Circuit System With Supply Voltage For Driving An Electromechanical Switch

• US 20080211347A1
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Park, John Norton, Wright, Joshua Isaac, Subramanian, Kanakasabapathi, Reeves, Nicole Christine
• Application Number:
  US11/681,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211347A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/318
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/0036 Switches making use of microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] for electromagnetic relays H01H50/005; for electrostatic relays H01H59/0009
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2071/008 Protective switches or relays using micromechanics
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 59/0009 making use of micromechanics

Abstract

A circuit for controlling operation of a load. In one example, a MEMS switch is positioned in the circuit to place the load in one of a conducting state or a nonconducting state. A piezoelectric transformer provides a relatively high voltage output signal or a relatively low voltage output signal to control movement of the switch between a closed position, placing the load in the conducting state, and an open position. The high voltage output signal includes a frequency component in the resonant frequency range of the transformer. Control circuitry provides an input voltage signal to the piezoelectric transformer to provide the high voltage output signal or the low voltage output signal at the output terminals of the piezoelectric transformer.

Claims

1. A circuit for controlling operation of a load comprising:

a MEMS switch positioned to place the load in one of a conducting state or a nonconducting state;

a piezoelectric transformer having a resonant frequency range with a resonant frequency and configured to provide a relatively high voltage output signal or a relatively low voltage output signal from output terminals thereof to control movement of the switch between a closed position, placing the load in the conducting state, and an open position, placing the load in the nonconducting state, the high voltage output signal including a frequency component in the resonant frequency range of the transformer; and

control circuitry for providing an input voltage signal to drive input terminals of the piezoelectric transformer to selectively provide the high voltage output signal or the low voltage output signal at the output terminals of the piezoelectric transformer.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the relatively high voltage output signal is characterized by a peak output value and the input voltage signal is characterized by a peak input value and the ratio of the peak output value to the peak input value ranges from 5 to 10.

3. The circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the transformer has a resonant frequency range having a specific resonant frequency within that range that produces a peak mechanical response and a peak output voltage response and, the signal provided by the control circuitry includes an oscillating frequency resulting in the relatively high voltage input signal having an oscillating signal within the resonant frequency range of the transformer, so that the transformer provides the relatively high voltage output signal with said frequency component and with a peak value greater than a peak value of the relatively high voltage input signal.

4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the signal provided by the control circuitry includes a logic high voltage level corresponding to the relatively high voltage input signal and wherein the relatively high voltage input signal is an oscillating signal with a peak value corresponding to a peak value of the logic high control signal, and the peak value of the relatively high voltage input signal is greater than a peak value of the logic high voltage level of the signal provided by the control circuitry.

5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein the control circuitry is connected to drive circuitry to generate the relatively low input signal and the relatively high input signal, resulting in generation of the peak value of the relatively high voltage input signal exceeding 5 volts.

6. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the transformer has a resonant frequency range with a specific resonant frequency that produces a peak mechanical response and a peak output voltage response and provision of the relatively high voltage input signal is performed by creating the relatively high voltage input signal based on a signal from the control circuitry having an oscillating frequency within the resonant frequency range of the transformer.

7. The circuit of claim 6 wherein the control circuitry provides the signal at an oscillating frequency offset from the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transformer.

8. The circuit of claim 1 further including circuitry to rectify the high voltage output signal, said circuit capable of providing an input to the MEMS switch characterized by a rise time, measurable from 10 percent of the maximum voltage to 90 percent of the maximum voltage, in the range of one to 30 microseconds.

9. The circuit of claim 1 further including diode bridge circuitry to rectify the high voltage output signal, said circuit capable of providing an input to the MEMS switch characterized by a fall time, measurable from 90 percent of the maximum voltage to 10 percent of the maximum voltage, in the range of three to 10 microseconds.

10. A circuit for supplying a drive voltage to a MEMS switch of the type having a gate electrode for placing the state of the switch in a conducting or non-conducting state, comprising:

a piezoelectric transformer having a characteristic resonant frequency with an output terminal of the transformer coupled to the gate electrode;

drive circuitry coupled to energize the transformer with a first relatively low voltage signal having a frequency component different from the resonant frequency, the first signal having a first peak voltage, in order for the transformer to provide a second signal in response to the first signal, the second signal also having a frequency component different from the peak resonant frequency, the second signal having a second peak voltage greater than the first peak voltage; and

rectifying circuitry coupled between the transformer output terminal and the gate electrode to convert the second signal into a rectified signal capable of changing the state of the MEMS switch.

