Pre-drive circuit, chip, drive circuit and boost-buck operating circuit

Abstract

The application discloses a pre-driver circuit, a chip, a driving circuit and a step-up and step-down working circuit. The pre-driver circuit comprises a controller, a voltage-doubling charge pump module and a half-bridge pre-driver module. The controller is connected with the voltage-doubling charge pump module and the half-bridge pre-driver module respectively, and the voltage-doubling charge pump module is connected with the half-bridge pre-driver module. The half-bridge pre-driver module is used for driving each half-bridge structure in time. The half-bridge pre-driver module comprises a plurality of pre-drivers, and each pre-driver is used for connecting a half-bridge structure. The voltage-doubling charge pump module is used for increasing the battery voltage by a plurality of times through a connected capacitor, and then providing the increased battery voltage to each half-bridge structure to be driven through the half-bridge pre-driver module. The controller is used for dynamically switching different working modes and configuring each half-bridge structure to be driven by the half-bridge pre-driver module in the switched working mode, so that the half-bridge pre-driver module works in different working modes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of circuit control, specifically to pre-drive circuits, chips, drive circuits, and buck-boost circuits. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the operating voltage of a single lithium battery is generally between 3.2V and 4.2V. The supply voltage generated by connecting multiple lithium batteries in series can reach 6.4V to 8.4V. However, connecting multiple lithium batteries in series will bring problems such as increased size, battery balancing, and charging voltage boost (most chargers are 5V). Therefore, single lithium batteries are widely used in applications such as battery-powered applications in everyday furniture, small appliances, toys, etc. However, single lithium batteries also bring many problems. When driving a MOSFET, a gate drive voltage of more than 4.5V is required to reduce the on-resistance of the MOSFET to the minimum value. For example, the internal resistance formed after applying a gate drive voltage of 3.5V to the MOSFET is 30% or more greater than the internal resistance formed after applying a gate drive voltage of 4.5V to the same MOSFET. Thus, using a decreasing voltage to drive the MOSFET will reduce its driving capability and bring problems such as low efficiency and heat generation, affecting the normal operation of devices powered by a single lithium battery.

[0003] In the motor control circuit disclosed in Chinese invention patent application number 202410226629.1, the boost-buck controller adjusts the voltage at the system voltage node through two switching transistors and an inductor. The boost drive circuit switched by the boost-buck controller adjusts the voltage at the system voltage node to the target boost voltage and feeds it back to the motor gate driver, forming a duty cycle signal for controlling the motor speed. This avoids the motor driving function being unable to be performed due to the high on-resistance of the switching transistors. The motor control circuit does not provide a complete drive bridge topology (such as an H-bridge drive structure), but only uses a fourth switching transistor to directly control the motor, which cannot form a bridge circuit for driving a three-phase motor. The first, second, and third switching transistors in the motor control circuit, which assist the boost-buck controller in voltage and current regulation, are all integrated into the chip. This increases the chip area, and the heat generated by the internal resistance of the integrated switching transistors will significantly affect the chip performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses a pre-drive circuit, a chip, a drive circuit, and a buck-boost working circuit, and the specific technical solutions involved are as follows:

[0005] A pre-drive circuit includes a controller, a voltage doubler charge pump module, and a half-bridge pre-drive module. The controller is connected to both the voltage doubler charge pump module and the half-bridge pre-drive module, and the voltage doubler charge pump module is connected to the half-bridge pre-drive module. The half-bridge pre-drive module is used to time-division drive each half-bridge structure. The half-bridge pre-drive module includes multiple pre-drivers, each pre-driver connecting to one half-bridge structure. The voltage doubler charge pump module boosts the battery voltage by multiple times through a connected capacitor, and then provides the boosted battery voltage to each half-bridge structure to be driven via the half-bridge pre-drive module. The controller dynamically switches between different operating modes and configures the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive each half-bridge structure in the switched operating mode, thus reusing the half-bridge pre-drive module to operate in different operating modes. As described above, the pre-drive circuit allows the controller to reuse the voltage multiplier charge pump module to provide the boosted battery voltage to the half-bridge pre-drive module under different operating modes. This causes the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive the corresponding half-bridge structure to perform corresponding voltage regulation, achieving time-sharing: step-down charging of the battery through the corresponding pre-driver, boost or step-down output through two pre-drivers, or driving three half-bridge structures to control the brushless DC motor through three pre-drivers. This allows for dynamic switching of different operating modes (such as Buck, Boost, and motor drive) while reusing hardware resources, adapting to different application scenarios and reducing the overall circuit system complexity and cost.

[0006] A chip has ports including a battery power supply terminal, multiple voltage terminals, multiple high-side drive terminals, and multiple low-side drive terminals. The chip internally includes the aforementioned pre-drive circuit. The battery power supply terminal is used to input battery voltage via a battery connection. A half-bridge pre-drive module is used to time-division multiplex each half-bridge structure by connecting each high-side drive terminal and each low-side drive terminal. The half-bridge pre-drive module includes multiple pre-drivers, each pre-driver connected to a high-side drive terminal and a low-side drive terminal, with each high-side drive terminal and low-side drive terminal used to connect one half-bridge structure. A voltage multiplier charge pump module is used to boost the battery voltage multiple times via capacitors connected to multiple voltage terminals, and then provide the boosted battery voltage to the required half-bridge structures via the half-bridge pre-drive module. As can be seen from the chip described above, the controller inside the chip reuses the voltage doubler charge pump module to provide the boosted battery voltage to the half-bridge pre-drive module in different operating modes, causing the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive the corresponding half-bridge structure to perform corresponding voltage regulation. Thus, different operating modes (such as Buck, Boost, and motor drive) can be dynamically switched while reusing hardware resources. The same chip supports multiple functions, reducing the complexity and cost of the peripheral circuit system.

[0007] A driving circuit includes multiple charging capacitors, a multi-channel half-bridge structure, a battery, and a driving control device. The driving control device is either the pre-driving circuit or the chip described in claim 8. The ports of the driving control device include a battery power supply terminal, multiple voltage terminals, multiple high-side driving terminals, and multiple low-side driving terminals. The battery power supply terminal of the driving control device is connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and the negative terminal of the battery is grounded to input the battery voltage. The driving control device is connected to one half-bridge structure through one high-side driving terminal and one low-side driving terminal to drive the corresponding half-bridge structure in a time-sharing manner. The driving control device is connected to each charging capacitor through multiple voltage terminals to boost the battery voltage by a multiple factor and provide the boosted battery voltage to each half-bridge structure to be driven. The driving control device is used to dynamically switch between different operating modes and sequentially configure the half-bridge structures to be driven in each operating mode. In summary, the driving circuit disclosed in this application is composed of multiple charging capacitors, a multi-channel half-bridge structure, a battery, and the chip connected together. It can be dynamically reused in different working modes. It not only realizes the reuse of the multi-channel half-bridge structure, but also solves the problem of the separation of power supply step-up / step-down and motor drive system in traditional solutions. It provides a low-cost template for circuit design in portable devices, home appliances and other fields.

[0008] The buck-boost circuit includes an inductor, a first filter capacitor, a second filter capacitor, and a driving circuit. The multi-channel half-bridge structure comprises a first half-bridge structure, a second half-bridge structure, and a third half-bridge structure. The first half-bridge structure is used to input charging power. The second half-bridge structure is also connected to one end of the second filter capacitor, the other end of which is grounded. The connection point between the second half-bridge structure and the second filter capacitor is the voltage output terminal of the buck-boost circuit. Both the first and second half-bridge structures are connected to one end of the inductor, the other end of which is connected to the third half-bridge structure. The third half-bridge structure is also connected to one end of the first filter capacitor, the other end of which is grounded. The third half-bridge structure is also connected to the positive terminal of the battery. In summary, the buck-boost circuit supports handling battery charging and power supply in charging mode, Buck mode, and Boost mode. It dynamically switches to different operating modes when the corresponding switches in the inductor and the multi-channel half-bridge structure are multiplexed, adapting to different power application scenarios and reducing circuit system complexity and chip design costs. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This application discloses a connection diagram of a pre-drive circuit according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 This application discloses a schematic diagram of the internal modules of a chip according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 A connection diagram of a buck-boost circuit is disclosed for another embodiment of this application.

[0012] Figure 4 This application discloses a connection diagram of a three-phase bridge drive circuit as another embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0013] In the following description, specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits may be shown in block diagrams so as not to obscure the embodiments with unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques may not be shown in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments.

[0014] Devices powered by a single lithium battery, including everyday small appliances and toys, are generally motor-driven devices powered by DC power. Moreover, the control circuit of such motor-driven devices usually incorporates analog devices. As the battery's operating time increases, the supply voltage provided by the battery changes. The supply voltage received by the analog device is no longer constant, and the operating voltage of the chip built into the analog device becomes low or unstable, while the battery continues to consume power.

[0015] When using MOSFETs to drive motors in everyday furniture, small appliances, and toys, the on-resistance of the MOSFET is negatively correlated with its gate voltage. Therefore, MOSFETs often require a gate drive voltage of 4.5V or higher to achieve the minimum on-resistance. For example, 3.5V versus 4.5V can result in a difference of 30% or more in the on-resistance of the MOSFET. This leads to low efficiency and heat generation, affecting the normal operation of devices powered by a single lithium battery. In some cases, the on-resistance of certain drive branches may be too high to drive the device.

[0016] The operating voltage of a single lithium battery is typically between 3.2V and 4.2V. By connecting them in series, a voltage of 6.4V to 8.4V can be achieved. However, series connection introduces problems such as increased circuit area, battery balancing, and voltage boosting during charging (most chargers operate at 5V). Existing technologies often employ a dedicated boost circuit to power the gate driver chip, which then controls the output of the MOSFET to address the on-resistance issue. Simultaneously, to ensure battery charging, a buck switching power supply chip is integrated / switched to charge the battery. Furthermore, the three-phase inductance of the motor is reused to integrate drive and charging / discharging functions, resulting in a complex system. Some existing technologies, in an effort to simplify circuit design, do not provide a complete drive bridge topology (such as an H-bridge circuit structure), instead using a single switching transistor to directly control the motor, thus failing to construct a bridge circuit for driving a three-phase motor.

[0017] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application discloses a pre-drive circuit that integrates multiple functions, effectively reusing a full-bridge or half-bridge structure, and supporting applications in home appliance operating scenarios such as battery charging and motor driving. The pre-drive circuit includes a controller, a voltage multiplier charge pump module, and a half-bridge pre-drive module, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the controller is connected to the voltage doubler charge pump module and the half-bridge pre-drive module respectively. The voltage doubler charge pump module is connected to the half-bridge pre-drive module. The voltage doubler charge pump module can be set with relevant voltage terminals to connect capacitors, and the half-bridge pre-drive module can be set with high-side drive terminals and low-side drive terminals to connect to each half-bridge structure. Figure 1 Not shown in the diagram. The voltage doubler charge pump module and controller can be directly or indirectly connected to the positive terminal of the battery to input the battery voltage, combined with... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As can be seen, the voltage doubler charge pump module connects to 3 capacitors through 6 voltage terminals. In the half-bridge pre-drive module shown in the figure, each pre-driver has a high-side drive terminal and a low-side drive terminal to connect to the switching transistor.

[0018] A half-bridge pre-driver module is used for time-division multiplexing of each half-bridge structure. The module includes multiple pre-drivers, each connected to one half-bridge structure. Specifically, the module drives each half-bridge structure in a time-division multiplexing manner by connecting each high-side driver and each low-side driver. Each pre-driver connects to one high-side driver and one low-side driver, connecting one half-bridge structure. Two half-bridge structures form a full-bridge circuit, and the two half-bridge structures are connected to form an H-bridge circuit, enabling the pre-driver module to drive the H-bridge circuit. Each half-bridge structure is a bridge circuit structure, connected by switching transistors. This application uses each pre-driver to control the current direction or voltage of the bridge circuit structure. Voltage polarity, particularly by using the duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to sequentially set the on-time and off-time of each switch within the same half-bridge structure, as well as the on-time and off-time of switches between different half-bridge structures, drives the output voltage of each half-bridge structure to rise or fall. For example, one half-bridge structure is connected to a battery, which can be charged by step-down charging through various pre-drivers. Simultaneously, another half-bridge structure is connected to the voltage output terminal of an H-bridge circuit (equivalent to the output terminal of a buck driver circuit or a boost driver circuit). The voltage output terminal of the H-bridge circuit is... Figure 3 The Buck-Boost output shown indicates that this application can achieve boost or buck output through the energy storage function of each pre-driver in conjunction with the inductor; it can also control the operation of a DC brushless motor by driving the three-phase bridge arm (which is essentially composed of three half-bridge structures) through each pre-driver.

[0019] The half-bridge pre-driver module, as a pre-drive circuit, converts control signals (low voltage, low current) into high voltage and high current signals capable of driving the corresponding half-bridge structure (including switching transistors) through each high-side drive terminal and each low-side drive terminal. Therefore, the half-bridge pre-driver module disclosed in this application can be reused in different operating modes to drive the switching transistors inside the corresponding half-bridge structure. It can also be understood as reusing multiple half-bridge structures in different operating modes through the half-bridge pre-driver module, reducing the integration of switching transistors inside the pre-drive circuit, and cooperating with the half-bridge pre-driver module inside the pre-drive circuit to drive each half-bridge structure in a time-division multiplexing manner.

