Dynamic power converter and method thereof

• US 10,122,263 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2017
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volpe and Koenig PC
• Original Assignee: Volpe and Koenig PC
• Inventors: Ofek, Eran
• Primary Examiner(s): Gblende, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US15/669,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20170338736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0035 using burst mode control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0048 Circuits or arrangements for reducing losses using snubbers H02M1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/12 Arrangements for reducing harmonics from ac input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4233 using a bridge converter comprising active switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4815 Resonant converters H02M7/4811 and H02M7/4826 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: 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

Abstract

A power converter and a method of operation thereof is disclosed including an input, an output, a sensor unit, a switched power converter, and a processor module. The power converter may convert an input power into an output power. The power converter may sense real-time measurements of the input power and the output power to determine a real-time calculated efficiency. The power converter may chop the input power into sized and positioned portions of the input power based on a plurality of determined operating parameters. The power converter may determine the operating parameters based on the real-time calculated efficiency and on a plurality of other operating factors/conditions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sensing, via a sensor, an operating condition of an electronic device;

adjusting, by an embedded controller, a first value of a first parameter of a list of parameters to an adjusted first value;

sensing, via the sensor and embedded controller, a first magnitude of a change in the operating condition;

adjusting, by the embedded controller, a second value of a second parameter of the list of parameters to an adjusted second value;

sensing, via the sensor and embedded controller, a second magnitude of a change in the operating condition;

comparing, by the embedded controller, the first magnitude to the second magnitude;

on a condition that the second magnitude is greater than the first magnitude, swapping, by the embedded controller, a position of the second parameter in the list of parameters with a position of the first parameter; and

adjusting, by the embedded controller, each parameter of the list of parameters in sequential order from a first position to a last position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing, via the sensor and embedded processor, a magnitude of a change in the operating condition for an adjustment in a value of each parameter in the list of parameters.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

swapping, by the embedded controller, a position of a current parameter in the list of parameters with another parameter on a condition that an associated magnitude of a change in the operating condition is greater for an adjustment of the current parameter than for an adjustment of the another parameter;

wherein the list of parameters is ordered such that a parameter with a greatest effect on the operating condition is first in the list, a parameter with a least effect on the operating condition is last in the list, and the list of parameters are ordered from greatest effect to least effect.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating condition includes at least one of power conversion efficiency, harmonics, temperature, expected output voltage, stored energy level, inductance-based energy storage, storage capacitor voltage, startup energy storage levels, output ripple, voltage and current draw of a load, rate of discharge of a storage capacitor, voltage and current of an input power source, frequency of the input power source, a rate of change or slope of the input power source, a resonant frequency of an LLC converter, a change in the resonant frequency of the LLC converter, a temperature of an LLC converter, a present position along an input A/C waveform, a fluctuation profile of power consumption of the load, power factor, information or commands provided by the load or a user, over-voltage and/or over-current conditions of the input, over-voltage and/or over-current conditions of the output, mechanical noise or vibrations, characteristics of the mechanical noise or vibrations, a noise profile of the input power source, or electromagnetic interference (EMI).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a power converter, the method further comprising:

adjusting, by the embedded controller, at least one parameter of the list of parameters in a direction that improves a power conversion efficiency of the power converter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the embedded controller, whether the operating condition improved after adjusting the first value of the first parameter to the adjusted first value; and

on a condition that the operating condition improved, further adjusting, by the embedded controller, the adjusted first value to a further adjusted first value, wherein the further adjusting the adjusted first value is performed in a same direction as the adjusting the first value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a difference between the first value and the adjusted first value is the same as a difference between the adjusted first value and the further adjusted first value.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

on a condition that the operating condition declined, resetting, by the embedded controller, the adjusted first value to the first value.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the embedded controller, whether the operating condition improved after further adjusting the adjusted first value of the first parameter to the further adjusted first value; and

on a condition that the operating condition declined, correcting, by the embedded controller, the further adjusted first value to a corrected first value, wherein the correcting is performed in an opposite direction of the further adjusting the adjusted first value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a difference between the further adjusted first value and the corrected first value is less than a difference between the further adjusted first value and the adjusted first value.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a sensor configured to sense an operating condition of the electronic device;

an embedded controller configured to adjust a first value of a first parameter of a list of parameters to an adjusted first value;

the sensor and embedded processor further configured to sense a first magnitude of a change in the operating condition;

the embedded processor further configured to adjust a second value of a second parameter of the list of parameters to an adjusted second value;

the sensor and embedded processor further configured to sense a second magnitude of a change in the operating condition;

the embedded processor further configured to;

compare the first magnitude to the second magnitude;

on a condition that the second magnitude is greater than the first magnitude, swap a position of the second parameter in the list of parameters with a position of the first parameter; and

adjust each parameter of the list of parameters in sequential order from a first position to a last position.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the sensor and embedded processor are further configured to sense a magnitude of a change in the operating condition for an adjustment in a value of each parameter in the list of parameters.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the embedded processor is further configured to swap a position of a current parameter in the list of parameters with another parameter on a condition that an associated magnitude of a change in the operating condition is greater for an adjustment of the current parameter than for an adjustment of the another parameter;

wherein the list of parameters is ordered such that a parameter with a greatest effect on the operating condition is first in the list, a parameter with a least effect on the operating condition is last in the list, and the list of parameters are ordered from greatest effect to least effect.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the operating condition includes at least one of power conversion efficiency, harmonics, temperature, expected output voltage, stored energy level, inductance-based energy storage, storage capacitor voltage, startup energy storage levels, output ripple, voltage and current draw of a load, rate of discharge of a storage capacitor, voltage and current of an input power source, frequency of the input power source, a rate of change or slope of the input power source, a resonant frequency of an LLC converter, a change in the resonant frequency of the LLC converter, a temperature of an LLC converter, a present position along an input A/C waveform, a fluctuation profile of power consumption of the load, power factor, information or commands provided by the load or a user, over-voltage and/or over-current conditions of the input, over-voltage and/or over-current conditions of the output, mechanical noise or vibrations, characteristics of the mechanical noise or vibrations, a noise profile of the input power source, or electromagnetic interference (EMI).

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device includes a power converter;

and

wherein the embedded processor is further configured to adjust at least one parameter of the list of parameters in a direction that improves a power conversion efficiency of the power converter.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the embedded controller is further configured to:

determine whether the operating condition improved after adjusting the first value of the first parameter to the adjusted first value; and

on a condition that the operating condition improved, further adjust the adjusted first value to a further adjusted first value, wherein the adjusted first value is further adjusted in a same direction as the first value is adjusted.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein a difference between the first value and the adjusted first value is the same as a difference between the adjusted first value and the further adjusted first value.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the embedded controller is further configured to, on a condition that the operating condition declined, reset the adjusted first value to the first value.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the embedded controller is further configured to:

determine whether the operating condition improved after further adjusting the adjusted first value of the first parameter to the further adjusted first value; and

on a condition that the operating condition declined, correct the further adjusted first value to a corrected first value, wherein the corrected first value is corrected in an opposite direction than the adjusted first value is adjusted.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein a difference between the further adjusted first value and the corrected first value is less than a difference between the further adjusted first value and the adjusted first value.