Power supply method, power supply circuit, and electronic device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a power supply method, a power supply circuit, and an electronic device. The method comprises: obtaining a detection output signal on the basis of a detection signal; generating a reference signal on the basis of the detection output signal; and when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to a boost threshold, generating an output voltage on the basis of the reference signal. A supply voltage is used for supplying power to a power supply. The embodiments of the present application eliminate distortion of output signals caused by excessively fast boosting and clipping of output signals caused by excessively slow boosting.

Description

Power supply method, power supply circuit and electronic equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to a Chinese invention patent application filed on January 15, 2024, with application number 202410059974.0 and titled “A power supply method, power supply circuit and electronic device”. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of power supply technology, and in particular to a power supply method, a power supply circuit, and an electronic device. Background Art

[0003] Portable devices like smartphones are increasingly demanding higher static and dynamic power consumption, placing even greater demands on audio amplifiers and motor drivers. To reduce power consumption and improve overall efficiency, most current audio amplifiers and motor drivers incorporate adaptive power supply technology. This technology adaptively adjusts the output voltage of the power supply circuit to minimize power consumption.

[0004] However, adaptively adjusting the output voltage of the power supply circuit may cause the output signal to be distorted during the boosting process due to a too fast boosting speed; or the output signal may be truncated during the boosting process due to a too slow boosting speed.

[0005] Therefore, how to better adaptively adjust the output voltage of the power supply circuit has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, one of the technical problems solved by the embodiments of the present application is to provide a power supply method, a power supply circuit and an electronic device, which eliminate the output signal distortion caused by too fast a boost and the output signal truncation caused by too slow a boost.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a power supply method, comprising: obtaining a detection output signal based on a detection signal; generating a reference signal based on the detection output signal; and generating an output voltage based on the reference signal when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to a boost threshold. It is understood that the supply voltage is used to power the power supply.

[0009] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power supply circuit, which includes: a detection circuit, including a detection signal input terminal and a detection signal output terminal, the detection signal input terminal is used to receive a detection signal, and the detection signal output terminal is used to output a detection output signal; a reference signal generation circuit, including a first input terminal and an output terminal, the first input terminal of the reference signal generation circuit is electrically connected to the detection signal output terminal, wherein the reference signal generation circuit is used to generate a reference signal based on the detection output signal; a power supply, including a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, the first input terminal of the power supply is electrically connected to the output terminal of the reference signal generation circuit, and the second input terminal of the power supply is used to input a supply voltage, wherein, when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, the power supply is used to generate an output voltage based on the reference signal.

[0010] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, comprising the power supply circuit described in the second aspect and an amplifier connected to the power supply circuit, wherein the power supply circuit uses an output voltage to power the amplifier.

[0011] The embodiments of the present application obtain a detection output signal based on a detection signal. When the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to a boost threshold, a reference signal is generated based on the detection output signal, and an output voltage is generated based on the reference signal. Therefore, the embodiments of the present application can boost the voltage when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, thereby reducing power consumption. The embodiments of the present application can eliminate output signal distortion caused by overly rapid boosting and output signal truncation caused by overly slow boosting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0013] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of waveforms of output signals under different power supply voltages;

[0014] FIG2 is a flow chart of a power supply method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] FIG3A is a circuit structure diagram of a power supply circuit and an amplifier according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] FIG3B is a circuit diagram of another power supply circuit and amplifier according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] FIG3C is a circuit structure diagram of another power supply circuit and amplifier according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] FIG4 is a flow chart of step S2 of a power supply method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] FIG5 is a flow chart of another power supply method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG7 is a circuit structure diagram of a margin generation circuit in a power supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of waveforms of an output voltage and a detection signal of a power supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG9 is a circuit structure diagram of an implementation of a power supply in a power supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and detailedly described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in the embodiments of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description and illustrate exemplary embodiments. In addition, it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and / or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter. It should also be noted that directions and references (e.g., up, down, top, bottom, etc.) may be used merely to facilitate the description of features in the drawings. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be construed in a limiting sense, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is limited solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0026] In the following description, numerous details are set forth. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein may be practiced without these specific details. In some cases, well-known methods and apparatus are shown in block diagram form rather than in detail to avoid blurring the embodiments herein. References throughout this specification to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" mean that the specific features, structures, functions, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment herein. Therefore, the phrases "in an embodiment" or "in one embodiment" or "some embodiments" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, in one or more embodiments, specific features, structures, functions, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner. For example, the first embodiment may be combined with the second embodiment in any case where the specific features, structures, functions, or characteristics associated with the two embodiments are not mutually exclusive.