[0020] The voltage multiplier charge pump module is used to boost the battery voltage by multiple times through connected capacitors, and then provides the boosted battery voltage to each half-bridge structure to be driven through the half-bridge pre-drive module. Specifically, the voltage multiplier charge pump module is used to boost the battery voltage by multiple times through multiple voltage terminals connected capacitors, and then provides the boosted battery voltage to each half-bridge structure to be driven through the half-bridge pre-drive module. The voltage multiplier charge pump module has an internal voltage multiplication circuit, which increases the input voltage regardless of the operating mode configured by the controller. The increased input voltage is distributed to each half-bridge structure to be driven through the half-bridge pre-drive module, thereby reducing the on-resistance of the switching transistors in each half-bridge structure to be driven.

[0021] The number of capacitors connected to the voltage multiplier charge pump module is equal to the sum of the battery voltage boost factor and the value 1, corresponding to... Figure 3 In this design, a voltage doubler charge pump module is connected to three capacitors sequentially via six voltage terminals. The battery voltage can be identified using BAT, and the voltage boost factor is equal to 2, resulting in the output voltage of the voltage doubler charge pump module being three times the battery voltage. When the battery voltage BAT equals the operating voltage of a single lithium battery, and is between 3.2V and 4.2V, the on-resistance of the driving switch is insufficient, indicating a problem of high on-resistance. Therefore, this application uses a voltage doubler charge pump module to boost the battery voltage, and then applies the boosted battery voltage to one or more half-bridge structures that require driving, reducing the on-resistance of the internal switches and improving driving capability. Compared to existing technologies, this reduces the number of inductors and also addresses the deficiency in existing automotive applications that do not reduce the on-resistance of the switches.

[0022] The controller dynamically switches between different operating modes and configures the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive the required half-bridge structures in the switched operating mode, thereby reusing the half-bridge pre-drive module to operate in different modes. Preferably, the controller configures the half-bridge pre-drive module to enter the corresponding operating mode sequentially by generating different duty cycle signals, which can have a certain switching control strategy and focuses on the reuse of the half-bridge pre-drive module.

[0023] Switching control strategies include:

[0024] When the controller detects that a half-bridge structure is connected to the charging power supply, the half-bridge pre-drive module drives the switching transistors in different half-bridge structures to conduct alternately, thereby performing step-down charging of the battery. Specifically, the pre-drive circuit connects the battery and the charging power supply respectively through different switching transistors in the half-bridge structure connected to the half-bridge pre-drive module. The controller can configure the half-bridge pre-drive module to enter the charging mode, so that the charging path is formed by connecting the various half-bridge structures that need to be driven in the charging mode. Then, the pre-drive circuit turns on the switching transistors to allow the charging power supply to work with the inductor to perform step-down charging of the battery.

[0025] When the controller detects that the voltage BAT of battery B1 is greater than the preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is greater than the voltage BAT of battery B1, the half-bridge pre-drive module drives the corresponding switching transistor in the half-bridge structure to conduct in a time-sharing manner. In conjunction with the energy storage and release function of the inductor, the output voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is reduced, thereby achieving the voltage reduction effect of the Buck drive circuit.

[0026] When the controller detects that the voltage BAT of battery B1 is less than a preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is less than the voltage BAT of battery B1, the half-bridge pre-drive module drives the corresponding switching transistor in the half-bridge structure to conduct in a time-sharing manner. In conjunction with the energy storage and release function of the inductor, the output voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is increased, achieving the boost effect of the Boost drive circuit.

[0027] Specifically, the pre-drive circuit connects to the battery and Buck-Boost output terminals via different switching transistors in the half-bridge structure connected to the half-bridge pre-drive module. The controller can configure the half-bridge pre-drive module to enter Buck-Boost mode. In Buck-Boost mode, the various half-bridge structures to be driven form charging and discharging paths in conjunction with inductors and capacitors. When the voltage BAT of battery B1 is greater than a preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or when the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is greater than the voltage BAT of battery B1, it is multiplexed into a Buck drive circuit to pull down the battery voltage output (equivalent to pulling down the input voltage of the Buck drive circuit). When the voltage BAT of battery B1 (the positive terminal voltage when the negative terminal of the battery is grounded) is less than the preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or when the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is less than the input voltage of the Boost drive circuit, it pulls up the battery voltage output (equivalent to pulling up the input voltage of the Boost drive circuit). Thus, the operating mode can be switched via software configuration of the controller without modifying the hardware.

[0028] When the controller detects that the three half-bridge structures are connected to the three-phase motor windings respectively, and the motor needs to be driven, the three half-bridge structures are sequentially turned on through the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive the motor. Specifically, the controller outputs a pulse-width modulation signal with a certain duty cycle to the half-bridge pre-drive module through the voltage doubler charge pump module. Within the half-bridge pre-drive module, three pre-drivers are selected to drive the three half-bridge structures to conduct in an orderly manner, equivalent to sequentially turning on the three-phase bridge arms, forming a rotating magnetic field to drive the brushless DC motor. Thus, the pre-drive circuit is used in the three-phase brushless motor drive to coordinate the switching timing of the multiple pre-drivers.

[0029] As described above, the pre-drive circuit allows the controller to reuse the voltage multiplier charge pump module to provide the boosted battery voltage to the half-bridge pre-drive module under different operating modes. This causes the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive the corresponding half-bridge structure to perform corresponding voltage regulation, achieving time-sharing: step-down charging of the battery through the corresponding pre-driver, boost or step-down output through two pre-drivers, or driving three half-bridge structures to control the brushless DC motor through three pre-drivers. This allows for dynamic switching of different operating modes (such as Buck, Boost, and motor drive) while reusing hardware resources, adapting to different application scenarios and reducing circuit system complexity and cost.

[0030] As one embodiment, the controller is used to control the half-bridge pre-drive module to be multiplexed in different operating modes by dynamically adjusting the duty cycle and phase, wherein the operating mode is charging mode, Buck-Boost mode, or brushless DC motor drive mode, so that the controller can at least flexibly switch between Buck (buck) mode, Boost (boost) mode, or brushless DC motor drive mode. Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the half-bridge pre-drive module is reused in the following way:

[0031] In charging mode, the first high-side switch, the first low-side switch, and the inductor form a Buck converter circuit. Alternatively, the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch can both be connected to the same inductor, forming a Buck converter circuit. The first pre-driver controls one half-bridge structure including the first high-side switch, and the second pre-driver controls one half-bridge structure including the first low-side switch. Therefore, the half-bridge pre-driver module in charging mode drives one half-bridge structure controlled by the first pre-driver and one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver. The half-bridge structure controlled by the first pre-driver is used to connect to the charging power supply. Figure 3 In the diagram, the first high-side switch is schematically represented by the first switch Q1, and the first low-side switch is schematically represented by the third switch Q3. The second transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 and is also connected to one end of the inductor L. The first transmission terminal ChargerIN of the first high-side switch can be connected to the charging power supply; a half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver is used to connect to the battery, corresponding to... Figure 3 In this configuration, the first transmission terminal of the fourth switch connected to the third pre-driver is connected to the positive terminal of battery B1. Therefore, when the first transmission terminal Charger IN of the first high-side switch is connected to the charging power supply, it enters charging mode, driving the charging power supply connected to the first high-side switch to alternately conduct on the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch. By utilizing the inductor's energy storage and release mechanism, the voltage transmitted to the connection node between inductor L and capacitor Cv1 is gradually reduced, thus performing step-down charging of the battery.

[0032] In Buck-Boost mode, two half-bridge structures are driven to form an H-bridge circuit structure. The H-bridge circuit structure is used to form a Buck-Boost circuit by connecting inductors. The Buck-Boost circuit includes a Buck driver circuit (responsible for buck conversion) and a Boost driver circuit (responsible for boost conversion), respectively realizing boost output in Boost mode or buck output in Buck mode. The two half-bridge structures forming the H-bridge circuit structure are one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver and one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver. That is, the half-bridge pre-driver module needs to drive the following half-bridge structures in Buck-Boost mode: one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver and one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver. Figure 3 In the second pre-driver controlled half-bridge structure, one channel includes a second switch Q2 and a third switch Q3. The third pre-driver controlled half-bridge structure, another channel includes a fourth switch Q4 and a fifth switch Q5. The second transmission terminal (Buck-Boost output terminal) of the second switch Q2 in the second pre-driver controlled half-bridge structure supports boost output in Boost mode or buck output in Buck mode. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 in the third pre-driver controlled half-bridge structure is connected to battery B1. Therefore, the controller can control the half-bridge pre-driver module in Buck-Boost mode to drive the Boost driver circuit for boosting or the Buck driver circuit for bucking, based on the actual load requirements. This, combined with the energy storage function of the inductor, boosts the battery voltage (3.2V-4.2V) to a higher voltage (e.g., 5V-12V) or bucks it to a lower voltage.

[0033] In the brushless DC motor drive mode, the three-phase bridge arms are sequentially turned on by PWM signals to drive the motor. The three bridge arms are respectively one half-bridge structure controlled by the first pre-driver, one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver, and one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver. Figure 4 In the first pre-driver, one half-bridge structure includes a first switch Q1 and a zero switch Q0, with the connection node between the first switch Q1 and the zero switch Q0 being the U-phase output terminal. The second pre-driver controls one half-bridge structure including a second switch Q2 and a third switch Q3, with the connection node between the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3 being the V-phase output terminal. The third pre-driver controls one half-bridge structure including a fourth switch Q4 and a fifth switch Q5, with the connection node between the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5 being the W-phase output terminal.

[0034] Therefore, the half-bridge pre-drive module is reused to drive the three-phase bridge arms in the DC brushless motor drive mode. Specifically, the controller controls the half-bridge pre-drive module to generate a PWM signal with a phase difference of 120 degrees to control the three-phase bridge arms to conduct in sequence to drive the motor. Thus, the half-bridge pre-drive module drives the DC brushless motor. The three pre-drivers integrated in the half-bridge pre-drive module (each supporting high-side + low-side drive) can directly correspond to the three-phase bridge arms and coordinate the switching sequence of the three-phase bridge arms without the need for additional drive modules.

[0035] In conjunction with the Buck-Boost mode, it can be understood that the controller supports reconfiguring the half-bridge pre-drive module used in Buck-Boost mode or charging mode as a three-phase bridge driver, thereby achieving mode reuse and enabling the same half-bridge pre-drive module to support power conversion and motor drive.

[0036] It should be noted that, based on the controller's configuration of the half-bridge pre-drive module, entering charging mode, in charging mode, combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 3 It can be seen that the first switch Q1 is set as the first high-side switch, and the third switch Q3 is set as the first low-side switch. The first high-side switch and the first low-side switch are connected to the positive terminal of the battery through inductor L, so that inductor L is reused as an energy storage inductor in charging mode. Furthermore, according to the controller's configuration of the half-bridge pre-drive module, it can switch from charging mode to Buck-Boost mode, selecting two half-bridge structures forming an H-bridge structure connected through inductor L, without requiring physical connection changes during mode switching; for example... Figure 3 As shown, one half-bridge structure forming the H-bridge structure includes a second switch Q2 and a third switch Q3, with the connection node of the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3 connected to one end of the inductor L; the other half-bridge structure forming the H-bridge structure includes a fourth switch Q4 and a fifth switch Q5, with the connection node of the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5 connected to the other end of the inductor L, allowing the inductor L to be reused as an energy storage inductor in both Buck-Boost mode and charging mode. The Buck-Boost mode includes Buck mode and Boost mode. In Buck mode, the inductor L assists the battery in step-down output, and in Boost mode, the inductor L assists the battery in step-up output. Thus, the chip and the required half-bridge structures share the same inductor L in both Buck-Boost mode and charging mode, reducing the number of inductors and lowering costs.

[0037] In the brushless DC motor drive mode, the inductor is bypassed by a switch to isolate it from the half-bridge structures. Specifically, in the brushless DC motor drive mode, the half-bridge pre-drive module isolates the influence of inductor L from the three-phase bridge arms by bypassing the switch (e.g., disconnecting via a switch or relay), leaving the inductors in the three-phase motor windings to exert their influence. However, the inductors in the three-phase motor windings do not constitute reusable inductors in this application, unlike inductor L. Compared to the prior art, the Buck-Boost mode and charging mode configured in this application do not reuse the inductors in the three-phase motor windings (i.e., the motor's inductance).

[0038] As one example, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 3 It can be seen that the half-bridge pre-driver module is used to drive the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch alternately to conduct in charging mode; wherein, one high-side driving terminal of the half-bridge pre-driver module is connected to the gate of the first high-side switch, and one low-side driving terminal of the half-bridge pre-driver module is connected to the gate of the first low-side switch, and the first high-side switch is used to connect to the charging power supply; schematically, the first high-side switch is the first switch Q1, the first low-side switch is the third switch Q3, the first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the first switch Q1 through a high-side driving terminal, and the second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the third switch Q3 through a low-side driving terminal; the first transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 (which can be referred to as the input terminal of the switch, by Charger) The IN symbol indicates that the device is connected to the charging power supply, which also means that the charging device is inserted. After receiving the charging command signal, the first switch Q1 is turned on. For example, when the charging power supply is inserted, if the controller detects a 5V charging request signal, the controller controls the first pre-driver and the second pre-driver to alternately turn on the first switch Q1 and the third switch Q3, and transmits the voltage provided by the charging power supply through the first switch Q1.

[0039] Based on this, the half-bridge pre-drive module is also used in charging mode to drive one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver to establish a path between the inductor and the battery, corresponding to Figure 3 In the middle, the two transmission terminals (the first transmission terminal and the second transmission terminal, respectively) of the fourth switch Q4 in the half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver are connected to the positive terminal of the battery B1 and the inductor L, respectively. When the fourth switch Q4 is kept on, a path is established between the inductor and the battery, so that the charging power supply uses the inductor L to store and release electrical energy during the alternating conduction of the first high-side switch Q1 and the first low-side switch Q3, and charges the battery B1 by step-down charging.

