Low-voltage power supply circuits and electronic equipment

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a low-voltage power supply circuit method and electronic device. The low-voltage power supply circuit, installed in a terminal, includes: a power management module, a first pin of which is connected to a battery, and a second pin of which is connected to the terminal's load for supplying power to the load; a boost module, an input terminal of which is connected to a third pin of the power management module, and an output terminal of which is connected to a fourth pin of the power management module; wherein, internally within the power management module: the first pin is connected to the third pin, and the first pin is connected to the second pin via a first switching unit, which is used to switch the power supply path to the load; the second pin is connected to a first terminal of a current limiting unit, and a second terminal of the current limiting unit is connected to the fourth pin, which is used to limit the current magnitude.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a low-voltage power supply circuit and electronic equipment. Background Technology

[0002] When the battery voltage in the terminal is low, it is difficult to power the terminal's load, which will cause the terminal to shut down.

[0003] In related technologies, an additional boost unit is added outside the normal circuit for the battery to supply power to the load. This allows the battery to be boosted through the boost circuit where the boost unit is located before supplying power to the load, thus enabling the battery to still supply power to the load even when the voltage is low.

[0004] However, the timing requirements for electronic components are high during the battery's transition from the normal circuit to the newly added boost circuit. If the normal circuit is disconnected but the boost circuit is not yet connected, the load will lose power; if the boost circuit is connected but the normal circuit is not disconnected, the higher voltage after boosting will flow back to the battery through the normal circuit, and the large current during this return flow may damage the electronic components. Utility Model Content

[0005] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this disclosure provides a low-voltage power supply circuit installed in a terminal. The circuit includes: a power management module, a first pin of which is connected to the battery, and a second pin of which is connected to the load of the terminal for supplying power to the load; and a boost module, the input of which is connected to the third pin of the power management module, and the output of which is connected to the fourth pin of the power management module. Internally, within the power management module: the first pin is connected to the third pin, and the first pin is connected to the second pin via a first switching unit, which is used to switch the power supply path of the load; the second pin is connected to the first terminal of a current limiting unit, and the second terminal of the current limiting unit is connected to the fourth pin, which is used to limit the current.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device including a low-voltage power supply circuit as described in the first aspect.

[0007] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects:

[0008] Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, and based on the connection method of the power management module, when the battery voltage is high enough to power the load, the first pin and the second pin can be directly connected through the first switching unit, allowing the battery to directly power the load. When the battery voltage is low, the power supply path can be switched through the first switching unit. The switched power supply path is as follows: first pin, third pin, boost module, fourth pin, current limiting unit inside the power management module, and then power is supplied to the load through the second pin. The switched power supply path, on the one hand, boosts the battery voltage through the boost module, meeting the power supply needs of the load when the battery voltage is low; on the other hand, the presence of the current limiting unit prevents excessive current from damaging the devices, thus reducing the timing requirements for switching and making control more convenient.

[0009] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this disclosure, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 1 This disclosure is a schematic diagram of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 This disclosure is a schematic diagram of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 This disclosure is a schematic diagram of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 This disclosure is a schematic diagram of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 This disclosure is a schematic diagram of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0017] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0018] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination."

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] In such Figure 1 In the power supply circuit shown, both the receiver (Rx, Receiver) of the wireless charging system and the interface (USB) of the wired charging system can charge the battery based on a charge pump, or they can directly power the load of the terminal based on a PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit).

[0021] The terminal's battery can also be connected to the PMIC's VBATT1_PWR pin, and based on the PMIC's internal circuitry, connected to the VPH1_PWR pin via switch QBAT1, thereby enabling the battery to power the terminal's load. The VPH output via the VPH1_PWR pin is used to power the terminal's system.

[0022] However, the load on the terminal (such as the system) has certain requirements for the supply voltage. When the supply voltage is lower than a first voltage threshold, the load will not be able to maintain its working state. However, as the battery discharges, the battery voltage will continue to decrease. This means that when the battery voltage is lower than the first voltage threshold, it cannot supply power to the load, and the battery cannot further release the stored charge.

