Electronic control device and method for reducing stand-by state energy consumption of an electric household appliance
First Claim
1. A method for reducing standby-state energy consumption of an electric household appliance, which appliance comprises an electronic control unit, and a switching mode low power supply unit comprising at least a first control terminal and at least an output terminal which supplies a main prefixed supply voltage to said electronic control unit, said switching mode low power supply unit being configured to switch between a standby state and an operating state when said switching mode low power supply unit detects a prefixed voltage variation on the first control terminal and configured to supply a first voltage to the first control terminal during the standby state, wherein the first voltage is lower than a main supply voltage supplied by an electric power network to at least one electric load of the electric household appliance during the operating state, said method comprising:
- connecting, at least temporarily, said first control terminal to said output terminal while said output terminal has a lower voltage than the first voltage of the first control terminal, or to an independent auxiliary terminal having a predetermined voltage lower than the first voltage of the first control terminal, to generate said prefixed voltage variation on said first control terminal to cause said switching mode low power supply unit to switch from the standby state to the operating state; and
disconnecting said first control terminal from said output terminal or said independent auxiliary terminal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A household appliance (1) is provided with an electronic control device (3) configured to reduce standby consumption. The appliance includes: —an electronic control unit (20); and—a switching mode low power supply unit (6) having at least a first control terminal (11) and at least an output terminal (9) which supplies a main prefixed supply voltage (VB) to the electronic control unit (20). The switching mode low power supply unit (6) is further configured to switch between a standby state and an operating state, when it detects a prefixed voltage variation (ΔV) on the first control terminal (11). The electronic control device (3) is configured to connect, at least temporarily, the first control terminal (11) to the output terminal (9), or to an independent auxiliary terminal (31) having a predetermined voltage, to generate the prefixed voltage variation (ΔV) on the first control terminal (11) to cause the switching mode low power supply unit (6) to switch from one of the states to the other state.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method for reducing standby-state energy consumption of an electric household appliance, which appliance comprises an electronic control unit, and a switching mode low power supply unit comprising at least a first control terminal and at least an output terminal which supplies a main prefixed supply voltage to said electronic control unit, said switching mode low power supply unit being configured to switch between a standby state and an operating state when said switching mode low power supply unit detects a prefixed voltage variation on the first control terminal and configured to supply a first voltage to the first control terminal during the standby state, wherein the first voltage is lower than a main supply voltage supplied by an electric power network to at least one electric load of the electric household appliance during the operating state, said method comprising:
-
connecting, at least temporarily, said first control terminal to said output terminal while said output terminal has a lower voltage than the first voltage of the first control terminal, or to an independent auxiliary terminal having a predetermined voltage lower than the first voltage of the first control terminal, to generate said prefixed voltage variation on said first control terminal to cause said switching mode low power supply unit to switch from the standby state to the operating state; and disconnecting said first control terminal from said output terminal or said independent auxiliary terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A household appliance provided with an electronic control device configured to reduce standby consumption and comprising:
-
an electronic control unit; and a switching mode low power supply unit comprising at least a first control terminal and at least an output terminal which supplies a main prefixed supply voltage to said electronic control unit, said switching mode low power supply unit being further configured to switch between a standby state and an operating state when said switching mode low power supply unit detects a prefixed voltage variation on the first control terminal and configured to supply a first voltage to the first control terminal during the standby state, wherein the first voltage is lower than a main supply voltage supplied by an electric power network to at least one electric load of the household appliance during the operating state; wherein said electronic control device is configured to connect, at least temporarily, said first control terminal to the output terminal while the output terminal has a lower voltage than the first voltage of the first control terminal, or to an independent auxiliary terminal having a predetermined voltage lower than the first voltage of the first control terminal, to generate said prefixed voltage variation on said first control terminal to cause said switching mode low power supply unit to switch from the standby state to the operating state, and wherein said electronic control device is configured to disconnect said first control terminal from said output terminal or said independent auxiliary terminal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A household appliance, comprising:
-
