reverse current and reverse voltage. In this embodiment, the negative terminal of the driving power source Vcd1 is coupled to the source terminal S1 of the power switch Q1 , and the negative terminals of the driving power sources Vcd5 - Vcd7 are coupled to the output-related signal Vor. In this embodiment, the output-related signal Vor corresponds to the output voltage Vout.

[0097] Specifically, power switches Q1-Q10 can switch the electrical connection between corresponding resonant capacitors C1-C3 and resonant inductors L1-L3 based on charging drive signals G1-G4 and discharging drive signals G5-G10. During a resonant charging process, power switches Q1-Q4 are controlled to be conductive and power switches Q5-Q10 to be non-conductive based on charging drive signals G1-G4 and discharging drive signals G5-G10, so that resonant capacitors C1-C3 and resonant inductors L1-L3 are connected in series between input voltage Vin and output voltage Vout, thereby forming a charging path. In a resonant discharge process, according to the charge drive signals G1-G4 and the discharge drive signals G5-G10, the power switches Q5-Q10 are controlled to be conductive and the power switches Q1-Q4 are controlled to be non-conductive, so that the resonant capacitor C1 and the corresponding resonant inductor L1 are connected in series between the output voltage Vout and the ground potential, the resonant capacitor C2 and the corresponding resonant inductor L2 are connected in series between the output voltage Vout and the ground potential, and the resonant capacitor C3 and the corresponding resonant inductor L3 are connected in series between the output voltage Vout and the ground potential, thereby forming multiple discharge paths.

[0098] Figure 6 According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 The second boost power source Vb1, the voltage at the node BT1, the charge drive signal G1, the voltage at the node S1, the discharge drive signal G5, the voltage at the node S5 and the output voltage Vout are shown in FIG. Figure 6 shown.

[0099] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a resonant switching power converter according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 Similarly, the resonant switching power converter 40 of this embodiment is Figure 5 The difference between the embodiment of the present invention and the embodiment of the present invention is that the power supply circuit 4021 of the present invention includes supply diodes Ds1 to Ds4 and driving power switches S1 and S2. The power stage circuit 401, power supply circuit 4021, voltage boosting circuit 40211, drivers Drv1 to Drv10, driving capacitors Cd1, Cd5 to Cd7, controller 403 and Figure 5 The power stage circuit 301, power supply circuit 3021, voltage boost circuit 30211, drivers Drv1 to Drv10, driving capacitors Cd1, Cd5 to Cd7, and controller 303 are similar and thus will not be described in detail. Figure 7As shown, multiple supply diodes Ds1-Ds4 are coupled in series with each other in the forward direction of the supply diodes Ds1-Ds4 from the boost power supply Vb. The positive terminal of the driving capacitor Cd5 is coupled to the node Dn1 between the supply diodes Ds1 and Ds2, the positive terminal of the driving capacitor Cd6 is coupled to the node Dn2 between the supply diodes Ds2 and Ds3, and the positive terminal of the driving capacitor Cd7 is coupled to the node Dn3 between the supply diodes Ds3 and Ds4. The negative terminal of each of the driving capacitors Cd5-Cd7 is commonly coupled to the output related signal Vor. Figure 7 As shown, the driving power switch S1 is connected in parallel to the corresponding supply diode Ds2, and the driving power switch S2 is connected in parallel to the corresponding supply diode Ds3. It should be noted that although this embodiment shows that the driving circuit 402a is applied to a resonant switched capacitor converter, the driving circuit 402a can also be applied to Figure 2 The switched resonant cavity converter shown. In one embodiment, when the power stage circuit corresponds to a resonant switched capacitor converter, the driving power switches S1 and S2 are set to be constantly on. In another embodiment, when the power stage circuit corresponds to a switched resonant cavity converter, the driving power switches S1 and S2 are set to be constantly off. In one embodiment, the driving power switches S1 and S2 may be metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, whose body diodes correspond to the supply diodes Ds2 and Ds3, respectively, thus omitting the external supply diodes.

