Patent Application
20160226293
1. Field of the Invention
The instant disclosure relates to a demodulation circuit; in particular, to a demodulation circuit that can demodulate signals fast and a wireless charging device using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of technology, many kinds of personal mobile devices and wearable devices, which connect with the Internet, provide people a mobile life, and thus increase our daily lives' convenience. However, the requirement of electric power for using these electric products has also gradually increased. For solving this problem, a wireless charging device has been developed currently. The wireless charging devices can be generally categorized as two kinds, wherein one is the wireless charging device using the Electromagnetic Induction Technology and the other is the wireless charging device using the Electromagnetic Resonance Technology. Particularly, the wireless charging device using the Electromagnetic Induction Technology is more common. The advantage of the wireless charging device is that the electric device and the wireless charging device do not need wires to have a connection.
When the wireless charging device (such as a first wireless charging device) receives a signal sent by another wireless charging device (such as a second wireless charging device), the first wireless charging device needs to demodulate the received signal to obtain the signal content. In the prior art, after the demodulation circuit in the wireless charging device receives a signal, the signal would be filtered via a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter and then be processed via an amplifier, so as to distinguish the signal from noise. After that, the demodulation circuit filters out the high-frequency noise of the amplified signal via another filter. The demodulation circuit compares the processed signal and a reference signal via a comparator, and then outputs a signal at a high logic level or a low logic level. Finally, the output signal at a high logic level or a low logic level can be converted to a digital signal via the analog digital converting circuit of the demodulation circuit for a subsequent process via the back end circuit.
From the above, the traditional demodulation circuit has to use a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, an operational amplifier and a comparator to demodulate a signal, which increases the manufacturing cost and circuit area of the demodulation circuit and also increases the time and power consumption for demodulating signals with an increasing amount of filters and amplifiers.
The instant disclosure provides a demodulation circuit, used in a wireless charging device. The demodulation circuit comprises a detection unit, a delay unit and a demodulation unit. The detection unit is electrically connected to a coil and a power stage circuit for detecting a pulse width modulation signal received by a coil and outputting a modulation signal. The delay unit is electrically connected to the detection unit for delaying the modulation signal and generating a delay signal. The demodulation unit is electrically connected to the detection unit and the delay unit for comparing the modulation signal and the delay signal so as to generate a demodulation signal. The demodulation signal is a binary data signal. When a voltage level of the modulation signal is higher than or equal to a voltage level of the delay signal, the demodulation unit outputs a high logic level demodulation signal. When the voltage level of the modulation signal is lower than the voltage level of the delay signal, the demodulation unit outputs a low logic level demodulation signal.
The instant disclosure further provides a wireless charging device. The wireless charging device comprises a coil, a power stage circuit, a control unit and a demodulation circuit. The coil is configured to receive a pulse width modulation signal. The power stage circuit is electrically connected to the coil, and configured to output a voltage or an electromagnetic energy to the coil. The control unit is electrically connected to the power stage circuit, and configured to control the power stage circuit. The demodulation circuit is electrically connected to the coil, the power stage circuit and the control unit, and comprises a detection unit, a delay unit and a demodulation unit. The detection unit is electrically connected to a coil and a power stage circuit, and configured to detect a pulse width modulation signal received by a coil and to output a modulation signal. The delay unit is electrically connected to the detection unit, and configured to delay the modulation signal and to generate a delay signal. The demodulation unit is electrically connected to the detection unit and the delay unit, and configured to compare the modulation signal and the delay signal so as to generate a demodulation signal. The demodulation signal is a binary data signal. When a voltage level of the modulation signal is higher than or equal to a voltage level of the delay signal, the demodulation unit outputs a high logic level demodulation signal. When the voltage level of the modulation signal is lower than the voltage level of the delay signal, the demodulation unit outputs a low logic level demodulation signal. After receiving the demodulation signal, the control unit correspondingly controls the power stage circuit according to the demodulation signal.
