Driving and clamping power regulation technique for continuous, in-phase, full-duration, switch-mode resonant converter power supply

• US 5,267,138 A
• Filed: 03/23/1992
• Issued: 11/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Creos Technologies LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Creos International Ltd.
• Inventors: Shores, Ronald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): STERRETT, JEFFREY L
• Application Number:
  US07/855,654
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 363/15, 363/16, 363/17, 363/95, 363/98, 363/131, 363/132, 378/101, 378/111, 378/112
• US Class Current: 363/98
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3376 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/20 with high-frequency ac; with pulse trains pulse generators in general H03K3/00, H03K4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/32 Supply voltage of the X-ray apparatus or tube
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/34 Anode current, heater current or heater voltage of X-ray tube
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

A converter power supply uses a resonant primary circuit connected to a transformer and switches driving current pulses to the resonant primary circuit in phase with and substantially over the duration of the positive and negative half cycles during drive conditions, and clamps to allow the natural resonant current to decay in magnitude substantially over the duration of the positive and negative half cycles during clamping conditions. The decisions to drive or to clamp are made on half-cycle of the naturally resonating current. An algorithmic relationship creates the maximum alternation of drive and clamp conditions to achieve the desired level of power regulation. A configuration of current switches drives the primary winding and charges a resonator capacitor during one half cycle of the resonant current, and during the other half cycle the capacitor is discharged to drive in the other direction. The power supply is particularly useful for energizing an x-ray tube.

Claims

1. A resonant power supply comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding;

a resonant primary circuit including the primary winding in which a natural resonant current oscillates at a natural frequency in alternate positive and negative half cycles; and

switch means connected to the resonant primary circuit, the switch means driving current pulses to the resonant primary circuit in phase with and substantially only during the full duration of the positive and negative half cycles, the switch means further clamping to allow the natural resonant current to decay in magnitude substantially only during the full duration of the positive and negative half cycles, the switch means selectively alternatively driving or clamping commencing and ending substantially at each zero magnitude of the natural resonant current.

2. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

determining means responsive to each positive and each negative half cycle of resonant current for determining a driving condition or a clamping condition on a half-cycle by half-cycle basis and for supplying a drive signal representative of a driving condition and for supplying a clamp signal representative of a clamping condition; and

wherein;

the switch means responds to the drive signal by driving current pulses and responds to the clamp signal by clamping the resonant current.

3. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 2 wherein:

the determining means determines the driving condition or the clamping condition during the half cycle immediately following the half cycle in which the condition existed; and

the switch means drives the current pulses or clamps the resonant current during the half cycle immediately following the half cycle in which the determination was made.

4. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 3 wherein:

the determining means responds to a zero magnitude of the resonant current and the maximum magnitude of the resonant current during each positive and negative half cycle.

5. A resonant power supply a defined in claim 2 for applying voltage to an x-ray tube.

6. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 2 wherein the determining means further comprises:

feedback means responsive to an electrical condition in at least one of the primary or secondary windings and operative for deriving a feedback signal representative of the condition;

means for supplying an other signal related to a desired level of power from the power supply;

comparator means responsive to the feedback signal and the other signal for deriving a control signal related to the difference between the feedback signal and the other signal; and

controller means responsive to the control signal and operative for supplying an algorithmic output signal having a predetermined algorithmic relationship to the control signal; and

wherein;

the determining means supplies the drive and clamp signals in response to the algorithmic output signal.

7. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 6 wherein the algorithmic relationship is established by comparing the value of the control signal occurring during the present half cycle with the values of a predetermined number of previous control signals.

8. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 6 wherein the algorithmic relationship is established by comparing the value of the control signal occurring during the present half cycle with the average of the values of a predetermined number of control signals occurring during the same predetermined number of previous half cycles.

9. A resonant power supply a defined in claim 8 wherein the average is obtained for a predetermined number of previous consecutively occurring half cycles.

10. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 6 wherein the algorithmic relationship is established by comparing the value of the control signal occurring during the present half cycle with the weighted average of the values of a predetermined number of control signals occurring during the same predetermined number of previous half cycles.

11. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 10 wherein the average is weighted to attribute greater significance to the value of each of the most recent control signals occurring during the predetermined number of half cycles.

12. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 11 wherein the weighted average is obtained from a predetermined number of previous consecutively occurring half cycles.

13. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 6 wherein the control signal has a level of magnitude related to the difference between the feedback signal and the other signal, the algorithmic relationship is established by the level of the control signal, and the algorithmic relationship at each level of the control signal creates a pattern of drive and clamp signals which alternate.

14. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 13 wherein the pattern achieves a maximum degree of alternation of drive and clamp signals to achieve the control effect represented by the control signal.

15. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 6 wherein the control signal has a level of magnitude related to the difference between the feedback signal and the other signal, the algorithmic relationship is established by a digital value of the level of the control signal, and the algorithmic relationship is related to the rate multiplication of the digital value.

16. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 6 wherein the algorithmic relationship establishes a predetermined pattern of drive and clamp signals and the predetermined pattern achieves a maximum degree of alternation to achieve the control effect represented by the control signal.

17. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 6 wherein:

the feedback means derives a first and a second feedback signal, the first feedback signal represents an electrical condition in the primary winding and the second feedback signal represents an electrical condition in the secondary winding; and

the comparator means compares one of the first or second feedback signals with the other signal to obtain a difference signal and thereafter compares the difference signal with the other one of the first or second feedback signals to obtain the control signal.

18. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 17 wherein:

the first feedback signal represents the magnitude of current flowing in the primary winding of the transformer;

the second feedback signal represents the magnitude of voltage in the secondary winding of the transformer; and

the other signal defines the magnitude of voltage to be supplied.

19. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 6 wherein the feedback means further comprises:

current sensing means connected to the primary winding for supplying a primary current signal corresponding to characteristics of the resonant current flowing in the primary winding;

current detector means responsive to the primary current signal for establishing a first level signal representative of the maximum current flowing during the positive half cycle and for establishing a second level signal representative of the maximum current flowing during the negative half cycle; and

means for alternately supplying the first level signal and the second level signal as the feedback signal.

20. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 19 wherein the current detector means further comprises:

a positive sampling circuit responsive to the primary current signal for establishing a first half cycle signal representative of the maximum resonant current during one positive half cycle;

a negative sampling circuit responsive to the primary current signal for establishing a second half cycle signal representative of the maximum resonant current during one negative half cycle immediately following the one positive half cycle;

a first signal holding means for holding a signal applied thereto;

a second signal holding means for holding a signal applied thereto;

a first transfer means connected between the positive sampling circuit and the first signal holding means and operative for transferring the first half cycle signal to the first signal holding means, the signal held by the first signal holding means being the first level signal;

a first reset means connected to the positive sampling circuit for terminating the first half cycle signal after the first half cycle signal has been transferred to the first signal holding means;

a second transfer means connected between the negative sampling circuit and the second signal holding means for transferring the second half cycle signal to the second signal holding means, the signal held by the second signal holding means being the second level signal; and

a second reset means connected to the negative sampling circuit for terminating the second half cycle signal after the second half cycle signal has been transferred to the second signal holding means.

21. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 20 wherein:

the first transfer means transfers the first half cycle signal during the one negative half cycle;

the second transfer means transfers the second half cycle signal during the next positive half cycle immediately following the one negative half cycle;

the first reset means terminates the first half cycle signal during the one negative half cycle; and

the second reset switch means terminates the second half cycle signal during the next negative half cycle immediately following the one positive half cycle.

22. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 2 wherein:

the primary resonant circuit further includes a resonant capacitance which also functions as a storage capacitance; and

the switch means further comprises a plurality of current switches arranged in a predetermined configuration to operatively connect the resonant primary circuit to a DC power delivery node and a DC power reference node; and

in response to a drive signal;

the predetermined configuration of current switches operatively drives a current pulse from the delivery node to the reference node through the primary winding in a first direction and charges the storage capacitor, during one half cycle of resonant current; and

the predetermined configuration of current switches operatively disconnects the resonant primary circuit from the delivery and reference nodes and drives a current pulse derived by discharging the storage capacitor through the primary winding in the opposite direction, during the other half cycle of resonant current.

23. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 22 wherein, in response to a clamp signal:

the predetermined configuration of current switches operatively disconnects the resonant primary circuit from the delivery and reference nodes and clamps to allow the natural resonant current to decay in a current path through the resonant primary circuit.

24. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 23 wherein:

the predetermined configuration of current switches allows either of two current switches to achieve clamping on each positive half cycle and allows either of two other switches to achieve clamping on the negative half cycle; and

the determining means supplies the clamp signals alternately to the two current switches with each successive positive half cycle during which a clamping condition exists and alternately to the two other current switches on the negative half cycle during which a clamping condition exists, and the one and the other current switch which receive the clamp signal conduct to accomplish the clamping in response to the clamping signal.

25. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 24 wherein:

the determining means further includes alternating means for maintaining information describing the status of the previously supplied clamping signals during intervening drive conditions to resume supplying the alternating pattern of clamping signals with the next successive clamping condition.

26. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 22 wherein the predetermined configuration of current switches comprises:

a first, a second, a third and a fourth current switch connected in series in order between a DC power delivery node and a DC power reference node, the connection between the first and second current switches establishing an upper node which is connected to the resonant primary circuit the connection between the second and third current switches establishing a midpoint node, the connection between the third and forth current switches establishing a lower node which is connected to the resonant primary circuit, the resonant primary circuit extending substantially between the upper and lower nodes; and

wherein, in response to a drive signal;

the second and third current switches are nonconductive, and the first and fourth current switches operatively drive a current pulse from the delivery node to the reference node through the primary winding in a first direction and charge the storage capacitor, during one half cycle of resonant current; and

the first and fourth current switches are nonconductive to operatively disconnect the resonant primary circuit from the delivery and reference nodes, and the second and third current switches drive a current pulse derived by discharging the storage capacitor through the primary winding in the opposite direction, during the other half cycle of resonant current.

27. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 26 wherein, in response to a clamping signal:

one of the first or third current switches clamps on one half cycle and one of the second or fourth current switches clamps on the other half cycle, and the three current switches other than the one which clamps are nonconductive; and

the one of the first or third current switches alternately clamps with the other one of the first or third current switches with successive occurrences of the one half cycle, and the one of the second or fourth current switches alternately clamps with the other one of the second or fourth current switches with successive occurrences of the other half cycle.

28. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 27 wherein:

the switch means further comprises a first capacitor connected between the delivery node and the midpoint node, a second capacitor connected between the midpoint node and the reference node; and

the determining means further comprises selector means responsive to the voltage at the midpoint node, the selector means terminates the alternation in clamping between the first and third current switches during the one half cycle and terminates the alternation in clamping between the second and third current switches during the other half cycle, and instead selects the one of the first or third current switches during the one half cycle and the one of the second or fourth current switches during the other half cycle to clamp during clamping conditions which results in the clamped resonant current charging the first and second capacitors to maintain the voltage on the midpoint node within a predetermined range relative to the voltage between the delivery and reference nodes.

29. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 28 wherein:

the predetermined range is established relative to substantially one half of the voltage between the delivery and reference nodes; and

the selector means resumes the alternation in clamping between the first and third current switches and between the second and fourth current switches so long as the midpoint voltage is within the predetermined range.

30. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 2 wherein the switch means further comprises:

a plurality of current switches arranged in a predetermined configuration to operatively connect the resonant primary circuit to a DC power delivery node and a DC power reference node; and

current limiter means connected to the current switch and including means for sensing the current conducted by the current switch in response to a drive signal and for supplying a switch current signal related to the current sensed, means for deriving a set point signal representative of a predetermined maximum allowable characteristic of the current conducted by the current switch, comparator means for comparing the switch current signal and the set point signal and for supplying an output signal upon the switch current signal exceeding the set point signal, disabling means receptive of the output signal and operative for disabling the conduction of the current switch upon the existence of the output signal.

31. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 30 wherein the predetermined maximum characteristic is a maximum amount of current conducted by the current switch.

32. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 30 wherein the predetermined maximum characteristic is maximum rate of increase in current conducted by the current switch.

33. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 30 wherein:

the current limiter means further comprises delay means operative in response to the output signal for maintaining the disabled condition of the current switch for a predetermined time period after the occurrence of the output signal.

34. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 33 wherein the predetermined time period is greater than the time period of each cycle of the resonant current.

35. A resonant power supply as defined in claim 1 wherein the transformer further comprises:

a closed loop core having a center opening;

secondary windings formed as traces on a printed circuit board which extend through the center opening in the core; and

a primary winding formed as a sheet metallic conductor extending through the opening and encircling the core in at least one winding.

36. A method of supplying power using a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, comprising:

connecting the primary winding in a resonant primary circuit;

oscillating a natural resonant current at a natural frequency in alternating positive and negative half cycles in the resonant primary circuit;

driving current pulses to the resonant primary circuit in phase with and substantially only during the full duration of selected positive and negative half cycles to increase the magnitude of the resonant current;

clamping the natural resonant current substantially only during the full duration of selected positive and negative half cycles to allow the resonant current decay in magnitude;

selecting one of the driving or clamping steps with each half cycle of resonant current to control the magnitude of the resonant current in the primary winding;

commencing and ending the selected one of the driving step or clamping step substantially at each zero magnitude of the natural resonant current; and

deriving the power supplied from the secondary winding.

37. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 36 further comprising:

determining a driving condition or a clamping condition for each positive and each negative half cycle on a half cycle by half cycle basis.

38. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 37 wherein:

determining the driving condition or the clamping condition during the half cycle immediately following the half cycle in which the condition existed; and

either driving the current pulses or clamping the resonant current during the half cycle immediately following the half cycle in which the determination was made.

39. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 38 wherein the step of determining the driving or clamping condition further comprises:

determining a zero magnitude of the resonant current;

determining a maximum magnitude of the resonant current during each positive and negative half cycle; and

responding to the determination of the zero magnitude and the maximum magnitude of the resonant current when determining the driving or clamping condition.

40. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 37 further comprising:

applying a voltage supplied by the secondary winding to an x-ray tube.

41. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 37 wherein the step of determining the driving or clamping condition further comprises:

deriving a feedback signal representative of an electrical condition in at least one of the primary or secondary windings;

supplying an other signal related to a desired level of power supplied from the power supply;

comparing the feedback signal and the other signal to derive a control signal related to the difference between the feedback signal and the other signal;

supplying a drive signal representative of a driving condition and supplying a clamp signal representative of a clamping condition in accordance with a predetermined algorithmic relationship directly related to the control signal;

driving current pulses in response to the drive signal; and

clamping the resonant current in response to the clamp signal.

42. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 41 further comprising:

deriving the algorithmic relationship by steps including;

comparing the value of the control signal occurring during the present half cycle with the values of a predetermined number of control signals occurring during the same predetermined number of previous half cycles.

43. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 41 further comprising:

deriving the algorithmic relationship by steps including;

averaging the values of a predetermined number of control signals occurring during the same predetermined number of previous half cycles to obtain an average value; and

comparing the value of the control signal occurring during the present half cycle with the average value.

45. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 41 further comprising:

deriving the algorithmic relationship by steps including;

weighting the values of a predetermined number of control signals occurring during the same predetermined number of previous half cycles to obtain the same predetermined number of weighted control signal values;

averaging the weighted values of the predetermined number of weighted control signal values to obtain a weighted average value; and

comparing the value of the control signal occurring during the present half cycle with the weighted average value.

46. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 45 further comprising:

attributing greater significance to the value of the most recent control signals to obtain the weighted average value.

47. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 46 further comprising:

obtaining the weighted average value from a predetermined number of previous consecutively occurring half cycles.

48. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 41 further comprising:

deriving the algorithmic relationship by steps including;

dividing the control signal into a plurality of different level values, each of the level values related to the difference in magnitude between the feedback signal and the other signal; and

creating a different predetermined pattern of alternating drive and clamp signals in response to each level value of the control signal.

50. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 41 further comprising:

deriving the algorithmic relationship by steps including;

creating a digital value of the control signal;

rate multiplying the digital value of the control signal to create a pattern of alternating drive and clamp signals in response to the digital value of the control signal.

51. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 41 further comprising:

selecting the algorithmic relationship to create a maximum degree of alternation of the drive and clamp signals.

52. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 41 wherein the step of determining the driving or clamping condition further comprises:

deriving a first feedback signal representing an electrical condition in the primary winding;

deriving a second feedback signal representing an electrical condition in the secondary winding;

comparing one of the first or second feedback signals with the other signal to obtain a difference signal; and

thereafter

comparing the difference signal with the other one of the first or second feedback signals to obtain the control signal.

53. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 52 wherein:

the first feedback signal represents the magnitude of current flowing in the primary winding of the transformer;

the second feedback signal represents the magnitude of voltage in the secondary winding of the transformer; and

the other signal defines the magnitude of voltage to be supplied.

54. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 41 wherein the step of determining the driving or clamping condition further comprises:

sensing the resonant current flowing in the primary winding;

supplying a primary current signal corresponding to characteristics of the resonant current flowing in the primary winding;

establishing a first level signal representative of the maximum current flowing during the positive half cycle;

establishing a second level signal representative of the maximum current flowing during the negative half cycle; and

alternately supplying the first level signal and the second level signal as the feedback signal.

55. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 54 further comprising:

sampling the primary current signal for one positive half cycle;

establishing a first half cycle signal representative of the maximum current sampled during the one positive half cycle;

sampling the primary current signal for one negative half cycle;

establishing a second half cycle signal representative of the maximum current sampled during the one negative half cycle immediately following the one positive half cycle;

holding the first half cycle signal as the first level signal;

terminating the first half cycle signal after the first level signal is held;

holding the second half cycle signal as the second level signal; and

terminating the second half cycle signal after the second level signal is held.

56. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 55 wherein:

the first half cycle signal is held during the one negative half cycle;

the second half cycle signal is held during the next positive half cycle immediately following the one negative half cycle;

the first half cycle signal is terminated during the one negative half cycle; and

the second half cycle signal is terminated during the next positive half cycle immediately following the one negative half cycle.

57. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 37 further comprising:

including a resonant capacitance which also functions as a storage capacitance in the resonant primary circuit;

connecting the resonant primary circuit to a DC power delivery node and to a DC power reference node;

driving a current pulse from the delivery node to the reference node through the primary winding in a first direction in response to a drive signal to charge the storage capacitor, during one half cycle of resonant current;

disconnecting the resonant primary circuit from the delivery and reference nodes, during the other half cycle or resonant current; and

driving a current pulse derived by discharging the storage capacitor through the primary winding in the opposite direction in response to a drive signal, during the other half cycle of resonant current.

58. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 57 further comprising:

disconnecting the resonant primary circuit from the delivery and reference nodes and clamping the natural resonant current to decay in a current path through the resonant primary circuit in response to a clamp signal.

59. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 58 further comprising:

establishing a predetermined configuration of current switches which drives the current pulses and clamps the resonant current in which either of two current switches achieve clamping on each positive half cycle and either of two other switches achieve clamping on the negative half cycle;

supplying the clamp signals to alternately opposite ones of the two current switches on the positive half cycle and to alternately opposite ones of the two other current switches on the negative half cycle; and

conducting through the one and the other current switch which receive the clamp signal to accomplish the clamping in response to the clamping signal.

60. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 59 wherein the step of determining the driving or clamping condition further comprises:

maintaining information describing the alternative status of the previously supplied clamping signals during intervening drive conditions; and

resuming supplying the alternating clamping signals with the next occurring clamping condition.

61. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 37 further comprising:

including a resonant capacitance which also functions as a storage capacitance in the resonant primary circuit;

establishing a predetermined configuration of current switches in which a first, a second, a third and a fourth current switch are connected in series in order between the delivery node and the reference node, the connection between the first and second current switches establishing an upper node which is connected to the resonant primary circuit, the connection between the second and third current switches establishing a midpoint node, the connection between the third and forth current switches establishing a lower node which is connected to the resonant primary circuit, the resonant primary circuit extending substantially between the upper and lower nodes;

rendering the first and fourth current switches conductive to drive a current pulse from the delivery node to the reference node through the primary winding in a first direction and charging the storage capacitor during one half cycle of resonant current;

rendering the first and fourth current switches nonconductive to disconnect the resonant primary circuit from the delivery and reference nodes; and

rendering the second and third current switches conductive to drive a current pulse obtained by discharging the storage capacitor through the primary winding in the opposite direction by operation of the second and third current switches during the other half cycle of resonant current.

62. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 61 further comprising, in response to a clamping signal:

clamping one of the first or third current switches on one half cycle and clamping one of the second or fourth current switches clamps on the other half cycle;

alternating the conduction of one of the first or third current switches with the other one of the first or third current switches with successive occurrences of the one half cycle;

alternating the conduction of one of the second or fourth current switches with the other one of the second or fourth current switches with successive occurrences of the other half cycle; and

rendering nonconductive the three current switches other than the one which is clamped.

63. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 62 further comprising:

connecting a first capacitor between the delivery node and the midpoint node;

connecting a second capacitor between the midpoint node and the reference node;

creating a voltage at the midpoint node by charging the first and second capacitors with clamped resonant current during the clamping condition;

sensing the voltage at the midpoint node;

terminating the alternation in clamping between the first and third current switches during the one half cycle and terminating the alternation in clamping between the second and third current switches during the other half cycle; and

clamping a selected one of the first or third current switches during the one half cycle and clamping a selected one of the second or fourth current switches during the other half cycle which results in charging the first and second capacitors with clamped resonant current to maintain the voltage on the midpoint node within a predetermined range relative to the voltage between the delivery and reference nodes.

64. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 63 further comprising:

establishing the predetermined range relative to substantially one half of the voltage between the delivery and reference nodes; and

resuming the alternation in clamping between the first and third current switches and between the second and fourth current switches while the midpoint voltage is within the predetermined range.

65. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 37 further comprising:

arranging a plurality of current switches in a predetermined configuration to operatively connect the resonant primary circuit to a DC power delivery node and a DC power reference node;

sensing the current conducted by each current switch in response to a drive signal and supplying a switch current signal related to the current sensed;

deriving a set point signal representative of a predetermined maximum allowable characteristic of the current conducted by the current switch;

comparing the switch current signal and the set point signal and supplying an output signal upon the switch current signal exceeding the set point signal; and

disabling the conduction of the current switch upon the existence of the output signal.

66. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 65 wherein the predetermined maximum characteristic is a maximum amount of current conducted by the current switch.

67. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 65 wherein the predetermined maximum characteristic is maximum rate of increase in current conducted by the current switch.

68. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 65 further comprising:

maintaining the disabled condition of the current switch for a predetermined time period after the occurrence of the output signal.

69. A method of supplying power as defined in claim 68 wherein the predetermined time period is greater than the time period of each cycle of the resonant current.

44. A method of supplying power as defined in claim further comprising:

obtaining the average value from a predetermined number of previous consecutively occurring half cycles.

49. A method of supplying power as defined in claim further comprising:

creating each predetermined pattern to achieve a maximum degree of alternation of the drive and clamp signals.