POWER CONVERTER WITH REDUCED POWER CONSUMPTION IN STANDBY MODE

• US 20130250627A1
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Herfurth, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,602,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/21.15
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/335 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3376 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/05 Capacitor coupled rectifiers
• 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

In accordance with various embodiments a converter is provided, including: a transformer comprising a primary side and a secondary side; a primary side circuit arrangement coupled to the primary side of the transformer; a secondary side circuit arrangement coupled to the secondary side of the transformer, wherein the secondary side circuit arrangement is configured to provide at least one of an output voltage and an output current; a coupling component configured to provide information about at least one of the output voltage and the output current to the primary side circuit arrangement; a first energy supply configured to provide the coupling component with a first current; and second energy supply configured to provide the coupling component with a second current, wherein the second current is lower than the first current.

Claims

1. A converter comprising:

a transformer comprising a primary side and a secondary side;

a primary side circuit arrangement coupled to the primary side of the transformer;

a secondary side circuit arrangement coupled to the secondary side of the transformer, wherein the secondary side circuit arrangement is configured to provide at least one of an output voltage and an output current;

a coupling component configured to provide information about at least one of the output voltage and the output current to the primary side circuit arrangement;

a first energy supply configured to provide the coupling component with a first current; and

a second energy supply configured to provide the coupling component with a second current, wherein the second current is lower than the first current.

2. The converter of claim 1,

wherein the primary side circuit arrangement comprises a controller configured to provide the at least one switch control signal to the at least one switch.

3. The converter of claim 1,

wherein the coupling component includes a first side and a second side which are galvanically decoupled from one another.

4. The converter of claim 3,

wherein the first side of the coupling element is coupled to the primary side circuit arrangement.

5. The converter of claim 3,

wherein the second side of the coupling element is coupled to the secondary side circuit arrangement.

6. The converter of claim 1,

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode.

7. The converter of claim 3,

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode;

and

wherein in the first mode the first energy source and the second energy source are configured to provide energy to the first side of the coupling element.

8. The converter of claim 3,

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode;

and

wherein in the second mode only the second energy source is configured to provide energy to the first side of the coupling element.

9. The converter of claim 1,

wherein the coupling component includes a first side and a second side which are galvanically decoupled from one another;

and

wherein the information about at least one of the output voltage and the output current corresponds to an amplitude of a signal generated by the first side of the coupling component.

10. The converter of claim 1,

wherein the coupling component includes a first side and a second side which are galvanically decoupled from one another;

and

wherein the information about at least one of the output voltage and the output current corresponds to a frequency of pulses generated by the first side of the coupling component.

11. The converter of claim 2,

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode;

and

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in the first mode when the controller is activated.

12. The converter of claim 6,

wherein the primary side circuit arrangement comprises a controller configured to provide the at least one switch control signal to the at least one switch;

and

wherein during the operation of the coupling component in the first mode the controller is configured to adjust a current flow through the primary side of the transformer in accordance with the signal generated by the first side of the coupling component.

13. The converter of claim 9,

wherein the primary side circuit arrangement comprises a controller configured to provide the at least one switch control signal to the at least one switch;

and

wherein the primary side circuit arrangement is configured to deactivate the controller when the signal amplitude exceeds a first threshold value.

14. The converter of claim 9,

wherein the primary side circuit arrangement comprises a controller configured to provide the at least one switch control signal to the at least one switch;

and

wherein the primary side circuit arrangement is configured to deactivate the controller when the signal amplitude has remained above a predefined value for a predefined period of time.

15. The converter of claim 2,

wherein the primary side circuit arrangement is configured to deactivate the first energy source when the controller is deactivated.

16. The converter of claim 2,

wherein the controller comprises the first energy source.

17. The converter of claim 13,

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode;

and

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in the second mode after the signal amplitude has exceeded the first threshold value.

18. The converter of claim 14,

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode;

and

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in the second mode after the signal amplitude has remained above the predefined value for the predefined period of time.

19. The converter of claim 9,

wherein the coupling component is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode;

and

wherein the coupling component is configured to be operated in the first mode after the signal amplitude drops below a second threshold value during the operation of the coupling component in the second mode.

20. A converter comprising:

a transformer comprising a first side and a second side;

a first circuit coupled to the first side of the transformer;

a second circuit coupled to the second side of the transformer, wherein the second circuit is configured to provide an output voltage;

a transmitter configured to provide information about the output voltage to the first circuit;

a first energy supply configured to provide the transmitter with a first current; and

a second energy supply configured to provide the coupling component with a second current, wherein the second current is different from the first current.

21. The converter of claim 20,

wherein the transmitter includes a receiving side and a sending side which are galvanically decoupled from one another.

22. The converter of claim 20,

wherein the transmitter is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode.

23. The converter of claim 22,

wherein the transmitter includes a receiving side and a sending side which are galvanically decoupled from one another;

and

wherein in the first mode the first energy source and the second energy source are configured to provide energy to the receiving side of the transmitter.

24. The converter of claim 22,

wherein the transmitter includes a receiving side and a sending side which are galvanically decoupled from one another;

and

wherein in the second mode only the second energy source is configured to provide energy to the receiving side of the transmitter.

25. The converter of claim 22,

wherein the first circuit comprises a controller configured to provide the at least one switch control signal to the at least one switch;

and

wherein during the operation of the transmitter in the first mode the controller is configured to adjust a current flow through the first side of the transformer in accordance with the amplitude of a signal generated by the receiving side of the transmitter.