[0100] Figure 8 FIG2 is a circuit diagram illustrating a resonant switching power converter according to another embodiment of the present invention. The power stage circuit 501 of this embodiment includes a charging resonant inductor L3 and a discharging resonant inductor L2 in the charging and discharging paths, respectively. Resonant charging and discharging are performed via the charging resonant inductor L3 and the discharging resonant inductor L2 during the corresponding resonant charging and discharging processes, respectively.

[0101] like Figure 8As shown, the power stage circuit 501 of the resonant switching power converter 50 of the present invention includes resonant capacitors C1, C2, and C3, power switches Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9, and Q10, a charging resonant inductor L3, and a discharging resonant inductor L2. Power switches Q1-Q3 are connected in series with their corresponding resonant capacitors C1-C3, respectively, while power switch Q4 is connected in series with the charging resonant inductor L3. It should be noted that the number of resonant capacitors in the resonant switching power converter of the present invention is not limited to three as in this embodiment; it can also be two or more than four. The number of components shown in this embodiment is merely illustrative and not limiting of the present invention. In one embodiment, the inductance of the charging resonant inductor L3 can be equal to the inductance of the discharging resonant inductor L2. In another embodiment, the inductance of the charging resonant inductor L3 and the inductance of the discharging resonant inductor L2 can be configured in an appropriate ratio to ensure that the resonant frequencies of the resonant charging process and the resonant discharging process are equal.

[0102] like Figure 8 As shown, one end of the power switch Q5 is coupled to the node between the power switch Q1 and the resonant capacitor C1, one end of the power switch Q6 is coupled to the node between the power switch Q2 and the resonant capacitor C2, and one end of the power switch Q7 is coupled to the node between the power switch Q3 and the resonant capacitor C3. One end of the power switch Q8 is coupled to the node between the resonant capacitor C1 and the power switch Q2, one end of the power switch Q9 is coupled to the node between the resonant capacitor C2 and the power switch Q3, and one end of the power switch Q10 is coupled to the node between the resonant capacitor C3 and the power switch Q4. Figure 8 As shown, the other ends of power switches Q5-Q7 are commonly electrically connected to a node and then connected in series to discharge resonant inductor L2. The other ends of power switches Q8-Q10 are commonly coupled to ground. The other ends of charging resonant inductor L3 and discharging resonant inductor L2 are commonly coupled to output voltage Vout, while the other end of power switch Q1 is coupled to input voltage Vin. Controller 503 generates charging operation signal GA and discharging operation signal GB, corresponding to a resonant charging process and a resonant discharging process, respectively.

[0103] Driving circuit 502a includes a plurality of drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7, and a power supply circuit 5021. Driving circuit 502b includes a plurality of drivers Drv2-Drv4, and Drv8-Drv10. Drivers Drv1-Drv10 are configured to generate corresponding charging driving signals G1-G4 and corresponding discharging driving signals G5-G10 based on corresponding charging operation signals GA and discharging operation signals GB, for periodically performing at least one resonant charging process and at least one resonant discharging process. Driving circuits 502a and 502b operate corresponding power switches Q1-Q10 to resonantly convert an input voltage Vin into an output voltage Vout. In one embodiment, the charging driving signals G1-G4 and the discharging driving signals G5-G10 are in phase with the corresponding charging operation signals GA and discharging operation signals GB, respectively. The power supply circuit 5021 is used to provide driving power supplies Vcd1, Vcd5-Vcd7 corresponding to a portion of the multiple drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7. The power supply circuit 5021 includes a voltage booster circuit 50211, multiple driving capacitors Cd1, Cd5-Cd7, multiple supply diodes Ds1-Ds4, and driving power switches S1 and S2. The voltage booster circuit 50211 generates a boosted power supply Vb based on a clock signal CLK, a DC voltage VDD, and the voltage at the high-voltage terminal Vlp of the discharge resonant inductor (i.e., the voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply). In this embodiment, the output-related signal Vor corresponds to the voltage Vlp at the high-voltage terminal of the discharge resonant inductor. The discharge resonant inductor L2 is coupled between the output voltage Vout and the negative terminal of the driving power supply (i.e., the high-voltage terminal Vlp of the discharge resonant inductor). In one embodiment, the voltage of the boost power source Vb is related to the sum of the DC voltage VDD and the voltage at the high-voltage terminal Vlp of the discharge resonant inductor.

