TW201729030A - Tunable DC voltage generating circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

A tunable DC voltage generating circuit includes: a resonance circuit including an inductor and an input capacitor connected in series configuration, and arranged to operably receive an input signal and generating a resonance signal at an output node between the inductor and the input capacitor; a rectifying circuit coupled with the output node and arranged to operably rectify the resonance signal; a current control unit connected with the resonance circuit in series configuration; a stable capacitor coupled with an output terminal of the rectifying circuit and arranged to operably provide a DC output signal having a voltage level greater than the input signal; and a control circuit coupled with the output terminal of the rectifying circuit and the current control unit, and arranged to operably adjust a current passing through the current control unit to thereby change the DC output signal.

Description

Adjustable DC voltage generating circuit

The invention relates to a voltage amplifying circuit, in particular to an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit with high voltage amplification.

Switching boost converters are widely used, but one of the disadvantages is that the voltage amplification is not large enough, and it is often difficult to exceed ten times. Another shortcoming of the switching voltage conversion circuit is that it requires a more complicated control circuit to control the switching operation of the power switch, so the circuit design complexity is high. Moreover, the switching voltage conversion circuit is also difficult to avoid switching loss caused by the switching operation of the power switch.

In view of this, how to provide a more flexible and larger voltage amplification ratio with a more compact circuit architecture is a problem to be solved in the industry.

The present specification provides an embodiment of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit, comprising: a resonant circuit comprising an inductor arranged in series and an input capacitor for receiving an input signal and between the inductor and the input capacitor An output node generates a resonance signal; a rectifier circuit coupled to the output node for rectifying the resonance signal; a current control unit formed in series with the resonance circuit; and a voltage stabilizing capacitor coupled to the rectifier circuit The output terminal is configured to provide a DC output signal having a voltage greater than the input signal; and a control circuit coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit and the current control unit for adjusting the current flowing according to a set signal The magnitude of the current of the control unit to change the DC output signal.

The present specification further provides an embodiment of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit, comprising: a resonant circuit comprising an inductor arranged in series and an input capacitor for receiving an input signal and between the inductor and the input capacitor An output node generates a resonance signal; a rectifier circuit coupled to the output node for rectifying the resonance signal; a current control unit coupled to the input end of the rectifier circuit, and the inductor or the input capacitor Forming a parallel configuration; a voltage stabilizing capacitor coupled to the output end of the rectifier circuit for providing a DC output signal having a voltage greater than the input signal; and a control circuit coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit and the The current control unit is configured to adjust a current flowing through the current control unit according to a set signal to change the DC output signal.

The present specification further provides an embodiment of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit, comprising: a resonant circuit comprising an inductor arranged in series and an input capacitor for receiving an input signal and between the inductor and the input capacitor An output node generates a resonance signal; a rectifier circuit coupled to the output node for rectifying the resonance signal; a current control unit coupled to the output end of the rectifier circuit, and the inductor or the input capacitor Forming a parallel configuration; a voltage stabilizing capacitor coupled to the output end of the rectifier circuit for providing a DC output signal having a voltage greater than the input signal; and a control circuit coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit and the The current control unit is configured to adjust a current flowing through the current control unit according to a set signal to change the DC output signal.

One of the advantages of the above embodiment is that the voltage value of the DC output signal generated by the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit can be as high as tens to 100 times the voltage value of the input signal, so that the voltage amplification range of the input signal can be greatly increased.

Another advantage of the above embodiment is that no power switch is used in the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit, so that switching loss can be avoided and the circuit complexity of the control circuit can be greatly simplified.

Other advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail by the following description and drawings.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the associated drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or similar elements or methods.

1 is a simplified functional block diagram of a tunable DC voltage generating circuit 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 includes a resonance circuit 110 , a rectifying circuit 120 , a current control unit 130 , and a stable capacitor . 140) and a control circuit 150.

The resonant circuit 110 includes an inductor 111, an input capacitor 113, and an output node 115 between the inductor 111 and the input capacitor 113. The resonant circuit 110 is configured to receive an input signal VIN and generate a resonance signal VLC at the output node 115.

The rectifier circuit 120 is coupled to the output node 115 and used to rectify the resonance signal VLC. In practice, the rectifier circuit 120 can be implemented with various rectifiers (eg, a full bridge rectifier, a half bridge rectifier), or it can be implemented with a diode.

