Driving circuit and electronic device

Abstract

A kind of drive circuit and electronic equipment, it is related to electronic equipment technical field.The drive circuit includes first signal generation module, boost module and analog switch, first signal generation module is used to generate reference voltage signal and reference waveform signal;Boost module includes first boost circuit and second boost circuit;First boost circuit is used to carry out boost processing according to received reference voltage signal, output first drive voltage;Second boost circuit is used to carry out boost processing to first drive voltage, output at least one boost drive voltage;Analog switch is used to modulate first drive voltage and boost drive voltage according to reference waveform signal, to generate drive signal, drive signal is used to drive electrochromic component.The drive circuit and electronic equipment of the present application can conveniently generate drive signal for driving electrochromic component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of electronic equipment technology, and more specifically, to a driving circuit and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of technology, electronic devices are becoming increasingly important in people's work and lives. Electronic devices must not only provide users with more diverse functions, but also offer high-quality product designs in their industrial aesthetics.

[0003] Currently, luminescent materials, such as electrochromic materials, can be incorporated into the casing of electronic devices. The optical properties of electrochromic materials can change under the influence of an applied electric field, thus providing electronic devices with a wider range of appearances. However, the driving circuits for electrochromic components are complex and costly, resulting in poor compatibility with small and medium-sized consumer electronic devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a driving circuit and electronic device that can conveniently generate driving signals for driving electrochromic components.

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a driving circuit is provided, comprising:

[0006] The first signal generation module is used to generate a reference voltage signal and a reference waveform signal;

[0007] The boost module includes a first boost circuit and a second boost circuit; the first boost circuit is used to boost the received reference voltage signal and output a first drive voltage; the second boost circuit is used to boost the first drive voltage and output at least one boost drive voltage.

[0008] An analog switch is used to modulate the first driving voltage and the boost driving voltage according to a reference waveform signal to generate a driving signal, which is used to drive the electrochromic component.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the driving circuit further includes a power supply and a second signal generation module, wherein the power supply is used to provide a preset voltage and the second signal generation module is used to generate a voltage divider signal.

[0010] The first boost circuit includes a voltage divider circuit and a BOOST boost circuit. The voltage divider circuit is used to generate a divided voltage based on the reference voltage signal and the divided voltage signal. The feedback pin of the BOOST boost circuit is connected to the output terminal of the voltage divider circuit and is used to adjust the preset voltage to a first driving voltage corresponding to the divided voltage based on the received divided voltage.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the voltage divider circuit includes at least two voltage divider branches connected in parallel; each voltage divider branch is provided with a corresponding voltage divider resistor; and the voltage divider signal is used to control the conduction or disconnection of each voltage divider branch.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the second boost circuit includes at least a first boost branch and a second boost branch; the first boost branch is used to boost the first driving voltage and output a second driving voltage; the second boost branch is used to boost the second driving voltage and output a third driving voltage; the boost driving voltage includes at least the second driving voltage and the third driving voltage.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first boost branch includes a first charging capacitor, a first boost diode, and a second boost diode; a first driving voltage is connected to the first terminal of the first charging capacitor through the first boost diode, and the first terminal of the first charging capacitor is also connected to the output terminal of the first boost branch through the second boost diode; the second terminal of the first charging capacitor is connected to a pulse voltage signal; the first charging capacitor is used to charge when the pulse voltage signal is turned on and to discharge when the pulse voltage signal is turned off.

[0014] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the input voltage of the first boost circuit is connected to the output terminal of the first boost circuit through a boost inductor, and a switch pin is connected between the boost inductor and the output terminal of the first boost circuit. The switch pin is used to provide a pulse voltage signal, and the second terminal of the first charging capacitor is connected to the switch pin.

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the driving circuit further includes a push-pull circuit, the input terminal of which is connected to the first signal generation module and is used to generate a push-pull waveform signal based on the reference waveform signal; the analog switch is used to modulate the first driving voltage and the boost driving voltage based on the push-pull waveform signal to generate a driving signal.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the power supply voltage of the push-pull circuit is equal to the voltage value of the reference voltage signal.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a reference waveform signal is used to output to the enable pin of an analog switch to control the switching frequency and duty cycle of the analog switch.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a low-pass filter is provided between the analog switch and the electrochromic component. The low-pass filter is used to filter the drive signal and convert the square wave signal into a sine wave signal.

[0019] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising:

[0020] An electrochromic component; and a driving circuit for any of the foregoing, for driving the electrochromic component.

[0021] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the electrochromic component includes a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal.

[0022] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the electronic device includes an audio processor connected to a first signal generation module; the audio processor is used to acquire a reference voltage signal and a reference waveform signal corresponding to an audio file, and send them to the first signal generation module.

[0023] The driving circuit and electronic device disclosed herein can boost a reference voltage signal once through a first boost circuit to obtain a first driving voltage, and then boost the first driving voltage a second time through a second boost circuit to obtain at least one driving voltage. The result of the two boosts is then used as the input of an analog switch, and the reference waveform signal is used as the basis for logic shutdown to obtain the driving signal for driving the electrochromic component. This allows for the convenient and rapid provision of richer driving signals to meet the diverse color-changing needs of the electrochromic component.