[0027] As used in the description and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0028] The terms "coupled" and "connected," along with their derivatives, may be used herein to describe functional or structural relationships between components. It should be understood that these terms are not intended to be synonymous with each other. On the contrary, in certain embodiments, "connected" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical, optical, or electrical contact with each other. "Coupled" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct or indirect (with other intermediate elements between them) physical or electrical contact with each other, and / or that two or more elements collaborate or interact with each other (e.g., as in a cause-and-effect relationship).

[0029] As used herein, the terms "above," "below," "between," and "on" refer to the relative position of one component or material with respect to other components or materials where such physical relationship is significant. For example, in the context of materials, a material or materials positioned above or below another material may be in direct contact or may have one or more intervening materials. Moreover, a material positioned between two materials or materials may be in direct contact with both layers or may have one or more intervening layers. In contrast, a first material or materials "above" a second material or materials is in direct contact with the second material or materials. Similar distinctions apply in the context of component assembly.

[0030] As used throughout this description and in the claims, a list of items linked by the term "at least one of" or "one or more of" may mean any combination of the listed items. For example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, or C" may mean A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B, and C.

[0031] The term "circuit" or "module" may refer to one or more passive and / or active components that are arranged to cooperate with each other to provide a desired functionality. The term "signal" may refer to at least one current signal, voltage signal, or magnetic signal. The terms "substantially," "close to," "approximately," "close to," and "approximately" generally mean within + / - 10% of a target value.

[0032] The terms used in this application are explained as follows:

[0033] VBAT: The power supply voltage of the power supply, that is, VBAT is used to supply power to the power supply;

[0034] Vsig, Isig: detection output signal;

[0035] VREF, IREF: reference signal;

[0036] Ctrl-ADP: control signal;

[0037] PVDD: output voltage;

[0038] Vth: boost threshold;

[0039] VOP1, VON1: output signals of each level of amplifier circuit;

[0040] y1: detection signal;

[0041] y2, y3: output signal

[0042] A: peak value of the detection signal;

[0043] Tsin: period of detection signal;

[0044] trise: the time required for the power supply to boost the voltage;

[0045] HR: margin between detection signal and output voltage;

[0046] Vdv, Idv: margin signals.

[0047] The amplifier includes an audio power amplifier or a motor driver. Both the audio power amplifier and the motor driver require a power supply circuit to provide output voltage.

[0048] The following description takes audio equipment as an example.

[0049] To reduce power consumption during music playback and improve overall audio amplifier efficiency, most current audio amplifiers feature a power supply circuit with adjustable output voltage. This power supply circuit operates in either direct mode or boost mode depending on the amplitude of the input signal (i.e., the music signal).

[0050] Specifically, when the input signal is small and does not reach the boost threshold, the power supply circuit is in the pass-through mode, and the output voltage is the supply voltage of the power supply; when the input signal increases and reaches or exceeds the boost threshold, the power supply circuit quickly switches from the pass-through mode to the boost mode, boosting the voltage to the set voltage value to provide greater output power for the audio amplifier; when the input signal decreases, the power supply circuit will switch from the boost mode to the pass-through mode to achieve the purpose of reducing the power consumption of the audio amplifier.

[0051] A common boost power supply circuit includes: generating a power detection flag signal according to the power level of an audio input signal; determining whether a boost is required based on the power detection flag signal; if a boost is required, generating a boost control signal and setting a boost threshold setting signal based on the level of the power detection flag signal; starting a boost mode based on the boost control signal, outputting a boost to supply power to a power output stage circuit, and controlling the boost value based on the boost threshold setting signal.

[0052] In addition, another common audio adaptive boost circuit includes: detecting and judging the voltage level of the power supply, and generating a corresponding power supply voltage level signal; detecting the voltage amplitude of the audio input signal, and generating an audio amplitude level signal based on the voltage amplitude of the audio signal; selecting the corresponding voltage level according to the power supply voltage level signal, and selecting a boost control signal of the corresponding voltage level in the selected voltage level according to the audio amplitude level signal; and boosting according to the boost control signal.

[0053] As described in the above scheme, in order to meet the power requirements of the output signal, a boostable power supply circuit is usually used. When the input signal is a small signal, a lower power supply voltage can provide sufficient driving capability; as the input signal increases, the lower power supply voltage is increased to the required voltage through the boost power supply circuit to continue supplying power.

