Loading state determiner, load assembly, power supply circuit and method for determining a loading state of an electric power source
First Claim
1. A loading state determiner for determining a loading state of an electric power source comprising a known source impedance, comprising:
- a voltage drop determination circuit, that provides, an electric quantity describing a voltage drop at the known source impedance of the power source and being that is proportional to an instantaneous current, based on a detection of the instantaneous current provided under load by the power source to a load; and
an evaluation circuit that acquires, a load state signal indicating an instantaneous relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and a no-load voltage of the power source based on the electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source and an electric quantity proportional to a terminal voltage of the power source or a rectified terminal voltage of the power source,wherein the evaluation circuit compares the electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source to the electric quantity that is proportional to the terminal voltage of the power source or to the rectified terminal voltage of the power source, to determine the relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and the no-load voltage of the power source;
wherein the evaluation circuit provides the load state signal such that the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage of the electric power source is at least approximately equal to the half of the no-load voltage of the electric power source or differs by more than a predetermined tolerance from the half of the no-load voltage, orwherein the evaluation circuit provides the load state signal such that the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage is higher or lower than the half of a no-load voltage of the electric power source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A loading state determiner for determining a loading state of an electric power source including a source impedance includes a voltage drop determination circuit which is implemented to provide, based on a detection of an instantaneous current provided under load by the power source to a load, an electric quantity describing a voltage drop at a source impedance of the power source. Further, the loading state determiner includes an evaluation circuit which is implemented to obtain, based on electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source and an electric quantity describing a terminal voltage of the power source, a load state signal carrying information on an instantaneous relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and a no-load voltage of the power source.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A loading state determiner for determining a loading state of an electric power source comprising a known source impedance, comprising:
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a voltage drop determination circuit, that provides, an electric quantity describing a voltage drop at the known source impedance of the power source and being that is proportional to an instantaneous current, based on a detection of the instantaneous current provided under load by the power source to a load; and an evaluation circuit that acquires, a load state signal indicating an instantaneous relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and a no-load voltage of the power source based on the electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source and an electric quantity proportional to a terminal voltage of the power source or a rectified terminal voltage of the power source, wherein the evaluation circuit compares the electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source to the electric quantity that is proportional to the terminal voltage of the power source or to the rectified terminal voltage of the power source, to determine the relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and the no-load voltage of the power source; wherein the evaluation circuit provides the load state signal such that the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage of the electric power source is at least approximately equal to the half of the no-load voltage of the electric power source or differs by more than a predetermined tolerance from the half of the no-load voltage, or wherein the evaluation circuit provides the load state signal such that the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage is higher or lower than the half of a no-load voltage of the electric power source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A load assembly, comprising:
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a loading state determiner for determining a loading state of an electric power source comprising a known source impedance, comprising; a voltage drop determination circuit that provides, an electric quantity describing a voltage drop at the known source impedance of the power source that is proportional to an instantaneous current, based on a detection of the instantaneous current provided under load by the power source to a load; and an evaluation circuit that acquires, a load state signal indicating an instantaneous relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and a no-load voltage of the power source based on the electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source, and an electric quantity proportional to a terminal voltage of the power source or a rectified terminal voltage of the power source, wherein the evaluation circuit compares the electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source to the electric quantity that is proportional to the terminal voltage of the power source or to the rectified terminal voltage of the power source, to determine the relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and the no-load voltage of the power source; wherein the evaluation circuit provides load state signal such that the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage of the electric power source is at least approximately equal to the half of the no-load voltage of the electric power source or differs by more than a predetermined tolerance from the half of the no-load voltage, or wherein the evaluation circuit provides the load state signal such that the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage is higher or lower than the half of a no-load voltage of the electric power source; an adjustable load circuit and; a load adjuster; wherein the voltage drop determination circuit of the loading state determiner detects the instantaneous current provided by the power source to the adjustable load circuit; and wherein the load adjuster adjusts the load in dependence on the load state signal such that power matching exists between the power source and the adjustable load circuit.
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11. A power supply assembly, comprising:
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an electric generator, which is acts as electric power source and provides a no-load voltage depending on a drive state, wherein the electric generator comprises a source impedance, such that when connected to a load, a terminal voltage of the electric generator is lower than the no-load voltage; and a load assembly, comprising; a loading state determiner for determining a loading state of an electric power source comprising a known source impedance, comprising; a voltage drop determination circuit, that provides an electric quantity describing a voltage drop at the known source impedance of the power source that is proportional to an instantaneous current, based on a detection of the instantaneous current provided under load by the power source to a load; and an evaluation circuit that acquires, a load state signal indicating an instantaneous relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and a no-load voltage of the power source based on the electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source, and an electric quantity proportional to a terminal voltage of the power source or a rectified terminal voltage of the power source, wherein the evaluation circuit compares the electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source to the electric quantity that is proportional to the terminal voltage of the power source or to the rectified terminal voltage of the power source, to determine the relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and the no-load voltage of the power source; wherein the evaluation circuit provides the load state signal such that the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage of the electric power source is at least approximately equal to the half of the no-load voltage of the electric power source or differs by more than a predetermined tolerance from the half of the no-load voltage, or wherein the evaluation circuit is implemented to provide the load state signal such that the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage is higher or lower than the half of a no-load voltage of the electric power source; and an adjustable load circuit; and a load adjuster; wherein the voltage drop determination circuit of the loading state determiner detects the instantaneous current provided by the power source to the adjustable load circuit; and wherein the load adjuster adjusts the load in dependence on the load state signal such that power matching exists between the power source and the adjustable load circuit; wherein the loading state determiner of the load assembly provides, based on a detection of an instantaneous current provided by the electric generator to the adjustable load circuit, the electric quantity describing a voltage drop at a source impedance of the power source, such that the electric quantity describes a voltage drop at a source impedance of the electric generator. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A method for determining a loading state of an electric power source comprising a known source impedance, comprising:
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determining a quantity describing a voltage drop at the known source impedance of the power source, based on an instantaneous current provided under load by the power source to a load, such that the quantity describing the voltage drop at the known source impedance is proportional to the instantaneous current; and acquiring a load state signal indicating an instantaneous relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and the no-load voltage of the power source, based on the quantity describing the voltage drop at the known source impedance of the power source and a quantity describing the terminal voltage of the power source, wherein, for determining the relation between the terminal voltage of the power source and the no-load voltage of the power source, the electric quantity describing the voltage drop at the source impedance of the power source is compared to the electric quantity describing the terminal voltage of the power source; and wherein the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage of the electric power source is at least approximately equal to a half of a no-load voltage of the electric power source or differs from the half of the no-load voltage by more than a predetermined tolerance, or wherein the load state signal indicates whether the terminal voltage is higher or lower than the half of a no-load voltage of the electric power source.
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Specification