IP Library Granted Patent US 10,470,283
Granted Patent B2
US 10,470,283 · App. 15/453,354 · Granted Nov 5, 2019

Discharge method and circuit for USB connector

Inventors: WeiMing Sun (Beijing, CN); Jianli Chen (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
H05F3/04H01R24/64
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,470,283
App. No.
15/453,354
Granted
Nov 5, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, a discharge circuit for a USB connector configured to discharge a voltage of a pin (e.g., a VBUS pin) of the USB connector. The discharge circuit can include a discharge load to discharge the voltage of the pin; a first control circuit to adjust the magnitude of the discharge load during discharging, such that power consumption generated by the discharge load meets a first preset condition and a discharge time is within a first preset range, the first preset condition indicating that the generated power consumption does not trigger Over Temperature Protection (OTP); and a second control circuit to detect whether the voltage of the pin is changed based on a reference voltage during discharging and adjust the magnitude of the discharge load in response to the change, such that a slew rate of the voltage of the first pin is within a second preset range.

Claims (44)

1. A discharge circuit for discharging a voltage from a pin of a USB connector, the discharge circuit comprising:

a discharge load coupled to the pin and configured to discharge the voltage on the pin;

a first control circuit coupled to the discharge load and configured to adjust a magnitude of the discharge load during discharging, such that a power consumption of the discharge load meets a first preset condition, and a discharge time is within a first preset range, the first preset condition indicating that the generated power consumption does not trigger Over Temperature Protection (OTP); and

a second control circuit coupled to the discharge load and configured to detect whether the voltage of the pin is changed based on a reference voltage during discharging and adjust the magnitude of the discharge load in response to the change, such that a slew rate of the voltage of the pin is within a second preset range.

2. The discharge circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first control circuit is configured to detect whether the voltage of the pin is less than a first threshold and to generate an enable signal when the detection result indicates that the voltage of the pin is less than the first threshold.

3. The discharge circuit of claim 2 , wherein the discharge load comprises:

a first discharge load configured to discharge the voltage of the pin; and

a second discharge load configured to discharge the voltage of the pin in response to an enable signal,

wherein the first discharge load is less than the second discharge load.

4. The discharge circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second control circuit is configured to increase the discharge load when the voltage of the pin is greater than the reference voltage.

5. The discharge circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second control circuit is configured to reduce the discharge load when the voltage of the first pin is lower than the reference voltage.

6. The discharge circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a third control circuit coupled to the first and second control circuits, the third control circuit configured to provide enable signals to the first control circuit and the second control circuit.

7. The discharge circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:

a reference voltage generation circuit coupled to the second control circuit, the reference voltage generation circuit configured to provide a variable reference voltage to the second control circuit during discharging, the provided variable reference voltage being greater than a second threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the magnitude of the discharge load in response to the change comprises:

reducing the discharge load when the voltage of the pin is greater than the reference voltage.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the magnitude of the discharge load in response to the change comprises:

increasing the discharge load when the voltage of the pin is less than the reference voltage.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

generating the reference voltage during discharging, the generated reference voltage being variable and greater than a second threshold.

11. A method for discharging a USB connector, the method comprising:

discharging, with a discharge load, the voltage on a pin of the USB connector;

adjusting a magnitude of the discharge load during the discharging such that a power consumption generated by the discharge load meets a first preset condition and a discharge time is within a first preset range, the first preset condition indicating that the generated power consumption does not trigger Over Temperature Protection (OTP);

detecting a voltage change on the pin based on a reference voltage; and

adjusting the magnitude of the discharge load in response to the voltage change, such that a slew rate of the voltage of the pin is within a second preset range.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the discharge load comprises a first discharge load and a second discharge load,

wherein the first discharge load is less than the second discharge load, and

wherein adjusting the magnitude of the discharge load during discharging comprises:

detecting whether the voltage on the pin is less than a first threshold; and

generating an enable signal when the detection result indicates that the voltage of the pin is less than the first threshold, to discharge the voltage of the first pin using the first discharge load and the second discharge load.

13. A system comprising:

means for discharging a voltage on a pin of a USB connector;

means for adjusting a magnitude of the means for discharging such that power consumption generated by the means for discharging meets a first preset condition and a discharge time is within a first preset range, the first preset condition indicating that the generated power consumption does not trigger Over Temperature Protection (OTP);

means for detecting a voltage change on the pin based on a reference voltage; and

means for adjusting the magnitude of the means for discharging in response to the voltage change, such that a slew rate of the voltage of the pin is within a second preset range.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the means for adjusting the magnitude of the means for discharging is configured to adjust the magnitude during the discharging of the voltage.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the means for discharging comprises first and second transistors coupled in parallel.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the means for adjusting is configured to turn on the first transistor when the voltage is greater than a reference voltage.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the means for adjusting is configured to turn on the first and the second transistors when the voltage is less than the reference voltage.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the means for detecting comprises:

a voltage divider circuit coupled to the pin and configured to generate an error voltage; and

an error amplifier having an input coupled to the voltage divider circuit and configured to generate a first transistor enable signal.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the means for adjusting further comprises a comparator having an input coupled to a reference voltage node and configured to generate a second transistor enable signal in response to the voltage being less than a reference voltage on the reference voltage node.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the USB connector comprises a Type-C USB connector and the pin comprises a VBUS pin.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 04481, FRAME 0541 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064072/0459 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 17, 2017
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044481/0541 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2017
From: SUN, WEIMING; CHEN, JIANLI
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 041616/0503 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 2016 1 01905414 · Mar 29, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170290134A1 · Oct 5, 2017