[0104] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit 50211 includes a boosting capacitor Cb, a charging diode Dc, and a buffer B. The clock signal CLK is coupled to the input terminal of the buffer B. The high-voltage terminal Vlp of the discharge resonant inductor is coupled to the positive power terminal of the buffer B. Ground is coupled to the negative power terminal of the buffer B. The output terminal of the buffer B is coupled to the negative terminal of the boosting capacitor Cb. The positive terminal of the boosting capacitor Cb and the inverting terminal of the charging diode Dc are jointly coupled to the boosting power supply Vb. A DC voltage VDD is coupled to the non-inverting terminal of the charging diode DC. When the buffer B generates a low-level voltage at the buffer output Vbo in response to the clock signal CLK and a ground potential, the charging diode Dc charges the boosting capacitor Cb according to the DC voltage VDD. When the buffer B generates a high voltage at the buffer output Vbo according to the clock signal CLK and the voltage at the high voltage end Vlp of the discharge resonant inductor (i.e., the voltage at the negative end of the driving power supply), the voltage Vcb across the boost capacitor Cb is superimposed on the high voltage to generate the boost power Vb.

[0105] In one embodiment, the voltage boosting circuit 50211, the corresponding driving capacitors Cd1, Cd5-Cd7, the corresponding supply diodes Ds1-Ds4, and the corresponding power switches Q1, Q5-Q7 form a bootstrap circuit. For example, when the voltage boosting circuit 50211 generates the boosted power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds4 charges the driving capacitor Cd7 according to the boosted power supply Vb to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd7. The negative terminal of the driving capacitor Cd7, one terminal of the corresponding power switch Q7, and the high-voltage terminal Vlp of the discharge resonant inductor are all coupled to the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd7. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd7 varies with the switching of the power switch Q7, and the voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply Vcd7 also varies with the switching of the power switch Q7. When the voltage boosting circuit 50211 generates the boosting power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds3 charges the driving capacitor Cd6 from a second boosting power supply, such as Vb1, to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd6. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd6 varies with the switching of the power switch Q6, and the voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply Vcd6 also varies with the switching of the power switch Q6. When the voltage boosting circuit 50211 generates the boosting power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds2 charges the driving capacitor Cd5 from the second boosting power supply, such as Vb2, to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd5. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd5 varies with the switching of the power switch Q5, and the voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply Vcd5 also varies with the switching of the power switch Q5. When the voltage boosting circuit 50211 generates the boosting power supply Vb, the corresponding supply diode Ds1 charges the driving capacitor Cd1 from the second boosting power supply, such as Vb3, to generate the corresponding driving power supply Vcd1. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply Vcd1 varies with the switching of the power switch Q1, while the voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply Vcd1 also varies with the switching of the power switch Q1. The corresponding driving power supply is related to the DC voltage VDD in steady state. In one embodiment, the second boosting power supplies Vb1, Vb2, and Vb3 are related to the boosting power supply Vb.

