Regulation Circuit With Digital Feedback For Fast Voltage Sag Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Voltage regulation circuits in battery-powered devices often fail to quickly respond to sudden drops in input power supply voltage, leading to potential power supply faults due to the limitations of their bandwidth and response time, especially when charging batteries.
Innovation Solution
A regulation circuit incorporating both analog and digitally controlled feedback loops, with comparators and a digital control loop that compares input power supply voltage to threshold voltages, allowing for faster adjustment of charging current to maintain stable power supply voltage, utilizing a state machine to incrementally adjust the charging current in response to voltage changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If only analog feedback loop is used for voltage regulation, then the circuit is simpler, but the response speed to voltage drops is too slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines analog feedback loop and digital feedback loop into a unified voltage regulation system. The analog loop provides continuous regulation while the digital loop provides fast response to sudden voltage drops, achieving synergistic effect where the combination of both loops solves the response speed limitation of analog-only systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dual feedback mechanisms: an analog feedback loop for continuous voltage regulation and a digital feedback loop for rapid response to voltage sags. The digital feedback uses voltage detection circuits and control logic to quickly adjust the charging current when voltage drops are detected, complementing the analog loop's steady-state regulation capability.
2Productivity
If battery charging current is increased to improve charging speed, then charging efficiency improves, but the external supply voltage drops below safe minimum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback control mechanisms where voltage detection circuits continuously monitor the external supply voltage. When voltage drops are detected during battery charging, the control logic automatically adjusts the charging current to prevent further voltage collapse, ensuring the supply voltage remains above safe minimum levels while optimizing charging performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of charging current based on real-time voltage conditions. The system can switch between different charging current levels depending on the external supply voltage status, allowing high charging current when voltage is stable and reducing current when voltage sags occur, thus adapting to varying operating conditions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A regulation circuit for powering a device while charging a battery is provided. The regulation circuit includes at least one analog feedback loop, and a digitally controlled feedback loop. The digitally controlled feedback loop includes first and second comparators. The first and second comparators compare an input power supply voltage to first and second threshold voltages, respectively. The second threshold voltage is lower than the first threshold voltage. In response to the comparisons, the digitally controlled feedback loop controls a charging current for charging a battery while also regulating a current to power circuits of the device. If the input power supply voltage drops, the digitally controlled feedback loop responds faster than the analog feedback loop, reducing the risk that to supply voltage will drop too much to reliably power to the device circuits. A method for digitally regulating an output current to charge a battery is also provided.