The current control unit 130 is formed in series with the resonant circuit 110 and can affect the magnitude of the current flowing through the input capacitor 113 under the control of the control circuit 150.

The voltage stabilizing capacitor 140 is coupled to the output end of the rectifier circuit 120 for providing a DC output signal VOUT having a voltage value greater than the input signal VIN.

The control circuit 150 is coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit 120 and the current control unit 130 for adjusting the magnitude of the current flowing through the current control unit 130 according to a setting signal VSET to change the DC output signal VOUT.

Please note that in order for the inductor 111 and the input capacitor 113 in the resonant circuit 110 to generate a resonance effect, the input signal VIN of the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 must be a variable signal, and cannot be a fixed DC signal. (DC signal). For example, the input signal VIN of the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 can be an AC signal or a pulsed DC signal.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the first end of the current control unit 130 is coupled to the resonant circuit 110, and the second end of the current control unit 130 is coupled to a fixed potential terminal (eg, ground), and the current control unit 130 The control terminal is coupled and controlled by the control circuit 150.

Since the magnitude of the current flowing through the input capacitor 113 is affected by the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit 130, the control circuit 150 can adjust the flow current control by changing the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit 130. The magnitude of the current of unit 130 changes the amount of current flowing through input capacitor 113.

In other words, the control circuit 150 can adjust the magnitude of the current flowing through the input capacitor 113 by changing the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit 130, thereby changing the voltage level of the DC output signal VOUT.

For example, in the embodiment, the control circuit 150 may include a feedback circuit 151 and a comparator 153. As shown in FIG. 1 , the feedback circuit 151 is coupled to the input end of the voltage stabilizing capacitor 140 for generating a feedback signal FB corresponding to the DC output signal VOUT. The comparator 153 is coupled to the feedback circuit 151 and the current control unit 130 for comparing the feedback signal FB with the setting signal VSET to adjust the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit 130.

In practice, the current control unit 130 can be implemented by an adjustable resistor or a transistor, or by an architecture in which an transistor is connected in series with an impedance. The feedback circuit 151 can be implemented with a suitable voltage dividing resistor to reduce the voltage value of the input signal of the comparator 153, thereby reducing the circuit complexity of the comparator 153.

Assuming that the multiplying relationship between the feedback signal FB and the DC output signal VOUT is 100 to 1, when the setting signal VSET is set to 2 volts, the voltage of the DC output signal VOUT generated by the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 in the steady state is set. The value will be up to 200 volts. In other words, if the magnitude of the set signal VSET is changed by an external circuit (not shown in FIG. 1), the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 can be controlled to change the magnitude of the DC output signal VOUT, that is, the adjustable DC voltage is generated. The voltage amplification of the circuit 100.

In the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 of FIG. 1, the input signal VIN is first conducted through the inductor 111 to the input capacitor 113, but this is merely an exemplary embodiment and is not intended to limit the actual implementation of the present invention.

For example, FIG. 2 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Compared with the architecture of FIG. 1 , the positions of the inductor 111 and the input capacitor 113 in the resonant circuit 110 of FIG. 2 are mutually adjusted. Therefore, the input signal VIN is first transmitted to the inductor 111 through the input capacitor 113 .

The foregoing description of the connection relationship, the embodiment, the operation mode, and the related advantages of the other elements in FIG. 1 also applies to the embodiment of FIG. 2. For the sake of brevity, the description will not be repeated here.

In the foregoing description, the current control unit 130 and the resonant circuit 110 are arranged in a series configuration, but this is merely an exemplary embodiment and is not intended to limit the actual implementation of the present invention.

For example, please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. FIG. 3 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 300 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 300 of FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to the constituent elements of the aforementioned adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100, but the connection relationship between the elements is slightly different.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the first end of the current control unit 130 is coupled to the input end of the rectifier circuit 120, and the second end of the current control unit 130 is coupled to a fixed potential terminal (eg, ground). The control terminal of the current control unit 130 is coupled and controlled by the control circuit 150.

In other words, the current control unit 130 in the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 300 is coupled to the input end of the rectifier circuit 120 and formed in parallel with the inductor 111 or the input capacitor 113 instead of being formed in series with the resonant circuit 110.

In the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 300, the magnitude of the current flowing through the input capacitor 113 is also affected by the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit 130. Therefore, the control circuit 150 can also adjust the magnitude of the current flowing through the input capacitor 113 by changing the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit 130, thereby changing the voltage level of the DC output signal VOUT.

Compared with the architecture of FIG. 3, the positions of the inductor 111 and the input capacitor 113 in the resonant circuit 110 of FIG. 4 are mutually opposite. Therefore, the input signal VIN is first transmitted to the inductor 111 through the input capacitor 113.

The foregoing description of the connection relationship, the embodiment, the operation mode, and the related advantages of the other elements in FIG. 1 also apply to the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4. For the sake of brevity, the description will not be repeated here.

In the foregoing architectures of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the current control unit 130 is coupled to the input of the rectifier circuit 120, but this is merely an exemplary embodiment and is not intended to limit the actual implementation of the present invention.

For example, please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. FIG. 5 is a simplified functional block diagram of a tunable DC voltage generating circuit 500 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 500 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 500 of FIGS. 5 and 6 is similar to the components of the aforementioned adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 300, but the connection relationship between the elements is slightly different.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 , the first end of the current control unit 130 is coupled to the output end of the rectifier circuit 120 (instead of the input end), and the second end of the current control unit 130 is coupled to a fixed potential end. (eg, ground), while the control terminal of current control unit 130 is coupled and controlled by control circuit 150.

In other words, the current control unit 130 in the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 500 is coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit 120, and is also formed in parallel with the inductor 111 or the input capacitor 113, rather than in series with the resonant circuit 110.

In the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 500, the magnitude of the current flowing through the input capacitor 113 is also affected by the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit 130. Therefore, the control circuit 150 can also adjust the magnitude of the current flowing through the input capacitor 113 by changing the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit 130, thereby changing the voltage level of the DC output signal VOUT.

Compared with the architecture of FIG. 5, the positions of the inductor 111 and the input capacitor 113 in the resonant circuit 110 of FIG. 6 are mutually opposite. Therefore, the input signal VIN is first transmitted to the inductor 111 through the input capacitor 113.

The foregoing description of the connection relationships, implementations, modes of operation, and related advantages of other elements in the embodiments is also applicable to the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6. For the sake of brevity, the description will not be repeated here.

It can be seen from the foregoing description that the voltage value of the DC output signal VOUT generated by the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100, 300, or 500 can be up to tens of times to more than 100 times the voltage value of the input signal VIN, so the adjustable DC The voltage amplification range of the voltage generating circuit 100, 300, or 500 is very wide and thus has great application flexibility.

In addition, any power switch is not used in the aforementioned adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100, 300, or 500, so that the switching loss can be avoided, and the circuit complexity of the control circuit 150 can be made much lower than the conventional one. The control circuit required for the switching voltage conversion circuit.

As described above, the aforementioned adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100, 300, or 500 can be controlled to change the voltage amplification ratio by using an external circuit to change the magnitude of the setting signal VSET. Therefore, the aforementioned adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100, 300, or 500 is well suited for applications in which the voltage variation range required for the subsequent stage circuit is large.

For example, FIG. 7 is a simplified functional block diagram of a wireless charging apparatus 700 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The wireless charging device 700 includes a power supply unit 710, an impedance matching network 720, a charging inductor 730, an impedance matching control circuit 740, and The aforementioned adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100.

The power supply unit 710 is configured to provide an input signal VIN required by the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100. In practice, the power supply unit 710 can use various full bridge power amplifiers, half bridge power amplifiers, Class-D amplifiers, or the like to generate appropriate AC. Signal or pulsed DC signal circuit is implemented.

The impedance matching network 720 is coupled to the output of the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 for matching the impedance of the charging inductor 730. For example, impedance matching network 720 can include a resistor 721, a varactor 723, and an output capacitor 725. The resistor 721 is coupled between the output of the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 and the input of the varactor 723. The output capacitor 725 is coupled between the input end of the varactor 723 and the charging inductor 730.

The charging inductor 730 is coupled between the output of the power supply unit 710 and the output of the impedance matching network 720 for transmitting energy in an inductive form to another device (eg, a mobile device having a wireless power receiving device). The device is wirelessly charged.