[0040] Figure 3The circuit disclosed in the figure consists of a first high-side switch Q1, a first low-side switch Q3, an inductor L, and a capacitor Cv1, forming a Buck step-down circuit. The first high-side switch Q1 acts as the main switch, controlling the connection between the charging power supply and the inductor L. The first low-side switch Q3 (low-side synchronous rectifier switch) replaces the freewheeling diode in the traditional Buck circuit, providing a freewheeling path for the inductor L when Q1 is turned off, thus reducing conduction losses.

[0041] The switching control is based on the pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generated by the controller. The core is to adjust the duty cycle of the switches to alternately turn on the first high-side switch Q1 and the first low-side switch Q3, thereby controlling the average output voltage of the charging power supply input to the first high-side switch and ensuring that the fourth switch Q4 is always on. Combined with the energy storage and release function of the inductor L and the energy storage function of the capacitor Cv1, the voltage of the charging power supply input at Charge_IN is stepped down to charge the battery B1, achieving the effect of step-down charging of the battery.

[0042] As one example, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 3 As can be seen, the half-bridge pre-driver module is used to control the time-sharing conduction of each switch in the H-bridge structure in Buck-Boost mode. It also needs to combine the energy storage functions of inductor L, the first filter capacitor Cv1, and the second filter capacitor Cv2. By driving each switch to conduct in a time-sharing manner, the inductor's energy storage and release are controlled, enabling the H-bridge circuit structure to boost the voltage in Boost mode or buck the voltage in Buck mode, resulting in a regulated voltage output from the Buck-Boost output terminal shown in the figure. In this embodiment, the half-bridge pre-driver module drives the time-sharing conduction of each switch in the H-bridge circuit structure, and then, based on the corresponding high-side and low-side switches in the H-bridge circuit structure, controls the inductor and capacitor to charge and discharge in stages, achieving either a boosted or bucked output voltage.

[0043] The Buck-Boost mode can be divided into Buck mode (step-down mode) and Boost mode (step-up mode). It is classified as a non-charging mode, which does not allow the charging power supply to intervene through the first switch Q1. It starts the boost or step-down of the battery voltage from the battery B1, and finally outputs the boost or step-down result from the Buck-Boost output terminal.

[0044] In Buck mode, the half-bridge pre-driver module, while keeping the switching transistors connected to the inductor and Buck-Boost output respectively at their two transmission terminals in one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver on, controls the switching transistors in one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver to conduct in a time-division manner. This corresponds to... Figure 3In Buck mode, the core components of the Buck driver circuit are inductor L, fourth switch Q4, fifth switch Q5, and second filter capacitor Cv2. In this circuit, the second switch Q2 (whose two transmission terminals are connected to inductor L and the Buck-Boost output terminal respectively) is always on. It drives the fourth and fifth switches Q4 and Q5, controlling their time-sharing conduction (considered as periodically turning on and off), thus forming a buck logic. This time-sharing control of the energy transmission path of inductor L reduces the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal, achieving the buck output of the H-bridge structure. The Buck-Boost output terminal is connected to the chip's output voltage feedback terminal. Therefore, during the inductor's energy storage and release process, the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is reduced, achieving the buck output of the H-bridge structure, meaning the output voltage of the Boost driver circuit is lower than its input voltage.

[0045] In Boost mode, the half-bridge pre-drive module is used to control the switching transistors in the half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver to conduct in a time-division manner, while the two transmission terminals of the switching transistors in one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver are kept on, respectively connected to the inductor and the battery. This corresponds to... Figure 3 In Boost mode, the inductor L, the third switch Q3, the second switch Q2, and the first filter capacitor Cv1 form the core components of the Boost drive circuit. In the Boost drive circuit, the fourth switch Q4 (the switch whose two transmission terminals are connected to the inductor L and the battery B1 respectively) is always on. By driving the third switch Q3 and the second switch Q2, it controls the time-sharing conduction (considered as periodically conducting the third switch Q3 and the second switch Q2) to form boost logic. The third switch Q3 and the second switch Q2 act as high-side switches to control the energy transmission path of the inductor L in a time-sharing manner, while the fourth switch Q4 acts as a low-side switch to continuously conduct in order to fix the low-end potential of the inductor L. The charging and discharging paths of the inductor L are controlled at different stages, increasing the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal. Therefore, L is multiplexed as an energy storage inductor to increase the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal during the process of storing and releasing energy in the inductor, realizing the boost output of the H-bridge structure, that is, the output voltage of the Boost drive circuit is higher than its input voltage.

[0046] In summary, the controller dynamically adjusts the conduction timing of each switch within the same H-bridge circuit structure through the same half-bridge pre-drive module, realizing dynamic switching between Buck mode and Boost mode. This allows the same inductor to store and release energy in stages under different modes, enabling the H-bridge circuit structure to output either boost or buck voltage. It also reduces the number of components integrated inside the chip, optimizes the chip area, adapts to changes in input voltage and load, and improves chip performance while ensuring the reliability of the external H-bridge circuit structure.

[0047] As one example, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 4 It is understood that the controller is used to generate three-phase PWM signals to the half-bridge pre-drive module in the DC brushless motor drive mode; that is, the controller controls the half-bridge pre-drive module to be reused in the DC brushless motor drive mode by dynamically adjusting the duty cycle and phase. The three-phase PWM signals are U-phase PWM signal, V-phase PWM signal and W-phase PWM signal, and each phase PWM signal controls a pre-drive to drive a corresponding phase bridge arm. The half-bridge pre-drive module is used to generate a high-side drive signal at a high-side drive terminal connected to a corresponding pre-driver and a low-side drive signal at a low-side drive terminal connected to a corresponding pre-driver using the PWM signal of each phase. Then, the high-side drive signal and the low-side drive signal are used to sequentially turn on each phase bridge arm, thereby driving each phase motor winding to form a rotating magnetic field and driving the motor to run. Among them, the high-side drive signal and the low-side drive signal output by one pre-driver control the high-side switch (supporting high-side drive) and the low-side switch (supporting low-side drive) in one half-bridge structure, respectively. The signal output from the connection node of the high-side switch and the low-side switch in one half-bridge structure is used to turn on one phase bridge arm.

[0048] In this embodiment, the three-phase motor windings within the motor are connected to a corresponding phase bridge arm to receive control from the high-side drive signal and low-side drive signal generated by a pre-driver connected to the corresponding phase bridge arm via the corresponding phase PWM signal. Correspondingly, the half-bridge pre-drive module internally divides into a first pre-driver, a second pre-driver, and a third pre-driver, thereby multiplexing the half-bridge pre-drive module supporting Buck-Boost power conversion into a three-phase bridge driver to drive the brushless DC motor; wherein, the three pre-drivers integrated within the pre-drive circuit (each supporting high-side + low-side drive) can directly correspond to the three-phase half-bridge, allowing the drive requirements to match the pre-drive resources within the half-bridge pre-drive module, without the need for additional drive modules.

[0049] In one embodiment, the voltage doubler charge pump module includes at least two stages of switching structures, used to periodically switch the connection mode of the capacitors at each voltage terminal to increase the battery voltage in stages, and then provide the target driving voltage for each half-bridge structure to be driven, so as to reduce the on-resistance of the switching transistors in each half-bridge structure; when the source of the switching transistor in each half-bridge structure is grounded, the target driving voltage is the gate voltage, which also constitutes the on-state voltage of the switching transistor; when the voltage doubler charge pump module increases the on-state voltage, the on-resistance of the corresponding switching transistor in the half-bridge structure decreases.

[0050] In this embodiment, changing the capacitor connection method refers to the controller issuing a boost command to change the on / off state between each stage of the switching structure and the capacitor. Each capacitor used for charge pump boosting is connected to two corresponding voltage terminals in the drive control device. Each stage of the switching structure connects to a capacitor via a voltage terminal and controls the switching of that capacitor, forming a periodic charging and discharging path. Based on this, at least two stages of the switching structure are cascaded to form a voltage multiplier circuit. Internal logic control (e.g., controlling the switch state via a clock signal) multiplies the input battery voltage to obtain the target driving voltage, making the ratio between the target driving voltage and the battery voltage equal to the number of cascaded switching structures.

[0051] Corresponding to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this system, the voltage multiplier charge pump module connects to three capacitors via six voltage terminals, forming a triple voltage multiplier charge pump. This triple voltage multiplier charge pump is used to triple the battery voltage, ensuring that the voltage output from the half-bridge pre-drive module provides the necessary on-state voltage for the switching transistors within the half-bridge structure. For example, if the input voltage of the triple voltage multiplier charge pump is 3.2V-4.2V for a single lithium battery, the pump periodically switches (e.g., using MOSFETs or diodes) to change the connection method of the external capacitors, allowing the capacitors to charge in stages and then be connected in series to superimpose the voltage, achieving a triple voltage multiplier. This triple voltage multiplication may require at least two boost stages (either cascaded single-stage boost or direct three-stage superposition). This raises the single lithium battery voltage (3.2V-4.2V) to 9.6V-12.6V, providing sufficient high voltage (over 5V) for the MOSFET drive, reducing on-resistance, improving system efficiency, reducing heat generation, and preventing the switching transistors from failing to drive the load due to high on-resistance.

[0052] Because existing technologies integrate multiple auxiliary boost and buck switching transistors into the chip when designing drive circuits related to power supplies and motors, the chip area is increased, and the on-resistance of the integrated switching transistors generates significant heat, which also affects chip performance. Therefore, based on the aforementioned embodiments, this application discloses a chip that integrates multiple functions, effectively reusing a full-bridge or half-bridge structure, reducing the overall assembly circuit area, and supporting applications in home appliance scenarios such as battery charging and motor driving. The chip's ports include a battery power supply terminal, multiple voltage terminals, multiple high-side drive terminals, and multiple low-side drive terminals. Internally, the chip includes a controller, a voltage doubler charge pump module, and a half-bridge pre-drive module. The controller is electrically connected to both the voltage doubler charge pump module and the half-bridge pre-drive module, and there is an electrical connection between the voltage doubler charge pump module and the half-bridge pre-drive module. All components and connection nodes between modules within the chip are located within the chip and can be connected to the relevant ports. (Not shown in the figure.) Figures 2 to 4 As can be seen, the battery power supply terminal is port VCC_IN and is considered to be connected to the positive terminal of the battery. The six voltage terminals are respectively aligned to the voltage doubler charge pump module shown in the figure and can be connected to capacitors. Multiple high-side drive terminals and multiple low-side drive terminals are respectively connected to the pre-drivers in the half-bridge pre-driver module shown in the figure. It should be noted that, although Figure 2 The chip is represented by 15 pins in the form of ports, but the chip may include more than 7 pins. For example, a half-bridge pre-drive module can bring out multiple pins in the chip package for multi-phase motor drive, and a voltage doubler charge pump module can bring out pins in the chip package for multiple voltage boosts. Load / voltage output pins are also provided, etc.

[0053] The battery power supply terminal is used to input battery voltage by connecting a battery; the battery power supply terminal VCC_IN is connected to the positive terminal + of battery B1 to input battery voltage BAT to the chip, which can power the chip.

[0054] A half-bridge pre-driver module is used to time-division multiplex the operation of each half-bridge structure by connecting each high-side driver terminal and each low-side driver terminal. The half-bridge pre-driver module includes multiple pre-drivers, each connected to one high-side driver terminal and one low-side driver terminal. Each high-side and low-side driver terminal connects to one half-bridge structure, and two half-bridge structures form a full-bridge circuit. These two half-bridge structures are then connected to form an H-bridge circuit structure, enabling the half-bridge pre-driver module to drive the H-bridge circuit structure. Each half-bridge structure is a bridge circuit structure, connected by switching transistors, and is not integrated into the chip. This application uses each pre-driver to control the bridge structure. The current direction or voltage polarity of the circuit structure, especially by using the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal (PWM signal) to orderly set the on-time and off-time of each switch in the same half-bridge structure, as well as the on-time and off-time of switches in different half-bridge structures, drives the output voltage of each half-bridge structure to rise or fall. For example, one half-bridge structure is connected to a battery, which can be charged by step-down charging through each pre-driver. At the same time, another half-bridge structure is connected to the voltage output terminal of the H-bridge circuit structure (equivalent to the output terminal of the buck driver circuit or the boost driver circuit). The voltage output terminal of the H-bridge circuit structure is... Figure 3 The Buck-Boost output shown indicates that this application can achieve boost or buck output through the energy storage function of each pre-driver in conjunction with the inductor; it can also control the operation of a DC brushless motor by driving the three-phase bridge arm (which is essentially composed of three half-bridge structures) through each pre-driver.

[0055] The half-bridge pre-driver module, as the pre-driver circuit inside the chip, converts control signals (low voltage, low current) into high voltage and high current signals capable of driving the corresponding half-bridge structure (including switching transistors) through each high-side driving terminal and each low-side driving terminal. Therefore, the half-bridge pre-driver module inside the chip disclosed in this application can be reused in different operating modes to drive the switching transistors inside the corresponding half-bridge structure. It can also be understood that the half-bridge pre-driver module reuses multiple half-bridge structures in different operating modes, reducing the number of switching transistors integrated inside the chip, and cooperating with the half-bridge pre-driver module inside the chip to drive each half-bridge structure in a time-division multiplexing manner, significantly reducing the chip area occupied.

[0056] The voltage multiplier charge pump module is used to boost the battery voltage by multiple times by connecting capacitors to multiple voltage terminals. Then, the boosted battery voltage is provided to each half-bridge structure to be driven by the half-bridge pre-drive module. The voltage multiplier charge pump module has an internal voltage multiplication circuit, which increases the input voltage regardless of the operating mode configured by the controller. The increased input voltage is distributed to each half-bridge structure to be driven by the half-bridge pre-drive module, thereby reducing the on-resistance of the switching transistors in each half-bridge structure.