To sum up, the demodulation circuit and the wireless charging device using the same provided by the embodiments in the instant disclosure can demodulate a modulation signal via comparing the modulation signal and its delay signal and then obtain a demodulation signal. Compared with the traditional demodulation circuit, the demodulation circuit provided by the embodiments in the instant disclosure can demodulate the modulation signal without a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, an analog to digital converter or other operational amplifiers, which decreases the manufacturing cost and the circuit area. Moreover, in the demodulation circuit provided by the embodiments in the instant disclosure, it is unnecessary to use many filters or operational amplifiers, so the overall power of circuit would be effectively reduced.
For further understanding of the instant disclosure, reference is made to the following detailed description illustrating the embodiments and examples of the instant disclosure. The description is only for illustrating the instant disclosure, not for limiting the scope of the claim.
Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
The aforementioned illustrations and following detailed descriptions are exemplary for the purpose of further explaining the scope of the instant disclosure. Other objectives and advantages related to the instant disclosure will be illustrated in the subsequent descriptions and appended drawings. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, and the like, may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section discussed below which could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the instant disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Please refer to
The wireless charging device 1 is a unidirectional wireless charging device or a bidirectional wireless charging device. If the wireless charging device 1 is a unidirectional wireless charging device, the wireless charging device 1 is used as a transmitter. Under this circumstance, the wireless charging device 1 does not include any elements necessary for a receiver. For example, the wireless charging device 1 does not include a modulation unit, a rectification unit or a voltage-regulating unit that are necessary for a receiver. The wireless charging device 1, such as a wireless charger, can charge other wireless charging devices, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop, a smart watch, a set top box or the like.
If the wireless charging device 1 is a bidirectional wireless charging device, the wireless charging device 1 can be used as a transmitter or a receiver. In this case, in addition to the control unit 10, the power stage circuit 11, the coil 12, the demodulation circuit 13, the power processing unit 14 and the power storage unit 15, the wireless charging device 1 further comprises a modulation unit, a rectification unit, a voltage-regulating unit, another control unit and another power stage circuit (not shown in
It will be understood that, the above description about the elements in the wireless charging device 1 is merely for instruction, and thus the instant disclosure should not be limited by these elements. The wireless charging device 1 can be a traditional unidirectional wireless charging device or a traditional bidirectional wireless charging device. For easy instruction and understanding of the instant disclosure, the wireless charging device 1 is, for example, a wireless charging device such as a transmitter, and the following description is a further teaching of the elements of the wireless charging device 1.
The control unit 10, such as a Microcontroller Unit (MCU) is configured to control a voltage or electromagnetic energy output by the power stage circuit 11.
The power stage circuit 11 comprises a power switch, a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) circuit, a high-frequency isolation transformer and an output filter (not shown in
The coil 12 can be a cable coil or other inductors that can generate an induced voltage correspondingly according to a variable electromagnetic field. The coil 12 can convert a voltage into a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal and send out the PWM signal. The PWM signal includes electromagnetic energy. Also, the coil 12 can receive a signal PWM' sent by other wireless charging devices, such as a receiver, and the signal PWM' includes electric quantity information of the receiver (for example, how much electric quantity is currently stored by the receiver).
The power processing unit 14 is configured to manage the electric energy stored by the wireless charging device 1. For example, the power processing unit 14 controls the power storage unit 15 to provide the electric energy to the power stage circuit 11.
The power storage unit 15, such as a battery of the wireless charging device 1 or other power storage device (such as a capacitor), is configured to store the electric energy. The power storage unit 15 is also configured to provide the electric energy to the power stage circuit 11, so that the power stage circuit 11 can provide a voltage to the coil 12.
Please refer to
The detection unit 130 is, for example, a current detection unit or a voltage detection unit. If the detection unit 130 is a current detection unit, the detection unit 130 detects a current amplitude change when the power stage circuit 11 receives the signal PWM', so as to obtain a modulation signal MS. The modulation signal MS includes the electric quantity information of the receiver, for example, how much electric quantity is currently stored in the receiver. If the detection unit 130 is a voltage detection unit, the detection unit 130 detects a voltage amplitude change when the coil 12 receives the signal PWM', so as to obtain a modulation signal MS.
