# US 12,184,278 B2 · Circuit, method and system for automatic level switching

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- Number: US 12,184,278 B2
- Document ID: US12184278B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/189,630
- Filed: 2023-03-24
- Published: 2023-10-26
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2022-04-21
- Assignees: Newcosemi (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd
- Applicants: Newcosemi (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd
- Inventors: Hui Zheng; Deyi Pi; Bingqiang Zhu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184278B2

## CPC

- H03K 19/018507: {Interface arrangements}
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

A circuit, a method and a system for automatic level switching are provided. The circuit for automatic level switching comprises a level selector, a chip IO interface and a level detector; wherein, each input terminal of the level selector is connected to a different input voltage, and an output terminal of the level selector provides the chip IO interface with an interface level; the chip IO interface is connected to an off-chip device; a control terminal of the level detector is connected to a control terminal of the level selector, and a detection terminal of the level detector is connected to the chip IO interface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit for automatic level switching, comprising: a level selector, a chip IO interface and a level detector, wherein:
the level selector is configured with n input terminals each connected to different input voltages, and an output terminal of the level selector provides the chip IO interface with an interface level; the chip IO interface is connected to an off-chip device, wherein n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2;
a control terminal of the level detector is connected to a control terminal of the level selector, and a detection terminal of the level detector is connected to the chip IO interface, the level detector is configured to detect a voltage at the chip IO interface, obtain an operating voltage value of the off-chip device based on the detected voltage at the chip IO interface, generate a control signal based on the operating voltage value, and control, via the control signal, the level selector to switch a corresponding input terminal to provide the chip IO interface with a chip IO interface level consistent with the operating voltage of the off-chip device; and
upon the off-chip device is powered on, the level selector is configured to select one of the n input terminals which is connected to a maximum input voltage to provide the chip IO interface with the interface level equal to the maximum input voltage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the level selector comprises n switch transistors and a control logic circuit;
input terminals of the switch transistors are connected to different input voltages, output terminals of the switch transistor provide the chip IO interface with interface levels, and control terminals of the switch transistors are connected to an output terminal of the control logic circuit, and a control terminal of the control logic circuit is connected to the control terminal of the level detector; and
upon the off-chip device is powered on, the control logic circuit is configured to control, based on the control signal, a switch transistor connected to the maximum input voltage to be turned on and other switch transistors to be turned off; in a case that the off-chip device is in an operating state after being powered on, the control signal includes the operating voltage value of the off-chip device, and the control logic circuit is configured to control, based on the control signal, a corresponding switch transistor to be turned on and other switch transistors to be turned off, wherein the input voltage value connected to the corresponding switch transistor is consistent with the operating voltage value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the level selector comprises n PMOS transistors and a control logic circuit;
sources of the PMOS transistors are connected to different input voltages, drains of the PMOS transistors are connected together to form a common terminal, and the common terminal is used as the output terminal of the level selector to provide the chip IO interface with the interface level, a control terminal of the control logic circuit is connected to the control terminal of the level detector, and an output terminal of the control logic circuit is connected to gates of the PMOS transistors; and
upon the off-chip device is powered on, the control logic circuit is configured to control, based on the control signal, a PMOS transistor connected to the maximum input voltage to be turned on and other PMOS transistors to be turned off; in a case that the off-chip device is in an operating state after being powered on, the control signal includes the operating voltage value of the off-chip device, and the control logic circuit is configured to control, based on the control signal, a corresponding PMOS transistor to be turned on and other PMOS transistors to be turned off, wherein the input voltage value connected to the corresponding PMOS transistor is consistent with the operating voltage value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the level detector includes a level detecting circuit and a register, and the register is configured to store a correspondence relationship between voltages of the chip IO interface and operating voltage values of the off-chip device; wherein,
a detection terminal of the level detecting circuit is connected to the chip IO interface, an output terminal of the level detecting circuit is connected to an input terminal of the register, and a control terminal of the register is connected to the control terminal of the level selector; and
the level detecting circuit is configured to detect the voltage at the chip IO interface, the register is configured to obtain the operating voltage value of the off-chip device according to the voltage and the correspondence relationship, and generate the control signal based on the operating voltage value.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The circuit according to claim 2, wherein the level detector includes a level detecting circuit and a register, and the register is configured to store a correspondence relationship between voltages of the chip IO interface and operating voltage values of the off-chip device; wherein,
a detection terminal of the level detecting circuit is connected to the chip IO interface, an output terminal of the level detecting circuit is connected to an input terminal of the register, and a control terminal of the register is connected to the control terminal of the level selector; and
the level detecting circuit is configured to detect the voltage at the chip IO interface, the register is configured to obtain the operating voltage value of the off-chip device according to the voltage and the correspondence relationship, and generate the control signal based on the operating voltage value.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The circuit according to claim 3, wherein the level detector includes a level detecting circuit and a register, and the register is configured to store a correspondence relationship between voltages of the chip IO interface and operating voltage values of the off-chip device; wherein,
a detection terminal of the level detecting circuit is connected to the chip IO interface, an output terminal of the level detecting circuit is connected to an input terminal of the register, and a control terminal of the register is connected to the control terminal of the level selector; and
the level detecting circuit is configured to detect the voltage at the chip IO interface, the register is configured to obtain the operating voltage value of the off-chip device according to the voltage and the correspondence relationship, and generate the control signal based on the operating voltage value.