[0057] The number of capacitors connected to the voltage multiplier charge pump module is equal to the sum of the battery voltage boost factor and the value 1, corresponding to... Figure 3 In this design, a voltage doubler charge pump module is connected to three capacitors sequentially via six voltage terminals. The battery voltage can be identified using BAT, and the voltage boost factor is equal to 2, resulting in the output voltage of the voltage doubler charge pump module being three times the battery voltage. When the battery voltage BAT equals the operating voltage of a single lithium battery, and is between 3.2V and 4.2V, the on-resistance of the driving switch is insufficient, indicating a problem of high on-resistance. Therefore, this application uses a voltage doubler charge pump module to boost the battery voltage, and then applies the boosted battery voltage to one or more half-bridge structures that require driving, reducing the on-resistance of the internal switches and improving driving capability. Compared to existing technologies, this reduces the number of inductors and also addresses the deficiency in existing automotive applications that do not reduce the on-resistance of the switches.

[0058] The controller dynamically switches between different operating modes and configures the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive the required half-bridge structures in the switched operating mode, thereby reusing the half-bridge pre-drive module to operate in different modes. Preferably, the controller configures the half-bridge pre-drive module to enter the corresponding operating mode sequentially by generating different duty cycle signals, which can have a certain switching control strategy and focuses on the reuse of the half-bridge pre-drive module.

[0059] Switching control strategies include:

[0060] When the controller detects that a half-bridge structure is connected to the charging power supply, the half-bridge pre-drive module drives the switching transistors in different half-bridge structures to conduct alternately, thereby performing step-down charging of the battery. Specifically, the chip connects the battery and the charging power supply respectively through different switching transistors in the half-bridge structure connected by the half-bridge pre-drive module. The controller can configure the half-bridge pre-drive module to enter the charging mode, so that the charging path is formed by connecting the various half-bridge structures that need to be driven in the charging mode. Then, the chip turns on the switching transistors to allow the charging power supply to work with the inductor to perform step-down charging of the battery.

[0061] When the controller detects that the voltage BAT of battery B1 is greater than the preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is greater than the voltage BAT of battery B1, the half-bridge pre-drive module drives the corresponding switching transistor in the half-bridge structure to conduct in a time-sharing manner. In conjunction with the energy storage and release function of the inductor, the output voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is reduced, thereby achieving the voltage reduction effect of the Buck drive circuit.

[0062] When the controller detects that the voltage BAT of battery B1 is less than a preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is less than the voltage BAT of battery B1, the half-bridge pre-drive module drives the corresponding switching transistor in the half-bridge structure to conduct in a time-sharing manner. In conjunction with the energy storage and release function of the inductor, the output voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is increased, achieving the boost effect of the Boost drive circuit.

[0063] Specifically, the chip connects to the battery and Buck-Boost output terminals via different switching transistors in the half-bridge structure connected to the half-bridge pre-driver module. The controller can configure the half-bridge pre-driver module to enter Buck-Boost mode. In Buck-Boost mode, the various half-bridge structures to be driven, along with inductors and capacitors, form charging and discharging paths. When the voltage BAT of battery B1 is greater than a preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or when the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is greater than the voltage BAT of battery B1, it is multiplexed into a Buck drive circuit to pull down the battery voltage output (equivalent to pulling down the input voltage of the Buck drive circuit). When the voltage BAT of battery B1 (the positive terminal voltage when the negative terminal of the battery is grounded) is less than the preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or when the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is less than the input voltage of the Boost drive circuit, it pulls up the battery voltage output (equivalent to pulling up the input voltage of the Boost drive circuit). Thus, the operating mode can be switched via software configuration of the controller without modifying the hardware.

[0064] When the controller detects that the three half-bridge structures are connected to the three-phase motor windings respectively, and the motor needs to be driven, the three half-bridge structures are sequentially turned on through the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive the motor. Specifically, the controller outputs a pulse-width modulation signal with a certain duty cycle to the half-bridge pre-drive module through the voltage doubler charge pump module. Within the half-bridge pre-drive module, three pre-drivers are selected to drive the three half-bridge structures to conduct in an orderly manner, equivalent to sequentially turning on the three-phase bridge arms, forming a rotating magnetic field to drive the brushless DC motor. Thus, the chip is used in three-phase brushless motor driving to coordinate the switching timing of multiple pre-drivers.

[0065] As described above, the controller reuses the voltage doubler charge pump module to provide the boosted battery voltage to the half-bridge pre-drive module in different operating modes. This causes the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive the corresponding half-bridge structure to perform corresponding voltage regulation, achieving time-sharing: step-down charging of the battery through the corresponding pre-driver, boost or step-down output through two pre-drivers, or driving three half-bridge structures to control the operation of the brushless DC motor through three pre-drivers. This allows for dynamic switching of different operating modes (such as Buck, Boost, and motor drive) while reusing hardware resources. The same chip supports multiple functions, adapting to different application scenarios and reducing the complexity and cost of the peripheral circuit system.

[0066] It should be noted that within the chip, the controller is used to control the half-bridge pre-drive module to be multiplexed in different operating modes by dynamically adjusting the duty cycle and phase. These operating modes include charging mode, Buck-Boost mode, and brushless DC motor drive mode. Therefore, the controller can flexibly switch between Buck (step-down) mode, Boost (step-up) mode, and brushless DC motor drive mode. Figures 2 to 4 As shown in this embodiment, the circuit reuse and control methods of the half-bridge pre-drive module in charging mode, Buck-Boost mode, or DC brushless motor drive mode can be referred to the relevant embodiments of the aforementioned pre-drive circuit, and will not be repeated here.

[0067] As one example, combined with Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be seen, the half-bridge pre-driver module is used to control the time-sharing conduction of each switch in the H-bridge structure in Buck-Boost mode. It also needs to combine the energy storage functions of inductor L, the first filter capacitor Cv1, and the second filter capacitor Cv2. By driving each switch to conduct in a time-sharing manner, the inductor's energy storage and release are controlled, enabling the H-bridge circuit structure to boost the voltage in Boost mode or buck the voltage in Buck mode, resulting in a regulated voltage output from the Buck-Boost output terminal shown in the figure. In this embodiment, the half-bridge pre-driver module drives the time-sharing conduction of each switch in the H-bridge circuit structure, and then, based on the corresponding high-side and low-side switches in the H-bridge circuit structure, controls the inductor and capacitor to charge and discharge in stages, achieving either a boosted or bucked output voltage.

[0068] In this embodiment, the chip's output voltage feedback terminal FB is connected to a half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver. The chip's output voltage feedback terminal FB is connected to the Buck-Boost output terminal, which is also connected to an inductor L via a switching transistor. The Buck-Boost output terminal is also grounded via a second filter capacitor Cv2. The H-bridge structure outputs a regulated voltage through a half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver and feeds it back to the chip. This allows for feedback adjustment of the switching transistors within the H-bridge structure, enabling time-sharing conduction to continue driving the H-bridge circuit structure to boost or buck the output voltage. This rapid switching adapts to load changes and improves chip stability.

[0069] The working principle of the voltage multiplier charge pump module has been explained in the relevant embodiments of the pre-drive circuit mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0070] like Figure 2 As shown, the chip also includes a linear voltage regulator (LDO). After the voltage doubler charge pump module doubles the battery voltage, the LDO outputs the voltage to an external load (including a DC load connected to the Buck-Boost output). In this embodiment, the linear voltage regulator is used to regulate the input voltage. Specifically, the linear voltage regulator can be used to regulate the voltage input to the VCC_IN terminal or the voltage output by the voltage doubler charge pump module.

[0071] This application also discloses a driving circuit, which includes multiple charging capacitors, a multi-channel half-bridge structure, a battery, and a driving control device. The driving control device may be the pre-driving circuit or chip mentioned in the foregoing embodiments. The ports of the driving control device include a battery power supply terminal, multiple voltage terminals, multiple high-side driving terminals, and multiple low-side driving terminals.

[0072] The connection logic between the pre-drive circuit and the chip in the drive circuit and each half-bridge structure is consistent. The difference lies in that the ports of the pre-drive circuit are not packaged as pins, while the ports of the chip are packaged as pins so that the internal modules can only connect to the external circuit components by connecting to the ports. This application uses a chip as an example to illustrate the drive control device multiplexed to... Figure 3 and Figure 4In this configuration, the battery power supply terminal VCC_IN of the drive control device is connected to the positive terminal + of battery B1, and the negative terminal - of battery B1 is grounded to input the battery voltage and form the power supply for the drive circuit. The drive control device connects to one half-bridge structure through a high-side drive terminal and a low-side drive terminal. One pre-driver in the half-bridge pre-drive module inside the drive control device connects to the corresponding half-bridge structure through a high-side drive terminal and a low-side drive terminal, driving one half-bridge structure to work. Each pre-driver inside the drive control device is connected to one half-bridge structure to drive each half-bridge structure in a time-division multiplexing manner, completing the multiplexing of the switching transistors in each half-bridge structure in different working modes, reducing the number of switching transistors driven, and reducing the area of ​​the drive circuit.

[0073] Within the drive circuit, such as Figure 3 As shown, the half-bridge structure connected to the second pre-driver and the half-bridge structure connected to the third pre-driver constitute a full-bridge circuit, i.e., an H-bridge circuit structure. This allows the half-bridge pre-driver module to drive the H-bridge circuit structure in Buck-Boost mode. This application uses each pre-driver to control the current direction or voltage polarity of the bridge circuit structure. In particular, it uses the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal (PWM signal) generated by the controller to orderly set the on-time and off-time of each switch in the same half-bridge structure, as well as the on-time and off-time of switches in different half-bridge structures. This controls the stored and released energy of the inductor L, thereby driving the voltage output of each half-bridge structure to rise or fall. For example, one half-bridge structure is connected to a battery, which can be charged by stepping down the battery through each pre-driver. Simultaneously, another half-bridge structure is connected to the voltage output terminal of the H-bridge circuit structure, equivalent to the output terminal of the drive circuit. Figure 3 The Buck-Boost output shown indicates that the three-phase bridge arm (essentially composed of three half-bridge structures) can also be driven by each pre-driver to control the operation of the brushless DC motor. Therefore, the drive circuit disclosed in this application can be reused to drive the switching transistors inside the corresponding half-bridge structure in different operating modes. When the drive control device is a chip, the number of integrated switching transistors inside the chip is reduced.

[0074] The drive control device is connected to each charging capacitor through multiple voltage terminals. Similarly, the voltage multiplier charge pump module is connected to each charging capacitor through different voltage terminals. It can stepwise boost the voltage input at the battery power supply terminal VCC_IN to boost the battery voltage by multiple times and provide the boosted battery voltage to each half-bridge structure to be driven. Specifically, the boosted battery voltage is distributed to each half-bridge structure to be driven through the half-bridge pre-drive module in the drive control device, thereby time-divisionally turning on each switching transistor in the corresponding half-bridge structure.

[0075] Regardless of the operating mode configured in the drive control device, the number of capacitors connected to the voltage multiplier charge pump module is equal to the sum of the battery voltage boost factor and the value 1, corresponding to... Figure 3 In this design, a voltage doubler charge pump module is connected to three capacitors sequentially via six voltage terminals. The battery voltage can be identified using BAT, and the voltage boost factor is equal to 2, resulting in the voltage output by the voltage doubler charge pump module being three times the battery voltage. When the battery voltage BAT equals the operating voltage of a single lithium battery, and is between 3.2V and 4.2V, the on-resistance of the drive control device's drive switching transistor is insufficient, indicating a problem of high on-resistance. Therefore, this application incorporates a voltage doubler charge pump module within the drive circuit to boost the battery voltage. This boosted battery voltage is then applied to one or more half-bridge structures requiring current driving, reducing the on-resistance of their internal switching transistors and improving the drive circuit's driving capability in operating mode. Compared to existing technologies, this reduces the number of motor inductors used and addresses the deficiency in existing automotive applications that do not reduce the on-resistance of switching transistors.

[0076] The drive control device is used to dynamically switch between different operating modes and sequentially configure the half-bridge structures required for each operating mode. Preferably, the controller built into the drive control device configures the half-bridge pre-drive module to enter the corresponding operating mode by generating different duty cycle signals, so that the drive circuit can be reused to work in different operating modes.

[0077] Specifically, when the drive control device detects that a half-bridge structure is connected to the charging power supply, it determines that the drive circuit inputs the voltage of the charging power supply through the Charge_IN terminal shown in the figure. The half-bridge pre-drive module drives the switching transistors in different half-bridge structures to conduct alternately, performing step-down charging on the battery connected to the drive circuit. Specifically, the drive control device connects the battery and the charging power supply respectively through different switching transistors in the half-bridge structure connected to the half-bridge pre-drive module, allowing the drive circuit to connect to the battery and the charging power supply respectively. Then, the drive control device inside the drive circuit switches to the charging mode, so that the charging paths are formed by connecting the various half-bridge structures that need to be driven in the charging mode. The drive circuit can be multiplexed into a Buck step-down circuit through an external inductor L, and the charging power supply cooperates with the inductor to perform step-down charging on the battery by turning on the switching transistors.

[0078] The drive control device connects to the battery and Buck-Boost output terminals respectively through different switching transistors in the half-bridge structure connected by the half-bridge pre-drive module. After the drive circuit enters Buck-Boost mode, the various half-bridge structures to be driven in Buck-Boost mode, together with external inductors and capacitors, form a charging and discharging path. When the voltage BAT of battery B1 is greater than a preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is greater than the voltage BAT of battery B1, the drive circuit uses external inductors and capacitors to multiplex into a Buck drive circuit to pull down the battery voltage output (equivalent to pulling down the input voltage of the Buck drive circuit). When the voltage BAT of battery B1 (the positive terminal voltage when the negative terminal of the battery is grounded) is less than a preset voltage threshold (e.g., 3.9V), or the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is less than the input voltage of the Boost drive circuit, the drive circuit uses external inductors and capacitors to multiplex into a Boost drive circuit to pull up the battery voltage output (equivalent to pulling up the input voltage of the Boost drive circuit).