The impedance matching control circuit 740 is coupled to the output end of the power supply unit 710 and the input end of the foregoing control circuit 150 for generating the aforementioned setting signal VSET. The impedance matching control circuit 740 can estimate the phase of the signal between the output capacitor 725 and the charging inductor 730 according to the input signal VIN, and output the output of the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 by adjusting the magnitude of the setting signal VSET. The signal phases of the capacitor 725 and the charging inductor 730 are adjusted to match each other to improve the overall energy conversion efficiency of the wireless charging device 700.

As previously mentioned, the positions of both the inductor 111 and the input capacitor 113 in the resonant circuit 110 of FIG. 7 can be reversed from each other.

Please refer to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. FIG. 8 is a simplified functional block diagram of a wireless charging apparatus 800 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a simplified functional block diagram of a wireless charging apparatus 900 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The wireless charging device 800 and the wireless charging device 900 are all similar to the architecture of the wireless charging device 700 of FIG. 7, but the wireless charging device 800 replaces the adjustable DC voltage in the wireless charging device 700 with the aforementioned adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 300. The circuit 100 is generated, and the wireless charging device 900 replaces the adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 100 in the wireless charging device 700 with the aforementioned adjustable DC voltage generating circuit 500.

The foregoing description of the connection relationship, the embodiment, the operation mode, and the related advantages of the other elements in FIG. 7 also apply to the embodiments of FIGS. 8 and 9. For the sake of brevity, the description will not be repeated here.

Certain terms are used throughout the description and claims to refer to particular elements. However, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the same elements may be referred to by different nouns. The specification and the scope of patent application do not use the difference in name as the way to distinguish the components, but the difference in function of the components as the basis for differentiation. The term "including" as used in the specification and the scope of the patent application is an open term and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". In addition, "coupled" includes any direct and indirect means of attachment herein. Therefore, if the first element is described as being coupled to the second element, the first element can be directly connected to the second element by electrical connection or wireless transmission, optical transmission or the like, or by other elements or connections. The means is indirectly electrically or signally connected to the second component.

The description of "and/or" as used herein includes any combination of one or more of the listed items. In addition, the terms of any singular are intended to include the meaning of the plural, unless otherwise specified in the specification.

The "voltage signal" in the specification and the scope of the patent application can be implemented in the form of voltage or current. The "current signal" in the specification and the scope of the patent application can also be implemented in the form of voltage or current.

The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all changes and modifications made to the claims of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.

100, 300, 500‧‧‧ adjustable DC voltage generating circuit

110‧‧‧Resonance circuit

111‧‧‧Inductance

113‧‧‧Input capacitance

115‧‧‧ Output node

120‧‧‧Rectifier circuit

130‧‧‧current control unit

140‧‧‧Steady capacitor

150‧‧‧Control circuit

151‧‧‧ Feedback Circuit

153‧‧‧ comparator

700, 800, 900‧‧‧ wireless charging device

710‧‧‧Power supply unit

720‧‧‧ impedance matching network

721‧‧‧resistance

723‧‧‧Variable Capacitance

725‧‧‧ output capacitor

730‧‧‧Charging inductor

740‧‧‧ impedance matching control circuit

1 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a simplified functional block diagram of an adjustable DC voltage generating circuit according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a simplified functional block diagram of a wireless charging apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a simplified functional block diagram of a wireless charging apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a simplified functional block diagram of a wireless charging apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

100‧‧‧Adjustable DC voltage generation circuit

110‧‧‧Resonance circuit

111‧‧‧Inductance

113‧‧‧Input capacitance

115‧‧‧ Output node

120‧‧‧Rectifier circuit

130‧‧‧current control unit

140‧‧‧Steady capacitor

150‧‧‧Control circuit

151‧‧‧ Feedback Circuit

153‧‧‧ comparator

Claims (12)

An adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (100) comprising: a resonant circuit (110) comprising an inductor (111) arranged in series and an input capacitor (113) for receiving an input signal (VIN) and An output node (115) between the inductor (111) and the input capacitor (113) generates a resonance signal (VLC); a rectifier circuit (120) coupled to the output node (115) for rectifying the resonance a signal (VLC); a current control unit (130), formed in series with the resonant circuit (110); a voltage stabilizing capacitor (140) coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit (120) for providing a voltage value a DC output signal (VOUT) greater than the input signal (VIN); and a control circuit (150) coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit (120) and the current control unit (130) for setting The signal (VSET) adjusts the magnitude of the current flowing through the current control unit (130) to change the DC output signal (VOUT). The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (100) of claim 1, wherein the input signal (VIN) is an alternating current signal or a pulsed direct current signal instead of a fixed direct current signal. The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (100) according to claim 1, wherein the current control unit (130) comprises an adjustable resistor or a transistor, and an equivalent resistance value of the current control unit (130) It is controlled by the control circuit (150). The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (100) of claim 3, wherein the control circuit (150) comprises: a feedback circuit (151) coupled to the input end of the voltage stabilizing capacitor (140) for Generating a feedback signal (FB) corresponding to the DC output signal (VOUT); and a comparator (153) coupled to the feedback circuit (151) and the current control unit (130) for comparing the feedback The signal and the set signal (VSET) are used to adjust the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit (130). An adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (300) comprises: a resonant circuit (110) comprising an inductor (111) arranged in series and an input capacitor (113) for receiving an input signal (VIN), and An output node (115) between the inductor (111) and the input capacitor (113) generates a resonance signal (VLC); a rectifier circuit (120) coupled to the output node (115) for rectifying the resonance a signal (VLC); a current control unit (130) coupled to the input end of the rectifier circuit (120) and formed in parallel with the inductor (111) or the input capacitor (113); a voltage stabilizing capacitor (140) And coupled to the output end of the rectifier circuit (120) for providing a DC output signal (VOUT) having a voltage greater than the input signal (VIN); and a control circuit (150) coupled to the rectifier circuit The output of (120) and the current control unit (130) are configured to adjust the magnitude of the current flowing through the current control unit (130) according to a set signal (VSET) to change the DC output signal (VOUT). The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (300) of claim 5, wherein the input signal (VIN) is an alternating current signal or a pulsed direct current signal instead of a fixed direct current signal. The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (300) of claim 5, wherein the current control unit (130) comprises an adjustable resistor or a transistor, and an equivalent resistance value of the current control unit (130) It is controlled by the control circuit (150). The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (300) of claim 7, wherein the control circuit (150) comprises: a feedback circuit (151) coupled to the input end of the voltage stabilizing capacitor (140) for Generating a feedback signal (FB) corresponding to the DC output signal (VOUT); and a comparator (153) coupled to the feedback circuit (151) and the current control unit (130) for comparing the feedback The signal and the set signal (VSET) are used to adjust the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit (130). An adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (500) comprises: a resonant circuit (110) comprising an inductor (111) arranged in series and an input capacitor (113) for receiving an input signal (VIN), and An output node (115) between the inductor (111) and the input capacitor (113) generates a resonance signal (VLC); a rectifier circuit (120) coupled to the output node (115) for rectifying the resonance a signal (VLC); a current control unit (130) coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit (120) and formed in parallel with the inductor (111) or the input capacitor (113); a voltage stabilizing capacitor (140) And coupled to the output end of the rectifier circuit (120) for providing a DC output signal (VOUT) having a voltage greater than the input signal (VIN); and a control circuit (150) coupled to the rectifier circuit The output of (120) and the current control unit (130) are configured to adjust the magnitude of the current flowing through the current control unit (130) according to a set signal (VSET) to change the DC output signal (VOUT). The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (500) of claim 9, wherein the input signal (VIN) is an alternating current signal or a pulsed direct current signal instead of a fixed direct current signal. The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (500) of claim 9, wherein the current control unit (130) comprises an adjustable resistor or a transistor, and an equivalent resistance value of the current control unit (130) It is controlled by the control circuit (150). The adjustable DC voltage generating circuit (500) of claim 11, wherein the control circuit (150) comprises: a feedback circuit (151) coupled to the input end of the voltage stabilizing capacitor (140) for Generating a feedback signal (FB) corresponding to the DC output signal (VOUT); and a comparator (153) coupled to the feedback circuit (151) and the current control unit (130) for comparing the feedback The signal and the set signal (VSET) are used to adjust the equivalent resistance value of the current control unit (130).