[0106] A plurality of supply diodes Ds1-Ds4 are coupled in series with one another in the forward direction of the supply diodes Ds1-Ds4, from the boost voltage Vb. The positive terminal of the drive capacitor Cd5 is coupled to a node Dn1 between the supply diodes Ds1 and Ds2. The positive terminal of the drive capacitor Cd6 is coupled to a node Dn2 between the supply diodes Ds2 and Ds3. The positive terminal of the drive capacitor Cd7 is coupled to a node Dn3 between the supply diodes Ds3 and Ds4. The negative terminals of each of the drive capacitors Cd5-Cd7 are commonly coupled to the discharge resonant inductor high voltage terminal Vlp. The drive capacitor Cd1 is coupled between the reverse terminal of the supply diode Ds1 and the source terminal of the power switch Q1. In one embodiment, the voltage across each of the drive capacitors Cd1, Cd5-Cd7 corresponds to the corresponding drive voltage Vcd1, Vcd5-Vcd7, and is used to supply power to the drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7, respectively. In one embodiment, each driver capacitor Cd1, Cd5-Cd7 is connected in parallel with a corresponding driver Drv1, Drv5-Drv7 between the positive and negative terminals of the corresponding driver capacitors Cd1, Cd5-Cd7. ​​The output terminals of the drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7 are coupled to the gate terminals of the corresponding power switches Q1, Q5-Q7, respectively, to output charging drive signals G1 and discharging drive signals G5-G7 to the corresponding power switches Q1, Q5-Q7, respectively. In one embodiment, the reverse terminal of each supply diode Ds1-Ds4 is coupled to the positive terminal of the corresponding driving power source to charge the corresponding driver capacitor Cd1, Cd5-Cd7 to generate the corresponding driving power source and to block reverse current and reverse voltage. The negative terminal of the driving power source Vcd1 is coupled to the source terminal of the power switch Q1, and the negative terminals of the driving power sources Vcd5-Vcd7 are coupled to the high-voltage terminal Vlp of the discharge resonant inductor. Drivers Drv1, Drv5-Drv7 are respectively coupled between the controller 503 and the corresponding power switches Q1, Q5-Q7, and are used to control the corresponding power switches Q1, Q5-Q7 according to the charging operation signal GA or the discharging operation signal GB. Figure 8 As shown, the driving power switch S1 is connected in parallel to the corresponding supply diode Ds2, and the driving power switch S2 is connected in parallel to the corresponding supply diode Ds3. It should be noted that although this embodiment shows that the driving circuit 502a is applied to a resonant switched capacitor converter, the driving circuit 502a can also be applied to Figure 2The switched resonant cavity converter shown. In one embodiment, when the power stage circuit corresponds to a resonant switched capacitor converter, the driving power switches S1 and S2 are set to be constantly on. In another embodiment, when the power stage circuit corresponds to a switched resonant cavity converter, the driving power switches S1 and S2 are set to be constantly off. In one embodiment, the driving power switches S1 and S2 may be metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, whose body diodes correspond to the supply diodes Ds2 and Ds3, respectively, thus omitting the external supply diodes.

[0107] Power switches Q1-Q10 can switch the electrical connection between the corresponding resonant capacitors C1-C3 and the charging resonant inductor L3 and the discharging resonant inductor L2 according to the charging drive signals G1-G4 and the discharging drive signals G5-G10. During a resonant charging process, the charging drive signals G1-G4 and the discharging drive signals G5-G10 control the power switches Q1-Q4 to be conductive and the power switches Q5-Q10 to be non-conductive, so that the resonant capacitors C1-C3 are connected in series with each other and the charging resonant inductor L3 between the input voltage Vin and the output voltage Vout, thereby forming a charging path. During a resonant discharging process, the charging drive signals G1-G4 and the discharging drive signals G5-G10 control the power switches Q5-Q10 to be conductive and the power switches Q1-Q4 to be non-conductive, so that the resonant capacitors C1, C2, and C3 are connected in parallel and in series with the discharging resonant inductor L2, thereby forming multiple discharging paths.

[0108] Figure 9 FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a resonant switching power converter according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 The difference between the embodiment of the present invention and the embodiment of the present invention is that the present invention uses a single resonant inductor L1 as a charging resonant inductor in the resonant charging process and as a discharging resonant inductor in the resonant discharging process, which can further reduce the number of inductors. Figure 8 The driving circuit 502a and the controller 503 are similar and therefore will not be described in detail. The resonant inductor high voltage end related signal Vlpr of this embodiment is coupled to the positive end of the resonant inductor L1 and is related to the voltage at the positive end of the resonant inductor L1. The positive power supply terminal of the buffer B of the voltage boosting circuit 60211 of this embodiment is coupled to the resonant inductor high voltage end related signal Vlpr, and the negative terminals of the driving capacitors Cd5 to Cd7 of this embodiment are commonly coupled to the resonant inductor high voltage end related signal Vlpr. Figure 9As shown, the resonant switching power converter 60 of the present invention includes a power stage circuit 601. Power stage circuit 601 includes resonant capacitors C1, C2, and C3, power switches Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9, and Q10, and a resonant inductor L1. Power switches Q1-Q3 are connected in series with their corresponding resonant capacitors C1-C3, respectively, while power switch Q4 is connected in series with resonant inductor L1. In one embodiment, resonant inductor L1 can be a variable resonant inductor.

