High- and low-power power supply with standby power saving features

• US 8,368,252 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Green Plug, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Green Plug, Inc.
• Inventors: Pabon, Gus Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US12/885,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20110057724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 307/31, 307/92
• US Class Current: 307/82
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• 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 power supply for providing power to an electrical device is described. The power supply converts a received input signal to a first electrical having a first voltage level at a first power converter. The power supply additionally converts the first electrical signal to a second electrical signal having a second voltage level at a second power converter, to provide the second electrical signal having the second voltage level to an output port. The power supply includes a circuit to selectively bypass the second power converter and provide the first electrical signal having the first voltage level from the first power converter to the output port. The first power converter may include one or more switches that may be disabled to disconnect power from the first power converter for additional standby power saving features.

Claims

1. A power supply to provide power for an electrical device, comprising:

an input port to receive an input signal;

an output port coupled to the electrical device to provide an output signal;

a first power converter to convert the received input signal to a first electrical signal having a first voltage level;

a second power converter to convert the first electrical signal from the first power converter to a second electrical signal having a second voltage level, and provide the second electrical signal to the output port as the output signal;

a circuit to selectively bypass the second power converter and provide the first electrical signal from the first power converter to the output port as the output signal;

control circuitry, coupled to the circuit to selectively bypass the second power converter, to provide a control signal to selectively bypass the second power converter,

the first power converter is programmable to vary the first voltage level within a first range of voltages;

the second power converter is programmable to vary the second voltage level within a second range of voltages;

wherein the control circuitry comprises;

comparison circuitry to determine whether a desired voltage of an electrical device coupled to the output port is within the first range of voltages or the second range of voltages; and

programming circuitry to provide a first programming signal to the first power converter to program the first voltage level to the desired voltage in response to a determination that the desired voltage is within the first range of voltages and to provide a second programming signal to the second power converter to program the second voltage level to the desired voltage in response to a determination that the desired voltage is within the second range of voltages.

2. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the circuit to selectively bypass the second power converter comprises a switch.

3. The power supply of claim 2, wherein the switch comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

4. The power supply of claim 1, wherein:

the control circuitry is coupled to the second power converter to provide a disable signal to the second power converter when the second power converter is bypassed.

5. The power supply of claim 1, wherein:

the control circuitry is coupled to the second power converter to provide an enable signal to the second power converter when the second power converter is not bypassed.

6. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the second range of voltages is lower than a minimum voltage level of the first range of voltages.

7. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry comprises programming circuitry to provide a first programming signal specifying the first voltage level to the first power converter and a second programming signal specifying the second voltage level to the second power converter.

8. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry further comprises:

a communication interface to receive a signal specifying the desired voltage of the electrical device coupled to the output port.

9. The power supply of claim 8, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the signal specifying the desired voltage via the output port.

10. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry comprises a microcontroller.

11. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the second power converter comprises a step-down power converter.

12. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the second power converter is configured to provide both step-down and step-up power conversion.

13. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the first power converter is an AC-DC power converter, the second power converter is a DC-DC power converter, and the output signal is DC power.

14. The power supply of claim 13, further comprising:

at least a second output port to provide DC power;

at least a second DC-DC power converter to convert the DC power having the first voltage level to DC power having a third voltage level and to provide the DC power having the third voltage level to the additional output port; and

at least a second circuit to selectively bypass the second DC-DC power converter and provide the DC power having the first voltage level to the second output port.

15. A method of operating a power supply comprising an AC input, an AC-DC power converter, and a DC-DC power converter, the method comprising:

receiving AC power;

determining that a desired voltage of a first electrical device to be powered is within a first range of voltage levels provided by the AC-DC power converter;

in response to the determination that the desired voltage of the first electrical device is within the first range;

programming the AC-DC, power converter to convert the received AC power to DC power having a first voltage level corresponding to the desired voltage of the first electrical device; and

providing the DC power having the first voltage level to the first electrical device;

determining that a desired voltage of a second electrical device to be powered is within a second range of voltage levels available from the DC-DC power converter; and

in response to the determination that the desired voltage of the second electrical device is within the second range of voltage levels;

converting the received AC power to DC power using the AC-DC power converter;

programming the DC-DC power converter to convert the DC power from the AC-DC power converter to DC power having a second voltage level corresponding to the desired voltage of the second device; and

providing the DC power having the second voltage level to the second electrical device.