ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FOR DELIVERING POWER TO CONSUMER ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20150180355A1
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Prong Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Charging Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Freeman, Michael H., Dieter, Robert, Weaver, W.J. "Jim" Jr., Freeman, Mitchael C., Noufer, Glenn, Sandusky, Randall L., Sesters, Jim, Farooqi, Neaz E., Devoy, Jim, Cormier, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 9,431,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0012 Control circuits using digital or numerical techniques in DC/DC converters H02M3/157, H02M3/33515; in DC-AC converters H02M7/53873
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0025 Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/12 Arrangements for reducing harmonics from ac input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/14 Arrangements for reducing ripples from dc input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/073 Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33515 with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33538 of the forward type H02M3/3353, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33546 with automatic control of the output voltage or current H02M3/33561 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/12 Analogue/digital converters H03M1/001 – H03M1/10 take precedence
• 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

An electrical circuit for providing electrical power for use in powering electronic devices is described herein. The electrical circuit includes a primary power circuit and a secondary power circuit. The primary power circuit receives an alternating current (AC) input power signal from an electrical power source and generates an intermediate direct current (DC) power signal. The intermediate DC power signal is generated at a first voltage level that is less than a voltage level of the AC input power signal. The secondary power circuit receives the intermediate DC power signal from the primary power circuit and delivers an output DC power signal to an electronic device. The output DC power signal is delivered at an output voltage level that is less than the first voltage level of the intermediate DC power signal.

Claims

1. An electrical circuit for providing electrical power for use in powering electronic devices, comprising:

a primary power circuit adapted to be electrically coupled to an electrical power source, the primary power circuit configured to receive an alternating current (AC) input power signal from the electrical power source and generate an intermediate direct current (DC) power signal, the intermediate DC power signal being generated at a first voltage level that is less than a voltage level of the AC input power signal; and

a secondary power circuit electrically coupled to the primary power circuit, the secondary power circuit configured to receive the intermediate DC power signal from the primary power circuit and deliver an output DC power signal to an electronic device, the output DC power signal being delivered at an output voltage level that is less than the first voltage level of the intermediate DC power signal.

2. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 1, the primary power circuit including a rectifier circuit configured to receive the AC power input signal from the electrical power source and generate a rectified DC power signal, the rectified DC power signal having a voltage level that is approximately equal to the voltage level of the AC input power signal.

3. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 2, the rectifier circuit including a full-wave bridge rectifier.

4. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 2, the primary power circuit including a switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit coupled to the rectifier circuit for receiving the rectified DC power signal from the rectifier circuit and generating the intermediate DC power signal.

5. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 4, the switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit including:

a pair of flyback capacitors electrically coupled in parallel;

a plurality of switch assemblies electrically coupled to each of the pair of flyback capacitors, the plurality of switch assemblies being operated between a charge phase and a discharge phase; and

a hold capacitor electrically coupled to each of the pair of flyback capacitors, the plurality of switch assemblies being operated to selectively deliver the rectified DC power signal to each of the pair of flyback capacitors during the charge phase and to selectively deliver the intermediate DC power signal to the hold capacitor during the discharge phase.

6. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 5, at least one of the switch assemblies including:

a N-channel MOSFET switch;

a level shifter coupled to the N-channel MOSFET switch for delivering a control signal to the N-channel MOSFET switch; and

a dickson charge pump coupled to the level shifter, the dickson charge pump configured to receive the rectified DC power signal and generate an output power signal having a voltage level that is greater than the voltage level of the rectified DC power signal, the output power signal being delivered to the level shifter for use in operating N-channel MOSFET switch.

7. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 5, the switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit including a control circuit coupled to each of the plurality of switch assemblies, the control circuit including:

a voltage sensing circuit for sensing a voltage level of the rectified DC power signal; and

a gain controller configured to select a gain setting of the switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit as a function of the sensed voltage level and operating each of the plurality of switch assemblies as a function of the selected gain setting.

8. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 4, the primary power circuit including a buck regulator circuit electrically coupled in parallel with the switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit, the buck regulator circuit for receiving the rectified DC power signal from the rectifier circuit and generating the intermediate DC power signal.

9. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 8, the buck regulator circuit including a regulator switch assembly coupled to a voltage reduction circuit, the voltage reduction circuit including a diode, an inductor, and a capacitor, the regulator switch assembly being operated to selectively deliver the rectified DC power signal to the voltage reduction circuit.

10. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 9, the buck regulator circuit including a control circuit for providing a pulse-width modulated control signal to the regulated switch assembly to selectively deliver the rectified DC power signal to the voltage reduction circuit, the control circuit including:

a voltage sensing circuit for sensing the first voltage level of the intermediate DC power signal; and

a regulator controller for generating the pulse-width modulated control signal as a function of the sensed first voltage level, the regulator controller configured to adjust a duty cycle of the control signal being delivered to maintain the voltage level of the intermediate DC power signal at a predefined voltage level.

11. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 1, the secondary power circuit including a forward converter circuit including a primary voltage reduction circuit and a secondary voltage reduction circuit, the primary voltage reduction circuit configured to receive the intermediate DC power signal from the primary power circuit and deliver a secondary DC power signal to the secondary voltage reduction circuit, the secondary DC power signal having a voltage level that is less than the voltage level of the intermediate DC power signal, the secondary voltage reduction circuit configured to receive the secondary DC power signal and generate the output DC power signal being delivered to the electronic device.

12. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 11, the primary voltage reduction circuit including a transformer, a primary side of the transformer being coupled to the primary power circuit and a secondary side of the transformer being coupled to the secondary voltage reduction circuit.

13. An electrical circuit in accordance with claim 12, the secondary voltage reduction circuit including a pair of diodes, an inductor, and a capacitor.

14. A power module for providing electrical power for use in powering electronic devices, comprising:

a rectifier circuit configured to receive an AC power input signal from an electrical power source and generate a rectified DC power signal;

a switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit and integrated circuit controller coupled to the rectifier circuit for receiving the rectified DC power signal from the rectifier circuit, the integrated circuit controller for sensing the voltage level of the AC power input signal and adjusting the gain of the switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit as a function of the sensed voltage level to generate an intermediate DC power signal; and

a forward converter circuit coupled to the switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit, the forward converter circuit including a transformer for receiving the intermediate DC power signal and generating an output DC power signal being delivered to an electronic device.

15. A power module in accordance with claim 14, including a buck regulator circuit electrically coupled in parallel with the switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit, the buck regulator circuit including a regulator switch assembly for receiving the rectified DC power signal from the rectifier circuit and generating the intermediate DC power signal.

16. A power module in accordance with claim 15, the integrated circuit controller including a buck regulator control circuit for providing a pulse-width modulated control signal to the regulated switch assembly.

17. A power module in accordance with claim 14, the forward converter circuit including a transformer switch assembly coupled to the transformer primary side, the integrated circuit including a transformer control circuit for selectively operating the transformer switch assembly to maintain a voltage level of the output DC power signal.

18. A power module in accordance with claim 14, the switch capacitor voltage breakdown circuit including:

a pair of flyback capacitors electrically coupled in parallel; and

a plurality of switch assemblies electrically coupled to each of the pair of flyback capacitors.

19. A power module in accordance with claim 18, at least one of the switch assemblies including:

a N-channel MOSFET switch; and

a dickson charge pump coupled to the N-channel MOSFET switch.

20. A power module in accordance with claim 18, wherein the N-channel MOSFET is formed within the integrated circuit.