[0054] As described above, the boosting methods of the aforementioned power supply circuits all set the boost threshold to one or more thresholds, with the boost amplitude determined based on the magnitude of the detected input signal. A single boost threshold can result in the boost being too fast or too slow, while multiple (for example, N, where N is a positive integer greater than 1) boost thresholds would require at least 2N comparators and corresponding auxiliary circuitry. This consumes chip area and increases power consumption of the audio amplifier, preventing optimal efficiency.

[0055] Moreover, when the power supply circuit boosts the voltage too quickly, the output signal will be distorted at the boost point, or when the power supply circuit boosts the voltage too slowly, the output signal will be truncated during the boost process, which will cause audible noise in the music and reduce the sound quality and listening experience of the music.

[0056] Referring to Figure 1, the boost threshold is the intersection of the detection signal y1 and the vertical axis, where A is the peak value of the detection signal, Tsin is the detection signal period, trise is the time required for the power supply to boost to PVDD, PVDD is the power supply output voltage, and therefore the output voltage of the power supply circuit, and HR is the margin between the detection signal and the output voltage. When the power supply circuit boosts the voltage too quickly, the output signal waveform will be distorted, as indicated by the bulge indicated by the arrow in waveform y2. When the power supply circuit boosts the voltage too slowly, the output voltage will not be able to reach the required value in time, resulting in truncation of the output signal waveform, as indicated by the arrow in waveform y3.

[0057] To solve the above problems, in an embodiment of the present application, a detection output signal is obtained based on the detection signal, and a reference signal is generated based on the detection output signal; when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, an output voltage is generated based on the reference signal; wherein the supply voltage is used to power the power supply. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can boost the voltage when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, thereby reducing power consumption and improving efficiency. The embodiment of the present application can eliminate output signal distortion caused by overly rapid boosting and output signal truncation caused by overly slow boosting.

[0058] The specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application is further explained below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiment of the present application.

[0059] An embodiment of the present application provides a power supply method, which is applied to a power supply circuit.

[0060] Referring to FIG2 , the method includes:

[0061] Step S1: Obtain a detection output signal according to the detection signal.

[0062] In some specific implementations of the present application, referring to FIG3A , the detection signal comes from an amplifier or an input signal of the amplifier. Where the detection signal comes from the amplifier, it is understood that when the amplifier includes multiple circuit modules, the detection signal may be the output signal of each stage of the amplifier. The amplifier may include an audio power amplifier or a motor driver.

[0063] If the amplifier includes an audio power amplifier, the audio amplifier may include: a preamplifier, an integrator, a PWM comparator, a waveform generator (e.g., a triangle wave generator), and a power output stage, etc. The detection signal may be derived from one of an input signal of the audio power amplifier, an output signal of the preamplifier in the audio power amplifier, an output signal of the integrator, an output signal of the PWM comparator, and an output signal of the power output stage circuit. For example, referring to FIG3B , the detection signal is derived from the output signal of the preamplifier in the audio power amplifier.

[0064] If the amplifier includes a motor driver, the motor driver may include an input buffer, a driver stage, and a power output stage. The detection signal may be derived from one of the motor driver's input signal, the motor driver's input buffer output signal, the driver stage output signal, and the power output stage output signal. For example, referring to FIG3C , the detection signal is derived from the motor driver's input buffer output signal.

[0065] The circuit design of the embodiment of the present application is more flexible, and the detection signal can be obtained based on the input signal of the audio power amplifier or motor driver or the output signal of each level of circuit of the audio power amplifier or motor driver.

[0066] Specifically, when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, the power supply circuit enters the boost mode and boosts the voltage to a set voltage value, thereby providing greater output power for the audio power amplifier.

[0067] If the power supply circuit is in the boost mode, a detection output signal is obtained according to the detection signal, and the amplitude of the detection output signal is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection signal.

[0068] Step S2: Generate a reference signal according to the detection output signal.

[0069] The embodiment of the present application generates a reference signal related to the detection output signal based on the detection output signal.

[0070] Specifically, the reference signal is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection output signal. The amplitude synchronization includes: when the amplitude of the detection output signal increases, the amplitude of the reference signal increases; or when the amplitude of the detection output signal decreases, the amplitude of the reference signal decreases.

[0071] In some specific implementations of the embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 4 , step S2 includes:

[0072] Step S21: Obtain a margin signal.

[0073] Step S22: Superimpose the margin signal and the detection output signal to obtain the reference signal.