[0024] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a circuit block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the driving circuit of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the boost module in an exemplary embodiment of the driving circuit of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a push-pull circuit in one exemplary embodiment of the driving circuit of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram comparing the waveforms of a reference waveform signal and a push-pull waveform signal in an exemplary embodiment of the driving circuit disclosed herein.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an analog switch in one exemplary embodiment of the drive circuit of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 6 The diagram shows a structural block diagram of some exemplary embodiments of the electronic device disclosed herein. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0033] Unless otherwise specified or stated, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “comprising” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to those listed; the terms “first” and “second” are used only as illustrative marks and are not intended to limit the number, importance, or order of the objects.

[0034] The terms “connection” and “fixation” should be interpreted broadly. For example, “connection” can be a fixed connection, a movable connection, an integral connection, or a detachable connection. It can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0035] In the following description, suffixes such as "module" or "unit" used to denote elements are used only for the purposes of this application and have no specific meaning in themselves. Therefore, "module" or "unit" can be used interchangeably.

[0036] This disclosure provides a driving circuit and electronic device, which aims to optimize the driving circuit of an electrochromic component, reduce the cost of the driving circuit of the electrochromic component, and enable the electrochromic component to have wider adaptability.

[0037] The electronic device in this disclosure can be any suitable type of device, including user equipment or terminals, and non-user-side devices. For example, electronic devices may include, but are not limited to, smartphones, portable Android devices (PADs), laptops, ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPCs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other handheld or desktop terminals; wearable devices such as smartwatches, wristbands, headsets, virtual reality (VR) devices, and augmented reality (AR) devices; and in-vehicle display devices, security equipment, etc. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on these.

[0038] Electrochromism refers to the phenomenon where the optical properties of a material (such as reflectivity, transmittance, and absorptivity) undergo stable and reversible changes under the influence of an applied electric field. Visually, this manifests as reversible changes in the material's color and transparency. Materials possessing electrochromic properties are called electrochromic materials. The electrochromic components described in this disclosure refer to devices made from electrochromic materials that can achieve electrochromic effects. Electrochromic components can serve as decorative parts for electronic devices, providing users with diverse appearances. They can also dynamically change color in conjunction with changes in the applied electric field to achieve functions such as message reminders, battery level reminders, breathing lights, and displays that change with sound, thus optimizing the visual effect of electronic devices.

[0039] For example, electrochromic components can include organic or inorganic electrochromic films. Inorganic electrochromic materials can be tungsten trioxide (WO3) or nickel oxide (NiO). Organic electrochromic materials include polythiophene (SECF) and its derivatives, violetin, tetrathiofulvalene, and metal phthalocyanine compounds. Electrochromic films can display different colors, such as red, blue, and green, depending on the input voltage.

[0040] For example, electrochromic components can include polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs). When no electric field is applied, the liquid crystal molecules are freely arranged, and the tiny droplets formed by these molecules are also randomly arranged. Due to the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal molecules, their effective refractive index does not match the refractive index of the matrix, resulting in mutual scattering between the liquid crystal and the polymer, thus forming a hazy state. By adjusting the input voltage, the optical axis orientation of the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal can be adjusted, matching the refractive index of the droplets with the refractive index of the matrix. When there is no scattering between the polymer and the liquid crystal molecules, a bright state can be achieved. By adjusting the input driving voltage, the haze can be varied, creating different levels of transparency, ranging from transparent to opaque or translucent milky white.

[0041] It is understood that the electrochromic properties described in this disclosure refer to changes in at least one of the optical properties of a material (e.g., reflectivity, transmittance, absorptivity, etc.), specifically including at least one of the following: changes between different colors, changes between different transparency, and changes between different saturations of the same color.

[0042] The electronic device described in this disclosure includes at least one electrochromic component. Exemplarily, the electrochromic component may be disposed within the housing of the electronic device. The housing of the electronic device may refer to the outer casing structure of the electronic device; for example, in smartphones and tablets, the housing may include a front panel, a mid-frame, and a back panel. For laptops, the housing may include an inner bezel of the display screen, a top cover of the display screen, a keyboard bezel, and a bottom shell, etc. This disclosure does not provide further examples.

[0043] In some embodiments, the electrochromic component can be arranged in layers, for example, on the outermost layer, in the middle layer, or on the innermost layer in the thickness direction of the housing. When arranged in the middle layer or the innermost layer of the housing, the outer layer of the electrochromic film can be provided with a transparent layer that allows light to pass through, so that the color change of the electrochromic film can be observed from outside the device.

[0044] In some embodiments, taking a smartphone casing as an example, the number of electrochromic components can be one. The electrochromic component can be positioned over the entire back panel and / or mid-frame area, or it can be a portion of the back panel and / or mid-frame area, and the shape of the electrochromic component can be any shape. Multiple electrochromic components can also be provided, and these multiple electrochromic components can be arranged in different areas of the back panel and / or mid-frame. For example, the electrochromic component can be located near a camera module, such as a rear camera module, and multiple electrochromic components can surround the outer periphery of the rear camera module. Alternatively, the electrochromic component can surround the mid-frame of the smartphone. Those skilled in the art will understand that the arrangement of the electrochromic component on the casing is not limited to the above examples, and any other suitable implementation method is possible. This disclosure will not further enumerate such examples.

