POWER CONTROL MODULE WITH IMPROVED START REQUIREMENTS

• US 20160365799A1
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanken Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sanken Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: NAKANO, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,348,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0006 Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4225 using a non-isolated boost converter
• 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 3/33546 with automatic control of the output voltage or current H02M3/33561 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0036 Means reducing energy consumption
• 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

Circuits and devices are described that provide power to appliances and other devices via a power correction circuit and an LLC converter, which may for example include resonant series converters and flyback converters. The circuits and devices economize on board space, part size and power start up time by separately powering up the controller circuit portion prior to powering up the LLC converter.

Claims

1. A power control device for an external circuit comprising:

a control unit including a microprocessor;

a drive unit connected to the control unit that receives a signal from a control circuit and supplies a drive signal to the external circuit; and

a startup circuit that generates a drive power supply and provides current to a controller and the drive unit based on the drive power supply, wherein the startup circuit changes the current based on the signal from the controller.

2. The power control device of claim 1, wherein the external circuit comprises:

a PFC comprising at least one switching circuit for converting the input voltage to an intermediate voltage

a DC-DC converter comprising at least one switching circuit, that converts the intermediate voltage to an output voltage, wherein

the power control unit obtains power from the input voltage and an output voltage of the DC-DC converter.

3. The power control device of claim 2, wherein

upon application of power to the power control device, the power control device drives the PFC, and then drives the DC-DC converter.

4. The power control device of claim 2, wherein

the drive unit comprises a driver PFC that supplies a drive signal to the PFC, and a driver DD that supplies a driver signal to the DC-DC converter.

5. The power control device of claim 1, wherein

the startup circuit converts an input voltage to the drive power supply voltage and outputs power to the controller when the driving power supply voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage, and

the startup circuit stops converting from the input voltage to the drive power voltage when the drive power supply voltage is higher than a predetermined voltage.

6. The power control device of claim 1, comprising

a first mode for supplying a first current of the power supply voltage to the control unit;

and

a second mode for supplying a second current that is greater than the first current to the control unit based on the drive power supply voltage.

7. The power control device of claim 6, wherein in the first mode, supply of the first current is restricted for at least a part of a system processing unit.

8. The power control device of claim 6, wherein

the control unit comprises a PWM PFC that supplies a PFC drive signal to the driver PFC, and a PWM DD that supplies a DD drive signal to the driver DD.

9. The power control device of claim 6, further comprising

a third mode for stopping the current supply to the controller.

10. The power control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit obtains the drive power supply voltage based on the external circuit.

11. The power control device of claim 1, further comprising a detector that detects the drive power supply voltage, and switches the current supplied to the controller and the control unit based on the drive power supply voltage.

12. The power control device of claim 11, wherein the detector switches the current supplied to the controller and the control unit based on an output of the external circuit.

13. The power control device of claim 1, further comprising a timer that switches the current supplied to the controller and the control unit based on the drive power supply voltage at a predetermined time.

14. A three circuit apparatus with sequential power up capability, comprising:

a first circuit comprising

a microprocessor,

a driver with a power input and one or more outputs to a PFC,

a second circuit comprising a PFC with a power input and a power output, and

a third circuit comprising a DC-DC converter with a power input and a power output;

wherein

upon application of external power to the apparatus, a first voltage increase occurs at the power input of the first circuit via a temporary connection to the external power, and then

a second voltage increase occurs at the power output of the second circuit, and then

a third voltage increases at the power output of the third circuit.

15. The three circuit apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first circuit comprises a startup circuit that comprises a constant current regulator and is turned off upon detection of sufficient power or voltage in the third circuit.

16. The three circuit apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second circuit power output increases in response to a sensed increase in the first circuit power or voltage input.

17. The three circuit apparatus of claim 14, wherein the third circuit power output increases in response to a sensed increase in the second circuit power or voltage input.

18. The three circuit apparatus of claim 14, wherein the microprocessor monitors the voltage of the first circuit input by repeated sampling of the voltage and triggers an increase in the second circuit output in response to a sensed increase in sampled voltage.

19. An appliance comprising the three circuit apparatus of claim 14, wherein the LLC provides at least part of the power to the appliance.

20. A high voltage motorized appliance comprising the three circuit apparatus of claim 19, wherein the LLC provides high voltage to one or more motor windings.