# US 11,309,784 B2 · Power conversion circuit with multi-functional pin and multi-function setting method thereof

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,309,784 B2
- Document ID: US11309784B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/992,065
- Filed: 2020-08-12
- Published: 2021-04-15
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-14
- Assignees: uPI Semiconductor Corp.
- Applicants: uPI Semiconductor Corp.
- Inventors: Chih-Lien Chang; Chun-Chieh Wang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309784B2

## CPC

- H02M 1/36: Means for starting or stopping converters
- H02M 1/0058: {by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero (using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826)}
- H02M 3/155: using semiconductor devices only
- Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

The disclosure provides a power conversion circuit with a multi-function pin and a multi-function setting method thereof. The multi-function pin is coupled to an external setting circuit. The power conversion circuit includes a first function circuit, a second function circuit, and a judging circuit. The first function circuit is coupled to the multi-function pin. The second function circuit is coupled to the multi-function pin. The judging circuit is coupled to the multi-function pin, the first function circuit, and the second function circuit. The judging circuit provides a setting current to the multi-function pin, so that the external setting circuit generates a voltage according to the setting current. The judging circuit judges the type of external setting circuit according to voltage so as to activate the first function circuit or the second function circuit accordingly. The disclosure also provides a multi-function setting method in which the power conversion circuit automatically activates the corresponding function according to the type of external setting circuit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power conversion circuit with a multi-function pin, the multi-function pin coupled to an external setting circuit, wherein the power conversion circuit comprises:
a first function circuit coupled to the multi-function pin;
a second function circuit coupled to the multi-function pin; and
a judging circuit coupled to the multi-function pin, the first function circuit, and the second function circuit, and providing a setting current to the multi-function pin so that the external setting circuit generates a voltage according to the setting current,
wherein the judging circuit judges the type of the external setting circuit according to the voltage, so as to activate the first function circuit or the second function circuit accordingly.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein the external setting circuit is one of a resistor or a capacitor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The power conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein the setting current continues for a first time and generates the voltage at the multi-function pin at the end of the first time during a soft-start period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The power conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first function circuit comprises:
a first current source coupled to the multi-function pin; and
a soft-start circuit coupled to the multi-function pin,
wherein the judging circuit activates the first function circuit when judging that the external setting circuit is a capacitor, so that the first current source provides a first reference current to the multi-function pin, the external setting circuit generates a soft-start voltage according to the first reference current to be provided to the soft-start circuit through the multi-function pin, and the soft-start circuit performs soft-start according to the soft-start voltage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The power conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein the second function circuit comprises:
a first sub-function circuit coupled to the multi-function pin; and
a second sub-function circuit coupled to the multi-function pin,
wherein the judging circuit activates the second function circuit when judging that the external setting circuit is a resistor, so that the first sub-function circuit performs a soft-start setting, the second sub-function circuit provides a second reference current to the multi-function pin, and the external setting circuit generates a setting voltage according to the second reference current, so that the power conversion circuit performs a multi-function setting according to the setting voltage.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The power conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein the judging circuit comprises:
a second current source coupled to the multi-function pin and configured to provide the setting current; and
a comparator, wherein a non-inverting input end of the comparator is coupled to the multi-function pin, an inverting input end of the comparator is coupled to a reference voltage, and an output end of the comparator is coupled to the first function circuit and the second function circuit,
wherein the second current source outputs the setting current to the multi-function pin during a judging period, so that the external setting circuit provides the voltage to the multi-function pin according to the setting current, and the comparator compares the voltage and the reference voltage so as to output a comparison signal.

### Claim 7

A multi-function setting method for a power conversion circuit having a multi-function pin coupled to an external setting circuit, wherein the multi-function setting method comprises:
providing a setting current to the multi-function pin, so that the external setting circuit generates a voltage according to the setting current; and
judging the type of the external setting circuit according to the voltage to activate a first function circuit or a second function circuit accordingly.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The multi-function setting method according to claim 7, wherein in a step of providing the setting current to the multi-function pin, the setting current continues for a first time, and the voltage is compared with a reference voltage at the end of the first time.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The multi-function setting method according to claim 7, wherein a step of judging the type of the external setting circuit according to the voltage so as to correspondingly activate the first function circuit or the second function circuit comprises:
activating the first function circuit when the external setting circuit is judged to be a capacitor, so that the first function circuit provides a first reference current to the multi-function pin; and
generating a soft-start voltage according to the first reference current through the external setting circuit so as to perform soft-start according to the soft-start voltage.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The multi-function setting method according to claim 7, wherein a step of judging the type of the external setting circuit according to the voltage so as to correspondingly activate the first function circuit or the second function circuit comprises:
activating the second function circuit when the external setting circuit is judged to be a resistor, so that a first sub-function circuit of the second function circuit performs a soft-start setting, and a second sub-function circuit of the second function circuit provides a second reference current to the multi-function pin; and
generating a setting voltage according to the second reference current through the external setting circuit, wherein the power conversion circuit performs a multi-function setting according to the setting voltage.