[0079] When the controller detects that the three half-bridge structures are connected to the three-phase motor windings respectively, the drive circuit needs to drive the motor to run. Therefore, the three half-bridge structures are driven to conduct in sequence through the half-bridge pre-drive module, driving the motor to run. The controller outputs a pulse width modulation signal with a certain duty cycle to the half-bridge pre-drive module through the voltage multiplier charge pump module. In the drive circuit, three pre-drivers are selected to drive the three half-bridge structures to conduct in an orderly manner, which is equivalent to sequentially turning on the three-phase bridge arms, coordinating the switching sequence of the multiple half-bridge structures, forming a rotating magnetic field to drive the brushless DC motor to run.

[0080] In summary, the driving circuit disclosed in this application is composed of multiple charging capacitors, a multi-channel half-bridge structure, a battery, and the driving control device. It can be dynamically reused in different working modes. It not only realizes the reuse of the multi-channel half-bridge structure, but also solves the problem of the separation of power supply step-up / step-down and motor drive system in traditional solutions. It provides a low-cost template for circuit design in portable devices, home appliances and other fields.

[0081] As a necessary multiplexing circuit module in the driving circuit, the multi-channel half-bridge structure includes a first half-bridge structure, a second half-bridge structure, and a third half-bridge structure; correspondingly, the half-bridge pre-drive module inside the drive control device includes a first pre-driver, a second pre-driver, and a third pre-driver; the multiple high-side drive terminals and multiple low-side drive terminals provided in the drive control device include a first high-side drive terminal, a first low-side drive terminal, a second high-side drive terminal, a second low-side drive terminal, a third high-side drive terminal, and a third low-side drive terminal, arranged from top to bottom. Figure 3Below the output voltage feedback terminal FB of the drive control device shown, the first pre-driver, the second pre-driver, and the third pre-driver are connected in sequence. When all the switches in the multi-channel half-bridge structure are NMOS transistors, the first transmission terminal of the switch is the drain of the NMOS transistor, and the second transmission terminal is the source of the NMOS transistor. When all the switches in the multi-channel half-bridge structure are PMOS transistors, the first transmission terminal of the switch is the source of the PMOS transistor, and the second transmission terminal is the drain of the PMOS transistor. Currently, it is important to note that the PMOS transistors are driven by negative voltage, and the negative voltage is generated by the voltage doubler charge pump module for driving. The on-resistance and driving complexity of PMOS transistors generally make them less mainstream than NMOS transistors in Buck drive circuits / Buck buck circuits, but they may have advantages in specific scenarios (such as low power consumption and simplified layout). In addition, some switches in the multi-channel half-bridge structure are allocated auxiliary inductors for freewheeling to facilitate energy release.

[0082] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 It is known that the first half-bridge structure includes a first switch Q1. The first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the first switch Q1 through the first high-side drive terminal, so that the first switch Q1 becomes the high-side switch in the first half-bridge structure. In order to be reused in charging mode, Buck-Boost mode and DC brushless motor drive mode, the first half-bridge structure uses the first switch Q1 as a necessary multiplexed switch.

[0083] The second half-bridge structure includes a second switch Q2 and a third switch Q3. A second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the second switch Q2 through a second high-side drive terminal, and the second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the third switch Q3 through a second low-side drive terminal. The second transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3, and the second transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is grounded. If an NMOS transistor is selected as the switch, the source of the second switch Q2 is connected to the drain of the third switch Q3, the source of the third switch Q3 is grounded, and the drain of the second switch Q2 is connected to the Buck-Boost output terminal. This makes the second switch Q2 the high-side switch in the second half-bridge structure, and the third switch Q3 the low-side switch in the second half-bridge structure, supporting multiplexing in Buck-Boost mode and DC brushless motor drive mode.

[0084] The third half-bridge structure includes a fourth switch Q4 and a fifth switch Q5. The third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fourth switch Q4 through the third high-side drive terminal, and the third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fifth switch Q5 through the third low-side drive terminal. The second transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5, and the second transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5 is grounded. If the switch is an NMOS transistor, the source of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the drain of the fifth switch Q5, the source of the fifth switch Q5 is grounded, and the drain of the fifth switch Q5 is connected to the Buck-Boost output terminal. This makes the fourth switch Q4 the high-side switch in the third half-bridge structure, and the fifth switch Q5 the low-side switch in the third half-bridge structure. Thus, the second and third half-bridge structures form an H-bridge circuit structure, equivalent to a four-switch H-bridge topology. The Buck-Boost output terminal is the voltage output terminal of the H-bridge circuit structure. Therefore, the H-bridge circuit structure supports multiplexing in Buck-Boost mode and DC brushless motor drive mode. If the H-bridge circuit structure forms a Buck-Boost circuit through an external inductor L, a first filter capacitor Cv1, and a second filter capacitor Cv2, the switching sequence of the multi-channel half-bridge structure can be coordinated by the time-division control strategy pre-configured by the drive control device. This can achieve step-down charging of a single lithium battery voltage (3.2V-4.2V), step-up charging of a single lithium battery voltage (3.2V-4.2V) to a higher voltage (such as 5V-12V), or step-down charging of a single lithium battery voltage (3.2V-4.2V) to a lower voltage output. It can also drive a brushless DC motor.

[0085] As one embodiment, when the drive control device switches to charging mode, such as Figure 3 As shown, the first transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 (which can be referred to as the input terminal of the switch, identified by Charger IN) is connected to the charging power supply. Therefore, the first switch Q1 is turned on upon receiving a charging command signal. The second transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3. The first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is connected to the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 through an inductor L. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery and is also grounded through a first filter capacitor Cv1. During the alternating conduction of the first switch Q1 and the third switch Q3, the voltage generated at the connection point of the first switch Q1 and the third switch Q3 is lower than the voltage at the first transmission terminal of the first switch Q1. The voltage generated at the connection point of the first switch Q1 and the third switch Q3 is transmitted to the positive terminal of the battery through the inductor L and the fourth switch Q4, thus achieving step-down charging of the battery.

[0086] If NMOS transistors are used as the switching transistors, the drain of the first switching transistor Q1 is connected to the charging power supply, the source of the first switching transistor Q1 is connected to the drain of the third switching transistor Q3, the drain of the third switching transistor Q3 is connected to one end of the inductor L, the other end of the inductor L is connected to the source of the fourth switching transistor Q4, the drain of the fourth switching transistor Q4 is connected to the positive terminal of the first filter capacitor Cv1, the negative terminal of the first filter capacitor Cv1 is grounded, and the first filter capacitor Cv1 is connected in parallel with the battery B1, so that the first switching transistor, the third switching transistor, the inductor, the fourth switching transistor and the first filter capacitor form a Buck step-down circuit; wherein, in the charging mode, the first filter capacitor is reused as the energy storage capacitor in the Buck step-down circuit, and the inductor is reused as the energy storage inductor in the Buck step-down circuit in the charging mode. The first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the first switch Q1 through the first high-side drive terminal, the second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the second switch Q2 through the second high-side drive terminal, and the second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the third switch Q3 through the second low-side drive terminal. In the charging mode, the signals of the first high-side drive terminal, the second high-side drive terminal, and the second low-side drive terminal alternately turn on the first switch Q1 and the third switch Q3, controlling the inductor L and the first filter capacitor Cv1 to store and discharge energy, thereby stepping down the charging voltage of the battery B1.

[0087] As one embodiment, when the drive control device switches to Buck-Boost mode, such as Figure 3As shown, the following configuration exists: the first transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is connected to the output voltage feedback terminal FB of the drive control device; the first transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is the voltage output terminal of the H-bridge circuit structure; the first transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is grounded through the second filter capacitor Cv2; the connection node between the second transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 and the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is connected through the inductor L to the connection node between the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 and the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5; the second transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5 is grounded; the first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the positive terminal + of the battery B1; the first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is also grounded through the first filter capacitor Cv1, thus forming a Buck-Boost circuit with the second switch, the third switch, the inductor, the fourth switch, the fifth switch, the first filter capacitor, and the second filter capacitor, thereby realizing the boost or buck output of the battery voltage. In this embodiment, the first and second filter capacitors are both reused as output filter capacitors / energy storage capacitors in the Buck drive circuit and Boost drive circuit in Buck-Boost mode. The inductor is reused as an energy storage inductor in the Buck drive circuit and Boost drive circuit in Buck-Boost mode. The second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the second switch Q2 through the second high-side drive terminal, the second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the third switch Q3 through the second low-side drive terminal, the third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fourth switch Q4 through the third high-side drive terminal, and the third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fifth switch Q5 through the third low-side drive terminal. Thus, the signals provided at the second high-side drive terminal, the second low-side drive terminal, the third high-side drive terminal, and the third low-side drive terminal can control the second switch Q2, the third switch Q3, the fourth switch Q4, and the fifth switch Q5 to conduct in a time-division manner in Buck-Boost mode, controlling the inductor L to store energy and discharge, and boosting or bucking the battery voltage for output.

[0088] The Buck-Boost mode can be divided into Buck mode (step-down mode) and Boost mode (step-up mode). It is classified as a non-charging mode, which does not allow the charging power supply to intervene through the first switch Q1. It starts the boost or step-down of the battery voltage from the battery B1, and finally outputs the boost or step-down result from the Buck-Boost output terminal.

[0089] It should be noted that the Buck-Boost mode can be divided into Buck mode (buck mode) and Boost mode (boost mode). In Buck mode (buck mode), the Buck-Boost circuit selects the Buck drive circuit to operate, and in Boost mode (boost mode), the Buck-Boost circuit selects the Boost drive circuit to operate.

[0090] like Figure 3 As shown, the fourth switch Q4, the fifth switch Q5, the inductor L, and the second filter capacitor Cv2 constitute the Buck drive circuit. When the signal output from the second high-side drive terminal controls the second switch Q2 to be continuously turned on, the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5 are turned on in a time-division manner through the third high-side drive terminal and the third low-side drive terminal. The voltage at the connection node of the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5 is lower than the battery voltage. The voltage at the connection node of the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5 flows to the second filter capacitor Cv2 through the inductor L and the second switch Q2, thereby generating a voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal that is lower than the battery voltage.

[0091] The first filter capacitor Cv1, inductor L, second switch Q2, and third switch Q3 constitute the Boost drive circuit. When the signal output from the third high-side drive terminal controls the fourth switch Q4 to be continuously turned on, the second high-side drive terminal and the second low-side drive terminal turn on the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3 in a time-division manner, controlling the inductor L to release electrical energy. As a result, the voltage at the first transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is higher than the battery voltage, and thus the voltage generated at the Buck-Boost output terminal is higher than the battery voltage.

[0092] Therefore, the inductor is reused as an energy storage inductor in the Buck drive circuit in Buck mode; the inductor is reused as an energy storage inductor in the Boost drive circuit in Boost mode. Specifically, under the driving action of the drive control device, energy is stored and released according to the conduction sequence of each switch in the H-bridge circuit structure; similarly, the first filter capacitor Cv1 is reused as an energy storage capacitor in the Boost drive circuit in Boost mode. The first filter capacitor Cv1 is connected in parallel with the battery, and in Boost mode (boost mode), it stores and releases energy according to the conduction sequence of each switch in the H-bridge circuit structure; the second filter capacitor Cv2 is reused as an energy storage capacitor in the Buck drive circuit in Buck mode, and in Buck mode (buck mode), it stores energy according to the conduction sequence of each switch in the H-bridge circuit structure.

[0093] As one embodiment, when the drive control device switches to the DC brushless motor drive mode, such as Figure 4As shown, the following configuration exists: the first transmission terminal of the first switching transistor Q1 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery B1 (whose voltage is identified by BAT); the first half-bridge structure also includes a zero-side switching transistor Q0, the first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the zero-side switching transistor Q0 through a first low-side driving terminal, the second transmission terminal of the first switching transistor Q1 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the zero-side switching transistor Q0, and the second transmission terminal of the zero-side switching transistor Q0 is grounded, making the zero-side switching transistor Q0 the low-side switching transistor in the first half-bridge structure, and the first switching transistor Q1 the high-side switching transistor in the first half-bridge structure; wherein, the connection node between the second transmission terminal of the first switching transistor Q1 and the first transmission terminal of the zero-side switching transistor Q0 is the output terminal of the U-phase bridge arm, also referred to as the voltage output terminal of the first half-bridge structure, or the midpoint of the U-phase bridge arm; the U-phase bridge arm can be controlled by the PWM signal applied to the first pre-driver, thereby controlling the current direction of the U-phase motor winding.

[0094] If both the first switch Q1 and the zeroth switch Q0 are NMOS transistors, then the first transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 is its drain, and the second transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 is its source. Similarly, the first transmission terminal of the zeroth switch Q0 is its drain, and the second transmission terminal of the zeroth switch Q0 is its source. The first switch Q1 can be multiplexed into charging mode, Buck-Boost mode, and brushless DC motor drive mode.

[0095] The first transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery B1. The connection node between the second transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 and the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is the output terminal of the V-phase bridge arm, also referred to as the voltage output terminal of the second half-bridge structure, or the midpoint of the V-phase bridge arm. The controller controls the V-phase bridge arm by applying the PWM signal to the second pre-driver, thereby controlling the current direction of the V-phase motor winding.