[0023] To solve the above technical problems, such as Figure 1As shown, in some embodiments, a boost unit is added. The first end of the boost unit is connected to the battery, and the second end is directly connected to the load of the terminal. This allows the boost unit to boost the voltage when the battery voltage is lower than a first voltage threshold, so that the boosted voltage can supply power to the load. This ensures that the battery can still supply power to the load even when the voltage is below the first voltage threshold.

[0024] With the addition of the boost unit, there are two power supply circuits between the battery and the load: The first power supply circuit consists of the battery, the VBATT1_PWR pin of the PMIC, the QBAT1 switch, and the VPH1_PWR pin. This power supply circuit can directly connect the battery and the load with less loss and is suitable for use when the battery voltage is high. The second power supply circuit consists of the battery and the newly added boost unit. This power supply circuit can boost the battery voltage and then supply power to the load after boosting, and is suitable for use when the battery voltage is low.

[0025] However, the above embodiments still have technical problems in implementation. When the battery voltage drops due to the first power supply circuit, it is necessary to switch to the second power supply circuit. However, this embodiment has high requirements for the timing of the switching process, making it difficult to operate.

[0026] Specifically, if the first power supply circuit has been disconnected during switching (e.g., by disconnecting switch QBAT1), but the second power supply circuit has not been connected (e.g., the boost unit may not be working properly, causing the second power supply circuit to be disconnected, or there may be a switch on the second power supply circuit that is in the open state), the battery's power supply to the load will be discontinuous, which may cause the load (e.g., the terminal system) to lose power, causing the load to stop running or be in an abnormal working state. If the second power supply circuit has been connected during switching, but the first power supply circuit has not been disconnected, the higher output voltage after being boosted by the boost unit may form a voltage difference with the battery through the PMIC's VPH1_PWR pin, switch QBAT1, and VBATT1_PWR pin. Since there is almost no impedance on the first power supply circuit, a large current will be formed in the first power supply circuit, which may damage various circuit components.

[0027] Therefore, if the above embodiments are used to solve the low-voltage power supply problem of the battery, the switching timing of the first power supply circuit and the second power supply circuit is highly demanding, and the operation is relatively complex.

[0028] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure proposes a low-voltage power supply circuit.

[0029] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The low-voltage power supply circuit method can be installed in a terminal. The terminal includes, but is not limited to, communication devices such as mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, and Internet of Things devices.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the low-voltage power supply circuit includes:

[0031] The power management module 210 has a first pin 211 connected to the battery and a second pin 212 connected to the load of the terminal, for supplying power to the load.

[0032] A boost module 220, the input terminal of which is connected to the third pin 213 of the power management module 210, and the output terminal of which is connected to the fourth pin 214 of the power management module 210;

[0033] Inside the power management module 210: the first pin 211 is connected to the third pin 213, the first pin 211 is connected to the second pin 212 through the first switching unit 2111, the first switching unit 2111 is used to switch the power supply path of the load; the second pin 212 is connected to the first end of the current limiting unit, the second end of the current limiting unit is connected to the fourth pin 214, the current limiting unit is used to limit the current.

[0034] It should be noted that, Figure 2 The embodiment mainly shows the connection relationship between the power management module 210 and other electrical components, and some circuits and devices inside the power management module 210 have been appropriately omitted.

[0035] Based on the above embodiments of this disclosure, there are two power supply paths for the battery to supply power to the load of the terminal.

[0036] The first power supply path consists of a battery, a first pin 211, a first switching unit 2111, and a second pin 212, which are then connected to the load.

[0037] The second power supply path consists of a battery, first pin 211, third pin 213, boost module 220, fourth pin 214, current limiting unit, and second pin 212, which are then connected to the load.

[0038] When the battery voltage is higher than the first voltage threshold, the first power supply path is turned on and the second power supply path is turned off. The battery can supply power to the load through the first power supply path with less loss and higher efficiency. When the battery voltage is lower than or equal to the first voltage threshold, the first power supply path is turned off and the second power supply path is turned on. The battery can supply power to the load through the second power supply path, first boosted by the boost module 220, and then supply power to the load, thereby enabling the battery to supply power to the load at a lower voltage.

