IP Library Granted Patent US 12,562,648
Granted Patent B2
US 12,562,648 · App. 17/665,933 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Bidirectional switching converter and operating method thereof

Inventors: Kyeseok Yoon (Yongin-si, KR); Hyebong Ko (Seoul, KR); Jinwoo So (Hwaseong-si, KR); Hyoungseok Oh (Seoul, KR); Daewoong Cho (Yongin-si, KR); Jungwook Heo (Yongin-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H02M3/1582H02J7/0047H02J7/0063H02J7/00712H02M1/0009
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,562,648
App. No.
17/665,933
Granted
Feb 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The inventive concepts provide a bidirectional switching converter including a first power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) connecting an input voltage node to a switching node, a second power MOSFET connecting the switching node to a ground node, and a zero current detection (ZCD) auto-calibration circuit configured to perform one of an operation of generating a first offset for varying a turn-on time of the first power MOSFET according to an operation mode and an operation of generating a second offset for varying a turn-on time of the second power MOSFET according to the operation mode.

Claims (51)

1 . A bidirectional switching converter comprising:

a first power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) connecting a first node to a switching node;

a second power MOSFET connecting the switching node to a ground node; and

a zero current detection (ZCD) auto-calibration circuit configured to perform one of an operation of generating a first offset for varying a turn-on time of the first power MOSFET according to an operation mode and an operation of generating a second offset for varying a turn-on time of the second power MOSFET according to the operation mode,

wherein the ZCD auto-calibration circuit is configured to change one of a value of the first offset and a value of the second offset, based on a differential value of a voltage of the switching node and a forward-bias detection result.

2 . The bidirectional switching converter of claim 1 , wherein the ZCD auto-calibration circuit further comprises a differentiator configured to differentiate the voltage of the switching node to obtain the differential value;

a comparator configured to receive the differential value from the differentiator, compare the differential value with a first threshold and output an offset increase signal for increasing one of the first offset and the second offset;

a diode detector configured to detect a detection of one of a forward bias voltage between a first terminal and a second terminal of the first power MOSFET and a forward bias voltage between a first terminal and a second terminal of the second power MOSFET according to the operation mode, and output an offset decrease signal for reducing one of the first offset and the second offset according to a result of the detection; and

a counter configured to receive the offset increase signal and the offset decrease signal and vary one of the first offset and the second offset.

3 . The bidirectional switching converter of claim 2 , wherein the diode detector is further configured to detect the forward bias voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal of the second power MOSFET when the operation mode corresponds to a buck mode, and

detect the forward bias voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal of the first power MOSFET when the operation mode corresponds to a boost mode.

4 . The bidirectional switching converter of claim 3 , wherein the comparator is further configured to generate the offset increase signal to the counter when the differential value is greater than the first threshold.

5 . The bidirectional switching converter of claim 4 , wherein the second power MOSFET is configured to have a turn-off time moved up in response to the offset increase signal when the operation mode is the buck mode and the offset increase signal is input to the counter.

6 . The bidirectional switching converter of claim 4 , wherein the first power MOSFET is configured to have a turn-off time delayed in response to the offset decrease signal when the operation mode is the boost mode and the offset decrease signal is input to the counter.

7 . The bidirectional switching converter of claim 4 , wherein the first power MOSFET is configured to have a turn-off time moved up in response to the offset increase signal when the operation mode is the boost mode and the offset increase signal is input to the counter.

8 . The bidirectional switching converter of claim 4 , wherein the ZCD auto-calibration circuit further comprises an additional comparator receiving the differential value from the differentiator and comparing the differential value with a second threshold, and

wherein the counter is further configured to increase an increment of offset to be great when the differential value is greater than the first threshold and the second threshold.

