Dead-time-modulated synchronous PWM controller for dimmable CCFL royer inverter

• US 7,064,497 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Hsieh, Guan-Chyun
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THUY V
• Application Number:
  US11/055,003
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 315/209.R, 315/224, 315/246, 315/276, 315/283, 315/287, 315/291, 315/299, 315/300, 315/307, 315/DIG.4
• US Class Current: 315/246
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2825 by means of a bridge converter in the final stage H05B41/285 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/04 Dimming circuit for fluorescent lamps

Abstract

A Synchronous PWM controller realized by dead-time modulation is provided for applying to the self-oscillation Royer inverter. The proposed dead-time-modulated PWM (DTM-PWM) controller is composed of a monostable circuit and a constant-current charger (CCC). The presented switching period for the buck regulation consists of a referred sawtooth having a constant-period and a dead-time. The synchronizing strategy is conducted by modulating the dead-time according to the resonant frequency of the Royer inverter. Two kinds of the control strategies in DTM-PWM controller are explored including the down-going and up-going error voltage controls. A DTM-PWM controlled dimmable Royer inverter with two-CCFL having primary-side control is designed and realized. Two kinds of the existing controllers for the Royer inverter are also experimented and compared with the proposed DTM-PWM controller. The results of the analysis and the theoretical prediction are verified with the experiments.

Claims

1. A controller for providing a dead-time-modulated (DTM) synchronous pulse width modulation (PWM) to a dimmable cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) Royer inverter, wherein a first and a second voltages are applied to said controller to generate an output voltage to control a switch for dimming said CCFL, comprising:

a constant current charger (CCC) for generating said first voltage;

a first comparator for comparing said second voltage with a first reference voltage to generate a trigger signal;

a second comparator electrically connected to said first comparator for comparing said trigger signal with a second reference voltage;

a third comparator electrically connected to said CCC for comparing said first voltage with a third reference voltage;

a flip-flop electrically connected to said second comparator and said third comparator for generating a control signal in response to the outputs of said second and said third comparators;

a discharger having a first terminal for receiving said control signal, a second terminal electrically connected to said CCC, and a third terminal electrically connected to a ground;

a fourth comparator electrically connected to said CCC for comparing an error signal with said first voltage to generate a down-going error voltage; and

a fifth comparator electrically connected to said CCC for comparing said error signal with said first voltage to generate an up-going error voltage,

wherein said output voltage is one of said down-going and said up-going voltages.

2. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said first voltage has a linear sawtooth waveform.

3. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said second voltage is a voltage from a center tap of a transformer.

4. The controller according to claim 3, wherein said voltage from said center tap of said transformer has a quasi-sinusoidal waveform.

5. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said output voltage is a PWM signal.

6. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said switch is a power switch of a buck converter for dimming said CCFL.

7. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said CCC is a linear charger.

8. The controller according to claim 7, wherein said linear charger comprises a current source and a capacitor.

9. The controller according to claim 8, wherein said third reference voltage is a minimum level of voltage for re-initiating a charging of said capacitor of said CCC.

10. The controller according to claim 8, wherein said first voltage generated by said CCC initiates a charging of said capacitor at each negative-going transition of said trigger signal and ceases said charging when a voltage across said capacitor is equal to said second reference voltage, and then said capacitor discharges through said discharger rapidly.

11. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said first voltage is input to a non-inverting terminal of said first comparator, and said first reference voltage is input to an inverting terminal of said first comparator.

12. The controller according to claim 11, wherein said first reference voltage is one of a zero voltage and a preset threshold voltage.

13. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said second reference voltage is input to a non-inverting terminal of said second comparator, and said trigger signal is input to an inverting terminal of said second comparator.

14. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said first voltage is input to a non-inverting terminal of said third comparator, and said third reference voltage is input to an inverting terminal of said third comparator.

15. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said flip-flop is an RS flip-flop.

16. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said discharger is a bi-polar junction transistor.

17. The controller according to claim 16, wherein said first, said second, and said third terminals are a base, a collector, and an emitter respectively.

18. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said first voltage is input to a non-inverting terminal of said fourth comparator, and said error signal is input to an inverting terminal of said fourth comparator.

19. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said error signal is input to a non-inverting terminal of said fifth comparator, and said first voltage is input to an inverting terminal of said fifth comparator.

20. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said error signal is generated from a primary-side charge-pump controller of said Royer inverter.

21. A controller for providing a DTM synchronous PWM to a dimmable CCFL Royer inverter, wherein a first and a second voltages are applied to said controller to generate an output voltage to control a switch for dimming said CCFL, comprising:

a CCC for generating said first voltage;

a first comparator for comparing said first voltage with a first reference voltage to generate a trigger signal;

a second comparator electrically connected to said first comparator for comparing said trigger signal with a second reference voltage;

a third comparator electrically connected to said CCC for comparing said first voltage with a third reference voltage;

a flip-flop electrically connected to said second comparator and said third comparator for generating a control signal in response to the outputs of said second and said third comparators;

a discharger having a first terminal for receiving said control signal, a second terminal electrically connected to said CCC, and a third terminal electrically connected to a ground; and

an output circuit electrically connected to said CCC for generating said output voltage in response to an error signal and said first voltage.

22. The controller according to claim 21, wherein said output circuit comprises:

a fourth comparator electrically connected to said CCC for comparing said error signal with said first voltage to generate a down-going error voltage; and

a fifth comparator electrically connected to said CCC for comparing said error signal with said first voltage to generate an up-going error voltage,

wherein said output voltage is one of said down-going and said up-going voltages.