[0039] In the embodiments disclosed herein, since the second power supply path includes a current limiting unit, device damage caused by excessive current can be avoided during the switching process of the power supply path, thus the timing requirements are relatively relaxed.

[0040] During the power supply path switching process, the second power supply path can be activated first to prevent the battery from being unable to continuously supply power to the terminal load. Since the second power supply path contains a current limiting unit, even if the second power supply path increases the battery voltage and creates a voltage difference between the battery and the first power supply path, the current in this path will not be too large, thus preventing damage to circuit components.

[0041] In some embodiments, the first switching unit 2111 may include a switch.

[0042] For example, it can include MOSFETs, transistors, etc.

[0043] In some embodiments, the power management module 210 is used to manage the output current of the battery.

[0044] For example, the power management module 210 may include a PMIC.

[0045] When the power management module 210 is a PMIC, the first pin 211 can be the VBATT1_PWR pin, the second pin 212 can be the VPH1_PWR pin, the third pin 213 can be the VBATT pin, and the fourth pin 214 can be the VIN pin.

[0046] The connection method between the pins inside the PMIC is the same as the connection method inside the power management module 210 disclosed herein.

[0047] In some embodiments, the boost module 220 may include a boost converter and an inductor.

[0048] The first end of the inductor is connected to the third pin 213, the second end of the inductor is connected to the first end of the BOOST, and the second end of the BOOST is connected to the fourth pin 214.

[0049] A booster can increase the input voltage; for example, a 5V booster can be included to increase the input voltage to 5V. An inductor is used to assist the booster in this process.

[0050] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the low-voltage power supply circuit further includes: a first switch 310, the first end of the first switch 310 being connected to the output terminal of the boost module 220, the second end of the first switch 310 being connected to the fourth pin 214 of the power management module 210, and the first switch 310 being disconnected when the current is greater than a first current threshold.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first switch is turned off when the current is greater than a first current threshold.

[0053] For example, the first switch can be an OCP (Over Current Protection) switch, with the input terminal (VIN) of the overcurrent protection switch being the first terminal and the output terminal (VOUT) of the overcurrent protection switch being the second terminal.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first switch may also limit the current, such that the maximum current passing through the first switch is not greater than a first current threshold.

[0055] In addition to directly disconnecting when the current exceeds the first current threshold as described in the above embodiments, the first switch can also limit the maximum current in the path so that the maximum current passing through the first switch does not exceed the first current threshold and remains below the first current threshold.

[0056] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] In some embodiments, the circuit further includes an external circuit, the first end of which is connected to the third pin 213, and the second end of which is connected to a USB.

[0058] When the terminal is connected to other electronic devices via USB, the battery can also power the connected electronic devices via external circuitry, enabling them to function. For example, these other electronic devices could be small light bulbs.

[0059] In some embodiments, the external circuitry includes an external boost module.

[0060] With an external boost module, the battery voltage can be increased before being supplied to other devices connected to the terminal.

[0061] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the boost module reuses the boost module in an external circuit, wherein the external circuit is used to supply power to other devices when the terminal is connected to other devices.

[0062] like Figure 4 As shown, the output of the boost module 220 can be connected to the fourth pin 214 and also to the USB interface. The battery, the first pin 211, the third pin 213, the boost module 220, and the USB interface constitute the external circuit.

[0063] In related technologies, the terminal includes an external circuit. In this embodiment, the boost module in the external circuit can be reused. The output terminal of the boost module in the external circuit is connected to the fourth pin 214, thereby achieving the technical effect that the battery can still supply power to the load at a lower voltage without adding a new boost module.

[0064] Since the boost module in the external circuit is reused, the actual embodiments of this disclosure do not require an additional boost module, thereby saving a boost module compared to other low-voltage power supply circuits and reducing costs.

[0065] In some embodiments, the external circuitry also includes an OCP.

[0066] An OCP can also be set in the external circuit. The first terminal of the OCP is connected to the output terminal of the boost module of the external circuit, and the second terminal of the OCP is connected to the USB. The first terminal of the OCP can be an input terminal, and the second terminal of the OCP can be an output terminal.

[0067] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a low-voltage power supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the fourth pin 214 of the power management module 210 is connected to the power supply terminal.