The delay unit 131 is configured to delay the modulation signal MS and to generate a delay signal DS of the modulation signal MS. The demodulation unit 132 receives and compares the modulation signal MS and the delay signal DS, so as to generate a demodulation signal DMS. In addition, the demodulation signal DMS is a binary data signal. The demodulation signal DMS includes an energy storage status of the receiver, for example, how much energy is currently stored. After that, the demodulation unit 132 outputs the demodulation signal DMS to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 correspondingly adjusts the voltage or the electromagnetic energy output by the power stage circuit 11 according to the energy storage status of the receiver indicated by the demodulation signal DMS, so as to adjust the electromagnetic energy of the pulse width modulation signal PWM.
For example, when the demodulation signal DMS indicates that the energy stored in the receiver reaches a predetermined value (such as 90% of the maximum stored energy of the receiver), the control unit 10 would make the power stage circuit 11 stop outputting the voltage or the electromagnetic energy to the coil 12. In another case, when the demodulation signal DMS indicates that the energy stored in the receiver is within a predetermined range (such as 70%-90% of the maximum stored energy of the receiver), the control unit 10 would control the voltage or the electromagnetic energy output by the power stage circuit 11 to the coil 12.
Please refer to
In this embodiment, the detection unit 130 is a current detection unit of which the circuit consists of resistors, amplifiers, diodes and capacitors. The amplifier receives an input voltage Vin. The resistors include a first resistor R1. One end of the first resistor R1 is electrically connected to the power stage circuit 11 (such as the power stage circuit 11 shown in
After the coil receives the signal PWM', based on the electromagnetic induction principle, the coil 12 would correspondingly induce the power stage circuit 11 according to the signal PWM', so that the power stage circuit 11 would generate a current. The current generated by the power stage circuit 11 would affect a current ICC flowing through the first resistor R1, so that the amplitude of the current ICC would change. The current ICC is related to the working voltage VCC. The detection unit 130 detects an amplitude change of the current ICC to obtain a modulation signal MS.
The delay unit 131 is a resistor-capacitor network consisting of at least one capacitor and one resistor. Via the resistor-capacitor network, the modulation signal MS would result in a RC delay and generate a delay signal DS. In short, the modulation signal MS plus a period of delay time equals to the delay signal DS, resulting in a signal delay via a resistor-capacitor network well known by those skilled in the art and thus the information is not repeated. In addition, the composition and structure of the delay unit 131 shown in
In conjunction with
The demodulation unit 132 comprises a comparator 1320 and a logic controller 1321. The non-inverting input end of the comparator 1320 is electrically connected to the detection unit 130, and the inverting input end of the comparator 1320 is electrically connected to the delay unit 131. The output end of the comparator 1320 is electrically connected to the logic controller 1321. The logic controller 1321 is electrically connected to the control unit (such as the control unit 10 in
The non-inverting input end of the comparator 1320 receives the modulation signal MS and the inverting input end of the comparator 1320 receives the delay signal DS. After that, the comparator 1320 compares the voltage levels of the modulation signal MS and the delay signal DS and outputs a comparison signal CS. Referring to
The logic controller 1321 is further electrically connected to a timing generator (not shown in
Please again refer to
For example, if the logic controller 1321 determines that the time duration when the comparison signal CS maintains at a high logic level is over a predetermined time duration t2, the logic controller 1321 outputs a demodulation signal DMS at a high logic level (such as the “1” in a binary system). If the logic controller 1321 determines that the time duration when the comparison signal CS maintains at a high logic level is not over a predetermined time duration t2, the logic controller 1321 maintains the demodulation signal DMS at its original logic level. On the other hand, the logic controller 1321 determines that the time duration when the comparison signal CS maintains at a low logic level is over a predetermined time duration t2, the logic controller 1321 outputs a demodulation signal DMS at a low logic level (such as the “0” in a binary system). If the logic controller 1321 determines that the time duration when the comparison signal CS maintains at a low logic level is not over a predetermined time duration t2, the logic controller 1321 maintains the demodulation signal DMS at its original logic level.