[0074] In order to facilitate the superposition of the margin signal and the detection output signal, the margin signal is a signal of the same type as the detection output signal. In the embodiment of the present application, if the detection output signal is a current signal, the margin signal is a current signal; if the detection output signal is a voltage signal, the margin signal is a voltage signal. That is, the detection output signal and the margin signal are both voltage signals; or, the detection output signal and the margin signal are both current signals; or, the detection output signal is a voltage signal and the margin signal is a current signal, in which case the margin signal can be converted into a voltage signal first and then superimposed with the detection output signal; or, the detection output signal is a current signal and the margin signal is a voltage signal, in which case the detection output signal can be converted into a voltage signal first and then superimposed with the margin signal; or, the detection output signal is a voltage signal and the margin signal is a current signal, in which case the detection output signal can be converted into a current signal first and then superimposed with the margin signal; or, the detection output signal is a current signal and the margin signal is a voltage signal, in which case the margin signal can be converted into a current signal first and then superimposed with the detection output signal.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present application, the margin signal and the detection output signal can be superimposed by adding the margin signal to the detection output signal, that is, adding a margin value to the amplitude of the detection output signal. In the embodiment of the present application, the amplitude of the margin signal can also be multiplied by a coefficient and then added to the detection output signal to achieve superposition of the margin signal and the detection output signal to obtain a reference signal.

[0076] The reference signal may be a reference current signal IREF or a reference voltage signal VREF. If the reference signal is a current signal IREF, current-voltage conversion may be performed in the power supply to convert the current signal IREF into a voltage signal VREF.

[0077] The embodiment of the present application uses the margin signal and the detection output signal to superimpose to obtain the reference signal, which can more easily achieve amplitude synchronization between the reference signal and the detection output signal.

[0078] Specifically, the margin signal may be a signal with a fixed amplitude.

[0079] The embodiment of the present application uses a margin signal with a fixed amplitude, which can more accurately ensure the amplitude synchronization of the reference signal and the detection output signal.

[0080] Step S3: When the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the voltage boost threshold, generating an output voltage according to the reference signal.

[0081] The power supply voltage is used to supply power to the power supply. Specifically, generating the output voltage according to the reference signal includes: output voltage = k * reference voltage, where k is the preset amplification factor of the power supply circuit, and the reference voltage is the voltage amplitude of the reference signal. It can be understood that the preset amplification factor k is a preset parameter of the chip circuit and can be set according to actual needs; the reference signal includes a reference voltage signal or a reference current signal. When the reference signal is a reference voltage signal, the amplitude of the reference voltage signal, i.e., the reference voltage, can be directly used to obtain the output voltage. When the reference signal is a reference current signal, it can be first converted into a reference voltage signal, and then the output voltage is obtained based on the amplitude of the reference voltage signal, i.e., the reference voltage.

[0082] The embodiments of the present application can generate an output voltage based on a reference signal and perform a voltage boost when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, thereby reducing power consumption. The embodiments of the present application can also eliminate output signal distortion caused by overly rapid boosting and output signal truncation caused by overly slow boosting.

[0083] In some specific implementations of the embodiments of the present application, the boost amplitude of the output voltage is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection signal.

[0084] In the embodiment of the present application, the boost amplitude of the output voltage is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection signal, which can further eliminate output signal distortion caused by overly fast boosting and output signal truncation caused by overly slow boosting.

[0085] In some specific implementations of the embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG5 , the method further includes:

[0086] Step S4: When the amplitude of the detection signal is less than the voltage boost threshold, the output voltage is the power supply voltage of the power supply.

[0087] Specifically, when the detection signal is small and does not reach the voltage boost threshold, the power supply circuit is in a pass-through mode, and the output voltage is the power supply voltage of the power supply.

[0088] Corresponding to the above method, the present application further provides a power supply circuit, as shown in FIG3A , which includes:

[0089] The detection circuit 301 includes a detection signal input terminal and a detection signal output terminal. The detection signal input terminal is used to receive a detection signal, and the detection signal output terminal is used to output a detection output signal. The detection output signal is a detection output voltage signal Vsig or a detection output current signal Isig.

[0090] The reference signal generating circuit 302 includes a first input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal of the reference signal generating circuit 302 is electrically connected to the detection signal output terminal, wherein the reference signal generating circuit 302 is used to generate a reference signal according to the detection output signal, wherein the reference signal is a reference voltage signal VREF or a reference current signal IREF.