[0045] Some electrochromic components require high driving voltages. For example, for polymer-dispersed liquid crystals, the driving voltage from off to on (achieving a required transmittance, such as 80%) can reach 10V to 80V. This places high demands on the power supply of electronic devices. In related technologies, consumer smart electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets, especially miniaturized electronic devices using graphite battery / lithium battery systems, have relatively low power consumption. For example, the power supply voltage of a smartphone is typically 3.7V. One related technology's driving circuit for an electrochromic component includes a high-voltage driver. The input terminal of the high-voltage driver is connected to a waveform generator, which amplifies the small driving waveform emitted by the waveform generator to drive the electrochromic component.

[0046] Different luminescent materials require different driving voltages, and achieving multiple color changes in electrochromic components also necessitates different driving voltages. For example, with polymer-dispersed liquid crystals, different haze states can be achieved by varying the input driving voltage. This necessitates a power supply module capable of providing different driving voltages, or a driving circuit capable of adjusting the amplitude of the driving waveform, resulting in a relatively complex power supply module and driving circuit.

[0047] To address the aforementioned problems, this disclosure provides a driving circuit that can be used to drive an electrochromic component. The following is a detailed explanation... Figures 1 to 5 The driving circuit of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0048] refer to Figure 1 The diagram illustrates some embodiments of the driving circuit of this disclosure. The driving circuit includes a first signal generation module 100, a boost module 200, and an analog switch 300.

[0049] The first signal generation module 100 is used to generate a reference voltage signal Bv and a reference waveform signal Bw; the boost module 200 includes a first boost circuit 210 and a second boost circuit 220. The first boost circuit 210 is used to boost the received reference voltage signal Bv and output a first driving voltage Vout1. The second boost circuit 220 is used to boost the first driving voltage Vout1 and output at least one boosted driving voltage; the analog switch 300 is used to modulate the first driving voltage Vout1 and the boosted driving voltage according to the reference waveform signal Bw to generate a driving signal, which is used to drive the electrochromic component 600.

[0050] The first signal generation module 100 can generate a reference voltage signal Bv and a reference waveform signal Bw. The output terminal of the first signal generation module 100 is connected to the input terminal of the first boost circuit 210. Different reference voltage signals Bv can correspond to different first driving voltages Vout1 and boost driving voltages generated by the boost module 200, which correspond to different driving signal amplitudes of the analog switch 300. The analog switch 300 modulates the first driving voltage Vout1 and boost driving voltage according to the reference waveform signal Bw, thereby causing the electrochromic component 600 to change different visual states.

[0051] In some exemplary embodiments, the first signal generation module 100 can generate a corresponding reference voltage signal Bv according to different scenarios of the electronic device. In different business scenarios, the electronic device may have different color-changing requirements, and therefore different driving signals need to be applied to the electrochromic component 600.

[0052] For example, in a scenario where an electronic device is playing music, the driving circuit of this disclosure can be used to make the electrochromic component 600 flash in sync with the music. As another example, in a scenario where an electronic device is displaying remaining battery power, the driving circuit can be used to make the electrochromic component 600 display different colors depending on the remaining battery power. Furthermore, when an electronic device receives an incoming call, the electrochromic component 600 can display a breathing light effect with slowly changing colors; these examples will not be listed here. For different business scenarios, the first signal generation module 100 can be pre-set with a reference voltage signal Bv and a reference waveform signal Bw corresponding to each business scenario. Therefore, based on the current business scenario, the corresponding content can be determined from the pre-set reference voltage signal Bv and reference waveform signal Bw and sent to the boost module 200.

[0053] Specifically, the control terminal of the first boost circuit 210 is connected to the first signal generation module 100 to receive a reference voltage signal Bv. The first boost circuit 210 boosts the voltage input to itself based on the reference voltage signal Bv to obtain a first driving voltage Vout1. The input terminal of the second boost circuit 220 can be connected to the output terminal of the first boost circuit 210 to receive the first driving voltage Vout1 and further boost it to obtain a boosted driving voltage. Exemplarily, the driving circuit also includes a power supply, and the voltage input to the first boost circuit 210 can be, for example, a preset voltage VSYS provided by the power supply.

[0054] Analog switch 300 may include multiple analog switch chips, see reference. Figure 5 As shown, specifically, the input terminals of the multi-channel analog switch chip include a first driving voltage Vout1 and boost driving voltages (Vout2 and Vout3 in the figure). The output terminals of the multi-channel analog switch chip correspond to the driving voltage between the A and B terminals of the electrochromic component 600. For example, the output terminal X of the analog switch 300 corresponds to the voltage input at the A terminal of the electrochromic component 600, and the output terminal Y corresponds to the voltage input at the B terminal of the electrochromic component 600. The reference waveform signal Bw is connected to the EN enable pin of the multi-channel analog switch chip to modulate the input first driving voltage Vout1 and boost driving voltage, thereby realizing the output of the driving signal.

[0055] In this embodiment, for the reference voltage signal Bv and reference waveform signal Bw provided by the first signal generation module 100, the reference voltage signal Bv can be boosted once by the first boost circuit 210 to obtain the first driving voltage Vout1, and the first driving voltage Vout1 after the first boost is boosted a second time by the second boost circuit 220 to obtain at least one driving voltage; then the result of the two boosts is used as the input of the analog switch 300, and the reference waveform signal Bw is used as the basis for logic shutdown to obtain the driving signal for driving the electrochromic component 600, thereby providing a richer driving signal conveniently and quickly to meet the diverse color-changing needs of the electrochromic component 600.