at least one electric load; and a control assembly, comprising; a relay configured to open and close to selectively connect an electric power network to the at least one electric load; a switching regulator comprising a first control terminal and an output terminal, wherein the switching regulator is configured to switch between a standby state and an operating state in response to detecting a voltage variation on the first control terminal; a low voltage power supply circuit configured to supply a first voltage to the first control terminal during the standby state, wherein the first voltage is lower than a main supply voltage supplied by the electric power network to the at least one electric load during the operating state; a controller comprising an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the switching regulator, wherein the controller is configured to output a signal to close the relay; and a user switch configured to connect, at least temporarily, the first control terminal to the output terminal of the switching regulator or to an auxiliary terminal to cause the voltage variation, wherein the switching regulator is configured to detect a drop in voltage on the first control terminal in response to a temporary connection made by the user switch between the first control terminal and the output terminal while the output terminal has a lower voltage than the first voltage or the auxiliary terminal while the auxiliary terminal has a lower voltage than the first voltage. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for reducing standby-state energy consumption of an electric household appliance, which appliance comprises an electronic control unit, and a switching mode low power supply unit comprising at least a first control terminal and at least an output terminal which supplies a main prefixed supply voltage to said electronic control unit, said switching mode low power supply unit being configured to switch between a standby state and an operating state, when said switching mode low power supply unit detects a prefixed voltage variation on the first control terminal, said method comprising:
-
connecting, at least temporarily, said first control terminal to said output terminal, or to an independent auxiliary terminal having a predetermined voltage, to generate said prefixed voltage variation on said first control terminal to cause said switching mode low power supply unit to switch from one of said states to the other state, wherein said output terminal presents zero voltage during said standby state; said method comprising the steps of; supplying a predetermined low supply voltage, different than zero, to said first control terminal during at least said standby state; and connecting, at least temporarily, said first control terminal to said output terminal, or to said independent auxiliary terminal having zero voltage, to generate said prefixed voltage variation on the first control terminal to cause said switching mode low power supply unit to switch from one of said states to the other state, wherein said switching mode low power supply unit comprises at least a second control terminal and is configured to switch from the operating state to the standby state, on receiving a command signal on said second control terminal; the method comprising the step of; generating said command signal on the basis of a voltage on said output terminal, wherein said electronic control unit comprises a sensing terminal and is configured to generate said command signal, on receiving a prefixed voltage variation on said sensing terminal; and the method comprising the step of connecting said sensing terminal to the output terminal of the switching mode low power supply unit to vary the voltage on said sensing terminal to cause the switching mode low power supply unit to switch from the operating state to the standby state.
-
-
20. A household appliance provided with an electronic control device configured to reduce standby consumption and comprising:
-
an electronic control unit; and a switching mode low power supply unit comprising at least a first control terminal and at least an output terminal which supplies a main prefixed supply voltage to said electronic control unit, said switching mode low power supply unit being further configured to switch between a standby state and an operating state, when it detects a prefixed voltage variation on the first control terminal; wherein said electronic control device is configured to connect, at least temporarily, said first control terminal to the output terminal, or to an independent auxiliary terminal having a predetermined voltage, to generate said prefixed voltage variation on said first control terminal to cause said switching mode low power supply unit to switch from one of said states to the other state, wherein said switching mode low power supply unit comprises; a switching regulator unit comprising said first control terminal and said output terminal, said switching regulator unit being configured to switch from said standby state to said operating state, when it detects a predetermined variation voltage on said first control terminal; and an auxiliary low voltage supply means which supplies a predetermined low voltage, different than zero, to said first control terminal during at least the standby state, wherein said switching regulator unit comprises at least a second control terminal and is configured to switch from said operating state to the standby state, when said switching regulator unit receives a turn-off signal on said second control terminal, said electronic control unit comprising a sensing terminal and being configured to generate said turn-off signal when it detects said predetermined voltage variation on said sensing terminal, wherein said electronic control device comprises a switching means having a first terminal and a second terminal respectively connected to said output terminal and to said first control terminal of said switching regulator unit, and wherein operation on said switching means causes the predetermined variation voltage on said first control terminal or generation of said turn-off signal on the basis of a voltage on said output terminal.
-
-
21. A method for reducing standby-state energy consumption of an electric household appliance, which appliance comprises an electronic control unit, and a switching mode low power supply unit comprising at least a first control terminal and at least an output terminal which supplies a main prefixed supply voltage to said electronic control unit, said switching mode low power supply unit being configured to switch between a standby state and an operating state when said switching mode low power supply unit detects a prefixed voltage variation on the first control terminal, said method comprising:
-
directly connecting, at least temporarily, said first control terminal to said output terminal while said output terminal has a lower voltage than a first voltage of the first control terminal, or to an independent auxiliary terminal having a predetermined voltage lower than the first voltage of the first control terminal, to generate said prefixed voltage variation on said first control terminal to cause said switching mode low power supply unit to switch from the standby state to the operating state; and disconnecting said first control terminal from said output terminal or said independent auxiliary terminal.
-
Specification