11. The circuit of claim 10 wherein the rectifying circuitry is capable of providing a signal to transition the MEMS switch from a conducting state to a nonconducting state.

12. A method for controlling operation of a load comprising:

forming a circuit with a MEMS switch positioned to place the load in one of a conducting state or a nonconducting state;

positioning a piezoelectric transformer in the circuit, the transformer having a resonant frequency range with a peak resonant frequency;

providing a relatively high voltage output signal or a relatively low voltage output signal from output terminals of a piezoelectric transformer to control movement of the switch between a closed position, placing the load in the conducting state, and an open position, placing the load in the nonconducting state, the high voltage output signal including a frequency component in the resonant frequency range of the transformer; and

driving input terminals of the piezoelectric transformer according to a control signal to selectively provide the high voltage output signal or the low voltage output signal at the output terminals of the piezoelectric transformer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the relatively high voltage output signal results from provision of a relatively high voltage input signal at the input terminals; and

the relatively low voltage output signal results from provision of a relatively low voltage input signal at the input terminals,

the ratio of the relatively high voltage output signal to the relatively high voltage input signal being greater than one.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the relatively high voltage output signal is characterized by a peak output value and the relatively high voltage input signal is characterized by a peak input value and the ratio of the peak output value to the peak input value is at least 1.5.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the frequency component of the high voltage output signal is offset relative to the resonant frequency of the transformer.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the frequency component of the high voltage output signal is at least ten percent greater or less than the resonant frequency of the transformer.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the high voltage output signal is in the range of 50 to 100 volts.

18. A system comprising

a circuit including a supply voltage, a load and an electromechanical switch having an element moveable to a first position which places the switch in a conducting mode and moveable to a second position which places the switch in a non-conducting mode, the switch further including a control terminal for selectively applying or removing an electrostatic force to place the element in the first position or in the second position;

and

a piezoelectric transformer having a high voltage terminal connected to the control terminal and a second terminal connected to receive an input signal so that with application of a first level signal to the second terminal the high voltage terminal provides a high voltage signal to the control terminal of sufficient voltage to generate an electrostatic field which displaces the element from one of the positions to the other position.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the transformer provides the high voltage signal with a frequency components characteristic of the resonant properties of the transformer, the system further including a diode bridge operatively positioned between a high voltage PZT output terminal and the MEMS switch control terminal to rectify the high voltage signal provided to the control terminal.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the transformer has a characteristic resonant frequency range including a specific resonant frequency, the system further including drive circuitry coupled to receive a logic high or a logic low control signal, the logic high control signal including a frequency component in the resonant frequency range.

21. The system of claim 18 further including arc-less suppression circuitry for inhibiting arc formation as the switch moves from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein a peak value of the high voltage signal measurable at the high voltage terminal is greater than a peak value of the input signal measurable at the second terminal.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein a ratio of the peak value of the high voltage signal to the peak value of the input signal is at least 1.5.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the peak value of the high voltage signal is at least 50 volts and the peak value of the input signal is in the range of 5 to 20 volts.

25. A method for optimizing rise and fall times of output voltages from a piezoelectric transformer coupled to drive a MEMS switch between conducting and nonconducting states, comprising the steps of:

energizing the transformer with an input signal having a frequency that is offset with respect to the transformer'"'"'s resonant frequency to produce a high voltage output signal;

rectifying the output signal; and

applying the rectified signal to drive the MEMS switch from one of the conducting state and the nonconducting state to the other state.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein a peak value of the output signal produced in response to a peak value of the input signal is greater than the peak value of the input signal.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the peak value of the output signal is at least 1.5 times greater than the peak value of the input signal.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the frequency of the input signal is at least ten percent above or below the transformer'"'"'s peak resonant frequency.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the frequency of the input signal is at least twenty percent above or below the transformer'"'"'s peak resonant frequency.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the frequency of the input signal is at least forty percent above or below the transformer'"'"'s peak resonant frequency.

31. The method of claim 25 further including the step of changing the voltage level of the high voltage output signal by transitioning a control signal between a logic high state and a logic low state and providing the control signal to drive circuitry to generate the input signal with the frequency offset from the transformer'"'"'s specific resonant frequency.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the control signal provides the drive circuitry with the frequency offset from the transformer'"'"'s specific resonant frequency to generate said input signal.