[0096] If both the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3 are NMOS transistors, then the first transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is its drain, and the second transmission terminal is its source. Similarly, the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is its drain, and the second transmission terminal is its source. Furthermore, the second and third switches Q2 and Q3 can be multiplexed in both Buck-Boost mode and brushless DC motor drive mode.

[0097] The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery B1. The connection point between the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 and the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5 is the output terminal of the W-phase bridge arm, also referred to as the voltage output terminal of the third half-bridge structure, or the midpoint of the W-phase bridge arm. The controller controls the W-phase bridge arm by applying a PWM signal to the third pre-driver, thereby controlling the current direction of the W-phase motor winding.

[0098] If both the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5 are NMOS transistors, then the first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is its drain, and the second transmission terminal is its source. Similarly, the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5 is its drain, and the second transmission terminal is its source. Furthermore, the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5 can be multiplexed in both Buck-Boost mode and brushless DC motor drive mode.

[0099] When the drive control device switches to the DC brushless motor drive mode, it outputs a three-phase PWM signal to the half-bridge pre-drive module, replacing the duty cycle control signal output in the original Buck-Boost mode. The half-bridge pre-drive module receives the PWM signal and controls each pre-driver to generate corresponding high-side and low-side drive waveforms, while avoiding simultaneous conduction of the upper and lower transistors of the same bridge arm (to prevent shoot-through short circuit). Then, the first, second, and third pre-drivers drive the first half-bridge structure (corresponding to the U-phase bridge arm), the second half-bridge structure (corresponding to the V-phase bridge arm), and the third half-bridge structure (corresponding to the W-phase bridge arm) to output signals to the three-phase windings, thereby driving the three-phase brushless motor to run.

[0100] Therefore, when the drive control device switches to the DC brushless motor drive mode, and the half-bridge pre-drive module is reused as a three-phase bridge driver, the half-bridge structures required by the drive control device in the DC brushless motor drive mode form a three-phase half-bridge circuit (each phase includes a high-side switch and a low-side switch), totaling 6 MOSFETs, controlled by 3 independent pre-drivers within the half-bridge pre-drive module. The 3 independent pre-drivers control the sequential conduction of the three-phase bridge arms to run the motor. The motor's power supply charging does not utilize the drive control device described in this application. The motor is a DC motor without complex algorithms; its drive technology includes controlling the motor through duty cycle, with the duty cycle size corresponding to the motor's speed. The motor drive capability formed by the sequential conduction of the three-phase bridge arms includes the motor's bus voltage, bus current, rotor position, speed, and phase current of the motor windings.

[0101] As one example, see Figures 3 to 4It is known that the multiple charging capacitors include a first charging capacitor C1, a second charging capacitor C2, and a third charging capacitor C3; the multiple voltage terminals of the drive control device include a first voltage terminal, a second voltage terminal, a third voltage terminal, a fourth voltage terminal, a fifth voltage terminal, and a sixth voltage terminal. One end of the first charging capacitor C1 is connected to the first voltage terminal, and the other end of the first charging capacitor C1 is connected to the second voltage terminal. The first and second voltage terminals are correspondingly connected to the first-stage switching structure within the voltage multiplier charge pump module. One end of the second charging capacitor C2 is connected to the third voltage terminal, and the other end of the second charging capacitor C2 is connected to the fourth voltage terminal. The third and fourth voltage terminals are correspondingly connected to the second-stage switching structure within the voltage multiplier charge pump module. One end of the third charging capacitor C3 is connected to the fifth voltage terminal, and the other end of the third charging capacitor C3 is connected to the sixth voltage terminal. The fifth and sixth voltage terminals are correspondingly connected to the third-stage switching structure within the voltage multiplier charge pump module. The battery point cloud is superimposed in multiple stages to achieve a three-fold voltage, and the output voltage is three times the battery voltage to supply the half-bridge pre-drive module.

[0102] The voltage multiplier charge pump module is connected to a first charging capacitor C1, a second charging capacitor C2, and a third charging capacitor C3. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The multiplexer is a triple-voltage charge pump. The working principle of the triple-voltage charge pump is schematically represented as follows:

[0103] First stage: Input battery voltage to charge the first charging capacitor C1 to the battery voltage BAT;

[0104] Second stage: The first charging capacitor C1 is connected in series with the input battery voltage. By switching the switch, the second charging capacitor C2 is charged to twice the battery voltage.

[0105] The third stage: The second charging capacitor C2 is connected in series with the input battery voltage. By switching the switch, the third charging capacitor C3 is charged to three times the battery voltage, and finally the output is three times the battery voltage.

[0106] Therefore, a multi-stage diode-capacitor network or a cross-coupled switch structure can be used to control the switch state through a clock signal, thereby increasing the voltage in stages and realizing the phased charging of the capacitor and the superimposed voltage output in series.

[0107] This application also discloses a buck-boost circuit, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the buck-boost working circuit includes an inductor L, a first filter capacitor C1, a second filter capacitor C2, and the driving circuit disclosed in the aforementioned embodiment. The buck-boost working circuit is a power adjustment application circuit formed by connecting the aforementioned driving circuit with the inductor L, the first filter capacitor C1, and the second filter capacitor C2. It is used to boost the battery voltage to the load, buck the battery voltage to the load, and charge the battery.

[0108] The multi-channel half-bridge structure includes a first half-bridge structure, a second half-bridge structure, and a third half-bridge structure, wherein at least one of the half-bridge structures is connected with an inductor L, a first filter capacitor C1, and a second filter capacitor C2 to form a Buck-Boost circuit (including a Buck drive circuit and a Boost drive circuit).

[0109] The first half-bridge structure is used to input charging power and is applied in charging mode to step down the battery in the drive circuit through the Buck-Boost circuit. The second half-bridge structure is connected to the output voltage feedback terminal of the drive control device. The second half-bridge structure is connected to one end of the second filter capacitor, and the other end of the second filter capacitor is grounded. The second filter capacitor plays a filtering and energy storage role. The connection node between the second half-bridge structure and the second filter capacitor is the voltage output terminal of the buck-boost working circuit, which is marked as the Buck-Boost output terminal in the figure. This allows the switching transistor in the second half-bridge structure to feed back the boost or buck results output by the Buck-Boost circuit where each half-bridge structure and inductor are located to the drive control device, thereby controlling the half-bridge pre-drive module to adjust the conduction sequence of each half-bridge structure to adapt to continue boosting or bucking in various working modes.

[0110] Both the first and second half-bridge structures are connected to one end of an inductor. The other end of the inductor is connected to the third half-bridge structure, which is also connected to one end of the first filter capacitor. The other end of the first filter capacitor is grounded. The third half-bridge structure is also connected to the positive terminal of the battery. Therefore, the third half-bridge structure is used in Buck mode to step down the battery voltage through the energy storage of the inductor and output it to the output terminal of the buck-boost circuit (Buck-Boost output). The third half-bridge structure, inductor, and second filter capacitor are sequentially connected to form a Buck drive circuit. The first half-bridge structure is used in charging mode to charge the battery through the energy storage of the inductor. The second half-bridge structure is used in Boost mode to boost the battery voltage through the energy storage of the inductor and output it to the output terminal of the buck-boost circuit (Buck-Boost output). The second half-bridge structure, inductor, and first filter capacitor are sequentially connected to form a Boost drive circuit. It should be noted that Buck mode and Boost mode together form the Buck-Boost mode. This allows the same inductor to be reused in charging mode, Buck mode, and Boost mode, reducing the number of inductors used.

[0111] Specifically, in charging mode, one half-bridge structure controlled by the first pre-driver includes a first high-side switch, and one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver includes a first low-side switch. This means that the half-bridge pre-driver module in charging mode needs to drive one half-bridge structure controlled by the first pre-driver and one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver. This allows the first high-side switch, the first low-side switch, and the inductor to form a Buck converter circuit. Alternatively, the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch can be connected to the same inductor, forming a Buck converter circuit. The half-bridge structure controlled by the first pre-driver is used to connect to the charging power supply. Figure 3 In the diagram, the first high-side switch is schematically represented by the first switch Q1, and the first low-side switch is schematically represented by the third switch Q3. The second transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 and is also connected to one end of the inductor L. The first transmission terminal Charger IN of the first high-side switch can be connected to the charging power supply; a half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver is used to connect to the battery, corresponding to... Figure 3 In this configuration, the first transmission terminal of the fourth switch connected to the third pre-driver is connected to the positive terminal of battery B1. Therefore, when the first transmission terminal Charger IN of the first high-side switch is connected to the charging power supply, it enters charging mode, driving the charging power supply connected to the first high-side switch to alternately conduct on the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch. By utilizing the inductor's energy storage and release mechanism, the voltage transmitted to the connection node between inductor L and capacitor Cv1 is gradually reduced, thus performing step-down charging of the battery.

[0112] In Buck-Boost mode, two half-bridge structures are driven to form an H-bridge circuit structure. The H-bridge circuit structure is used to form a Buck-Boost circuit by connecting inductors. The Buck-Boost circuit includes a Buck driver circuit (responsible for buck conversion in Buck mode) and a Boost driver circuit (responsible for boost conversion in Boost mode), respectively realizing the buck output and boost output of the Buck-Boost circuit in Buck mode. The two half-bridge structures forming the H-bridge circuit structure are one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver and one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver. That is, the half-bridge pre-driver module needs to drive the following half-bridge structures in Buck-Boost mode: one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver and one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver. Figure 3In the second pre-driver, one half-bridge structure includes a second switch Q2 and a third switch Q3. The third pre-driver controls one half-bridge structure including a fourth switch Q4 and a fifth switch Q5. The second transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 in the half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver (which can be identified by the Buck-Boost output terminal) is used to support boost output in Boost mode or buck output in Buck mode. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 in the half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver is used to connect to the battery B1, serving as the source for boost in Boost mode and also as the source for buck in Buck mode. Therefore, the controller can control the half-bridge pre-drive module in Buck-Boost mode to drive the Boost drive circuit to boost voltage or drive the Buck drive circuit to buck voltage according to the actual needs of the load by connecting the external inductor and capacitor of the H-bridge circuit structure. In this way, combined with the energy storage function of the inductor, the battery voltage (3.2V-4.2V) can be boosted to a higher voltage (such as 5V-12V) or bucked to a lower voltage.

[0113] In summary, the buck-boost circuit supports handling battery charging and power supply in charging mode, Buck mode, and Boost mode. This allows for dynamic switching to different operating modes while reusing the inductors and corresponding switches in the multi-channel half-bridge structure, adapting to different power application scenarios and reducing circuit system complexity and chip design costs.

[0114] As one embodiment, when the drive control device switches to charging mode, such as Figure 3 As shown, the internal components of the buck-boost circuit include:

[0115] The first half-bridge structure includes a first switch Q1, the second half-bridge structure includes a second switch Q2 and a third switch Q3, the third half-bridge structure includes a fourth switch Q4, and the half-bridge pre-drive module includes a first pre-driver, a second pre-driver, and a third pre-driver.

[0116] The first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the first switch Q1, making the first switch Q1 the high-side switch in the first half-bridge structure. It also supports multiplexing as a high-side switch in charging mode to input charging power. In charging mode, the zeroth switch Q0 is not working by default. Therefore, its connection relationship is not described.

[0117] The second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the second switch Q2, and the second pre-driver is also connected to the gate of the third switch Q3. The second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3 form a second half-bridge structure. The second transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3. The second transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is grounded. Schematically, when both the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3 are NMOS transistors, the second transmission terminal is the source and the first transmission terminal is the drain, making the second switch Q2 the high-side switch in the second half-bridge structure and the third switch Q3 the low-side switch in the second half-bridge structure.

[0118] The third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fourth switch Q4, making the fourth switch Q4 the high-side switch in the third half-bridge structure. It also supports multiplexing as a path to connect the battery voltage in charging mode. In charging mode, the fifth switch Q5 is not operational by default. Therefore, its connection relationship is not described.

[0119] The second transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3. The first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is connected to one end of the inductor L. The other end of the inductor L is connected to the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery B1. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is also grounded through the first filter capacitor Cv1. Therefore, the battery B1 and the first filter capacitor Cv1 are considered to be connected in parallel. When the fourth switch Q4 is turned on, there is a path between the inductor L and the battery B1. Schematic, when the first switch Q1, the third switch Q3, and the fourth switch Q4 are all NMOS transistors, the second transmission terminal is the source, and the first transmission terminal is the drain.

[0120] Based on this, the first switch Q1, the third switch Q3, the fourth switch Q4, the inductor L, and the first filter capacitor Cv1 are connected to form a Buck step-down circuit, constituting part of the buck-boost working circuit. The half-bridge pre-drive module is used to control the fourth switch Q4 to remain on while driving the first switch Q1 and the third switch Q3 to conduct alternately. This allows the inductor L to first store energy from the charging power supply through the first switch Q1, and then freewheel through the third switch Q3. During the process of storing and releasing energy in the inductor, the battery B1 is charged at a step-down voltage.

[0121] Indicatively, combined Figure 3 The principle of buck charging in charging mode is as follows:

[0122] During the Q1 conduction phase: Q1 is closed and Q3 is open. The voltage of the charging power input at Charge_IN is applied to the inductor L and capacitor Cv1 through Q1, causing the current in inductor L to rise linearly and store energy. Then the first filter capacitor Cv1 is charged.

