APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SAFETY POWER CONTROL

• US 20090073623A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PARK, JEONGJE, HAN, WANTAEK
• Application Number:
  US12/057,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20090073623A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/86
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/12 responsive to undesired approach to, or touching of, live parts by living beings

Abstract

An apparatus for safety power control is provided. The apparatus comprises first and second electrodes oppositely spaced a predetermined distance to each other; a first voltage generator applying first voltage between the first and second electrodes, a second voltage generator applying, between the first and second electrodes, second voltage for detecting an object put between the first and second electrodes, a voltage meter measuring voltage between the first and second electrodes, and a controller detecting the variance in voltage measured by the voltage meter, and if the measured variance is no less than a predetermined threshold value, cutting off the first voltage, whereby detecting voltage having frequency different from high voltage is applied between electrodes to which the high voltage is applied, the variance in detecting voltage between the electrodes according to ingress of a human body or an object is measured, and if voltage variance above a predetermined value is measured, the high voltage is cut off, so that it is prevented for the human body from being damaged by the high voltage in the apparatus, and that the electrodes for applying high voltage is used as it is, thereby controlling power without installing an additional sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for safety power control comprising:

first and second electrodes oppositely spaced a predetermined distance to each other;

a first voltage generator applying first voltage between the first and second electrodes;

a second voltage generator applying, between the first and second electrodes, second voltage for detecting an object put between the first and second electrodes;

a voltage meter measuring voltage between the first and second electrodes; and

a controller detecting the variance in voltage measured by the voltage meter, and if the measured variance is no less than a predetermined threshold value, cutting off the first voltage.

2. The apparatus for safety power control according to claim 1, wherein the controller applies the first voltage between the first and second electrodes if the voltage measured by the voltage meter after the voltage cut-off is kept constant for a predetermined time.

3. The apparatus for safety power control according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

an envelop detecting unit for detecting an envelop value obtained by respectively connecting each max. values and min. values of the voltage measured by the voltage meter;

a differentiating unit for differentiating the envelop value detected by the envelop detecting unit to thereby detect a differentiation value; and

a control unit for if the differentiation value detected by the differentiating unit is no less than a predetermined threshold value, cutting off the first voltage.

4. The apparatus for safety power control according to claim 3, wherein the control unit applies the first voltage between the first and second electrodes if the differentiation value detected by the differentiating unit after the voltage cut-off is kept within a predetermined range for a predetermined time.

5. The apparatus for safety power control according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage is AC voltage having predetermined frequency, and the second voltage is AC voltage having different frequency from that of the first voltage.

6. The apparatus for safety power control according to claim 5, further comprising a band-pass filter connected between the voltage meter and the first and second electrodes to transmit, to the voltage meter, only the voltage signal having the same frequency as that of the second voltage.

7. A method for safety power control comprising the steps of:

applying first voltage between a first electrode and a second electrode;

applying, between the first and second electrodes, second voltage for detecting an object put between the first and second electrodes;

measuring voltage between the first and second electrodes; and

detecting the variance in voltage measured, and if the measured variance is no less than a predetermined threshold value, cutting off the first voltage.

8. The method for safety power control according to claim 7, further comprising the step of applying the first voltage between the first and second electrodes if the voltage between the first and second electrodes after the voltage cut-off is kept constant for a predetermined time.

9. The method for safety power control according to claim 7, wherein the step of detecting the variance in voltage measured comprises the steps of:

detecting an envelop value obtained by respectively connecting each max. values and min. values of the voltage measured;

differentiating the envelop value detected to thereby defect a differentiation value; and

if the differentiation value detected is no less than a predetermined threshold value, cutting off the first voltage.

10. The method for safety power control according to claim 9, further comprising the step of applying the first voltage between the first and second electrodes if after the voltage cut-off, the differentiation value detected by the step of differentiating the envelop value is kept within a predetermined range for a predetermined time.

11. The method for safety power control according to claim 7, wherein the first voltage is AC voltage having predetermined frequency, and the second voltage is AC voltage having different frequency from that of the first voltage.

12. The method for safety power control according to claim 11, further comprising the step of, before the step of measuring voltage, filtering only the voltage signal having the same frequency as that of the second voltage.