Programmable AC/DC power supply

• US 20040257835A1
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comarco Wireless Systems LLC (AppBrilliance, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comarco Wireless Technologies Incorporated (Comarco Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lanni, Thomas W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,148,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/20
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• 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 programmable AC/DC power converter receives a plurality of input voltages and outputs a single voltage from an input voltage system. A transformer receives the single voltage. One of the plurality of input voltages is provided at a center tap of a secondary winding of the transformer. A transformed voltage is output. A rectifier receives the transformed voltage and outputs a DC voltage. A buck regulator receives a DC voltage, creates a regulated voltage, and outputs the regulated voltage and a regulated current to a portable appliance. A error correction system receives a programming signal and regulated signals and verifies that the regulated signal to programming signal ratio is within an acceptable range.

Claims

1. A power converter, comprising:

an input voltage system to receive a plurality of input voltages and to output a single voltage; and

a transformer, coupled to said input voltage system, to receive the single voltage and to output a transformed voltage, said transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein said secondary winding of said transformer is configured as a boost inductor.

2. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input voltages is input one at a time.

3. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input voltages is input simultaneously.

4. The power converter of claim 1, further including a buck regulator to receive the transformed voltage, to generate a regulated voltage, and to output the regulated voltage as an output voltage.

5. The power converter of claim 4, further including an error correction system to receive a programming voltage and the regulated voltage, and to output a correction signal to the buck regulator based on a ratio between the programming voltage and the, regulated voltage.

6. The power converter of claim 5, wherein a magnitude of the programming voltage is dependent upon a value of a resistor located in a cable coupled to the power converter.

7. The power converter of claim 5, wherein a magnitude of the programming voltage is dependent upon a value of a resistor located in a connector coupled to a cable and to the power converter.

8. The power converter of claim 7, wherein the connector is detachable from the cable.

9. The power converter of claim 5, wherein the programming voltage is input from a connector coupled to the cable and to the power converter.

10. The power converter of claim 9, wherein the connector is detachable from the cable.

11. The power converter of claim 4, further including an error correction system to receive a programming current and a regulated current, and to output a correction signal to the buck regulator based on a ratio between the programming current and the regulated current.

12. The power converter of claim 11, wherein the magnitude of the programming current is dependent upon a value of a resistor located in a cable attached to the power converter.

13. The power converter of claim 11, wherein the magnitude of the programming current is dependent upon a value of a resistor located in a connector coupled to a cable and the power converter.

14. The power converter of claim 13, wherein the connector is detachable.

15. The power converter of claim 11, wherein the programming current is transmitted from a connector coupled to a cable and the power converter.

16. The power converter of claim 15, wherein the connector is detachable from the cable.

17. The power converter of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of input voltages is a DC voltage.

18. The power converter of claim 17, wherein the DC voltage is provided from the group consisting of an airplane, a car, and a battery.

19. The power converter of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of input voltages is an AC voltage.

20. The power converter of claim 19, wherein the input voltage system includes,

an external AC source to provide the one of the plurality of input voltages,

a voltage rectifying system to receive the one of the plurality of input voltages and to output a rectified input voltage,

a driver to supply a driving signal with a duty cycle, and

a switching device to receive the rectified input voltage and the driving signal, to utilize the duty cycle of the driving signal to turn on and off the switching device to produce a switched voltage that is input to the transformer.

21. A power converter, comprising:

an input voltage system to receive a plurality of input voltages and to output a single voltage;

a transformer to receive the single voltage from the input voltage system and to output a transformed voltage, said transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; and

a rectifying circuit to receive the transformed voltage, to rectify the transformed voltage, and to output a DC voltage,

wherein the secondary winding has a center tap to which one of the plurality of input voltages is provided.

22. The power converter of claim 21, wherein the plurality of input voltages is input one at a time.

23. The power converter of claim 21 wherein the plurality of input voltages is input simultaneously.

24. The power converter of claim 21, further including a buck regulator to receive the DC voltage, to generate a regulated voltage, and to output the regulated voltage as an output voltage.

25. The power converter of claim 24, further including a voltage error system to receive a programming voltage and the regulated voltage, and to output a voltage correction signal to the buck regulator based on the ratio between the programming voltage and the regulated voltage.

26. The power converter of claim 25, wherein a magnitude of the programming voltage is dependent upon a value of a resistor located in a cable coupled to the power converter.

27. The power converter of claim 25, wherein a magnitude of the programming voltage is dependent upon a value of a resistor located in a connector coupled to a cable and the power converter.

28. The power converter of claim 27, wherein the connector is detachable from the cable.

29. The power converter of claim 25, wherein the programming voltage is transmitted from a connector coupled to a cable and to the power converter.

30. The power converter of claim 29, wherein the connector is detachable from the cable.

31. The power converter of claim 24, further including an error correction system to receive a programming current and a regulated current, and to output a correction signal to the buck regulator based on a ratio between the programming current and the regulated current.

32. The power converter of claim 31, wherein a magnitude of the programming current is dependent upon a value of a resistor located in a cable attached to the power converter.

