CONTROLLER AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

• US 20090073732A1
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E2IP Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: T-Ink Inc. (Winnick & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Bravo, Juan D., Cohen, Steve M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,680,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/74
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0272 For heating of fabrics

Abstract

A control circuit and associated method for dynamically controlling power to one or more heating elements are provided. A power source supplies power to a load through one or more current pass elements, which is controlled by a control signal. A processor determines a time period (T) having a time cycle beginning at T_on and a Time cycle end at T_off, where the Time cycle end is less than the time period (T), variable, and generates the control signal or signals each time period (T), thereby electrically connecting the power source to the load and the current sensing element each time period (T) to dispense precisely predetermined quantities of energy per pulse.

Claims

1. A control circuit for controlling power to a heating element, comprising:

a power source configured to supply power to a load through a current pass element, the current pass element controlled by a control signal;

a processor configured to determine a time period (T) having a time cycle beginning at T_on and a Time cycle end at T_off, where the Time cycle end is less than the time period (T), and to generate the control signal each time period (T), thereby electrically connecting the power source to the load and the current sensing element each time period (T).

2. The control circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a current measuring device configured to measure an output current;

a voltage measuring device configured to measure a load voltage;

the processor further configured to calculate an instantaneous power (P_i) based on the output current and the load voltage, and calculate a power on time (T_ontime) based on a predetermined set point power (P_set), the instantaneous power (P_i) and the time period (T), wherein T_ontime=(P_set/P_i)T, and to cause the control signal to connect the power source to the load during the power on time (T_ontime).

3. The control circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electrical pass element constructed to connect the power source to the load; and

a gate device constructed to provide a current supplied by the power source to the electrical pass element based on a trigger signal received from a triggering source.

4. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the load is the heating element.

5. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the heating element controls heat in a garment.

6. The control circuit according to claim 5, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a discharge characteristic of the power source, wherein the power source is a battery; and

the processor further configured to modify the power on time (T_ontime) based on an elapsed time the garment has been operating and on the discharge characteristic and a thermal property of the garment.

7. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined set point power (P_set) is replaced by another set point power (P_set—

_acc) to increase the amount of power supplied to the load.

8. The control circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

an alternating current (AC) component detector configured to detect an AC component generated by the load.

9. The control circuit according to claim 8, further comprising:

an interrupt signal generator configured to generate an interrupt signal when the AC component detector detects the AC component, wherein the processor is further configured to perform an interrupt service routine upon receiving the interrupt signal.

10. The control circuit according to claim 8, further comprising:

a signal conditioner configured to convert the AC component to a direct current (DC) signal; and

the processor further constructed to receive the DC signal and determine a signature of the AC component based on the DC signal and to manage the control signal based on the signature.

11. The control circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage measuring device configured to measure the load voltage; and

the processor further configured to modify the pulse width of the control signal to maintain a constant supply power to the load based only on the load voltage.

12. A method of controlling power to a heating element, comprising:

supplying power to a load through a current pass element, the current pass element controlled by a control signal;

determining a time period T having a time cycle beginning (T_on) and a Time cycle end (T_off), where the Time cycle end is less than the time period (T); and

generating the control signal each time period (T), thereby electrically connecting the power source to the load and the current sensing element each time period (T).

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

measuring an output current;

measuring a load voltage;

calculating an instantaneous power (P_i) based on the output current and the load voltage;

calculating a power on time (T_ontime) based on a predetermined set point power (P_set), the instantaneous power (P_i) and the time period (T), wherein T_ontime=(P_set/P_i)T;

generating the control signal based on the power on time (T_ontime); and

supplying the power to the load during the power on time (T_ontime).

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

providing a current to the electrical pass element based on a trigger signal received from a triggering source.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the load is the heating element.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the heating element controls heat in a garment.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

storing a discharge characteristic of the power source, wherein the power source is a battery; and

the processor further configured to modify the power on time (T_ontime) based on an elapsed time the garment has been operating and on the discharge characteristic and a thermal property of the garment.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

replacing the predetermined set point power (P_set) by another set point power (P<sub>set—

acc</sub>) to increase the amount of power supplied to the load.

19. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

detecting an alternating current (AC) component generated by the load.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

generating an interrupt signal when the AC component is detected by the detecting; and

performing an interrupt service routine upon receiving the interrupt signal.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

converting the AC component to a direct current (DC) signal;

determining a signature of the AC component based on the DC signal; and

managing the control signal based on the signature.

22. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

measuring the load voltage; and

modifying the pulse width of the control signal to maintain a constant supply power to the load.