In addition, the predetermined time duration t2 is, for example, an interval between one of the rising edges of the clock signal CLK and the next two rising edge of the clock signal CLK (that is, the predetermined time duration t2 equals to two periods of the clock signal CLK). In this embodiment, the predetermined time duration t2 is 10 μs, but it is not limited herein. Those skilled in the art can design the length of the predetermined time duration t2 based on need.
After the control unit 10 receives the demodulation signal DMS, the control unit 10 will control the power stage circuit (such as the power stage circuit 11, but not shown in
From the above, the logic controller 1321 calculates the time duration when the comparison signal CS maintains at the same logic level via the clock signal CLK, so as to generate a demodulation signal DMS. In other embodiments, the demodulation unit 132 does not include the logic controller 1321. The demodulation unit 132 uses the comparison signal CS output by the comparator 1320 to calculate the demodulation signal DMS, and outputs it to the control unit 10 so that the control unit 10 correspondingly controls the power stage circuit 11 according to the demodulation signal DMS.
Please refer to
Different from the demodulation circuit 13 shown in
After the coil 12 receives the signal PWM' output by the receiver, based on the electromagnetic induction principle, the coil 12 will correspondingly generate a voltage according to the signal PWM'. In other words, the amplitude of voltage generated by the coil 12 will change because of the signal PWM'. After that, the coil 12 charges the first capacitor C1 by the generated voltage. The detection unit 130′ obtains the modulation signal MS via detecting the change of amplitude of the charging voltage of the first capacitor C1. It should be noted that the composition and structure of the detection unit 130′ shown in
Please refer to
In Step S606, the logic controller receives the comparison signal at a high logic level, and calculates whether the time duration when the comparison signal maintains at the high logic level is over a predetermined time duration via clock signals. If the time duration when the comparison signal maintains at a high logic level is over the predetermined time duration, it goes to Step S607. If the time duration when the comparison signal maintains at a high logic level is not over the predetermined time duration, it goes to Step S608. In Step S607, the logic controller outputs a demodulation signal at a high logic level. In Step S608, the logic controller outputs a demodulation signal remaining at its original logic level.
In Step S609, the logic controller receives a comparison signal at a low logic level, and calculates whether the time duration when the comparison signal maintains at the low logic level is over a predetermined time duration via clock signals. If the time duration when the comparison signal maintains at the low logic level is over the predetermined time duration, it goes to Step S610. If the time duration when the comparison signal maintains at the low logic level is not over the predetermined time duration, it goes to Step S611. In Step S610, the logic controller outputs a demodulation signal at a low logic level. In Step S611, the logic controller outputs a demodulation signal remaining at its original logic level. In Step S612, the control unit receives the demodulation signal and correspondingly controls the power stage circuit according to the demodulation signal.
To sum up, the demodulation circuit and the wireless charging device using the same provided by the embodiments in the instant disclosure can demodulate a modulation signal via comparing the modulation signal and its delay signal and then obtain a demodulation signal. Compared with the traditional demodulation circuit, the demodulation circuit provided by the embodiments in the instant disclosure can demodulate the modulation signal without a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, an analog to digital converter or other operational amplifiers, decreasing the manufacturing cost and the circuit area. Moreover, in the demodulation circuit provided by the embodiments in the instant disclosure, it is unnecessary to use many filters or operational amplifiers, so the overall power of circuit would be effectively reduced.
The demodulation circuit provided by embodiments of the instant disclosure does not include analog to digital converters. In other words, the modulation signal does not need to go through any digital process during the demodulating process. The demodulation circuit can demodulate the PWM' signal received by the coil via the detection unit, the delay unit and the demodulation unit. Compared to the traditional demodulation circuit, the demodulation circuit provided by embodiments of the instant disclosure can obtain a demodulation signal faster.
The descriptions illustrated supra set forth simply the preferred embodiments of the instant disclosure; however, the characteristics of the instant disclosure are by no means restricted thereto. All changes, alterations, or modifications conveniently considered by those skilled in the art are deemed to be encompassed within the scope of the instant disclosure delineated by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 104103742 | Feb 2015 | TW | national |