[0056] The first signal generation module 100 may include a processor, which may include an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, a neural network processing unit (NPU), etc. Different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors. For example, the processor may be a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a system-on-chip (SoC) of an electronic device.

[0057] This invention provides a scenario where an electrochromic component 600 operates in response to music played by an electronic device (e.g., changes in optical properties such as color change or flashing). Specifically, a first signal generation module 100 includes an audio digital signal processor, which can be a standalone device or integrated into a system-on-a-chip (SoC). The audio digital signal processor is used to design and store corresponding audio files. Each audio file contains a reference voltage signal Bv and a reference waveform signal Bw containing elements such as frequency / duty cycle. In different application scenarios, the corresponding reference voltage signal Bv and reference waveform signal Bw can be invoked through the upper-level application layer of the system software and output to the first signal generation module 100.

[0058] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the driving circuit further includes a power supply for providing a preset voltage VSYS. For example, the power supply may be a power module of an electronic device. The first boost circuit 210 may include a BOOST boost circuit. The basic working principle of the BOOST boost circuit is that by applying different control voltages to the feedback pin FB, different amplitude output voltages can be obtained, that is, the output voltage is dynamically adjusted within a certain range with reference to the voltage of the feedback pin FB. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the feedback pin of the BOOST boost circuit may be connected to a first signal generation module 100, used to adjust the preset voltage VSYS to a first driving voltage Vout1 corresponding to the reference voltage signal Bv based on the reference voltage signal Bv.

[0059] Specifically, refer to Figure 2The circuit schematic of the boost module 200 shown illustrates that, in some embodiments, the boost circuit may include a boost chip. In other embodiments, the boost circuit may not include a boost chip. This disclosure uses a boost chip as an example to describe the topology and operating principle of the boost circuit. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principle of a boost circuit without a boost chip can also be understood by referring to the description of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0060] The BOOST chip includes a voltage input pin Vin, a switching pin SW, and a feedback pin FB. Figure 2 In this embodiment, Vin is the input voltage, Vout is the output voltage, and the preset voltage VSYS provided by the power supply is used as the voltage input Vin. In one implementation, the feedback pin FB of the BOOST chip is connected to the reference voltage signal Bv output by the audio digital signal processor, and the output is the first driving voltage Vout1 output by the BOOST chip topology. The BOOST boost circuit references the voltage of the feedback pin FB and outputs the first driving voltage Vout1. In this embodiment, since the feedback pin FB is connected to the dynamically changing reference voltage signal Bv output by the audio digital signal processor, compared to a scheme where the reference voltage of the feedback pin FB is fixed, the first driving voltage Vout1 can dynamically change with the reference voltage signal Bv. The amplitude of the first driving voltage Vout1 can be greater than the amplitude of the preset voltage VSYS provided by the power supply, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling a larger output voltage with a smaller control signal.

[0061] refer to Figure 2 As shown, the power supply is connected to the output terminal (output first drive voltage Vout1) of the first boost circuit 210 through the boost inductor L300. A switch pin SW is connected between the boost inductor L300 and the output terminal of the first boost circuit 210. The switch pin SW is used to provide a pulse voltage signal. The boost function of the BOOST boost circuit is realized by the periodic conduction and cutoff of the switch pin SW.

[0062] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the driving circuit further includes a second signal generation module. A power supply provides a preset voltage VSYS, and the second signal generation module generates a voltage divider signal. The first boost circuit 210 further includes a voltage divider circuit 211, which generates a divided voltage based on a reference voltage signal Bv and the divided voltage signal. The feedback pin FB of the BOOST boost circuit is connected to the output of the voltage divider circuit 211 and is used to adjust the preset voltage VSYS to a first driving voltage Vout1 corresponding to the divided voltage based on the received divided voltage. The voltage divider signal can adjust the component of the reference voltage signal Bv connected to the feedback pin FB of the BOOST boost circuit, i.e., the divided voltage. Therefore, for a given state of the reference voltage signal Bv, the BOOST boost circuit can output different first driving voltages Vout1 regulated by the voltage divider signal.

[0063] For example, the voltage divider circuit 211 may include at least two voltage divider branches connected in parallel; each voltage divider branch is provided with a corresponding voltage divider resistor; the voltage divider signal is used to control the conduction or disconnection of each voltage divider branch. The conduction or disconnection state of each voltage divider branch can correspond to a voltage divider voltage, and the voltage divider voltage is connected to the feedback pin FB of the BOOST boost circuit, which can correspond to different first drive voltages Vout1.

[0064] For example, refer to Figure 2 As shown, the voltage divider circuit 211 may include a first voltage divider branch 2111, a second voltage divider branch 2112, and a third voltage divider branch 2113 connected in parallel. A resistor RH is provided between the output voltage Vout terminal of the BOOST boost circuit and the input terminal of the voltage divider circuit 211. One end of each voltage divider branch is connected to the input terminal of the voltage divider circuit 211, and the other end is grounded. The first voltage divider branch 2111 has a first voltage divider resistor, such as R310. The second voltage divider branch 2112 has a second voltage divider resistor, such as R309; the third voltage divider branch 2113 has a third voltage divider resistor, such as R308 connected in series with R312 to form the third voltage divider resistor.