### Claim 7

A method for automatic level switching, applied to a circuit for automatic level switching, wherein the circuit for automatic level switching, comprising: a level selector, a chip IO interface and a level detector,
the level selector is configured with n input terminals each connected to different input voltages, and an output terminal of the level selector provides the chip IO interface with an interface level; the chip IO interface is connected to an off-chip device, wherein n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; and
a control terminal of the level detector is connected to a control terminal of the level selector, and a detection terminal of the level detector is connected to the chip IO interface, the level detector is configured to detect a voltage at the chip IO interface, obtain an operating voltage value of the off-chip device based on the detected voltage at the chip IO interface, generate a control signal based on the operating voltage value, and control, via the control signal, the level selector to switch a corresponding input terminal to provide the chip IO interface with a chip IO interface level consistent with the operating voltage of the off-chip device;
wherein the method comprises:
upon the off-chip device is powered on:
controlling the level selector to select one of the n input terminals which is connected to a maximum input voltage, to provide the chip IO interface with the interface level equal to the maximum input voltage;
in response to the off-chip device being in an operating state after being powered on:
detecting, by the level detector, the voltage at the chip IO interface;
obtaining, by the level detector, the operating voltage value of an off-chip device based on the detected voltage at the chip IO interface;
generating, by the level detector, the control signal based on the operating voltage value;
sending, by the level detector, the control signal to the level selector; and
switching, by the level selector, the input terminal to provide the chip IO interface with the chip IO interface level consistent with the operating voltage of the off-chip device, based on the control signal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the level selector comprises n switch transistors and a control logic circuit, n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, and the switching by the level selector an input terminal to provide the chip IO interface with an interface level based on the control signal comprises:
upon the off-chip device is powered on, controlling, by the control logic circuit, a switch transistor connected to the maximum input voltage to be turned on and other switch transistors to be turned off based on the control signal; and
in a case that the off-chip device is in the operating state after being powered on, controlling, by the control logic circuit, a corresponding switch transistor to be turned on and other switch transistors to be turned off based on the control signal, wherein the control signal includes the operating voltage value of the off-chip device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the level selector comprises n PMOS transistors and a control logic circuit, n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, and the switching by the level selector an input terminal to provide the chip IO interface with an interface level based on the control signal comprises:
upon the off-chip device is powered on, controlling, by the control logic circuit, a PMOS transistor connected to the maximum input voltage to be turned on and other PMOS transistors to be turned off based on the control signal; and
in a case that the off-chip device is in the operating state after being powered on, controlling, by the control logic circuit, a corresponding PMOS transistor to be turned on and other PMOS transistors to be turned off based on the control signal, wherein the control signal includes the operating voltage value of the off-chip device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method according claim 7, wherein the level detector includes a level detecting circuit and a register, and the register is configured to store a correspondence relationship between voltages of the chip IO interface and operating voltage values of the off-chip device; the obtaining by the level detector an operating voltage value of the off-chip device based on the detected voltage at the chip IO interface comprises:
detecting, by the level detecting circuit, the voltage at the chip IO interface; and
obtaining, by the register, the operating voltage value of the off-chip device according to the voltage and the correspondence relationship.