33. The power converter of claim 32, wherein a magnitude of the programming current is dependent upon a value of a resistor located in a connector coupled to a cable and the power converter.

34. The power converter of claim 33, wherein the connector is detachable from the cable.

35. The power converter of claim 32, wherein the programming current is transmitted from a connector coupled to a cable and to the power converter.

36. The power converter of claim 33, wherein the connector is detachable from the cable.

37. A power system for a portable appliance, comprising:

a power supply including

a voltage system to receive a plurality of input voltages and to output a single voltage,

a transformer, coupled to the voltage system, to receive the single voltage and to output a transformed voltage, said transformer including a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein said secondary winding of said transformer is configured as a boost inductor, and

a buck regulator to receive the transformed voltage, to generate a regulated voltage, and to output the regulated voltage as an output voltage and/or a regulated current as the output current; and

a cable coupled to the power supply to receive the output voltage and the output current.

38. The power system of claim 37, wherein the cable includes a resistor having a value which at least in part determines a value of a programming signal that is input to an error correction system in the power supply, and the error correction system generates a correction signal if a regulated signal to programming signal ratio is outside an acceptable range.

39. The power system of claim 38, wherein the programming signal is one of a voltage programming signal and a current programming signal, and the regulated signal is one of the regulated voltage and the regulated current.

40. The power system of claim 37, further including a connector coupled to the cable, wherein the connector includes a resistor having a value which at least in part determines a value of a programming signal that is input to an error correction system in the power supply, and the error correction system generates a correction signal if one output signal to programming signal ratio is outside an acceptable range.

41. The power system of claim 40, wherein the connector is detachable from the cable.

42. A power system for a portable appliance, comprising:

a power supply including

a voltage system to receive a plurality of input voltages and to output a single voltage,

a transformer, coupled to the voltage system, to receive the single voltage and to output a transformed voltage, said transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding;

a rectifying circuit to receive the transformed voltage, to rectify the transformed voltage, and to output a DC voltage,

wherein the secondary winding has a center tap to which one of the plurality of input voltages is provided, and

a buck regulator to receive the DC voltage, to generate a regulated voltage, and to output the regulated voltage as an output voltage and a regulated current as an output current, and

a cable coupled to the power supply to receive the output voltage and the output current.

43. The power system of claim 42, wherein the cable includes a resistor having a value which at least in part determines a value of a programming signal that is input to an error correction system in the power supply, and the error correction system generates a correction signal that is transmitted to the buck regulator if one output signal to programming signal ratio is outside an acceptable range.

44. The power system of claim 43, wherein the programming signal is one of a voltage programming signal and a current programming signal, and the one output signal is one of the regulated voltage and the regulated current.

45. The power system of claim 42, further including a connector coupled to the cable, wherein the connector includes a resistor having a value which at least in part determine a value of a programming signal that is input to an error correction system in the power supply, and the error correction system generates a correction signal and transmits the correction signal to the buck regulator if one output signal to programming signal ratio is outside an acceptable range.

46. The power system of claim 45, wherein the connector is detachable from the cable.

47. A method to output a regulated voltage and a regulated current, comprising:

receiving a plurality of input voltages; and

outputting therefrom a single voltage;

receiving the single voltage at a transformer; and

outputting a transformed voltage, wherein a secondary winding of the transformer is configured as a boost inductor.

48. The method of claim 47, further including receiving the transformed voltage at a buck regulator;

creating a regulated voltage at the buck regulator; and

outputting the regulated voltage and a regulated current as an output voltage and an output current.

49. The method of claim 48, further including receiving a programming signal at an error correction system;

receiving regulated signals at the error correction subsystem;

comparing the programming signal with one of the regulated signals to determine if the one of the regulated signals to programming signal ratio is within an acceptable range; and

outputting a correction signal if the one of the regulated signals to programming signal ratio is outside the acceptable range.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the programming signal is a voltage programming signal and the one of the regulated signals is a regulated voltage.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the programming signal is a current programming signal and the one of the regulated signals is a regulated current.

52. A method to output a regulated voltage and a regulated current, comprising:

receiving a plurality of input voltages and outputting therefrom a single voltage;

receiving the single voltage at a transformer;

providing one of the plurality of input voltages at a center tap of a secondary winding of the transformer;

outputting a transformed voltage;

receiving the transformed voltage at a rectifier; and

outputting a DC voltage.

53. The method of claim 52, further including receiving the DC voltage at a buck regulator;

creating a regulated voltage at the buck regulator; and

outputting the regulated voltage and a regulated current as an output voltage and an output current.

54. The method of claim 53, further including receiving a programming signal at an error correction system;

receiving regulated signals at the error correction system;

comparing the programming signal with one of the regulated signals to determine if the one of the regulated signals to programming signal ratio is within an acceptable range; and

outputting a correction signal if the one of the regulated signals to programming signal ratio is outside the acceptable range.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the programming signal is a voltage programming signal and the one of the regulated signals is a regulated voltage.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the programming signal is a current programming signal and the one of the regulated signals is a regulated current.