High performance inverter charger system

• US 20070081372A1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HDM Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: HDM Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, David, Xiong Zeng, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 in a bridge configuration

Abstract

Techniques for high performance inverter charger systems are described herein. In one embodiment, a power supply system includes, but is not limited to, an inverter to generate an AC (alternating current) output based on a DC (direct current) input, a current sensing circuit coupled to the inverter to sense an amount of current drawn from the inverter, and a microcontroller coupled to the inverter and the current sensing circuit to reduce the AC output of the inverter according to a predetermined algorithm stored within the microcontroller, in response to a detection that the amount of current drops below a predetermined threshold. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A power supply system, comprising:

an inverter to generate an AC (alternating current) output based on a DC (direct current) input;

a current sensing circuit coupled to the inverter to sense an amount of current drawn from the inverter; and

a microcontroller coupled to the inverter and the current sensing circuit to reduce the AC output of the inverter according to a predetermined algorithm stored within the microcontroller, in response to a detection that the amount of current drops below a predetermined threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the current sensing circuit comprises:

a current sense resister to sense the amount of current drawn from the inverter, generating a current sense voltage representing the current being sensed;

a comparator to compare the current sense voltage with the predetermined threshold, generating a signal representing whether the amount of current drops below the predetermined threshold, wherein the microcontroller operates based on the signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the current sensing circuit further comprises an amplifier coupled to the current sense resister and the comparator to amplify the current sense voltage, and wherein the comparator compares the amplified current sense voltage with the predetermined threshold.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the comparator comprises a first input to receive the current sense voltage from the current sense resister and a second input to receive a reference voltage, wherein the reference voltage is controlled by the microcontroller, and wherein an output of the comparator is used to determine a current limit of the inverter.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the microcontroller is configured to set a first current limit during a first period of time and to set a second current limit during a second period of time after the first period of time, wherein the first and second current limits are different.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first current limit is higher than the second current limit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is programmable including programming the predetermined algorithm.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the predetermined algorithm comprises a period of time that has to lapse after the amount of current drawn drops below the predetermined threshold and before turning off the inverter.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pulse width modulator (PWM) coupled to the microcontroller to adjust a duty cycle of the inverter in response to an output of the microcontroller.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a battery coupled to provide the DC input to the inverter; and

a fuel gauge coupled to the battery and the microcontroller to monitor operating conditions of the battery, wherein the microcontroller is configured to control operating the inverter based on the operating conditions of the battery provided by the fuel gauge.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operating conditions of the battery comprise at least one of an output voltage of the battery, an amount of current drawn from the battery, and a remaining power available from the battery.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the microcontroller is a first microcontroller and the predetermined algorithm is a first predetermined algorithm, and wherein the fuel gauge further comprises a second microcontroller to generate a control signal to the first microcontroller based on the operating conditions of the battery using a second predetermined algorithm.

13. A power supply system, comprising:

an inverter to generate an AC (alternating current) output based on a DC (direct current) input; and

a microcontroller coupled to the inverter to adjust the AC output of the inverter according to a predetermined algorithm stored within the microcontroller, when the AC output of the inverter satisfies a predetermined condition for a predetermined period of time, wherein at least one of the predetermined algorithm, the predetermined condition, and the predetermined period of time are user programmable within the microcontroller.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the microcontroller is configured to turn off the inverter when an amount of current drawn from the inverter drops below a predetermined threshold for the predetermined period of time.

15. A power supply system, comprising:

an inverter to generate an AC (alternating current) output based on a DC (direct current) input;

a battery coupled to provide the DC input to the inverter; and

a microcontroller coupled to the inverter and the battery to control operations of the inverter based on one or more operating conditions of the battery according to a predetermined user programmable algorithm stored within the microcontroller.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a fuel gauge coupled to the battery and the microcontroller, wherein the fuel gauge is configured to determine the operating conditions of the battery and to provide a signal to the microcontroller indicating the operating conditions of the battery.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller is configured to transition the inverter into a sleep mode from a normal operating mode, when an amount of current drawn from the inverter drops below a predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller is configured to transition the inverter from a sleep mode to a normal operating mode, when an output voltage of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. An inverter charger system, comprising:

an inverter to generate an AC (alternating current) output based on a DC (direct current) input;

a casing for housing the inverter, the casing having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface;

one or more heat sinks mounted on an exterior side of the side surface, wherein one or more power components of the inverter are mounted on an interior side of the side surface to allow heat generated by the one or more power components to be dissipated via the one or more heat sinks; and

a cooling fan mounted on the top surface of the casing for generating forced air blowing from the top surface to the bottom surface of the casing and passing through fins of the one or more heat sinks mounted on the side surface.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a battery disposed within the casing for providing the DC input to the inverter.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the casing and the cooling fan are waterproof.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the side surface of the casing is trimmed to form an airflow channel vertically between the top and bottom surfaces to allow the forced air to travel through the fins of the one or more heat sinks.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising a mounting strip to mount the power components on an interior side of the side surface, wherein the mounting strip comprises one or more through holes, each between two power components through which a screw can be used to provide pressure to force the two power components against the side surface.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the mounting strip further comprises one or more notches, each between two power components to allow the mounting strip to be flexible when the screw provides mounting pressure to the power components via a through hole.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the through holes and the notches are disposed alternately with respect every other power components of the inverter.