Controlling switching circuits to balance power or current drawn from multiple power supply inputs
First Claim
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1. A flyback converter power supply circuit having an output comprising:
- multiple power supply inputs for respectively receiving multiple voltages from multiple voltage sources;
multiple switching circuits that each include a switching regulator having a flyback configuration coupled to the respective power supply inputs to respectively receive the multiple voltages including at least two voltages having different values;
at least one primary inductive winding coupled to each of the switching circuits;
at least one secondary winding coupled to each of the primary windings and to the output;
a clock circuit that creates a switching cycle; and
control circuitry that controls the switching circuits by;
receiving a signal present in the current path of the at least one primary inductive winding that is representative of the instantaneous current in the at least one primary inductive winding;
comparing the signal with a single threshold value common to all of the switching circuits, the single threshold value being based on the voltage at the output of the power supply circuit; and
shortening a pulse width of a switching cycle when the signal exceeds the threshold so as to limit the instantaneous peak current in said at least one primary inductive winding in each switching cycle to a peak current value common to all of the switching circuits to balance power drawn from the multiple power supply inputs.
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Abstract
Novel techniques for balancing power or current drawn from multiple power supply inputs by controlling switching circuits associated with the respective power supply inputs. Each switching circuit may be controlled so as to limit current in its transformer or inductor in each switching cycle to a peak or average current value common to all switching circuits.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A flyback converter power supply circuit having an output comprising:
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multiple power supply inputs for respectively receiving multiple voltages from multiple voltage sources; multiple switching circuits that each include a switching regulator having a flyback configuration coupled to the respective power supply inputs to respectively receive the multiple voltages including at least two voltages having different values; at least one primary inductive winding coupled to each of the switching circuits; at least one secondary winding coupled to each of the primary windings and to the output; a clock circuit that creates a switching cycle; and control circuitry that controls the switching circuits by; receiving a signal present in the current path of the at least one primary inductive winding that is representative of the instantaneous current in the at least one primary inductive winding; comparing the signal with a single threshold value common to all of the switching circuits, the single threshold value being based on the voltage at the output of the power supply circuit; and shortening a pulse width of a switching cycle when the signal exceeds the threshold so as to limit the instantaneous peak current in said at least one primary inductive winding in each switching cycle to a peak current value common to all of the switching circuits to balance power drawn from the multiple power supply inputs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of balancing multiple voltages supplied by multiple power supply inputs from multiple voltage sources, comprising the steps of:
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converting the multiple voltages including at least two voltages having different values and supplied from the power supply inputs, using respective switching circuits coupled for receiving the multiple voltages that each include a switching regulator having a flyback configuration, at least one primary inductive winding coupled to each of the switching circuits, and at least one secondary winding coupled to each of the primary windings and to an output of the switching regulator, determining in each switching cycle of the switching circuit that is created by a clock circuit a value of instantaneous peak current through the primary inductive winding in the switching circuit, receiving a signal present in the current path of the at least one primary inductive winding that is representative of the instantaneous current in the at least one primary inductive winding; comparing the signal with a single threshold value common to all of the switching circuits, the single threshold value being based on the voltage of the output of the power supply circuit; and shortening a pulse width of a switching cycle when the signal exceeds the threshold so as to limit the instantaneous peak current in said at least one primary inductive winding in each switching cycle to a peak current value common to all of the switching circuits to balance power drawn from the multiple power supply inputs. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification