IP Library Granted Patent US 8,878,576
Granted Patent B2
US 8,878,576 · App. 13/553,930 · Granted Nov 4, 2014

Low current, high accuracy power-on-reset

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,878,576
App. No.
13/553,930
Granted
Nov 4, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to power-on-reset (POR) devices for activation of a circuit block powered by a battery. The POR devices activate a circuit block when a battery voltage level of a battery voltage generated by the battery is above a dead battery condition voltage level. So that the circuit block is activated after the battery voltage level of the battery voltage has reached the dead battery condition voltage level, the POR device includes a trigger circuit. The trigger circuit is operable to receive the battery voltage and is configured to generate a trigger signal in response to the battery voltage level being charged above a trigger voltage level, which is equal to or greater than the dead battery condition voltage level. The POR circuit is also operable to generate a POR signal in an activation state and activate the circuit block.

Claims (56)

1. A power-on-reset (POR) device for activation of a circuit block, comprising:

a POR circuit configured to receive an active trigger signal, configured to generate a POR signal, and configured to switch the POR signal from a deactivation state to an activation state in response to receiving the active trigger signal;

a trigger circuit configured to receive a battery voltage, and configured to generate the active trigger signal in response to the battery voltage being greater than a dead battery condition voltage level.

2. The POR device of claim 1 , wherein the POR circuit is configured to generate the POR signal so that the POR signal is configured to:

activate the circuit block when the POR signal is in the activation state; and

deactivate the circuit block when the POR signal is in the deactivation state.

3. The POR device of claim 2 , wherein the POR circuit is coupled to the circuit block so that the circuit block receives the POR signal.

4. The POR device of claim 3 , wherein a battery that powers the circuit block comprises a lithium-ion battery.

5. The POR device of claim 1 , wherein:

the POR circuit is coupled to the circuit block so that the circuit block receives the POR signal, wherein the circuit block comprises one or more eFuses; and

the POR circuit is configured to generate the POR signal so that the POR signal is configured to activate the one or more eFuses when the POR signal is in the activation state.

6. The POR device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a reference voltage circuit configured to be enabled and disabled, wherein the reference voltage circuit is configured to generate a reference voltage having a reference voltage level when enabled and to not generate the reference voltage when disabled;

the trigger circuit being further configured to receive the reference voltage and set a trigger voltage level based on the reference voltage level.

7. The POR device of claim 6 , wherein the POR circuit is further configured to receive the battery voltage and enable the reference voltage circuit once the battery voltage is above a POR enable voltage level, wherein the POR enable voltage level is lower than the trigger voltage level.

8. The POR device of claim 7 , wherein the trigger circuit is further configured to deactivate the reference voltage circuit in response to the battery voltage being above the trigger voltage level.

9. The POR device of claim 1 , wherein the trigger circuit comprises:

a timer circuit configured to be activated such that the timer circuit is configured to generate a trigger signal once a time period expires, wherein the time period begins once the timer circuit is activated;

a sensing circuit configured to:

detect whether the battery voltage has been charged above a trigger voltage level; and

activate the timer circuit once the battery voltage is above the trigger voltage level.

10. The POR device of claim 9 , wherein the sensing circuit is further configured to generate a bias voltage in response to the battery voltage being above the trigger voltage level.

11. The POR device of claim 10 , wherein the bias voltage is configured to activate an eFuse sense circuit.

12. The POR device of claim 10 , wherein the timer circuit is further configured to stop the sensing circuit from generating the bias voltage once the time period expires.

13. The POR device of claim 9 , wherein:

the timer circuit is further configured to generate the trigger signal so that the trigger signal is in the activation state;

the POR circuit comprises:

a POR enable circuit configured to receive the battery voltage and generate a POR enable signal in a disabling state and in an enabling state, wherein the POR enable circuit is configured to generate the POR enable signal in the disabling state while the battery voltage level is below a POR enable voltage level and in the enabling state while the battery voltage level is above the POR enable voltage level, wherein the POR enable voltage level is lower than the trigger voltage level;

a latch configured to receive the trigger signal, receive the POR enable signal, and generate the POR signal, wherein the latch is configured to be opaque so as to generate the POR signal in the deactivation state while the POR enable signal is in the disabling state, be transparent to the trigger signal once the POR enable signal is in the enabling state so that the POR signal is switched from the deactivation state to the activation state provided by the trigger signal, and hold the POR signal in the activation state so long as the trigger signal is provided.

14. A method of activating a circuit block, comprising:

receiving a battery voltage;

generating a power-on-reset (POR) signal, wherein the POR signal is initially in a deactivation state;

generating an active trigger signal in response to the battery voltage being above a dead battery condition voltage level; and

while generating the POR signal, switching the POR signal from the deactivation state to an activation state in response to the active trigger signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the POR signal is configured to activate the circuit block when the POR signal is in the activation state and the POR signal is further configured so that the circuit block is not activated when the POR signal is in in the deactivation state.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

transmitting the POR signal to the circuit block.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein a battery that powers the circuit block comprises a lithium-ion battery.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the circuit block comprises one or more eFuses and the POR signal is configured to activate the one or more eFuses when the POR signal is in the activation state.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

prior to generating the active trigger signal, generating a reference voltage having a reference voltage level; and

prior to generating the active trigger signal, setting a trigger voltage level based on the reference voltage level.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein generating the reference voltage having the reference voltage level is in response to the battery voltage being above a POR enable voltage level, wherein the POR enable voltage level is below the trigger voltage level.

21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

prior to generating the active trigger signal, detecting whether the battery voltage is above a trigger voltage level; and

wherein generating the active trigger signal in response to detecting that the battery voltage being above the trigger voltage level comprises generating the active trigger signal once a time period expires, wherein the time period is initiated as a result of detecting that the battery voltage being above the trigger voltage level.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

generating a bias voltage for the time period in response to the battery voltage being above the trigger voltage level.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the bias voltage is configured to activate an eFuse sense circuit.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the active trigger signal is generated so that the active trigger signal is in the activation state.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

generating a POR enable signal in a disabling state while the battery voltage is below a POR enable voltage level, wherein the POR enable voltage level is lower than the trigger voltage level;

wherein generating the POR signal comprises generating the POR signal in the deactivation state while the POR enable signal is in the disabling state;

generating the POR enable signal in an enabling state while the battery voltage is above the POR enable voltage level;

wherein switching the POR signal comprises switching the POR signal once the POR enable signal is in the enabling state so that the POR signal is switched from the deactivation state to the activation state; and

holding the POR signal in the activation state so long as the active trigger signal is provided in the activation state.

Assignments (4)
MERGER Recorded Jun 16, 2016
From: RF MICRO DEVICES, INC.
To: QORVO US, INC.
Reel/Frame 039196/0941 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (RECORDED 3/19/13 AT REEL/FRAME 030045/0831) Recorded Mar 30, 2015
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: RF MICRO DEVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 035334/0363 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Mar 19, 2013
From: RF MICRO DEVICES, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 030045/0831 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2012
From: NADIMPALLI, PRAVEEN V.
To: RF MICRO DEVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 028595/0085 →