Driver with at least four different states

• US 10,624,159 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2016
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Qiu, Yifeng, Blanken, Pieter Gerrit
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dhillon, Jagdeep S
• Application Number:
  US15/557,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20180049282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 307 80, 307 91, 307 26, 363 16, 363 15, 363 44, 363 74, 363 78, 363 79, 323299, 323297, 320137, 701 22, 701 24
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/36 Circuits for reducing or suppressing harmonics, ripples or electromagnetic interferences [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source

Abstract

Drivers (1-10) for driving load circuits (100) comprise supply circuits (1) for providing supply current signals from a mains source to the load circuits (100), storage circuits (2) for storing energy destined for the load circuits (100), and switch circuits (3-8) coupled with the storage circuit (2), the load circuit (100) and the supply circuit (1), and for switching the coupling among the storage circuits (2), the load circuit (100) and the supply circuit (1). The switched storage circuits (2) can, in charge states, be charged via the supply current signals, and in bypass states be bypassed, and in dependent discharge states be discharged via the load circuit (100) together with the supply current signals, and in independent discharge states be discharged via the load circuits (100) independently from the supply current signals for a substantial time duration. The drivers (1-10) may further comprise controllers (10) for controlling the switch circuits (3-8) for bringing the drivers (1-10) between two subsequent zero-crossings of signals supplied to the supply circuits (1) into the independent discharge state, the dependent discharge state, the bypass state, the charge state, the bypass state, the dependent discharge state and the independent discharge state, in this particular order. These drivers (1-10) show a reduced total harmonic distortion.

Claims

1. A driver for driving a load circuit, wherein the driver comprises

a supply circuit configured to provide a supply current signal from a mains source to the load circuit,

a storage circuit configured to store energy destined for the load circuit,

a switch circuit coupled with the storage circuit and the supply circuit, wherein the switch circuit is configured to be coupled with the load circuit

a controller for controlling the switch circuit, wherein when the switch circuit is coupled to the load circuit, the controller is configured to control the switch circuit to bring the driver into

a charge state for charging the storage circuit via the supply current signal;

a bypass state for bypassing the storage circuit;

dependent discharge state for discharging of the storage circuit via the load circuit, whereby the supply current is not blocked; and

wherein the controller is further configured to control the switch circuit to bring the driver into an independent discharge state for discharging the storage circuit via the load circuit, whereby the supply current signal is blocked for a time duration.

2. The driver as defined in claim 1, wherein the supply current signal is blocked close to zero-crossings of the mains source when the supply voltage signal has a lowest level, wherein the a time duration of the independent discharge state is dependent on the supply current signal and desired value of total harmonic distortion.

3. The driver as defined in claim 2, wherein the supply circuit comprises a rectifier circuit that comprises first and second inputs configured to receive an alternating-current supply voltage signal from a source circuit, wherein the controller is configured to control the switch circuit to bring the driver between two subsequent zero-crossings of the alternating-current supply voltage signal sequentially into the independent discharge state, the dependent discharge state, the bypass state, the charge state, the bypass state, the dependent discharge state and the independent discharge state;

wherein the controller is configured to control the switch circuit to bring the driver in the independent discharge state when an instant supply voltage at the source circuit is below;

the lowest level of around 90 volts, in case a mean supply voltage being around 220 volts AC;

the lowest level of around 45 volts, in case a mean supply voltage being around 110 volts AC.

4. The driver as defined in claim 2, wherein the supply circuit comprises a rectifier circuit that comprises first and second outputs configured to provide the supply current signal, wherein the storage circuit comprises a capacitor in a first branch, wherein the switch circuit comprises first and second switches in a second branch, wherein the switch circuit comprises third and fourth switches in a third branch, wherein the first, second and third branches are parallel branches, wherein the first output of the rectifier circuit is configured to be coupled to a first terminal of the load circuit, wherein first main contacts of the first and second switches are coupled to each other and are configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the load circuit, wherein first main contacts of the third and fourth switches are coupled to each other and to the second output of the rectifier circuit, and wherein the switch circuit comprises a fifth switch coupled to a second main contact of the first switch and configured to be coupled to the first terminal of the load circuit.

5. The driver as defined in claim 4, wherein the controller is

configured to control at least one of the switches in response to first information configured to be derived from a first instantaneous voltage difference present between the outputs of the rectifier circuit and in response to second information configured to be derived from a second instantaneous voltage difference present between contacts of the capacitor.

6. The driver as defined in claim 4, wherein the second and third switches each comprise a transistor, and wherein the second and third switches are non-conducting in the charge state, wherein one of the respective second and third switches is non-conducting and the other one is conducting in the bypass state, wherein the second and third switches are conducting in the dependent discharge state, and wherein the second switch is conducting and the third switch is non-conducting in the independent discharge state.

7. The driver as defined in claim 4, wherein the first, fourth and fifth switches each comprise a diode, wherein the first and fourth switches are conducting and the fifth switch is non-conducting in the charge state, wherein one of the respective first and fourth switches is conducting and the other one is non-conducting and the fifth switch is non-conducting in the bypass state, wherein the first, fourth and fifth switches are non-conducting in the dependent discharge state, and wherein the first and fourth switches are non-conducting and the fifth switch is conducting in the independent discharge state.

8. The driver as defined in claim 4, wherein the switch circuit further comprises a sixth switch, and wherein the first output of the rectifier circuit is configured to be coupled to the first terminal of the load circuit via the sixth switch.

9. The driver as defined in claim 8, wherein the sixth switch comprises a diode.

10. The driver as defined in claim 4, wherein the driver further comprises

a current regulator, wherein the first output of the rectifier circuit is configured to be coupled to the first terminal of the load circuit via the current regulator, or the first main contacts of the first and second switches are configured to be coupled to the second terminal of the load circuit via the current regulator, or the first main contacts of the third and fourth switches are coupled to the second output of the rectifier circuit via the current regulator, and wherein the controller configured to control the current regulator.

11. The driver as defined in claim 4, wherein the second switch or the third switch comprises a current regulator, and wherein the controller is configured to control the current regulator.

12. The driver as defined in claim 1, wherein the driver further comprises

a current regulator that is configured to be coupled between the supply circuit and the load circuit or that is configured to be coupled between the load circuit and the switch circuit or that is coupled between the switch circuit and the supply circuit, and the controller is configured to control the current regulator.

13. The driver as defined in claim 1, wherein the switch circuit comprises a current regulator, and wherein the controller is configured to control the current regulator.

14. A device comprising the driver as defined in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises the load circuit.

15. A method for operating a driver for driving a load circuit, wherein the driver comprises a supply circuit configured to provide a supply current signal to the load circuit and a storage circuit configured to store energy destined for the load circuit, wherein the method comprises the steps of

charging the storage circuit via the supply current signal,

bypassing the storage circuit,

discharging the storage circuit via the load circuit, whereby the supply current is not blocked, and

discharging the storage circuit via the load circuit whereby the supply current signal is blocked for a time duration.