Transmission of an operating order via an A.C. supply line

• US 6,288,630 B1
• Filed: 04/20/1999
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Bardouillet, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/295,145
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/310.04, 340/310.06, 340/310.08, 315/194, 315/291, 315/293, 315/307, 315/DIG.4
• US Class Current: 307/2
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0001 using modification of a parameter of the network power signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/04 Dimming circuit for fluorescent lamps

Abstract

The present invention relates to a circuit for supplying a load from an approximately D.C. voltage obtained by rectifying an A.C. voltage, including means for extracting from the rectified A.C. voltage an information depending on a phase angle variation of the A.C. voltage, and a means for making the approximately D.C. load supply voltage independent from the phase angle variation of the A.C. voltage.

Claims

1. A circuit for supplying a load from an approximately D.C. voltage obtained by rectifying an A.C. voltage, comprising:

means for producing a phase angle variation in an A.C. supply voltage which varies during a time from zero to one half of a half-wave;

means for extracting from the rectified A.C. voltage information depending on the phase angle variation of the A.C. voltage;

a capacitor circuit means for charging during periods when the phase angle is not varying; and

means for making the approximately D.C. load supply voltage independent from the phase angle variation of the A.C. voltage.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the rectified A.C. voltage is provided between two respectively positive and negative terminals, including:

between the positive terminal and a first terminal of the capacitor across which the approximately D.C. supply voltage of the load is taken, a one-way conduction element; and

between the positive and negative terminals, a voltage dividing bridge providing a low voltage proportional to the rectified voltage.

3. The circuit of claim 2, including a means of integration of the rectified low voltage to provide an analog low voltage depending on the phase angle of the A.C. voltage.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the information includes an operating control signal for an energy converter means for controlling the load.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the phase angle variation of the A.C. voltage is performed between 50 and 100% by means of a variator by phase angle cut-off.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the load is a fluorescent lamp.

7. A method of transmission of information over an A.C. supply line of a supply circuit of a load having a capacitive input impedance including a receiver circuit having a capacitor adapted to provide an approximately D.C. voltage, comprising:

transmitting an A.C. voltage on an A.C. supply line;

varying the phase angle of the transmitted A.C. voltage over at most one half of a half-wave A.C. supply signal and outside charge periods of the capacitor;

receiving the A.C. supply circuit in the receiver circuit; and

isolating the information in the receiver circuit relative to the phase angle upstream of the capacitor.

8. A circuit comprising:

an A.C. voltage supply circuit;

a phase angle variation circuit coupled to the A.C. voltage supply circuit, the phase angle variation circuit including a phase modification circuit for varying the phase angle of the A.C. supply during a period of one half of a half-wave;

an A.C. voltage receiving circuit coupled to receive the A.C. voltage supply circuit;

a rectifying circuit providing an output of a rectified voltage signal from the A.C. voltage supply;

a capacitor circuit coupled to the output of the rectifying circuit; and

an output terminal for providing an output signal indicative of the phase angle variation in the A.C. supply voltage.

9. The circuit according to claim 8 wherein the phase modification circuit includes:

a triac;

a triac feedback path; and

a feedback element in the triac feedback path for causing the triac to trip at a selected location in the phase angle of the A.C. supply voltage.

10. The circuit according to claim 9 wherein the feedback element in the feedback path includes a resistor.

11. The circuit according to claim 9 further including:

capacitor coupled to the triac circuit for determining, in coordination with the resistor of the feedback path, the phase angle of the variation in the A.C. supply voltage.

12. The circuit according to claim 8, further including a resistor bridge coupled between the rectifying circuit and the one-way conduction element.

13. The circuit according to claim 8, further including an integration circuit coupled to the voltage divider circuit to provide an analog voltage depending on the phase angle of the A.C. voltage.

14. The circuit according to claim 8 further including:

a one-way conduction element coupled prior to the capacitor such that the capacitor is charged during periods when the phase angle is not varying.