[0091] The power supply 303 includes a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal. The first input terminal of the power supply 303 is electrically connected to the output terminal of the reference signal generating circuit 302. The second input terminal of the power supply 303 is used to input the supply voltage VBAT, which is used to power the power supply 303. When the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, the power supply 303 is used to generate an output voltage based on the reference signal. It is understood that when the reference signal is a reference current signal IREF, the power supply 303 can first convert it into a voltage signal VREF and then generate the output voltage based on the reference signal. Generating the output voltage based on the reference signal includes: output voltage = k * reference voltage, that is, PVDD = k * VREF, where k is a preset amplification factor and the reference voltage is the voltage amplitude of the reference signal. It is understood that the preset amplification factor k is a parameter preset in the chip circuit and can be set according to actual needs. The reference signal includes a reference voltage signal or a reference current signal. When the reference signal is a reference voltage signal, the output voltage can be directly obtained using the amplitude of the reference voltage signal, i.e., the reference voltage. When the reference signal is a reference current signal, it can be first converted into a reference voltage signal, and then the output voltage can be obtained based on the amplitude of the reference voltage signal, i.e., the reference voltage. The conversion of the reference current signal into a reference voltage signal can be completed in the reference signal generation circuit 302 or in the power supply 303.

[0092] The embodiments of the present application can generate an output voltage based on a reference signal and perform a voltage boost when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, thereby reducing power consumption. The embodiments of the present application can also eliminate output signal distortion caused by overly rapid boosting and output signal truncation caused by overly slow boosting.

[0093] In some specific implementations of the present application, referring to FIG3A , the detection signal comes from an amplifier or an input signal to the amplifier. The input of the amplifier is used to receive the input signal, and the output of the amplifier outputs an output signal, which is used to drive a load, such as a speaker or a motor. The amplifier may include an audio power amplifier or a motor driver.

[0094] If the amplifier includes an audio power amplifier, the audio amplifier may include: a preamplifier, an integrator, a PWM comparator, a waveform generator (e.g., a triangular wave generator), and a power output stage, wherein the input of the preamplifier is used to receive an input signal, the input of the integrator is connected to the output of the preamplifier, the first input of the PWM comparator is connected to the output of the integrator, the second input of the PWM comparator is connected to the waveform generator, the input of the power output stage is connected to the output of the PWM comparator, and the output of the power output stage is used to output an output signal, which can drive a load, such as the speaker in Figure 3B or the motor in Figure 3C. The detection signal can come from one of the input signal of the audio power amplifier, the output signal of the preamplifier in the audio power amplifier, the output signal of the integrator, the output signal of the PWM comparator, and the output signal of the power output stage circuit. For example, referring to Figure 3B, the detection signal comes from the output signals VON1 and VOP1 of the preamplifier in the audio power amplifier.

[0095] If the amplifier includes a motor driver, the motor driver may include an input buffer, a driver stage, and a power output stage. The detection signal may be derived from one of the motor driver's input signal, the motor driver's input buffer output signal, the driver stage output signal, and the power output stage output signal. For example, referring to FIG3C , the detection signal is derived from the motor driver's input buffer output signals VON1 and VOP1.

[0096] The circuit design of the embodiment of the present application is more flexible, and the detection signal can be obtained based on the input signal of the audio power amplifier or motor driver or the output signal of each level of circuit of the audio power amplifier or motor driver.

[0097] Specifically, when the detection circuit 301 determines that the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, the power supply circuit enters the boost mode and boosts the voltage to the set voltage value to provide greater output power for the audio power amplifier or motor driver.

[0098] The detection circuit 301 obtains a detection output signal according to the detection signal, and the amplitude of the detection output signal is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection signal.

[0099] Specifically, the detection output signal may be a current signal Isig or a voltage signal Vsig.

[0100] In the embodiment of the present application, the reference signal generating circuit 302 generates a reference signal VREF / IREF related to the detection output signal according to the detection output signal Vsig / Isig.

[0101] Specifically, the reference signal is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection output signal. The amplitude synchronization includes: when the amplitude of the detection output signal increases, the amplitude of the reference signal increases; or when the amplitude of the detection output signal decreases, the amplitude of the reference signal decreases.

[0102] In some specific implementations of the embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG6 , the power supply circuit further includes:

[0103] The margin generating circuit 304 is configured to generate a margin signal.

[0104] The reference signal generating circuit 302 is specifically configured to superimpose the margin signal with the detection output signal Vsig / Isig to obtain the reference signal VREF / IREF. The margin signal may be a voltage signal Vdv or a current signal Idv.