[0123] During the Q1 turn-off phase: Q1 is off, Q3 is on, and the current in inductor L freewheels through Q3 to avoid sudden current changes. Simultaneously, inductor L releases its stored energy, the current gradually decreases, and capacitor Cv1 discharges, causing the voltage at the connection point between capacitor Cv1 and inductor L to be lower than the voltage of the charging power supply input at Charge_IN. Specifically, when Q1 is off and Q3 is on, the current input to Q1 is intermittent, and the current output at the connection point between Q1 and Q3 freewheels through Q3. Therefore, the real-time voltage at the connection point between capacitor Cv1 and inductor L begins to decrease relative to the voltage at which the charging power supply begins to transfer when Q1 starts transmitting the power. This achieves the adjustment of the real-time voltage at the connection point between capacitor Cv1 and inductor L to a stepped-down voltage according to the buck logic of the Buck step-down circuit (or Buck driver circuit). This stepped-down voltage is lower than the voltage of the charging power supply or the maximum supply voltage of battery B1 (e.g., the positive terminal voltage of battery B1 when it is fully charged). Thus, battery B1 is charged while the voltage at the connection point between capacitor Cv1 and inductor L is stepped down. Based on this, the charging power supply steps down the voltage to charge the battery. Therefore, the buck-boost circuit has the capability to regulate the step-down charging voltage, meeting the battery's charging requirements.

[0124] As one embodiment, when the drive control device switches to Buck-Boost mode (including switching to Buck mode and Boost mode sequentially), such as Figure 3 As shown, the internal components of the buck-boost circuit include:

[0125] The second half-bridge structure includes a second switch Q2 and a third switch Q3, and the third half-bridge structure includes a fourth switch Q4 and a fifth switch Q5. The half-bridge pre-drive module includes a second pre-driver and a third pre-driver. It is currently in Buck-Boost mode and does not need to charge the battery, so it does not need to turn on the first switch Q1 to input charging power.

[0126] It is worth noting that when all the switching transistors are NMOS transistors, the second transmission terminal is the source and the first transmission terminal is the drain.

[0127] The second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the second switch Q2 and also to the gate of the third switch Q3. The second transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3, and the second transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is grounded. This makes the second switch Q2 the high-side switch in the second half-bridge structure, and the third switch Q3 the low-side switch in the second half-bridge structure. The second half-bridge structure supports synchronous control of the turn-on and turn-off of the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3.

[0128] The third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fourth switch Q4 and also to the gate of the fifth switch Q5. The second transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5, and the second transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5 is grounded. This makes the fourth switch Q4 the high-side switch in the third half-bridge structure, and the fifth switch Q5 the low-side switch in the third half-bridge structure. The third half-bridge structure supports synchronous control of the turn-on and turn-off of the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5.

[0129] The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to one end of the first filter capacitor Cv1, and the other end of the first filter capacitor Cv1 is grounded, which can represent the connection of the third half-bridge structure with the first filter capacitor Cv1; the first transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is connected to one end of the second filter capacitor Cv2, and the other end of the second filter capacitor Cv2 is grounded, which can represent the connection of the second half-bridge structure with the second filter capacitor Cv1. The first transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is the voltage output terminal of the buck-boost working circuit (which can be identified by the Buck-Boost output terminal).

[0130] The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery B1; the connection node between the second transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 and the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is connected to one end of the inductor L so that the first filter capacitor Cv1, the inductor L, the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3 are connected to form a Boost drive circuit when the fourth switch Q4 is kept on; the connection node between the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 and the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5 is connected to the other end of the inductor L so that the fourth switch Q4, the fifth switch Q5, the inductor L and the second filter capacitor Cv2 are connected to form a Buck drive circuit when the second switch Q2 is kept on, which also means that the second half-bridge structure and the third half-bridge structure are both connected to the inductor L to reuse the inductor L.

[0131] With the second pre-driver connected to the gates of the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3, and the third pre-driver connected to the gates of the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5, the signals provided by the second and third pre-drivers can control the time-sharing conduction of the second switch Q2, the third switch Q3, the fourth switch Q4, and the fifth switch Q5 in Buck-Boost mode. This controls the energy storage and discharge of the inductor L, boosting or bucking the battery voltage for output. Thus, by adjusting the conduction timing of Q2 to Q5, dynamic switching between Buck mode and Boost mode can be achieved to adapt to changes in input voltage and load.

[0132] It should be noted that the second half-bridge structure and the third half-bridge structure constitute the H-bridge circuit structure. The H-bridge circuit structure forms the Buck-Boost circuit by connecting the first filter capacitor, the second filter capacitor and the inductor. The Buck-Boost circuit includes the Buck drive circuit and the Boost drive circuit.

[0133] Buck-Boost mode can be divided into Buck mode (step-down mode) and Boost mode (step-up mode). It is classified as a non-charging mode, which does not allow the charging power supply to intervene through the first switch Q1. It starts the boost or step-down of the battery voltage from the battery B1, and finally outputs the boost or step-down result from the Buck-Boost output terminal.

[0134] In Buck mode, the inductor L, the fourth switch Q4, the fifth switch Q5, and the second filter capacitor Cv2 constitute the core components of the Buck drive circuit. In the Buck drive circuit, the second switch Q2 (the two transmission terminals are connected to the inductor L and the output voltage feedback terminal FB of the drive control device, respectively) is always on. By driving the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5, the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5 are controlled to conduct in a time-division manner (considered as periodically turning the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5 on and off), forming a step-down logic. This time-division control of the energy transmission path of the inductor L reduces the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal, thereby realizing the step-down output of the H-bridge structure.

[0135] Indicatively, combined Figure 3 The working principle of the Buck drive circuit is as follows: When Q4 and Q2 are on, the battery voltage is applied to L through Q4, L stores energy, and the current increases. When Q4 is off, Q2 and Q5 are on, L freewheels through Q5 and releases energy through Q2 and Cv2 to the load connected to the Buck-Boost output, reducing the voltage at the Buck-Boost output. Therefore, in Buck mode, Q2 is always on to connect the Buck-Boost output, and Q4 and Q5 control the Buck logic to control the inductor to release energy. The controller dynamically adjusts the duty cycle to reduce the output voltage.

[0136] In Boost mode, the inductor L, the third switch Q3, the second switch Q2, and the first filter capacitor Cv1 form the core components of the Boost drive circuit. In the Boost drive circuit, the fourth switch Q4 (the switch whose two transmission terminals are connected to the inductor L and the battery B1 respectively) is always on. By driving the third switch Q3 and the second switch Q2, it controls the time-sharing conduction (considered as periodically conducting the third switch Q3 and the second switch Q2) to form boost logic. Then, the third switch Q3 and the second switch Q2 act as high-side switches to control the energy transmission path of the inductor L in a time-sharing manner, and the fourth switch Q4 acts as a low-side switch to continuously conduct in order to fix the low-end potential of the inductor L. The charging and discharging path of the inductor L is controlled at different stages, and the voltage at the Buck-Boost output terminal is increased.

[0137] Indicatively, combined Figure 3 The working principle of the Boost drive circuit is as follows: When Q3 and Q4 are on, the battery voltages B1 and Cv1 are applied to L through Q4, L stores energy, and the current increases. When Q3 is off, Q2 and Q4 are on, and L and Cv1 release energy through Q2 to the load connected to the Buck-Boost output, increasing the voltage at the Buck-Boost output. Therefore, in Boost mode, Q4 is always on to connect the battery voltage, and Q3 and Q2 control the boost logic to control the inductor to store and release energy in stages. The controller dynamically adjusts the duty cycle to boost the output voltage.

[0138] This application also discloses a three-phase bridge drive circuit, such as Figure 4 As shown, the three-phase bridge drive circuit includes a first filter capacitor Cv1 and the aforementioned drive circuit. The three-phase bridge drive circuit is suitable for the DC brushless motor drive mode, where the inductor L reused in the aforementioned charging mode and Buck-Boost mode is no longer used. The multi-channel half-bridge structure includes a first half-bridge structure, a second half-bridge structure, and a third half-bridge structure, i.e., the three half-bridge structures form three-phase bridge arms. Corresponding to the DC brushless motor drive mode, the first half-bridge structure is the U-phase bridge arm, the second half-bridge structure is the V-phase bridge arm, and the third half-bridge structure is the W-phase bridge arm.

[0139] Each half-bridge structure includes a high-side switch and a low-side switch. The first transmission terminal of the high-side switch in each half-bridge structure is connected to the positive terminal of the battery (whose voltage is identified by BAT, i.e., battery voltage BAT). The positive terminal of the battery is also connected to one end of the first filter capacitor Cv1, and the other end of the first filter capacitor Cv1 is grounded. This ensures that each half-bridge structure is connected to the first filter capacitor Cv1.

[0140] In each half-bridge structure, the gate of the high-side switch is connected to the corresponding high-side drive terminal in the drive control device, and the gate of the low-side switch is connected to the corresponding low-side drive terminal in the drive control device. That is, each half-bridge structure is connected to the corresponding pre-driver through the high-side drive terminal. The second transmission terminal of the high-side switch and the first transmission terminal of the low-side switch are connected. The connection node between the second transmission terminal of the high-side switch and the first transmission terminal of the low-side switch in the same half-bridge structure is the output terminal of the same phase bridge arm. When both the high-side switch and the low-side switch are NMOS transistors, the second transmission terminal is the source to be configured as the output terminal of the switch, and the first transmission terminal is the drain to be configured as the input terminal of the switch.

[0141] Specifically, in combination Figure 4 It can be seen that the first half-bridge structure includes the zeroth switch Q0 and the first switch Q1, the second half-bridge structure includes the second switch Q2 and the third switch Q3, and the third half-bridge structure includes the fourth switch Q4 and the fifth switch Q5. The half-bridge pre-drive module includes the first pre-driver, the second pre-driver, and the third pre-driver. The drive control device provides high-side drive terminals and low-side drive terminals for each half-bridge structure, including the first high-side drive terminal, the first low-side drive terminal, the second high-side drive terminal, the second low-side drive terminal, the third high-side drive terminal, and the third low-side drive terminal.

[0142] The first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the first switch Q1 through the first high-side drive terminal to apply the first high-side drive signal to the first switch Q1. The first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the zeroth switch Q0 through the first low-side drive terminal to apply the first low-side drive signal to the zeroth switch Q0. The first transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 is input with the battery voltage. The second transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the zeroth switch Q0. The second transmission terminal of the zeroth switch Q0 is grounded. The connection node between the second transmission terminal of the first switch Q1 and the first transmission terminal of the zeroth switch Q0 is the output terminal of the U-phase bridge arm. The output terminal of the U-phase bridge arm (or U-phase half-bridge) is used to connect the U-phase motor winding.

[0143] The second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the second switch Q2 via the second high-side drive terminal to apply the second high-side drive signal to the second switch Q2. The second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the third switch Q3 via the second low-side drive terminal to apply the second low-side drive signal to the third switch Q3. The first transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is input with the battery voltage. The second transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3. The second transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is grounded. The connection node between the second transmission terminal of the second switch Q2 and the first transmission terminal of the third switch Q3 is the output terminal of the V-phase bridge arm (or V-phase half-bridge). The output terminal of the V-phase bridge arm is used to connect the V-phase motor winding.

[0144] The third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fourth switch Q4 through the third high-side drive terminal to apply the third high-side drive signal to the fourth switch Q4. The third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fifth switch Q5 through the third low-side drive terminal to apply the third low-side drive signal to the fifth switch Q5. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is input with the battery voltage. The second transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 is connected to the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5. The second transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5 is grounded. The connection node between the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch Q4 and the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch Q5 is the output terminal of the W-phase bridge arm (or W-phase half-bridge). The output terminal of the W-phase bridge arm is used to connect the W-phase motor winding.

[0145] In summary, the three-phase bridge drive circuit described above shows that the controller generates three-phase PWM signals (PWM signals with a phase difference of 120 degrees) to drive the first pre-driver, the second pre-driver, and the third pre-driver, thereby generating a first high-side drive signal, a first low-side drive signal, a second high-side drive signal, a second low-side drive signal, a third high-side drive signal, and a third low-side drive signal for the three-phase bridge arms, respectively. This achieves the orderly conduction of the corresponding switching transistors, which is equivalent to controlling the three-phase half-bridge to conduct in sequence. Then, the signals generated by the output terminals of the U-phase bridge arm, the V-phase bridge arm, and the W-phase bridge arm control the current direction of each phase motor winding, forming a rotating magnetic field and driving the motor to run.

[0146] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application. The scope of this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. The above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A pre-driving circuit, characterized in that, The pre-drive circuit includes a controller, a voltage doubler charge pump module, and a half-bridge pre-drive module; the controller is connected to both the voltage doubler charge pump module and the half-bridge pre-drive module, and the voltage doubler charge pump module is connected to the half-bridge pre-drive module. The half-bridge pre-drive module is used to drive each half-bridge structure in a time-sharing manner; the half-bridge pre-drive module includes multiple pre-drivers, each of which is used to connect to one half-bridge structure. The voltage multiplier charge pump module is used to boost the battery voltage by multiple times by connecting capacitors, and then provide the boosted battery voltage to the various half-bridge structures to be driven by the half-bridge pre-drive module. The controller is used to dynamically switch between different working modes and configure the half-bridge pre-drive module to drive the various half-bridge structures required in the switched working mode, so as to reuse the half-bridge pre-drive module to work in different working modes.

2. The pre-drive circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is used to control the half-bridge pre-drive module to be reused in different working modes by dynamically adjusting the duty cycle and phase, wherein the half-bridge pre-drive module is reused in the following ways: In charging mode, the first high-side switch, the first low-side switch, and the inductor form a Buck step-down circuit; wherein, one half-bridge structure controlled by the first pre-driver includes the first high-side switch, and one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver includes the first low-side switch. In Buck-Boost mode, two half-bridge structures are driven to form an H-bridge circuit structure; the H-bridge circuit structure is used to form a Buck-Boost circuit by connecting inductors; wherein, the two half-bridge structures that form the H-bridge circuit structure are one half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver and one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver. In the DC brushless motor drive mode, the three-phase bridge arms are controlled by PWM signal to conduct in sequence to drive the motor to run. The three-phase bridge arms are a half-bridge structure controlled by the first pre-driver, a half-bridge structure controlled by the second pre-driver, and a half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver. The half-bridge pre-drive module includes a first pre-drive, a second pre-drive, and a third pre-drive; one half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-drive is used to connect to the battery. The operating modes include charging mode, Buck-Boost mode, or DC brushless motor drive mode.