[0109] like Figure 9 As shown, one end of the power switch Q5 is coupled to the node between the power switch Q1 and the resonant capacitor C1, one end of the power switch Q6 is coupled to the node between the power switch Q2 and the resonant capacitor C2, and one end of the power switch Q7 is coupled to the node between the power switch Q3 and the resonant capacitor C3. One end of the power switch Q8 is coupled to the node between the resonant capacitor C1 and the power switch Q2, one end of the power switch Q9 is coupled to the node between the resonant capacitor C2 and the power switch Q3, and one end of the power switch Q10 is coupled to the node between the resonant capacitor C3 and the power switch Q4. Figure 9 As shown, the other ends of power switches Q5-Q7 are electrically connected to a node, which is then coupled to the node between power switch Q4 and resonant inductor L1 (i.e., the aforementioned resonant inductor high-voltage terminal-related signal Vlpr). The other ends of power switches Q8-Q10 are coupled to ground. The other end of resonant inductor L1 is coupled to output voltage Vout, and the other end of power switch Q1 is coupled to input voltage Vin.

[0110] Refer again Figure 9 Power switches Q1-Q10 can switch the electrical connection relationship between the corresponding resonant capacitors C1-C3 and the resonant inductor L1 according to the charging drive signals G1-G4 and the discharging drive signals G5-G10. In a resonant charging process, the charging drive signals G1-G4 and the discharging drive signals G5-G10 control the power switches Q1-Q4 to be conductive and the power switches Q5-Q10 to be non-conductive, so that the resonant capacitors C1-C3 are connected in series with each other and the resonant inductor L1 between the input voltage Vin and the output voltage Vout, thereby forming a charging path. In a resonant discharging process, the charging drive signals G1-G4 and the discharging drive signals G5-G10 control the power switches Q5-Q10 to be conductive and the power switches Q1-Q4 to be non-conductive, so that the resonant capacitors C1, C2, and C3 are connected in parallel with each other and in series with the resonant inductor L1, thereby forming multiple discharge paths.

[0111] It should be noted that the resonant charging process and the resonant discharging process are repeatedly and interleaved in different time periods, rather than being performed simultaneously. Each of the resonant charging process and the resonant discharging process is repeatedly and interleaved with each other, so that the energy provided by the input voltage Vin is resonantly charged to the resonant capacitor and resonant inductor in the resonant charging process, and the energy in the resonant capacitor and resonant inductor is resonantly discharged in the resonant discharging process, thereby converting the energy into the output voltage Vout. In this embodiment, the DC bias voltage of each resonant capacitor C1, C2, and C3 is Vo. Therefore, the resonant capacitors C1, C2, and C3 in this embodiment need to withstand a lower rated voltage, so smaller resonant capacitors can be used. In one embodiment, the voltage conversion ratio between the input voltage Vin and the output voltage Vout of the resonant switching power converter can be 4:1, 3:1, or 2:1.

[0112] In one embodiment, the voltage conversion ratio of the resonant switching power converter 60 can be flexibly adjusted. For example, during the resonant charging and discharging processes, by selecting to keep power switch Q7 conductive and power switches Q10 and Q4 non-conductive, the voltage conversion ratio of the power stage circuit 601 can be adjusted to 3:1. Similarly, by selecting to keep power switch Q6 conductive and power switches Q9, Q3, Q7, Q10, and Q4 non-conductive, the voltage conversion ratio of the power stage circuit 601 can be adjusted to 2:1.