[0105] To facilitate the superposition of the margin signal and the detection output signal, the margin signal is a signal of the same type as the detection output signal. In the embodiment of the present application, if the detection output signal is a current signal Isig, the margin signal is a current signal Idv; if the detection output signal is a voltage signal Vsig, the margin signal is a voltage signal Vdv. That is, the detection output signal and the margin signal are both voltage signals; or, the detection output signal and the margin signal are both current signals; or, the detection output signal is the voltage signal Vsig and the margin signal is the current signal Idv. In this case, the margin signal Idv can be converted into a voltage signal first and then superimposed with the detection output signal; or, the detection output signal is the current signal Isig and the margin signal is the voltage signal Vdv. In this case, the detection output signal Isig can be converted into a voltage signal first and then superimposed with the margin signal; or, the detection output signal is the voltage signal Vsig and the margin signal is the current signal Idv. In this case, the detection output signal Vsig can be converted into a current signal first and then superimposed with the margin signal Idv; or, the detection output signal is the current signal Isig and the margin signal is the voltage signal Vdv. In this case, the margin signal Vdv can be converted into a current signal first and then superimposed with the detection output signal Isig. The above-mentioned current-to-voltage conversion process can be performed in the reference signal generating circuit 302.

[0106] In the embodiment of the present application, the margin signal and the detection output signal can be superimposed by adding the margin signal to the detection output signal, that is, adding the margin value to the amplitude of the detection output signal. In the embodiment of the present application, the amplitude of the margin signal can also be multiplied by a coefficient and then added to the detection output signal to achieve the superposition of the margin signal and the detection output signal to obtain a reference signal. The reference signal can be a reference current signal IREF or a reference voltage signal VREF. If the reference signal is a current signal IREF, a current-voltage conversion can be performed in the power supply 303 to convert the current signal IREF into a voltage signal VREF.

[0107] Specifically, the margin generation circuit 304 can generate either a voltage signal Vdv or a current signal Idv. FIG7 shows a circuit diagram illustrating the margin generation circuit 304 generating a voltage signal. VBG is a bandgap reference voltage, and the margin generation circuit 304 generates the margin voltage signal Vdv based on the bandgap reference voltage VBG. If the margin generation circuit 304 generates a current signal, it generates a margin current signal Idv.

[0108] The embodiment of the present application uses the margin signal and the detection output signal to superimpose to obtain the reference signal, which can more easily achieve amplitude synchronization between the reference signal and the detection output signal.

[0109] Specifically, the margin signal is a signal with a fixed amplitude.

[0110] The embodiment of the present application uses a margin signal with a fixed amplitude, which can more accurately ensure the amplitude synchronization of the reference signal and the detection output signal.

[0111] In some specific implementations of the embodiments of the present application, the boost amplitude of the output voltage is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection signal.

[0112] In the embodiment of the present application, the boost amplitude of the output voltage is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection signal, which can further eliminate output signal distortion caused by overly fast boosting and output signal truncation caused by overly slow boosting.

[0113] In some specific implementations of the embodiments of the present application, the power supply 303 is further used to:

[0114] When the amplitude of the detection signal is less than the voltage boost threshold, the output voltage is the power supply voltage of the power supply.

[0115] Specifically, referring to Figure 6, the detection circuit 301 can send a control signal Ctrl-ADP to the power supply 303. When the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, the power supply 303 can be controlled to be in the boost mode; when the amplitude of the detection signal is less than the boost threshold, the power supply 303 can be controlled to be in the pass-through mode.

[0116] Referring to FIG8 , a specific implementation is provided to illustrate the implementation of the present invention. While the figure uses a voltage signal as an example, current signals are also possible. If the preamplifier output signals VOP1 and VON1 serve as detection signals, the power supply circuit enters boost mode when the detection signals are greater than or equal to the boost threshold. An output voltage PVDD is generated based on a reference signal VREF, maintaining a fixed margin Vdv between the output voltage PVDD and the preamplifier output signals VOP1 and VON1, ensuring synchronization of the output voltage PVDD with the amplitude of the detection signals VOP1 and VON1.

[0117] 9 , the implementation of the power supply 303 in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail through a specific implementation, which generates the output voltage PVDD according to the reference signal VREFVBAT.