[0069] The power supply includes the Rx for the wireless charging system and the USB interface for the wired charging system.

[0070] In some embodiments, when the terminal is connected to the power supply, the power supply can supply power to the load through the fourth pin 214 and the second pin 212.

[0071] In some embodiments, the power supply terminal may also be connected to the charging module.

[0072] The input of the charging module is connected to the power supply (e.g., an Rx and / or USB interface), and the output of the charging module is connected to the battery. For example, the charging module may include a charge pump.

[0073] When the terminal is connected to the power supply, the power supply can supply power to the terminal's load through the power management module 210. On the other hand, the power supply can also charge the battery based on the charging module.

[0074] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the low-voltage power supply circuit further includes: a second switch 510, the first end of which is connected to the power supply terminal of the terminal, and the second end of which is connected to the fourth pin 214; wherein the terminal charges the battery through the power supply terminal.

[0075] Specifically, the second terminal of the second switch 510 is connected to the output terminal of the boost module 220.

[0076] Since the power supply terminal is connected to the fourth pin 214, and the second power supply path in this embodiment also needs to be connected to the fourth pin 214, in order to prevent the terminal from suddenly connecting to the power supply terminal while the battery is using the second power supply path to supply power to the load at a lower voltage, which could cause damage to the second power supply path due to a large current and voltage supplied by the power supply terminal, a second switch 510 can be connected between the power supply terminal and the fourth pin. The second switch 510 protects the boost module 220 from damage to the second power supply path caused by a sudden connection to the power supply terminal.

[0077] In some embodiments, the controlled terminal of the second switch 510 is connected to a control signal (GATE), and the circuit further includes a third switch 520, the first terminal of which is connected to the controlled terminal of the second switch 510, and the second terminal of which is grounded.

[0078] Based on the third switch 520, the first terminal of the third switch 520 is connected to the control signal, and the second terminal is grounded. Therefore, when the third switch 520 is turned on, the control signal is grounded, thus preventing control of the second switch 510.

[0079] In some embodiments, the control signal (GATE) includes a control signal provided by the power management module 210.

[0080] Compared to the third switch 520, the second switch 510 requires a relatively stronger control signal to be turned on. In some embodiments, this control signal GATE can be provided by other devices; however, this approach leads to more complex wiring, and other devices providing a stronger control signal GATE may affect the power management module 210, the boost module 220, etc.

[0081] Therefore, the control signal GATE can be provided by the power management module 210. In this embodiment, the control signal generated by the power management module 210, which is located nearby, can be connected to the controlled terminal of the second switch 510 through a single wire, thereby realizing the input of the control signal simply and conveniently, and avoiding electrical interference.

[0082] In some embodiments, a small signal can be input to the controlled terminal of the third switch 520 to achieve the technical effect of controlling the second switch 510 to be turned on or off.

[0083] In some embodiments, when the third switch 520 is connected to a charger at the power supply end, it is in an open state, and the control signal is input to the controlled end of the second switch 510, causing the second switch 510 to turn on.

[0084] When the third switch 520 is open, the control signal GATE cannot be grounded, so the controlled terminal of the second switch 510 receives the control signal and the second switch 510 is turned on.

[0085] The third switch can be disconnected while the charger is connected to the power supply terminal. In this case, the second switch is turned on, and the power supply terminal can supply power to the load.

[0086] After power is supplied to the load at the power supply end, the first switch 310 can provide protection for the second power supply path. Subsequently, the boost module 220 stops working or cuts off the second power supply path, and the battery switches from the discharging state to the charging state, realizing seamless switching of the power supply voltage to the load without strict timing requirements, and the timing requirements are relatively relaxed.

[0087] In some embodiments, the third switch 520 is in an ON state when the charger is not connected to the power supply terminal, the control signal is grounded, and the second switch 510 is OFF.

[0088] When the third switch 530 is on, the control signal is grounded, and the controlled terminal of the second switch 510 is also grounded, so it cannot receive the control signal and the second switch 510 is in the off state.