3. The pre-drive circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inductor is reused as an energy storage inductor in both charging mode and Buck-Boost mode, wherein the inductor is located outside the pre-drive circuit to be controlled by each half-bridge structure. The inductor is bypassed by a switch in the DC brushless motor drive mode to isolate the inductor from each half-bridge structure.

4. The pre-drive circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The half-bridge pre-drive module is used to drive the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch to conduct alternately in charging mode. The half-bridge pre-drive module is also used to drive a half-bridge structure controlled by the third pre-driver in charging mode to establish a path between the inductor and the battery, so that the charging power supply can charge the battery by step-down while the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch are alternately turned on.

5. The pre-drive circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The half-bridge pre-drive module is used to control the time-division conduction of each switch in the H-bridge circuit structure in Buck-Boost mode, so as to realize the H-bridge circuit structure to boost voltage in Boost mode or buck voltage output in Buck mode to obtain the regulated voltage; wherein, Buck-Boost mode includes Buck mode and Boost mode.

6. The pre-drive circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controller is used to generate a three-phase PWM signal for the half-bridge pre-drive module in the DC brushless motor drive mode. The half-bridge pre-drive module is used to generate a high-side drive signal and a low-side drive signal in the corresponding pre-drive channel using the PWM signal of each phase, and then turn on each phase bridge arm in sequence through the high-side drive signal and the low-side drive signal to drive the motor to run. Each phase of the motor winding is connected to a corresponding phase bridge arm to receive the control of the high-side drive signal and low-side drive signal generated by a pre-driver connected to the corresponding phase bridge arm.

7. The pre-drive circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The voltage multiplier charge pump module includes at least two stages of switching structure, which is used to change the connection mode of each capacitor by periodically switching the switch, stepwise increase the battery voltage, and then provide the target driving voltage for each half-bridge structure to be driven, so as to reduce the on-resistance of the switching transistors in each half-bridge structure. Each stage of the switching structure is used to connect capacitors; Wherein, battery voltage is the voltage of the battery; target driving voltage is obtained by charging each capacitor in stages and superimposing them in series under the control of the voltage multiplier charge pump module, so that the ratio between target driving voltage and battery voltage is equal to the number of cascaded switch structures.

8. A chip, characterized in that, The chip's ports include a battery power supply terminal, multiple voltage terminals, multiple high-side drive terminals, and multiple low-side drive terminals; the chip's internal components include the pre-drive circuitry described in any one of claims 1 to 7. Battery power supply terminal, used to input battery voltage by connecting a battery; The half-bridge pre-drive module is used to drive each half-bridge structure in a time-division manner by connecting each high-side drive terminal and each low-side drive terminal; wherein, the half-bridge pre-drive module includes multiple pre-drivers, each pre-driver is connected to a high-side drive terminal and a low-side drive terminal respectively, and a high-side drive terminal and a low-side drive terminal are used to connect one half-bridge structure. The voltage multiplier charge pump module is used to boost the battery voltage by multiple times by connecting capacitors at multiple voltage terminals, and then provides the boosted battery voltage to the various half-bridge structures to be driven by the half-bridge pre-drive module.

9. A driving circuit, characterized in that, The driving circuit includes multiple charging capacitors, a multi-channel half-bridge structure, a battery, and a driving control device; wherein, the driving control device is the pre-driving circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 or the chip as described in claim 8; the ports of the driving control device include a battery power supply terminal, multiple voltage terminals, multiple high-side driving terminals, and multiple low-side driving terminals; The battery power supply terminal of the drive control device is connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and the negative terminal of the battery is grounded to input the battery voltage. The drive control device is connected to a half-bridge structure through a high-side drive end and a low-side drive end to drive the corresponding half-bridge structure to work in a time-sharing manner. The drive control device is connected to each charging capacitor through multiple voltage terminals to boost the battery voltage by multiple times and provide the boosted battery voltage to each half-bridge structure that needs to be driven. The drive control device is used to dynamically switch between different working modes and sequentially configure the required half-bridge structures for each working mode.

10. The driving circuit according to claim 9, characterized in that, The multi-channel half-bridge structure includes a first half-bridge structure, a second half-bridge structure, and a third half-bridge structure; the half-bridge pre-drive module inside the drive control device includes a first pre-driver, a second pre-driver, and a third pre-driver; the ports of the drive control device are provided with a first high-side drive terminal, a first low-side drive terminal, a second high-side drive terminal, a second low-side drive terminal, a third high-side drive terminal, and a third low-side drive terminal. The first half-bridge structure includes a first switching transistor, and a first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the first switching transistor through a first high-side driving terminal, so that the first switching transistor becomes the high-side switching transistor in the first half-bridge structure. The second half-bridge structure includes a second switch and a third switch. The second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the second switch through the second high-side drive terminal, and the second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the third switch through the second low-side drive terminal. The second transmission terminal of the second switch is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch, and the second transmission terminal of the third switch is grounded, so that the second switch becomes the high-side switch in the second half-bridge structure, and the third switch becomes the low-side switch in the second half-bridge structure. The third half-bridge structure includes a fourth switch and a fifth switch. The third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fourth switch through the third high-side drive terminal, and the third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fifth switch through the third low-side drive terminal. The second transmission terminal of the fourth switch is connected to the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch, and the second transmission terminal of the fifth switch is grounded, so that the fourth switch becomes the high-side switch in the third half-bridge structure, and the fifth switch becomes the low-side switch in the third half-bridge structure, thereby making the second half-bridge structure and the third half-bridge structure form an H-bridge circuit structure.

11. The driving circuit according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the drive control device switches to charging mode, the following applies: The first transmission terminal of the first switching transistor is used to connect to the charging power supply. The second transmission terminal of the first switch is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch. The first transmission terminal of the third switch is connected to the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch through an inductor. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch is connected to the positive terminal of the battery. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch is also grounded through a first filter capacitor, so that the first switch, the third switch, the inductor, the fourth switch and the first filter capacitor are connected to form a Buck step-down circuit. In this circuit, the first filter capacitor is reused as the energy storage capacitor in the Buck step-down circuit during the charging mode, and the inductor is reused as the energy storage inductor in the Buck step-down circuit during the charging mode.

12. The driving circuit according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the drive control device switches to Buck-Boost mode, the following applies: The drive control device also includes an output voltage feedback terminal; The first transmission terminal of the second switch is connected to the output voltage feedback terminal of the drive control device. The first transmission terminal of the second switch is the voltage output terminal of the H-bridge circuit structure. The first transmission terminal of the second switch is grounded through the second filter capacitor. The connection node between the second transmission terminal of the second switch and the first transmission terminal of the third switch is connected to the connection node between the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch and the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch through an inductor. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch is connected to the positive terminal of the battery. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch is also grounded through the first filter capacitor, so that the second switch, the third switch, the inductor, the fourth switch, the fifth switch, the first filter capacitor and the second filter capacitor are connected to form a Buck-Boost circuit to realize the boost or buck output of the battery voltage.

13. The driving circuit according to claim 12, characterized in that, The Buck-Boost circuit includes a Buck driver circuit and a Boost driver circuit; wherein, the fourth switch, the fifth switch, the inductor and the second filter capacitor constitute the Buck driver circuit, and the first filter capacitor, the inductor, the second switch and the third switch constitute the Boost driver circuit. The Buck-Boost mode includes Buck mode and Boost mode; the inductor is reused as an energy storage inductor in the Buck drive circuit in Buck mode; the inductor is reused as an energy storage inductor in the Boost drive circuit in Boost mode.

14. The driving circuit according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the drive control device switches to the DC brushless motor drive mode, the following exists: The first transmission terminal of the first switching transistor is connected to the positive terminal of the battery; the first half-bridge structure also includes a zero-side switching transistor, the first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the zero-side switching transistor through the first low-side driving terminal, the second transmission terminal of the first switching transistor is connected to the first transmission terminal of the zero-side switching transistor, and the second transmission terminal of the zero-side switching transistor is grounded, so that the zero-side switching transistor becomes the low-side switching transistor in the first half-bridge structure; wherein, the connection node between the second transmission terminal of the first switching transistor and the first transmission terminal of the zero-side switching transistor is the output terminal of the U-phase bridge arm; The first transmission terminal of the second switch is connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and the connection node between the second transmission terminal of the second switch and the first transmission terminal of the third switch is the output terminal of the V-phase bridge arm. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch is connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and the connection node between the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch and the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch is the output terminal of the W-phase bridge arm.

15. The driving circuit according to claim 9, characterized in that, The plurality of charging capacitors includes a first charging capacitor, a second charging capacitor, and a third charging capacitor; the plurality of voltage terminals of the chip includes a first voltage terminal, a second voltage terminal, a third voltage terminal, a fourth voltage terminal, a fifth voltage terminal, and a sixth voltage terminal; One end of the first charging capacitor is connected to the first voltage terminal, and the other end of the first charging capacitor is connected to the second voltage terminal. The first voltage terminal and the second voltage terminal are respectively connected to the first-stage switch structure inside the voltage multiplier charge pump module. One end of the second charging capacitor is connected to the third voltage terminal, and the other end of the second charging capacitor is connected to the fourth voltage terminal. The third voltage terminal and the fourth voltage terminal are respectively connected to the second-stage switch structure inside the voltage multiplier charge pump module. One end of the third charging capacitor is connected to the fifth voltage terminal, and the other end of the third charging capacitor is connected to the sixth voltage terminal. The fifth and sixth voltage terminals are respectively connected to the third-stage switching structure inside the voltage multiplier charge pump module to supply the half-bridge pre-drive module with a voltage three times the output battery voltage.

16. A step-up / step-down working circuit, characterized in that, The step-up / step-down working circuit includes an inductor, a first filter capacitor, a second filter capacitor, and a driving circuit as described in any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the multi-channel half-bridge structure includes a first half-bridge structure, a second half-bridge structure, and a third half-bridge structure. The first half-bridge structure is used for input charging power; the second half-bridge structure is also connected to one end of the second filter capacitor, the other end of the second filter capacitor is grounded, and the connection point between the second half-bridge structure and the second filter capacitor is the voltage output terminal of the buck-boost working circuit. The first half-bridge structure and the second half-bridge structure are both connected to one end of the inductor. The other end of the inductor is connected to the third half-bridge structure. The third half-bridge structure is also connected to one end of the first filter capacitor. The other end of the first filter capacitor is grounded. The third half-bridge structure is also connected to the positive terminal of the battery.

17. The buck-boost circuit according to claim 16, characterized in that, When the drive control device switches to charging mode, the following applies: The first half-bridge structure includes a first switching transistor, the second half-bridge structure includes a second switching transistor and a third switching transistor, the third half-bridge structure includes a fourth switching transistor, and the half-bridge pre-drive module includes a first pre-driver, a second pre-driver, and a third pre-driver. The first pre-driver is connected to the gate of the first switch transistor, making the first switch transistor the high-side switch transistor in the first half-bridge structure. The second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the second switch and is also connected to the gate of the third switch. The second transmission terminal of the second switch is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch. The second transmission terminal of the third switch is grounded, making the second switch the high-side switch in the second half-bridge structure and the third switch the low-side switch in the second half-bridge structure. The third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fourth switch. The second transmission terminal of the first switch is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch. The first transmission terminal of the third switch is connected to one end of the inductor. The other end of the inductor is connected to the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch is connected to the positive terminal of the battery. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch is also grounded through the first filter capacitor.

18. The buck-boost circuit according to claim 16, characterized in that, When the drive control device switches to Buck-Boost mode, the following applies: The second half-bridge structure includes a second switch and a third switch, the third half-bridge structure includes a fourth switch and a fifth switch, and the half-bridge pre-drive module includes a second pre-driver and a third pre-driver. The second pre-driver is connected to the gate of the second switch and is also connected to the gate of the third switch. The second transmission terminal of the second switch is connected to the first transmission terminal of the third switch. The second transmission terminal of the third switch is grounded, making the second switch the high-side switch in the second half-bridge structure and the third switch the low-side switch in the second half-bridge structure. The third pre-driver is connected to the gate of the fourth switch and is also connected to the gate of the fifth switch. The second transmission terminal of the fourth switch is connected to the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch. The second transmission terminal of the fifth switch is grounded, making the fourth switch the high-side switch in the third half-bridge structure and the fifth switch the low-side switch in the third half-bridge structure. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch is connected to one end of the first filter capacitor, and the other end of the first filter capacitor is grounded. The first transmission terminal of the second switch is connected to one end of the second filter capacitor, and the other end of the second filter capacitor is grounded. The first transmission terminal of the second switch is the voltage output terminal of the buck-boost working circuit. The first transmission terminal of the fourth switch is connected to the positive terminal of the battery. The connection node between the second transmission terminal of the second switch and the first transmission terminal of the third switch is connected to one end of the inductor to connect the first filter capacitor, the inductor, the second switch and the third switch into a Boost drive circuit while the fourth switch remains on. The Boost drive circuit is applied in Boost mode. The connection node between the second transmission terminal of the fourth switch and the first transmission terminal of the fifth switch is connected to the other end of the inductor so that the fourth switch, the fifth switch, the inductor and the second filter capacitor are connected to form a Buck drive circuit while the second switch is kept on. The Buck drive circuit is applied in Buck mode. The Buck-Boost mode includes Boost mode and Buck mode.

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