### Claim 11

A system for automatic level switching, comprising:
a circuit for automatic level switching, wherein the circuit for automatic level switching comprising: a level selector, a chip IO interface and a level detector, wherein:
the level selector is configured with n input terminals each connected to different input voltages, and an output terminal of the level selector provides the chip IO interface with an interface level; the chip IO interface is connected to an off-chip device, wherein n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2;
a control terminal of the level detector is connected to a control terminal of the level selector, and a detection terminal of the level detector is connected to the chip IO interface, the level detector is configured to detect a voltage at the chip IO interface, obtain an operating voltage value of the off-chip device based on the detected voltage at the chip IO interface, generate a control signal based on the operating voltage value, and control, via the control signal, the level selector to switch a corresponding input terminal to provide the chip IO interface with a chip IO interface level consistent with the operating voltage of the off-chip device; and
upon the off-chip device is powered on, the level selector is configured to select one of the n input terminals which is connected to a maximum input voltage to provide the chip IO interface with an interface level equal to the maximum input voltage; and
the off-chip device, connected to the chip IO interface in the circuit for automatic level switching, the circuit for automatic level switching is configured to identify the operating voltage of the off-chip device, and enable the chip IO interface level to be consistent with the operating voltage of the off-chip device through level switching.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the off-chip device is an off-chip communication device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the level selector comprises n switch transistors and a control logic circuit;
input terminals of the switch transistors are connected to different input voltages, output terminals of the switch transistor provide the chip IO interface with interface levels, and control terminals of the switch transistors are connected to an output terminal of the control logic circuit, and a control terminal of the control logic circuit is connected to the control terminal of the level detector; and
upon the off-chip device is powered on, the control logic circuit is configured to control, based on the control signal, a switch transistor connected to the maximum input voltage to be turned on and other switch transistors to be turned off; in a case that the off-chip device is in an operating state after being powered on, the control signal includes the operating voltage value of the off-chip device, and the control logic circuit is configured to control, based on the control signal, a corresponding switch transistor to be turned on and other switch transistors to be turned off, wherein the input voltage value connected to the corresponding switch transistor is consistent with the operating voltage value.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the level selector comprises n PMOS transistors and a control logic circuit;
sources of the PMOS transistors are connected to different input voltages, drains of the PMOS transistors are connected together to form a common terminal, and the common terminal is used as the output terminal of the level selector to provide the chip IO interface with the interface level, a control terminal of the control logic circuit is connected to the control terminal of the level detector, and an output terminal of the control logic circuit is connected to gates of the PMOS transistors; and
upon the off-chip device is powered on, the control logic circuit is configured to control, based on the control signal, a PMOS transistor connected to the maximum input voltage to be turned on and other PMOS transistors to be turned off; in a case that the off-chip device is in an operating state after being powered on, the control signal includes the operating voltage value of the off-chip device, and the control logic circuit is configured to control, based on the control signal, a corresponding PMOS transistor to be turned on and other PMOS transistors to be turned off, wherein the input voltage value connected to the corresponding PMOS transistor is consistent with the operating voltage value.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the level detector includes a level detecting circuit and a register, and the register is configured to store a correspondence relationship between voltages of the chip IO interface and operating voltage values of the off-chip device; wherein,
a detection terminal of the level detecting circuit is connected to the chip IO interface, an output terminal of the level detecting circuit is connected to an input terminal of the register, and a control terminal of the register is connected to the control terminal of the level selector; and
the level detecting circuit is configured to detect the voltage at the chip IO interface, the register is configured to obtain the operating voltage value of the off-chip device according to the voltage and the correspondence relationship, and generate the control signal based on the operating voltage value.