[0118] Figure 9 illustrates a typical DC-DC BOOST power supply structure, including voltage divider resistors R1 and R2, a reference signal generation circuit 901, an error amplifier 902, a compensation circuit 903, a ramp voltage generation circuit 904, a PWM comparator 905, a control circuit 906, a power driver circuit 907, and lower power transistors MN and MP. Control circuit 906 can control the DC-DC BOOST power supply to operate in either direct-through mode or boost mode. When the control signal from control circuit 906 places the DC-DC BOOST power supply in direct-through mode, the lower power transistor MN is turned off, while the upper power transistor MP remains in a constant on state. The power supply voltage VBAT is converted through the inductor L and the upper power transistor MP to generate an output voltage PVDD. At this point, the output voltage PVDD equals the power supply voltage VBAT. When the control signal Ctr 1-ADP received by the control circuit 906 causes the DC-DC BOOST power supply (power supply 303) to be in boost mode, the output voltage PVDD generates a feedback voltage VFB through the voltage divider resistors R1 and R2. The reference signal generation circuit 901 generates a reference reference voltage VREFB (here, voltage is used as an example, but current IREF can also be used) based on the reference signal VREF sent by the reference signal generation circuit 302. The reference reference voltage VREFB is input to the positive input terminal of the error amplifier 902, and the feedback voltage VFB is input to the negative input terminal of the error amplifier 902. The error amplifier 902 generates the COMP voltage by amplifying the error between the feedback voltage VFB and the reference reference voltage VREFB. The compensation circuit 903 ensures that the DC-DC BOOST power supply operates in a stable state. The PWM comparator 905 compares the COMP voltage with the VSLOPE voltage output by the ramp voltage generation circuit 904 to generate a PWM control signal. The power driving circuit 907 controls the lower power transistor MN and the upper power transistor MP so that the output voltage PVDD=VBAT / (1-D), where D is the duty cycle of the PWM signal.

[0119] In addition, it should be noted that the lower power transistor MN is an NMOS switch transistor, which connects the switch SW to GND, and the upper power transistor MP connects the switch SW to the output voltage PVDD. The upper power transistor MP can be a PMOS transistor or an NMOS transistor.

[0120] The adaptive power supply 303 in the embodiment of the present application is not limited to a DC-DC BOOST power supply, but may also be a voltage-doubling charge pump power supply.

[0121] 3A , the present application further provides an electronic device, comprising the above-mentioned power supply circuit and an amplifier connected to the power supply circuit, wherein the power supply circuit uses an output voltage to power the amplifier.

[0122] Specifically, the amplifier includes an audio power amplifier or a motor driver.

[0123] The amplifier described in the embodiment of the present application includes an audio power amplifier, see Figure 3B, including the above-mentioned audio power amplifier, and the power supply circuit uses the output voltage to power the power output stage circuit of the audio power amplifier.

[0124] The amplifier described in the embodiment of the present application includes a motor driver. Referring to FIG. 3C , the amplifier includes the above-mentioned motor driver, and the power supply circuit uses the output voltage to power the motor driver.

[0125] Thus far, specific embodiments of the present subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order shown or sequential order to achieve the desired results. In certain embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0126] In the 1990s, technological improvements could be clearly distinguished as either hardware improvements (for example, improvements to circuit structures like diodes, transistors, and switches) or software improvements (improvements to process flows). However, with the advancement of technology, many process flow improvements today can now be considered direct improvements to hardware circuit structures. Designers almost always create the corresponding hardware circuit structure by programming the improved process flow into the hardware circuit. Therefore, it cannot be said that a process flow improvement cannot be implemented using hardware modules. For example, a programmable logic device (PLD), such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), is an integrated circuit whose logical function is determined by user programming. Designers can "integrate" a digital system on a PLD by programming it themselves, without having to hire a chip manufacturer to design and manufacture a dedicated integrated circuit chip. Moreover, nowadays, instead of manually fabricating integrated circuit chips, this programming is mostly done using "logic compiler" software. This is similar to the software compiler used when developing programs. Before compilation, the original code must also be written in a specific programming language, called a hardware description language (HDL). There is not just one HDL, but many, such as ABEL (Advanced Boolean Expression Language), AHDL (Altera Hardware Description Language), Confluence, CUPL (Cornell University Programming Language), HDCal, JHDL (Java Hardware Description Language), Lava, Lola, MyHDL, PALASM, RHDL (Ruby Hardware Description Language), etc. The most commonly used are VHDL (Very-High-Speed ​​Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language) and Verilog. Those skilled in the art will also understand that by simply programming the method flow in one of these hardware description languages ​​and then programming it into an integrated circuit, a hardware circuit that implements the logic method flow can be easily obtained.

