Bi-directional regulator

• US 20080074095A1
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Telefus, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• 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 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33515 with digital control
• 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 regulated power supply apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an input power converting circuit for generating a rectified voltage signal, an output power converting circuit comprising a plurality of switching elements, the output power converting circuit coupled to receive the rectified voltage signal, an output power storing element coupled with the output power converting circuit, and an output power bidirectional regulating circuit comprising an integrated circuit coupled with the output power converting circuit, the bidirectional regulating circuit including control signals for operating the switching elements to store power on the output power storing element and to deliver power to an output load from the output power storing element. An integrated circuit controlled regulator circuit is provided for controlling a plurality of switches a boost and buck converter. A method of regulating power supply is also provided.

Claims

1. A regulated power supply apparatus comprising:

an input power converting circuit for generating a rectified voltage signal;

an output power converting circuit comprising a plurality of switching elements, the output power converting circuit coupled to receive the rectified voltage signal;

an output power storing element coupled with the output power converting circuit; and

an output power bidirectional regulating circuit comprising an integrated circuit coupled with the output power converting circuit, the bidirectional regulating circuit including control signals for operating the switching elements to store power on the output power storing element and to deliver power to an output load from the output power storing element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first switching element and a second switching element are configured such that the first switching element functions as a transistor and the second switching element functions as a diode, wherein the functions of the first and second switching element are alternately switched with each other by the bidirectional regulating circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reference input on the bidirectional regulating circuit for generating a reference voltage for the output load.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensing input on the bidirectional regulating circuit for measuring a voltage of the output load.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power storing circuit comprises a capacitor element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching elements each comprise a semiconductor device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output power converting circuit includes an inductive element coupled with the switching elements.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input power converting circuit is configured to convert an alternating current to a direct current.

9. A method of regulating a power supply apparatus comprising:

sampling a voltage applied to a load with an output power bidirectional regulating circuit, the regulating circuit including control signals coupled to a plurality of switching elements for operating the switching elements selectively as boost and buck converters of the apparatus for supplying power;

sensing the voltage with the bidirectional regulating circuit;

storing power in a power storing element when the voltage applied to the load exceeds a threshold; and

supplying a compensating power to the load when the voltage applied to the load is less then the threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a first switching element and a second switching element are configured such that the first switching element functions as a transistor and the second switching element functions as a diode, wherein the functions of the first and second switching element are alternately switched with each other by the control signals.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the output power bidirectional regulating circuit comprises an integrated circuit coupled with an output power converting circuit.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the applied voltage to the load is sampled using a sensing input of the bidirectional regulating circuit.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a reference voltage from a reference input of the bidirectional regulating circuit.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising comparing the reference voltage with the applied voltage and generating the control signals to configure a first switching element and a second switching element such that the first switching element functions as a transistor and the second switching element functions as a diode, wherein the functions of the first and second switching element are alternately switched with each other based on a difference between the reference voltage and the applied voltage.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second switch are configured as the boost converter when the sampled applied voltage is greater than the reference voltage, wherein the applied voltage is reduced by transferring excess power from the applied voltage to the power storing element.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second switch are configured as the buck converter when the sampled applied voltage is less than the reference voltage, wherein the applied voltage is increased by transferring excess power from the power storing element to the applied voltage.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising an inductive element coupled with the plurality of switching elements.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the power storing circuit comprises a capacitor element.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the switching elements each comprise a semiconductor device.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the input power converting circuit is configured to convert an alternating current to a direct current.

21. A bidirectional power regulating circuit comprising:

an input for receiving a rectified signal;

an inductive element coupled with the input;

a drain of a first switching element couple with the inductive element and a drain of a second switching element coupled with the inductive element; and

an integrated circuit regulator, including a first control signal coupled with a gate of the first switching element and second control signal coupled with a gate of the second switching element, for controlling the first and the second switching elements.