9 . An electronic device comprising:

a battery;

a bidirectional switching converter including a first power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) connecting a first node to a switching node, a second power MOSFET connecting the switching node to a ground node, and a zero current detection (ZCD) auto-calibration circuit configured to perform one of an operation of generating a first offset for varying a turn-on time of the first power MOSFET according to an operation mode and an operation of generating a second offset for varying a turn-on time of the second power MOSFET according to the operation mode;

a first interface providing the battery with a power supplied from an external device; and

a second interface providing the external device with a power output from the battery,

wherein the ZCD auto-calibration circuit is further configured to change one of a value of the first offset and a value of the second offset, based on a differential value of a voltage of the switching node and a forward-bias detection result.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the ZCD auto-calibration circuit comprises:

a differentiator configured to differentiate the voltage of the switching node to obtain the differential value;

a comparator configured to receive the differential value from the differentiator, compare the differential value with a first threshold and output an offset increase signal for increasing one of the first offset and the second offset;

a diode detector configured to detect a detection of one of a forward bias voltage between a first terminal and a second terminal of the first power MOSFET and a forward bias voltage between a first terminal and a second terminal of the second power MOSFET according to the operation mode, and output an offset decrease signal for reducing one of the first offset and the second offset according to a result of the detection; and

a counter configured to receive the offset increase signal and the offset decrease signal for changing one of the first offset and the second offset.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the diode detector is further configured to detect the forward bias voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal of the second power MOSFET when the operation mode corresponds to a buck mode, and

detect the forward bias voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal of the first power MOSFET when the operation mode corresponds to a boost mode.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the comparator is further configured to generate the offset increase signal to the counter when the differential value is greater than the first threshold.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the second power MOSFET is configured to have a turn-off time moved up in response to the offset increase signal when the operation mode is the buck mode and the offset increase signal is input to the counter.

14 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first power MOSFET is configured to have a turn-off time delayed in response to the offset decrease signal when the operation mode is the boost mode and the offset decrease signal is input to the counter.

15 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first power MOSFET is configured to have a turn-off time moved up in response to the offset increase signal when the operation mode is the boost mode and the offset increase signal is input to the counter.

16 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the ZCD auto-calibration circuit further comprises an additional comparator receiving the differential value from the differentiator and comparing the differential value with a second threshold, and

wherein the counter increases an increment of offset to be great when the differential value is greater than the first threshold and the second threshold.

17 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein, the ZCD auto-calibration circuit is configured to determine the operation mode as a buck mode, in response to the external device being identified through the first interface, and

wherein, the ZCD auto-calibration circuit is configured to determine the operation mode as a boost mode in response to the external device being identified through the second interface.

18 . A method of operating a bidirectional switching converter, the method comprising:

setting an offset;

identifying an identified operation mode of the bidirectional switching converter;

determining whether a forward bias voltage is detected between a first terminal and a second terminal of a first power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) or between a first terminal and a second terminal of a second power MOSFET, according to the identified operation mode; and

determining whether an absolute value of a differential voltage of a switching node is greater than a threshold when the forward bias voltage is not detected,

wherein the first power MOSFET connects a first node to the switching node, and

wherein the second power MOSFET connects the switching node to a ground node.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein, when the identified operation mode corresponds to a buck mode,

the determining of whether the forward bias voltage is detected comprises detecting the forward bias voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal of the second power MOSFET; and

reducing the initial offset when the forward bias voltage is detected, and wherein the method further comprises increasing the offset when the absolute value of the differential voltage is greater than the threshold.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein, when the identified operation mode corresponds to a boost mode, the determining of whether the forward bias voltage is detected comprises detecting the forward bias voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal of the first power MOSFET; and

decreasing the offset when the forward bias voltage is detected, and

wherein the method further comprises increasing the initial offset when the absolute value is greater than the threshold.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: YOON, KYESEOK; KO, HYEBONG; SO, JINWOO; OH, HYOUNGSEOK; CHO, DAEWOONG; HEO, JUNGWOOK
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058932/0033 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2021-0017870 · Feb 8, 2021 · national
KR 10-2021-0141981 · Oct 22, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220255435A1 · Aug 11, 2022
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