[0113] As described above, the present invention provides a resonant switching power converter that can support switching power converters of different topologies, can supply sufficient power to the power stage circuit using only a single power supply circuit, can adjust the supply voltage to achieve optimal power efficiency, and has fewer components and a smaller number of pins than traditional drive circuits.

[0114] The present invention has been described above with respect to the preferred embodiments, but the above description is only for those skilled in the art to easily understand the content of the present invention and is not intended to limit the broadest scope of the present invention. The various embodiments described are not limited to individual applications, but can also be applied in combination. For example, two or more embodiments can be used in combination, and part of the components in one embodiment can also be used to replace the corresponding components in another embodiment. In addition, under the same spirit of the present invention, those skilled in the art can think of various equivalent changes and various combinations. For example, the present invention refers to "processing or calculating or generating an output result according to a certain signal", which is not limited to the signal itself, but also includes, when necessary, performing voltage-to-current conversion, current-to-voltage conversion, and / or ratio conversion on the signal, and then processing or calculating the converted signal to generate an output result. It can be seen that under the same spirit of the present invention, those skilled in the art can think of various equivalent changes and various combinations, and there are many combinations, which are not listed here one by one. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should cover the above and all other equivalent changes.

Claims

1. A resonant switching power converter for converting an input voltage into an output voltage, the resonant switching power converter comprising: A power stage circuit, comprising: at least one resonant capacitor; at least one resonant inductor coupled to the at least one resonant capacitor; as well as A plurality of power switches for switching the corresponding electrical connection relationship between the at least one resonant capacitor, the at least one resonant inductor, the input voltage, and the output voltage; as well as A driving circuit comprising: a plurality of drivers for generating a plurality of driving signals according to a plurality of operating signals, for periodically operating at least a portion of the corresponding plurality of power switches in at least one resonant charging process and at least one resonant discharging process, respectively, to convert the input voltage into the output voltage in a resonant manner; and A power supply circuit, for providing a portion of the plurality of drivers with a plurality of driving power supplies, comprising: a voltage boosting circuit for generating a boosted power supply according to a frequency signal, a DC voltage, and an output-related signal related to the output voltage, wherein the voltage of the boosted power supply is related to the sum of the DC voltage and the output-related signal; A plurality of driving capacitors, wherein the voltage across each driving capacitor corresponds to the corresponding driving power source; a plurality of supply diodes coupled in series from the booster power source in the forward direction of the supply diodes, wherein the reverse end of each supply diode is coupled to the positive end of the corresponding driving power source for charging the corresponding driving capacitor to generate the corresponding driving power source and for blocking reverse current and reverse voltage; and A plurality of driving power switches, each driving power switch is connected in parallel to the corresponding supply diode; When the driving power switch is controlled to be constantly on so that the plurality of driving power supplies are electrically connected in parallel, the plurality of driving power supplies are used to supply power to the plurality of drivers of the power stage circuit corresponding to a resonant switched capacitor converter; When the driving power switch is controlled to be constantly non-conductive, so that a unidirectional electrical connection is formed between two adjacent driving power supplies among the multiple driving power supplies, the multiple driving power supplies are used to supply power to the multiple drivers of the power stage circuit corresponding to a switched resonant cavity converter.

2. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 1, wherein: The voltage boosting circuit, the corresponding driving capacitor, and the corresponding supply diode form a charge pump. When the voltage boosting circuit generates the boosting power supply, the corresponding supply diode charges the driving capacitor according to the boosting power supply to generate the corresponding driving power supply. The negative end of the driving power supply is coupled to the output voltage, and the corresponding driving power supply is related to the DC voltage.

3. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 2, wherein: The voltage boosting circuit includes a boosting capacitor, a charging diode, and a buffer. When the buffer generates a high-level voltage based on the frequency signal and the DC voltage, the voltage across the boosting capacitor is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate the boosting power supply. When the buffer generates a low-level voltage based on the frequency signal and a ground potential, the charging diode charges the boosting capacitor based on the output-related signal, wherein the output-related signal corresponds to the output voltage.

4. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 2, wherein: The operating frequency of the charge pump is greater than or equal to the switching frequency of the power switches.

5. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 1, wherein: The voltage boosting circuit, the corresponding driving capacitor, the corresponding supply diode, and the corresponding power switch form a bootstrap circuit. When the voltage boosting circuit generates the boosting power supply, the corresponding supply diode charges the driving capacitor according to a second boosting power supply to generate the corresponding driving power supply. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply varies with the switching of the multiple power switches, and the voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply also varies with the switching of the multiple power switches. In a steady state, the corresponding driving power supply is correlated to the DC voltage. The second boosting power supply is correlated to the boosting power supply.

6. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 5, wherein: The voltage boosting circuit includes a boosting capacitor, a charging diode, and a buffer. When the buffer generates a high-level voltage based on the frequency signal and the voltage at the negative terminal of at least one of the driving power supplies, the voltage across the boosting capacitor is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate the boosting power supply. When the buffer generates a low-level voltage based on the frequency signal and a ground potential, the charging diode charges the boosting capacitor based on the DC voltage.

7. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 5, wherein: The power stage circuit corresponds to the resonant switched capacitor converter, wherein the at least one resonant inductor includes at least one charging resonant inductor and at least one discharging resonant inductor, the at least one discharging resonant inductor is coupled between the output voltage and the negative terminal of the driving power supply, and the negative terminal of the driving capacitor, a corresponding terminal of the power switch, and a high-voltage terminal of the at least one discharging resonant inductor are all coupled to the negative terminal of the driving power supply; The at least one charging resonant inductor is used to be connected in series with the at least one resonant capacitor in the at least one resonant charging process to charge in a resonant manner, and the at least one discharging resonant inductor is used to be connected in series with the at least one resonant capacitor in the at least one resonant discharging process to discharge in a resonant manner.

8. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 1, wherein: The power stage circuit corresponds to the resonant switched capacitor converter, wherein, in the at least one resonant charging process, the switching of the multiple power switches is controlled so that the at least one resonant capacitor and the at least one resonant inductor are connected in series between the input voltage and the output voltage to form a charging path, thereby resonantly charging the at least one resonant capacitor and the at least one resonant inductor. In the at least one resonant discharging process, the switching of the multiple power switches is controlled so that each resonant capacitor and the corresponding resonant inductor are connected in series between the output voltage and a ground potential, thereby simultaneously or alternately forming multiple discharge paths, thereby causing the corresponding at least one resonant capacitor and the at least one resonant inductor to discharge in a resonant manner to generate the output voltage.

9. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 1, wherein: The power stage circuit corresponds to the switched resonant cavity converter, wherein the power stage circuit further includes at least one resonant cavity and at least one corresponding non-resonant capacitor, the at least one resonant cavity having the at least one resonant capacitor and the at least one resonant inductor connected in series with each other, the multiple power switches coupled to the at least one resonant cavity and the at least one corresponding non-resonant capacitor to switch the electrical connection relationship between the corresponding resonant cavity and the corresponding at least one non-resonant capacitor, wherein in the at least one resonant charging process, the corresponding resonant cavity is resonantly charged, and wherein in the at least one resonant discharging process, the corresponding resonant cavity is resonantly discharged to the corresponding non-resonant capacitor, thereby generating the output voltage.

10. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 1, wherein: The driving power switch is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, and its body diode corresponds to the supply diode.

11. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 8, wherein: The resonant switching power converter is a bidirectional resonant switching power converter.

12. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 8, wherein: When the voltage conversion ratio between the input voltage and the output voltage of the resonant switching power converter is N:1, the at least one resonant capacitor is N-1 resonant capacitors, where N is a positive integer.

13. The resonant switching power converter according to claim 1, wherein: The resonant switching power converter operates according to the following sequence: The DC voltage and the frequency signal are prepared to be provided to the voltage boosting circuit; Then, the plurality of operation signals are prepared to be provided to the plurality of drivers; Then, the input voltage is ready to be provided to the power stage circuit.

