US 11,750,010 B2
Detection circuit for an active discharge circuit of an X-capacitor, related active discharge circuit, integrated circuit and method
Massimiliano Gobbi, Castel San Giovanni (IT); Ignazio Salvatore Bellomo, Rozzano (IT); Domenico Tripodi, Milan (IT); Antonio Borrello, Cornaredo (IT); and Alberto Bianco, Gressan (IT)
Assigned to STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed by STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed on Nov. 24, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/103,692.
Application 17/103,692 is a continuation of application No. 16/443,439, filed on Jun. 17, 2019, granted, now 10,890,606.
Application 16/443,439 is a continuation of application No. 14/838,125, filed on Aug. 27, 2015, granted, now 10,345,348, issued on Jul. 9, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. TO2014A000906 (IT), filed on Nov. 4, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2021/0080491 A1, Mar. 18, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H02J 7/34 (2006.01); G01R 19/04 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); G01R 19/165 (2006.01); H02M 1/32 (2007.01)
CPC H02J 7/0071 (2020.01) [G01R 19/04 (2013.01); G01R 19/16557 (2013.01); H02J 7/345 (2013.01); H02M 1/322 (2021.05)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device, comprising:
a discharge circuit;
a capacitor coupled to the discharge circuit; and
a detection circuit coupled to the discharge circuit and including:
a sensor circuit coupled to the capacitor;
a comparator configured to:
compare a sensor signal from the sensor circuit with a lower threshold value and determine whether the sensor signal is greater than the lower threshold value; and
compare the sensor signal with an upper threshold value and determine whether the sensor signal is lower than the upper threshold value;
an elaboration circuit configured to generate a first control signal indicating whether the sensor signal is increasing and a second control signal indicating whether the sensor signal is decreasing; and
a dynamic threshold generator circuit configured to:
vary the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value of the comparator as a first function of the first control signal to increase a first value of a smaller one of the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value to a first new value that is greater than a value of a larger one of the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value in response to the first control signal; and
vary the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value of the comparator as a second function of the second control signal to decrease a second value of the larger one of the lower threshold value and upper threshold value to a second new value that is less than the smaller one of the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value in response to the second control signal.