[0065] Each voltage divider branch can be equipped with a voltage divider switch. The voltage divider signal can control the opening or closing of each voltage divider switch, thereby controlling the conduction or disconnection of each voltage divider branch. For example, the first voltage divider branch 2111 can be equipped with a first voltage divider switch Q301, and the second voltage divider branch 2112 can be equipped with a second voltage divider switch Q302. The voltage divider signal includes a first voltage divider signal Ctrl1 and a second voltage divider signal Ctrl2. The first voltage divider signal Ctrl1 is used to control the opening or closing of the first voltage divider switch Q301, thereby controlling the conduction or disconnection of the first voltage divider branch 2111; the second voltage divider signal Ctrl2 is used to control the opening or closing of the second voltage divider switch Q302, thereby controlling the conduction or disconnection of the second voltage divider branch 2112.

[0066] The total resistance of the voltage divider circuit 211 is the lower resistance RL between the input terminal and the ground terminal of the voltage divider circuit 211. For example, when both the first and second voltage divider switches are on, the resistance of the lower resistance RL is obtained by connecting the first, second, and third voltage divider resistors in parallel. When the first voltage divider switch is on and the second voltage divider switch is off, the resistance of the lower resistance RL is obtained by connecting the first and third voltage divider resistors in parallel. When the second voltage divider switch is on and the first voltage divider switch is off, the resistance of the lower resistance RL is obtained by connecting the second and third voltage divider resistors in parallel. When both the first and second voltage divider switches are off, the resistance of the lower resistance RL is equal to the resistance of the third voltage divider resistor.

[0067] For example, the first voltage divider signal Ctrl1 and the second voltage divider signal Ctrl2 are output by the second signal generation module. The second signal generation module may include a processor, such as a central processing unit, microprocessor unit, or system-on-a-chip of an electronic device. The second signal generation module and the first signal generation module 100 can be independent of each other. In some embodiments, the second signal generation module may also be a sub-module of the first signal generation module 100, that is, the first signal generation module 100 can output the first voltage divider signal Ctrl1 and the second voltage divider signal Ctrl2. Specifically, the first voltage divider signal Ctrl1 and the second voltage divider signal Ctrl2 can be output by the central processing unit or digital signal processor of the electronic device terminal through a logic-idle general-purpose input / output pin.

[0068] In this example implementation, the first voltage divider signal Ctrl1 and the second voltage divider signal Ctrl2 only need to switch between high and low states to control the on / off state of the first voltage divider branch 2111 and the second voltage divider branch 2112, thereby changing the resistance value of the lower resistor RL and thus changing the first driving voltage Vout1 output at the Vout terminal of the BOOST boost circuit. The first driving voltage Vout1 output at the Vout terminal of the BOOST boost circuit is: Vout1 = Bv * (1 + RH / RL).

[0069] For example, referring to Table 1, it is shown that the first voltage divider signal Ctrl1 and the second voltage divider signal Ctrl2 respectively enable the first voltage divider switch Q300 and the second voltage divider switch Q301 to conduct to GND, thereby changing the resistance value RL of the voltage divider resistor to ground. For the first voltage divider signal Ctrl1 and the second voltage divider signal Ctrl2, there are four combinations, which can correspond to four outputs of the first driving voltage Vout1, enriching the output of the first driving voltage Vout1. In the table, " / / " indicates the parallel calculation of resistors.

[0070] Table 1

[0071] First voltage divider signal Ctrl1 Second voltage divider signal Ctrl2 Lower resistor RL resistance value Low Low R308+R312 Low high (R308+R312) / / R310 high Low (R308+R312) / / R309 high high (R308+R312) / / R309 / / R310

[0072] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the second boost circuit 220 includes at least a first boost branch 221 and a second boost branch 222; the first boost branch 221 is used to boost the first driving voltage Vout1 and output a second driving voltage Vout2; the second boost branch 222 is used to boost the second driving voltage Vout2 and output a third driving voltage Vout3; the boost driving voltage includes at least the second driving voltage Vout2 and the third driving voltage Vout3.

[0073] For example, the first boost branch 221 and the second boost branch 222 can employ a charge pump circuit. Specifically, taking the first boost branch 221 as an example, the first boost branch 221 includes a first charging capacitor C304, a first boost diode D301, and a second boost diode D302. The first driving voltage Vout1 is connected to the first terminal of the first charging capacitor C304 through the first boost diode D301, and the first terminal of the first charging capacitor C304 is also connected to the output terminal of the first boost branch 221 through the second boost diode D302; the second terminal of the first charging capacitor C304 is connected to a pulse voltage signal, for example, to a switch pin SW; the first charging capacitor C304 is used to charge when the pulse voltage signal is turned on and to discharge when the pulse voltage signal is turned off.

[0074] The first boost branch 221 utilizes the switching cycle of the SW pin of the boost chip. When the SW pin is on, the output capacitor C306 of the BOOST boost circuit can transfer energy to the first charging capacitor C304, raising the voltage of the first charging capacitor C304 to the first driving voltage Vout1. When the SW pin is off, the first charging capacitor C304 transfers energy to the output, resulting in an output voltage Vout2 of the first boost branch 221 equal to Vout1 + Vout1, which is twice Vout1. The second boost branch 222 can be configured similarly to the first boost branch 221. The second boost branch 222 is used to boost the second driving voltage Vout2, and its output voltage Vout3 equals Vout2 + Vout1, which is three times Vout1.