14. A drive circuit for driving a resonant switching power converter, the resonant switching power converter for converting an input voltage into an output voltage and comprising a power stage circuit, the power stage circuit comprising a plurality of power switches, the drive circuit comprising: a plurality of drivers for generating a plurality of driving signals according to a plurality of operating signals, for periodically operating at least a portion of the corresponding plurality of power switches in at least one resonant charging process and at least one resonant discharging process, respectively, to convert the input voltage into the output voltage in a resonant manner; as well as A power supply circuit, for providing a portion of the plurality of drivers with a plurality of driving power supplies, comprising: a voltage boosting circuit for generating a boosted power supply according to a frequency signal, a DC voltage, and an output-related signal related to the output voltage, wherein the voltage of the boosted power supply is related to the sum of the DC voltage and the output-related signal; A plurality of driving capacitors, wherein a voltage across each driving capacitor corresponds to the corresponding driving power supply; a plurality of supply diodes coupled in series from the booster power supply in the forward direction of the supply diodes, wherein the reverse end of each supply diode is coupled to the positive end of the corresponding driving power supply to charge the corresponding driving capacitor to generate the corresponding driving power supply and to block reverse current and reverse voltage; and A plurality of driving power switches, each driving power switch is connected in parallel to the corresponding supply diode; When the driving power switch is controlled to be constantly on so that the plurality of driving power supplies are electrically connected in parallel, the plurality of driving power supplies are used to supply power to the plurality of drivers of the power stage circuit corresponding to a resonant switched capacitor converter; When the driving power switch is controlled to be constantly non-conductive, so that a unidirectional electrical connection is formed between two adjacent driving power supplies among the multiple driving power supplies, the multiple driving power supplies are used to supply power to the multiple drivers of the power stage circuit corresponding to a switched resonant cavity converter.

15. The driving circuit according to claim 14, wherein: The voltage boosting circuit, the corresponding driving capacitor, and the corresponding supply diode form a charge pump. When the voltage boosting circuit generates the boosting power supply, the corresponding supply diode charges the driving capacitor according to the boosting power supply to generate the corresponding driving power supply. The negative end of the driving power supply is coupled to the output voltage, and the corresponding driving power supply is related to the DC voltage.

16. The driving circuit according to claim 15, wherein: The voltage boosting circuit includes a boosting capacitor, a charging diode, and a buffer. When the buffer generates a high-level voltage based on the frequency signal and the DC voltage, the voltage across the boosting capacitor is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate the boosting power supply. When the buffer generates a low-level voltage based on the frequency signal and a ground potential, the charging diode charges the boosting capacitor based on the output-related signal, wherein the output-related signal corresponds to the output voltage.

17. The driving circuit according to claim 15, wherein: The operating frequency of the charge pump is greater than or equal to the switching frequency of the power switches.

18. The driving circuit according to claim 14, wherein: The voltage boosting circuit, the corresponding driving capacitor, the corresponding supply diode, and the corresponding power switch form a bootstrap circuit. When the voltage boosting circuit generates the boosting power supply, the corresponding supply diode charges the driving capacitor according to a second boosting power supply to generate the corresponding driving power supply. The voltage at the negative terminal of the driving power supply varies with the switching of the multiple power switches, and the voltage at the positive terminal of the driving power supply also varies with the switching of the multiple power switches. In a steady state, the corresponding driving power supply is correlated to the DC voltage. The second boosting power supply is correlated to the boosting power supply.

19. The driving circuit according to claim 18, wherein: The voltage boosting circuit includes a boosting capacitor, a charging diode, and a buffer. When the buffer generates a high-level voltage based on the frequency signal and the voltage at the negative terminal of at least one of the driving power supplies, the voltage across the boosting capacitor is superimposed on the high-level voltage to generate the boosting power supply. When the buffer generates a low-level voltage based on the frequency signal and a ground potential, the charging diode charges the boosting capacitor based on the DC voltage.

20. The driving circuit according to claim 14, wherein: The driving power switch is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, and its body diode corresponds to the supply diode.

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