[0089] When the charger is not connected to the power supply, turning on the third switch 520 will control the second switch 510 to turn off. This will prevent the voltage boosted by the second power supply circuit from forming a loop through the charging module connected to the fourth pin, which could lead to rapid power loss or unstable power supply to the load when the battery is at low voltage.

[0090] In some embodiments, when the battery voltage is less than a first voltage threshold, the boost module is in operation, the first switching unit is in disconnection, and the power supply voltage of the second pin is obtained by boosting the battery voltage through the boost module.

[0091] When the battery voltage is less than or equal to the first voltage threshold, it is difficult for the battery to directly supply power to the load through the first power supply path. In this case, the power supply path can be switched from the first power supply path to the second power supply path.

[0092] In the second power supply path, the boost module 220 is in operation, the first switching unit 2111 is disconnected, and the power supply voltage of the second pin 212 is obtained by boosting the battery voltage through the boost module 220. The current path is: battery, first pin 211, third pin 213, boost module 220, fourth pin 214, current limiting unit, second pin 212.

[0093] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the timing requirements for switching between power supply paths are not high. When the power management module 210 is a PMIC, the current limiting function inside the PMIC can be reused, thereby avoiding damage to the device due to excessive current.

[0094] In some embodiments, when a charger is connected to the power supply terminal, the first switch is in the off state.

[0095] When the power supply can supply power to the load, the first switch is disconnected to avoid excessive current damaging the first switch 310 and the boost module 220.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first switch 310 includes an overcurrent protection switch (OCP).

[0097] In some embodiments, at least one of the first switching unit 2111, the second switch 510, and the third switch 520 may include switching devices such as MOSFETs and transistors.

[0098] The specific implementation process of the functions and roles of each unit in the above device can be found in the implementation process of the corresponding steps in the above method, and will not be repeated here.

[0099] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device that includes the low-voltage power supply circuit described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0100] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0101] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

[0102] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. The terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0103] The methods and apparatus provided in the embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this disclosure. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the methods and core ideas of this disclosure. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this disclosure. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A low voltage power supply circuit, characterized by Located in the terminal, the circuit includes: A power management module, wherein the first pin of the power management module is connected to the battery and the second pin of the power management module is connected to the load of the terminal, for supplying power to the load; A boost module, wherein the input terminal of the boost module is connected to the third pin of the power management module, and the output terminal of the boost module is connected to the fourth pin of the power management module; Within the power management module: The first pin is connected to the third pin, and the first pin is connected to the second pin through a first switching unit. The first switching unit is used to switch the power supply path of the load. The second pin is connected to the first end of the current limiting unit, and the second end of the current limiting unit is connected to the fourth pin. The current limiting unit is used to limit the current magnitude.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein, Also includes: A first switch is connected at its first end to the output terminal of the boost module and at its second end to the fourth pin of the power management module. The first switch is disconnected when the current exceeds a first current threshold.

3. The circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The boost module reuses the boost module in the external circuit, wherein the external circuit is used to supply power to other devices when the terminal is connected to other devices.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein, Also includes: The second switch has a first end connected to the power supply terminal of the terminal and a second end connected to the fourth pin; wherein the terminal charges the battery through the power supply terminal.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein, The controlled terminal of the second switch is connected to a control signal, and the circuit further includes: A third switch, wherein the first end of the third switch is connected to the controlled end of the second switch, and the second end of the third switch is grounded; wherein the control signal includes a control signal provided by the power management module.

6. The circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the third switch is connected to the charger at the power supply end, it is in the off state. When the control signal is input to the controlled end of the second switch, the second switch is turned on. The third switch is in the ON state when the charger is not connected to the power supply terminal, the control signal is grounded, and the second switch is OFF.

7. The circuit according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, When the voltage of the battery is less than a first voltage threshold, The boost module is in the working state, the first switching unit is in the off state, and the power supply voltage of the second pin is obtained by boosting the battery voltage through the boost module.

8. The circuit of claim 2, wherein, When a charger is connected to the power supply terminal of the terminal, the first switch is in the off state.

9. The circuit of claim 2, wherein, The first switch includes an overcurrent protection switch.

10. An electronic device, comprising: The electronic device includes a low-voltage power supply circuit as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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