[0127] The controller can be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, the controller can take the form of a microprocessor or processor and a computer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code (e.g., software or firmware) executable by the (micro)processor, logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic controllers, and embedded microcontrollers. Examples of controllers include, but are not limited to, the following microcontrollers: ARC 625D, Atmel AT91SAM, Microchip PIC18F26K20, and Silicone Labs C8051F320. The memory controller can also be implemented as part of the control logic of the memory. Those skilled in the art will also know that in addition to implementing the controller in a purely computer-readable program code format, the controller can be implemented in the form of logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits, programmable logic controllers, and embedded microcontrollers by logically programming the method steps. Therefore, such a controller can be considered a hardware component, and the devices included therein for implementing various functions can also be considered as structures within the hardware component. Or even, the devices for implementing various functions can be considered as both software modules that implement the method and structures within the hardware component.

[0128] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments may be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products having certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer. Specifically, the computer may be, for example, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a cellular phone, a camera phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or a combination of any of these devices.

[0129] For the convenience of description, the above devices are described as being divided into various units according to their functions. Of course, when implementing this application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in the same or multiple software and / or hardware.

[0130] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0131] The present application is described with reference to the flow chart and / or block diagram of the method, device (system), and computer program product according to the embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that each flow process and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram and the combination of the flow process and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram can be realized by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processing machine or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for realizing the function specified in one flow chart flow or multiple flows and / or one box or multiple boxes of the block diagram.

[0132] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0133] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0134] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPUs), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0135] Memory may include non-permanent storage in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0136] Computer-readable media includes permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. The information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transitory computer-readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0137] It should also be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0138] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Furthermore, the present application may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0139] The present application may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions executed by a computer, such as program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The present application may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected via a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

[0140] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to in conjunction with each other. Each embodiment focuses on the differences between the other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are generally similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple. For relevant parts, refer to the description of the method embodiments.

[0141] The above are merely embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should all be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A power supply method, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtaining a detection output signal according to a detection signal; Generating a reference signal according to the detection output signal; When the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to a boost threshold, generating an output voltage according to the reference signal; Wherein, the power supply voltage is used to supply power to the power supply.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The boost amplitude of the output voltage is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The detection signal comes from an amplifier or an input signal of an amplifier; Wherein, the amplifier includes an audio power amplifier or a motor driver.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes: When the amplitude of the detection signal is less than the boost threshold, the output voltage is the power supply voltage of the power supply.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The generating the reference signal according to the detection output signal includes: Obtaining a margin signal; Superimposing the margin signal and the detection output signal to obtain the reference signal.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The margin signal is a signal with a fixed amplitude.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The generating the output voltage according to the reference signal includes: Output voltage = k * reference voltage, where k is a preset amplification factor and the reference voltage is the voltage amplitude of the reference signal.

8. A power supply circuit, characterized in that, The circuit includes: A detection circuit, including a detection signal input terminal and a detection signal output terminal, the detection signal input terminal is used to receive a detection signal, and the detection signal output terminal is used to output a detection output signal; A reference signal generation circuit, including a first input terminal and an output terminal, the first input terminal of the reference signal generation circuit is electrically connected to the detection signal output terminal, wherein the reference signal generation circuit is used to generate a reference signal according to the detection output signal; A power supply, including a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, the first input terminal of the power supply is electrically connected to the output terminal of the reference signal generation circuit, the second input terminal of the power supply is used to input a power supply voltage, wherein, when the amplitude of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the boost threshold, the power supply is used to generate an output voltage according to the reference signal.

9. The circuit according to claim 8, wherein The boost amplitude of the output voltage is synchronized with the amplitude of the detection signal.

10. The circuit according to claim 8, wherein The detection signal comes from an amplifier or an input signal of an amplifier; Wherein, the amplifier includes an audio power amplifier or a motor driver.

11. The circuit according to claim 8, wherein The power supply is further used for: When the amplitude of the detection signal is less than the boost threshold, the output voltage is the power supply voltage.

12. The circuit according to claim 8, wherein The circuit further includes: A margin generation circuit for generating a margin signal; The reference signal generation circuit further includes a second input terminal, and the second input terminal of the reference signal generation circuit is electrically connected to the margin generation circuit; Wherein, the reference signal generation circuit is specifically used to superimpose the margin signal and the detection output signal to obtain the reference signal.

13. The circuit according to claim 12, characterized in that, The margin signal is a signal with a fixed amplitude.

14. The circuit according to any one of claims 8-13, characterized in that, The generating the output voltage according to the reference signal includes: Output voltage = k * reference voltage, where k is a preset amplification factor and the reference voltage is the voltage amplitude of the reference signal.

15. An electronic device includes a power supply circuit as described in any one of claims 8-14 and an amplifier connected to the power supply circuit, and the power supply circuit supplies power to the amplifier using an output voltage.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein, The amplifier includes an audio power amplifier or a motor driver.

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