[0075] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the second boost circuit 220 of this disclosure has good scalability and can be extended based on the same topology given in the embodiments of this disclosure. More boost drive voltages can be achieved through more boost branches. For example, a third boost branch is used to boost the third drive voltage Vout3 to obtain a fourth drive voltage, and a fourth boost branch is used to boost the fourth drive voltage to obtain a fifth drive voltage, etc., further enriching the output of the boost module 200.

[0076] Moreover, the second boost circuit 220 is closely integrated with the BOOST boost circuit, with clear logic and good coordination. For any first drive voltage Vout1 output by the BOOST boost circuit, multiple boost drive voltages (such as Vout2 and Vout3) of the second boost circuit 220 can be generated conveniently and at low cost to provide a variety of drive voltages to the analog switch, making the drive signal more diverse and meeting the richer color-changing requirements of electrochromic components. It is especially suitable for small and medium-sized consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets.

[0077] For example, the driving voltage of the electrochromic component 600 may be an AC voltage. Taking polymer-dispersed liquid crystal as an example, its driving voltage may require a 50Hz to 60Hz sinusoidal voltage. In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the analog switch 300 modulates the first driving voltage Vout1, the second driving voltage Vout2, and the third driving voltage Vout3 according to the reference waveform signal Bw to generate a driving signal. The reference waveform signal Bw may include any one or more of the following: a sine wave, a square wave, or a pulse width modulation (PWM) waveform. For example, taking the reference waveform signal Bw as including PWM duty cycle information, the output voltage of the first boost circuit 210 (the first driving voltage Vout1) and the output voltage of the second boost circuit 220 (the boost driving voltage) are also PWM waves. The reference waveform signal Bw provides the turn-on / turn-off frequency and duty cycle required by the analog switch chip, and the output terminals X and Y of the analog switch 300 are output by analog AC signals.

[0078] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a filter 500 may be provided between the analog switch 300 and the electrochromic component 600 to filter the driving signal. Exemplarily, a low-pass filter 500 may be provided between the analog switch 300 and the electrochromic component 600. The low-pass filter 500 filters the high-frequency portion of the output square wave through a single operational amplifier, forming a sine wave required by the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal. In some exemplary embodiments, the filter 500 may also include a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). For other types of electrochromic components 600, other waveforms may be required. Those skilled in the art will understand that when the waveform type of the driving signal does not match the waveform type required by the electrochromic component 600, other types of filters 500 can be used to convert the driving signal into the required waveform type.

[0079] In some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 1As shown, the driving circuit also includes a push-pull circuit 400. The input terminal of the push-pull circuit 400 is connected to the first signal generation module 100. The push-pull circuit 400 is used to generate a push-pull waveform signal PPw based on the reference waveform signal Bw. The analog switch 300 is used to modulate the first driving voltage Vout1 and the boost driving voltage based on the push-pull waveform signal PPw to generate a driving signal.

[0080] For example, the push-pull waveform signal PPw can include any one or more of the following: a sine wave, a square wave, or a PWM waveform. For instance, taking a push-pull waveform signal PPw including a PWM waveform as an example, the audio digital signal processor outputs a PWM waveform (reference waveform signal Bw) synchronized with the reference voltage signal Bv (audio voltage). The reference waveform signal Bw is connected to the push-pull circuit 400. The push-pull circuit 400 can be constructed using a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a bipolar transistor. It can amplify the dynamically adjusted PWM waveform output by the audio digital signal processor, improve the rising and falling edges of the waveform, achieve faster switching speeds, and give the push-pull waveform signal PPw a stronger driving capability compared to the reference waveform signal Bw.

[0081] The push-pull waveform signal PPw can be connected to the EN enable pin of the analog switch 300. The PWM signal is turned off through the EN pin, thereby enabling the analog switch 300 to provide device drive voltage to the electrochromic component 600 to dynamically adjust the optical properties of the electrochromic component 600.

[0082] The push-pull circuit 400 can be constructed using a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) or a transistor. Because it utilizes the saturation conduction and accelerated discharge speed characteristics of MOSFETs or transistors to form a push-pull topology and enhance the driving capability of the PWM signal, the exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure do not distinguish between MOSFETs and transistors in detail. That is, this disclosure uses MOSFETs as an example for illustration, but in some embodiments, the use of transistors is not excluded. When describing the gate of a MOSFET in this disclosure, it may refer to the base of a transistor; when describing the drain of a MOSFET in this disclosure, it may refer to the collector of a transistor.

[0083] refer to Figure 3The diagram illustrates a push-pull circuit 400. The clock frequency of the push-pull circuit 400 can be generated by an RC oscillator or an external crystal oscillator. The signal input terminal of the push-pull circuit 400 can be connected to an audio digital signal processor to receive a PWM waveform (reference waveform signal Bw) synchronized with the reference voltage signal Bv (audio voltage). The signal output terminal of the push-pull circuit 400 can be connected to the EN enable pin of an analog switch 300 to output a push-pull waveform signal PPw. The push-pull circuit 400 includes a first switch Q1, a second switch Q2, and a third switch Q3 constructed from MOSFETs, and resistors R1, R2, R3, and R4.

