Power supply circuit
View Patent ↗A control circuit for a power supply circuit that selects an appropriate power source to continuously supply power. The control circuit includes a power synthesizing circuit for generating synthesized power by synthesizing a first power supplied from a regulator and a second power supplied from a regulator, or battery power and bus power, so that each circuit of the control circuit is operated by the synthesized power. Operation of the control circuit is enabled even if the supply of one power is stopped. The first switch device and the second switch device are controlled to select the appropriate power source in accordance with the currently supplied power so that power is continuously supplied.
1. A power supply circuit for supplying power to a device main body, the power supply circuit, comprising:
a battery that provides a battery voltage;
a first regulator, connected to the battery, that receives the battery voltage and adjusts and stabilizes the battery voltage to generate a first voltage;
a second regulator connected to a bus interface circuit that receives a bus voltage by way of a communications bus, wherein the second regulator adjusts and stabilizes the bus voltage to generate a second voltage;
a first switch having a first terminal connected to an output of the first regulator and a second terminal connected to the device main body for supplying an input voltage to the device main body, wherein the first switch is activated with a first control signal;
a second switch having a first terminal connected to an output of the second regulator and a second terminal connected to the second terminal of the first switch, wherein the second switch is activated with a second control signal; and
a control circuit for controlling the first and second switches, wherein the control circuit includes,
a power synthesizing circuit having a first diode having an input connected to an output of the first regulator and receiving the first voltage and a second diode having an input connected to the second regulator and receiving the second voltage, wherein the outputs of the first and second diodes are connected to each other and provide a synthesized voltage;
a dynamic voltage detection circuit including a first voltage detection unit that receives the synthesized voltage and compares it to a first reference voltage and generates a first detection signal, and a second voltage detection unit that receives the bus voltage and compares the bus voltage to a second reference voltage and generates a second detection signal, wherein the first detection signal is active when the synthesized voltage is greater than the first reference voltage and the second detection signal is active when the second voltage is greater than the second reference voltage;
a signal generation unit that receives the first and second detection signals and generates first and second signal pairs therefrom, wherein each signal pair includes a set signal and a clear signal and wherein the first clear signal is active when the first detection signal is inactive and the second detection signal is active, the first set signal is active when the second detection signal is inactive, the second clear signal is active when the second detection signal is inactive, and the second set signal is active when the first detection signal is inactive and the second detection signal is active;
a first holding circuit for outputting and holding the first control signal based on the first signal pair, wherein the first holding circuit outputs the first control signal in accordance with a first command signal received from the device main body; and
a second holding circuit for outputting and holding the second control signal based on the second signal pair, wherein the second holding circuit outputs the second control signal in accordance with a second command signal received from the device main body,
whereby the first and second switches operate in a complementary manner to provide a selected one of the first and second voltages to the device main body.
2. The power supply circuit of claim 1 , wherein the communications bus comprises a Universal Serial Bus compatible bus.