Programmable power supply

• US 7,266,003 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Comarco Wireless Technologies Incorporated (Comarco Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Comarco Wireless Technologies Incorporated (Comarco Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lanni, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US11/443,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20060215381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 363/78, 363/80, 363/97, 363/141, 363/144, 363/146, 363/147
• US Class Current: 363/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2819 Planar transformers with printed windings, e.g. surrounded by two cores and to be mounted on printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/24 for radio transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4258 using a single converter stage both for correction of AC input power factor and generation of a regulated and galvanically isolated DC output voltage H02M1/4241 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac
• 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 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3372 of the parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3378 in a push-pull configuration of the parallel type H02M3/3374 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3382 in a push-pull circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3387 : in a push-pull configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 : Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 : Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0262 : Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/029 : having a programmable lay-out, i.e. adapted for choosing between a few possibilities
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 : incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 : incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/086 : for inductive purposes, e.g. printed inductor with ferrite core
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 : Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 : Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• 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

A programmable power supply for providing a regulated DC output power is disclosed. The power supply provides the output power to any one of a plurality of electronic devices adapted for receiving the output power at an operational voltage or an operational current. The power supply receives a programming signal to maintain the output power at the operational voltage or operational current associated with a particular selected electronic device. Accordingly, by varying the programming signal, the power supply can be programmed to provide output power to any one of several electronic devices having differing input power requirements.

Claims

1. A small form factor power supply, comprising:

a transformer having a low profile magnetic core;

a printed circuit board, adapted to have various circuit components mounted thereon, wherein the printed circuit board includes a plurality of layers, a first layer having a secondary coil wiring pattern, a second layer having a primary coil wiring pattern, a third layer having a primary coil wiring pattern, and a fourth layer having a secondary coil wiring pattern, the wiring patterns being magnetically coupled to the core of the transformer;

a driver circuit coupled to the primary coil wiring patterns; and

a rectifier circuit coupled to the secondary coil wiring patterns to provide a rectified output voltage.

2. The small form factor power supply of claim 1, including

a case enclosing the printed circuit board, the low profile magnetic core, and the various circuit components.

3. The small form factor power supply of claim 1, further including an input rectifier circuit and a filter circuit to receive, filter, and then provide an input voltage to the driver circuit.

4. The small form factor power supply of claim 1, further including a controller to provide driving signals to the driver circuit to apply an alternating voltage to the primary coil wiring patterns.

5. The small form factor power supply of claim 4, further including a feedback circuit to generate a feedback signal based on the rectified output voltage provided by the rectifier circuit.

6. The small form factor power supply of claim 5, wherein the feedback signal is received by the controller and the controller utilizes the feedback signal to alter the driving signals.

7. The small form factor power supply of claim 6, wherein the driving signals are modulated signals.

8. The small form factor power supply of claim 6, wherein the controller alters a phase relationship of the driving signals.

9. A small form factor power supply, comprising:

a transformer having a low profile magnetic core;

a printed circuit board with circuit components mounted thereon, wherein the printed circuit board has a plurality of layers, a first layer including wiring patterns, a second layer including wiring patterns, a third layer including wiring patterns, and a fourth layer including wiring patterns, the wiring patterns on the plurality of layers being magnetically coupled to the core;

a driver circuit coupled to wiring patterns on some of the plurality of layers; and

a case enclosing the printed circuit board, the transformer, and the circuit components.

10. The small form factor power supply of claim 9, wherein the case has a thickness, a length, and a width such that the area as defined by the length and width of the case is less than fourteen square inches.

11. The small form factor power supply of claim 9, wherein a length of the case is less than 5.0 inches.

12. The small form factor power supply of claim 11, wherein the width of the case is less than 2.85 inches.

13. The small form factor power supply of claim 9, further including a rectifier circuit coupled to the winding patterns on some of the plurality of layers other than the layers to which the driver circuit is coupled, to provide a rectified output voltage.

14. The small form factor power supply of claim 9, further including a voltage and current sensing circuit coupled to the rectifier circuit, the voltage and current sensing circuit receiving the rectified output voltage and providing a sensed voltage or a sensed current.

15. The small form factor power supply of claim 14, further including a feedback circuit coupled to the voltage and current sensing circuit, the feedback circuit generating a modulated signal based on the sensed voltage or sensed current.

16. The small form factor power supply of claim 15, further including a controller coupled to the feedback circuit, the controller receiving the modulated signal to cause the driver circuit to generate driving signals based on the modulated signal.

17. The small form factor power supply of claim 16, wherein the modulated signal is an amplitude modulated signal.

18. The small form factor power supply of claim 16, wherein the modulated signal is a frequently modulated signal.

19. The small form factor power supply of claim 16, wherein the modulated signal is a phase modulated signal.

20. A small form factor power supply, comprising:

a transformer having a low profile magnetic core;

a printed circuit board with circuit components mounted thereon, wherein the printed circuit board has a plurality of layers, a first layer having wiring patterns, a second layer having wiring patterns, a third layer having wiring patterns, a fourth layer having wiring patterns, the wiring patterns including primary coil wiring patterns and secondary coil wiring patterns, the primary coil wiring patterns and the secondary coil wiring patterns being magnetically coupled to the core;

a rectifier circuit coupled to one of the secondary coil wiring patterns to provide a rectified output voltage; and

a case enclosing the printed circuit board, the transformer, and the circuit components, a top surface of the case including louvers defining openings to facilitate heat dissipation from the various components.

21. The small form factor power supply of claim 20, a bottom surface of the case including louvers defining openings to improve heat dissipation and to allow the small form factor power supply to operate in “

right side up”

or “

upside down position.”

22. The small form factor power supply of claim 20, further including a heat sink, the heat sink being enclosed in the case and thermally coupled to the circuit components.

23. The small form factor power supply of claim 22, wherein the heat sink covers the printed circuit board.

24. The small form factor power supply of claim 22, wherein the heat sink includes cutouts to provide a clearance for some of the circuit components mounted on the circuit board.

25. The small form factor power supply of claim 24, wherein the cutouts are positioned with respect to the openings such that the heat sink provides coverage over the openings in the case to resist penetration of external liquids.

26. The small form factor power supply of claim 22, wherein the heat sink is configured to fit in a top portion of the case.

27. A small form factor power supply, comprising:

a transformer having a low profile magnetic core;

a printed circuit board with circuit components mounted thereon, wherein the printed circuit board has a plurality of layers, a first layer having a secondary wiring pattern, a second layer having a primary wiring pattern, a third layer having a primary wiring pattern, a fourth layer having secondary wiring pattern, the primary coil wiring patterns and the secondary coil wiring patterns being magnetically coupled to the core;

a rectifier circuit coupled to the secondary coil wiring patterns to provide a rectified output voltage;

a case enclosing the printed circuit board, the transformer, and the circuit components, a top surface of the case including louvers defining openings to facilitate heat dissipation from the circuit components; and

a heat sink thermally coupled the circuit components to facilitate heat dissipation from the circuit components.

28. The small form factor power supply of claim 27, wherein the heat sink covers the printed circuit board.

29. The small form factor power supply of claim 27, wherein the heat sink includes cutouts to provide a clearance for some of the circuit components mounted on the circuit board.

30. The small form factor power supply of claim 29, wherein the cutouts are positioned with respect to the openings such that the heat sink provides coverage over the openings in the case to resist penetration of external liquids.

31. The small form factor power supply of claim 27, wherein the heat sink is configured to fit in a top portion of the case.