[0084] Below, in conjunction with Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the push-pull circuit 400 shown provides an analysis of the working process by which the push-pull circuit 400 enhances the driving capability. Those skilled in the art will understand that this embodiment is only an illustrative example. Without changing the basic architecture and principle of the push-pull circuit 400 given in this embodiment, the push-pull circuit 400 can be modified according to actual needs, such as changing the number of resistors, adding or deleting components that provide protection.

[0085] Those skilled in the art will understand that a PWM wave can also be regarded as a square wave with a fixed period and an adjustable duty cycle. Taking the square wave / PWM wave as an example, the working process analysis of the push-pull circuit 400 is performed. 1 represents a high level and 0 represents a zero level.

[0086] refer to Figure 3 As shown, c is the gate (base) voltage of the first switch Q1; d is the output signal; e is the gate (base) voltage of the second switch Q2, which is also the drain (collector) voltage of the first switch Q1; and f is the gate (base) voltage of the third switch Q3.

[0087] When the input reference waveform signal Bw drives c to low, the gate low level of the first switch Q1 is in the off state, and the voltage at point e is pulled up to the high level of the power supply voltage VCC by the pull-up resistor R3; at this time, the gate high level of the second switch Q2 is turned on; at the same time, the gate low level of the third switch Q3 is in the off state, and the load capacitor C1 at point d is rapidly charged by the power supply voltage VCC because the second switch Q2 is turned on.

[0088] When the input reference waveform signal Bw drives c to high, the gate of the first switch Q1 is turned on at a high level, pulling the voltage at point e to the source GND of the first switch Q1. At this time, the gate of the second switch Q2 is turned off at a low level. Simultaneously, the gate of the third switch Q3 is turned on at point f at a high level, quickly discharging the energy stored in the load capacitor C1 at point d to ground. At this time, the load capacitor C1 discharges rapidly.

[0089] The push-pull circuit 400 can alternately push the signal to both positive and negative polarities to amplify it and apply it to a load, thus providing higher power and enabling high-speed switching. (Reference) Figure 4 As shown, line L1 represents the voltage waveform of the reference waveform signal Bw, and line L2 represents the voltage waveform of the push-pull waveform signal PPw after passing through the push-pull circuit 400. It can be seen that compared with the reference waveform signal Bw, the push-pull waveform signal PPw has a shorter rise and fall time, which can achieve a faster switching speed and improve the driving capability.

[0090] For example, the push-pull circuit 400 also includes a diode D1, which is located between the gate of the third switch Q3 and the signal input terminal. Diode D1 is not conducting when the input reference waveform signal Bw driving c is low, and conducts when the input reference waveform signal Bw driving c is high. Diode D1 can prevent the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3 from being turned on simultaneously, which could lead to the diode exploding.

[0091] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the power supply voltage of the push-pull circuit 400 is equal to the voltage value of the reference voltage signal Bv. If the power supply voltage VCC is too low, the second switch Q2 will easily saturate, resulting in an insufficient amplitude of the drive voltage output to the load capacitor C1, thus limiting the improvement of the drive capability by the push-pull circuit 400. If the power supply voltage is too high, the amplitude of the drive voltage output to the load capacitor C1 follows the amplitude of the drive square wave, at which point the second switch Q2 operates in the amplification region, increasing losses. By making the power supply voltage of the push-pull circuit 400 equal to the voltage value of the reference voltage signal Bv, the losses and switching speed of the totem pole circuit can be balanced, significantly improving the drive capability while keeping losses low.

[0092] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including an electrochromic component 600 and a driving circuit for driving the electrochromic component 600.

[0093] refer to Figure 6 The block diagram of the electronic device 700 shown may include one or more of the following components: processing component 702, memory 704, power component 706, multimedia component 708, audio component 710, input / output (I / O) interface 712, sensor component 714, and communication component 716.

[0094] Processing component 702 typically controls the overall operation of electronic device 700, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communication, camera operation, and recording operations. Processing component 702 may include one or more processors 720 to execute instructions. Furthermore, processing component 702 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between processing component 702 and other components. For example, processing component 702 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between multimedia component 708 and processing component 702. As another example, processing component 702 may read executable instructions from memory 704 to implement relevant functions of electronic device 700. For example, processing component 702 is used to implement the functions of the first signal generation module 100 and the second signal generation module in the aforementioned exemplary embodiments.

[0095] Memory 704 is configured to store various types of data to support the operation of electronic device 700. Examples of this data include instructions for any application or method operating on electronic device 700, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. Memory 704 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0096] Power component 706 provides power to various components of electronic device 700. Power component 706 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to electronic device 700. For example, power component 706 may include the aforementioned power supply for providing the preset input voltage VSYS of the BOOST boost circuit.

[0097] Multimedia component 708 includes a screen that provides an output interface between electronic device 700 and user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touchscreen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors may sense not only the boundaries of touch or swipe actions but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe operation. In some embodiments, multimedia component 708 includes a front-facing camera and / or a rear-facing camera. When electronic device 700 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or video mode, the front-facing camera and / or rear-facing camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front-facing camera and rear-facing camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0098] Audio component 710 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, audio component 710 includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when electronic device 700 is in an operating mode, such as call mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in memory 704 or transmitted via communication component 716. In some embodiments, audio component 710 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0099] Input / output (I / O) interface 712 provides an interface between processing component 702 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, home buttons, volume buttons, power buttons, and lock buttons.

