TRACKING ENERGY CONSUMPTION USING A BUCK-BOOSTING TECHNIQUE

• US 20150015233A1
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diewald, Horst, Zipperer, Johann, Weber, Peter, Brauchle, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 9,618,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/76.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/18 using inductive devices, e.g. transformers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/127 by using pulse modulation G01R21/133 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for tracking energy consumption. An energy tracking system comprises at least one switching element, at least one inductor and a control block to keep the output voltage at a pre-selected level. The switching elements are configured to apply the source of energy to the inductors. The control block compares the output voltage of the energy tracking system to a reference value and controls the switching of the switched elements in order to transfer energy for the primary voltage into a secondary voltage at the output of the energy tracking system. The electronic device further comprises an ON-time and OFF-time generator and an accumulator wherein the control block is coupled to receive a signal from the ON-time and OFF-time generator and generates switching signals for the at least one switching element in the form of ON-time pulses with a constant width ON-time.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising an energy tracking system, the energy tracking system comprising a buck block, at least one energy transfer block and a control circuit wherein the control circuit is configured to control switching of energy in the first and second energy transfer blocks in order to transfer energy from a primary voltage applied at an input of the energy tracking system into a secondary voltage at the output of the energy tracking system;

wherein the control circuit comprises an ON-time and OFF-time generator, at least one control logic block and an accumulator wherein the at least one control logic block is coupled to receive a signal from the ON-time and OFF-time generator and to generate switching signals for the first and second energy transfer blocks in the form of ON-time pulses with a constant width ON-time, and wherein the accumulator is configured to collect the number of ON-time pulses for determining the consumed energy based on the number of ON-time pulses per time;

wherein the buck block comprises;

a first switching element, the first switching element being connected to the input of the buck block and to the control circuit;

a first inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal wherein the first terminal is connected to the first switching element and the second terminal is connected to an output of the buck block;

a first diode having a cathode and an anode wherein the anode is connected to ground and the cathode is connected to the first terminal of the first inductor;

a second switching element, the second switching element being connected to the first terminal of the first inductor, to ground and to the control circuit; and

a capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal being connected to the output of the buck block and the second terminal of the capacitor being connected to ground;

wherein the at least one energy transfer block comprises;

a second inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal wherein the first terminal is connected to an input of the at least one energy transfer block;

a third switching element, the third switching element being connected to the control circuit, to the input of the second terminal of the second inductor and to ground;

a second diode having a cathode and an anode wherein the anode is connected to the second terminal of the second inductor and the cathode is connected to an output of the at least one energy transfer block;

a fourth switching element, the fourth switching element being connected to the control circuit, to the cathode of the second diode and the anode of the second diode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein a second capacitor is connected to the input of the energy tracking system.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 wherein a third capacitor is connected to the output of the energy tracking system.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein impedance is connected to the output of the energy tracking system.