Voltage converter, usage of a voltage converter, method for converting an AC voltage into a DC voltage, and contactless chip card

• US 8,256,675 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Baglin, Thomas Jean Ludovic, Haid, Josef, Kargl, Walter, Leutgeb, Thomas, Missoni, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US12/275,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 235/451, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/451
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/2195 the switches being synchronously commutated at the same frequency of the AC input voltage
• 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

The invention relates to a voltage converter comprising a rectification unit and a voltage regulation unit, wherein the input side of the voltage converter can have an AC voltage applied to it, the output side of the voltage converter can have a rectified voltage taken from it, and the voltage regulation unit regulates the power in the voltage converter.

Claims

1. A voltage converter comprising:

a rectification unit,

a voltage regulation unit,

an input to which an AC voltage can be applied,

an output configured to provide a rectified voltage which can be tapped,

wherein

the voltage regulation unit regulates the power in the voltage converter such that the power loss is minimized and values of a capacitor and/or inductor of a resonant circuit are maintained.

2. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voltage regulation unit comprises a voltage limiting unit.

3. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least two different voltage values are settable in the voltage limiting unit.

4. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 2, wherein a continuously adjustable voltage value is settable in the voltage limiting unit.

5. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the voltage limiting unit comprises a first switching unit,

the first switching unit comprises at least two switching states,

the first switching unit connects a first voltage value to the voltage regulation unit in a first switching state, and

the first switching unit connects a second voltage value to the voltage regulation unit in a second switching state.

6. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first switching unit changes the switching states using a control signal.

7. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein

a second switching unit is arranged in parallel with the voltage regulation unit,

the second switching unit comprises at least two switching states,

the second switching unit does not short the input in a first switching state, and

the second switching unit shorts the input in a second switching state.

8. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second switching unit changes the switching states using a control signal.

9. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 7, wherein an activation signal can be used to activate the second switching unit in a first control state of the activation signal and to deactivate the second switching unit in a second control state of the activation signal.

10. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second switching unit is a transistor.

11. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second switching unit remains in the second switching state for half of the period duration of the applied AC voltage.

12. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rectification unit is a bridge rectifier and the diodes of the bridge rectifier are implemented by transistors.

13. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the AC voltage which can be applied to the input side is produced from an electromagnetic field by means of a coil.

14. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the DC voltage which can be taken from the output side is used to operate a contactless chip card with a chip module.

15. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functionality is not altered by units connected downstream of the voltage converter.

16. The usage of a voltage converter as claimed in claim 1 in a chip module on a contactless chip card, wherein an induced current is directly proportional to a received electromagnetic field as a result of the geometry of the chip card antenna.

17. A method for converting an AC voltage into a DC voltage in a voltage converter, wherein:

an AC voltage is applied to the input side of the voltage converter,

the power in the voltage converter is regulated such that the power loss is minimized and values of a capacitor and/or inductor of a resonant circuit are maintained, and

the rectified voltage is tapped off on the output side.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the AC voltage is regulated by generating a first switching signal and wherein the first switching signal connects a first voltage value for regulation purposes in a first switching state and connects a second voltage value for regulation purposes in a second switching state.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the AC voltage is regulated by generating a second switching signal and wherein a first switching state of the second switching signal does not bypass the input and a second switching state of the second switching signal bypasses the input at least briefly.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second switching state of the second switching signal bypasses the input for half of the period duration of the AC voltage.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the AC voltage is rectified by means of a bridge rectification circuit, and this bridge rectification circuit is implemented by means of transistors.

22. A method for operating a contactless chip card comprising a chip module, an antenna coil and a voltage converter, wherein:

the antenna coil converts an electromagnetic field into an electrical AC voltage,

the voltage converter converts this AC voltage into a rectified voltage, and

the chip module is supplied with the rectified voltage, and

wherein the voltage converter regulates the AC voltage such that the power loss of the chip card does not exceed a maximum temperature value and values of a capacitor and/or inductor of a resonant circuit are maintained.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein

the voltage converter generates a first switching signal,

the first switching signal sets a first voltage reference value in the voltage converter in a first switching state, and

the first switching signal sets a second voltage reference value in the voltage converter in a second switching state.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein

the voltage converter generates a second switching signal,

the second switching signal does not short the antenna of the chip card in a first switching state, and

the second switching signal shorts the antenna of the chip card for half of a period duration of the AC voltage in a second switching state.

25. A contactless chip card comprising:

an antenna which converts an electromagnetic field strength into an AC voltage,

a voltage converter which converts the AC voltage into a rectified DC voltage,

wherein;

the voltage converter has a rectification unit and a voltage regulation unit,

the voltage regulation unit is connected upstream of the rectification unit,

the voltage regulation unit reduces the power loss on the chip card such that a maximum temperature is not exceeded and values of a capacitor and/or inductor of a resonant circuit are maintained.