[0100] Sensor assembly 714 includes one or more sensors for providing state assessments of various aspects of electronic device 700. For example, sensor assembly 714 can detect the on / off state of electronic device 700, the relative positioning of components such as the display and keypad of electronic device 700, changes in position of electronic device 700 or a component of electronic device 700, the presence or absence of user contact with electronic device 700, orientation or acceleration / deceleration of electronic device 700, and temperature changes of electronic device 700. Sensor assembly 714 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. Sensor assembly 714 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, sensor assembly 714 may also include an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure sensor, or temperature sensor.

[0101] Communication component 716 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between electronic device 700 and other devices. Electronic device 700 can access wireless networks based on communication standards, such as WiFi, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, other communication standards, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments of this disclosure, communication component 716 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In some embodiments of this disclosure, communication component 716 also includes a near-field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0102] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the electronic device 700 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components.

[0103] Furthermore, the electrochromic component 600 and the driving circuit have been described in the foregoing exemplary embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0104] The electronic device disclosed herein can, for the reference voltage signal Bv and reference waveform signal Bw provided by the first signal generation module 100, boost the reference voltage signal Bv once through the first boost circuit 210 to obtain the first driving voltage Vout1, and boost the first driving voltage Vout1 a second time through the second boost circuit 220 to obtain at least one driving voltage; then use the result of the two boosts as the input of the analog switch 300, and use the reference waveform signal Bw as the basis for logic shutdown to obtain the driving signal for driving the electrochromic component 600, thereby providing a richer driving signal conveniently and quickly to meet the diverse color-changing needs of the electrochromic component 600.

[0105] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A driving circuit, characterized in that, The driving circuit includes: The first signal generation module is used to generate a reference voltage signal and a reference waveform signal; The boost module includes a first boost circuit and a second boost circuit; the first boost circuit is used to boost the received reference voltage signal and output a first drive voltage; the second boost circuit is used to boost the first drive voltage and output at least one boost drive voltage. An analog switch is used to modulate the first driving voltage and the boost driving voltage according to the reference waveform signal to generate a driving signal, which is used to drive the electrochromic component.

2. The driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving circuit also includes a power supply and a second signal generation module. The power supply is used to provide a preset voltage, and the second signal generation module is used to generate a voltage divider signal. The first boost circuit includes a voltage divider circuit and a BOOST boost circuit. The voltage divider circuit is used to generate a divided voltage based on the reference voltage signal and the divided voltage signal. The feedback pin of the BOOST boost circuit is connected to the output terminal of the voltage divider circuit and is used to adjust the preset voltage to the first driving voltage corresponding to the divided voltage based on the received divided voltage.

3. The driving circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The voltage divider circuit includes at least two voltage divider branches connected in parallel; each voltage divider branch is provided with a corresponding voltage divider resistor; the voltage divider signal is used to control the conduction or disconnection of each voltage divider branch.

4. The driving circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The second boost circuit includes at least a first boost branch and a second boost branch; the first boost branch is used to boost the first driving voltage and output a second driving voltage; the second boost branch is used to boost the second driving voltage and output a third driving voltage; the boost driving voltage includes at least the second driving voltage and the third driving voltage.

5. The driving circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first boost branch includes a first charging capacitor, a first boost diode, and a second boost diode; the first driving voltage is connected to the first terminal of the first charging capacitor through the first boost diode, and the first terminal of the first charging capacitor is also connected to the output terminal of the first boost branch through the second boost diode; the second terminal of the first charging capacitor is connected to a pulse voltage signal; the first charging capacitor is used to charge when the pulse voltage signal is turned on and to discharge when the pulse voltage signal is turned off.

6. The driving circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The input voltage of the first boost circuit is connected to the output terminal of the first boost circuit through a boost inductor. A switch pin is connected between the boost inductor and the output terminal of the first boost circuit. The switch pin is used to provide the pulse voltage signal. The second terminal of the first charging capacitor is connected to the switch pin.

7. The driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving circuit further includes a push-pull circuit, the input of which is connected to the first signal generation module and is used to generate a push-pull waveform signal based on the reference waveform signal; the analog switch is used to modulate the first driving voltage and the boost driving voltage based on the push-pull waveform signal to generate the driving signal.

8. The driving circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The power supply voltage of the push-pull circuit is equal to the voltage value of the reference voltage signal.

9. The driving circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reference waveform signal is output to the enable pin of the analog switch to control the switching frequency and duty cycle of the analog switch.

10. The driving circuit according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, A low-pass filter is provided between the analog switch and the electrochromic component. The low-pass filter is used to filter the driving signal and convert the square wave signal into a sine wave signal.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: Electrochromic components; The driving circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is used to drive the electrochromic component.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The electrochromic component includes a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The electronic device includes an audio processor connected to the first signal generation module; the audio processor is used to acquire the reference voltage signal and the reference waveform signal corresponding to the audio file, and send them to the first signal generation module.

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