Hybrid power convertor and control method thereof

• US 9,859,784 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lite On Electronics Guangzhou Co Ltd (Lite-On Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lite On Electronics Guangzhou Co Ltd (Lite-On Technology Corporation), Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Lai, Wei Lieh, Lee, Yi Pin
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US15/060,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/088 for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence

Abstract

A hybrid power convertor includes an input to receive an input voltage, an output to export an output voltage, a control module, a switching module, a buck module and a boost module. The control module has a first comparison terminal coupled to the input, a second comparison terminal coupled to the output, a mode-control terminal, a boost-control terminal and a buck-control terminal. The switching module is coupled to the input and the mode-control terminal, and has a buck input terminal and a boost input terminal. The buck module is coupled to the buck input terminal, the buck-control terminal and the output terminal, and the buck module is able to perform a switching convertor mode and a linear regulator mode. The boost module is coupled to the boost input terminal, the boost-control terminal and output terminal, and the boost module is able to perform a boost convertor mode and a linear-like regulator mode.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a hybrid power convertor, comprising:

providing a voltage to make the hybrid power convertor generate an output voltage;

determining a rated voltage based on the output voltage; and

performing an initial voltage determining step, comprising;

when the voltage is greater than the output voltage, entering a buck mode; and

when the voltage is not greater than the output voltage, entering a boost mode,

wherein the buck mode alternatively performs a switching conversion mode or a linear regulation mode, and the boost mode alternatively performs a linear-like regulation mode or a boost conversion mode.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the buck mode, performing a first buck determining step, comprising:

when the voltage is greater than a first predetermined buck level, entering the switching conversion mode; and

when the voltage is not greater than the first predetermined buck level, entering the linear regulation mode,

wherein the first predetermined buck level is 1/0.95 times the rated voltage.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

under the switching conversion mode and after a first buck predetermined period, returning to the first buck determining step.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

under the linear regulation mode and after a second buck predetermined period, performing a second buck determining step, comprising;

when the voltage is greater than a second predetermined buck level, entering the switching conversion mode,

wherein the second predetermined buck level is 1/0.9 times the rated voltage.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second buck determining step further comprising:

when the voltage is not greater than the second predetermined buck level, performing a third buck determining step, comprising;

when the voltage is not less than a third predetermined buck level, returning to the linear regulation mode; and

when the voltage is less than the third predetermined buck level, shutting down the hybrid power convertor,

wherein the third predetermined buck level is 0.896 times the rated voltage.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the boost mode, performing a first boost determining step, comprising:

when the voltage is not less than a first predetermined boost level, entering the linear-like regulation mode; and

when the voltage is less than the first predetermined boost level, entering the boost conversion mode,

wherein the first predetermined boost level is 0.96 times the rated voltage.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

under the linear-like regulation mode and after a first boost predetermined period, returning to the first boost determining step.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

under the boost conversion mode and after a second boost predetermined period, performing a second boost determining step, comprising;

when the voltage is greater than a second predetermined boost level, entering the linear-like regulation mode,

wherein the second predetermined boost level is the rated voltage.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said second boost determining step further comprising:

when the voltage is not greater than the second predetermined boost level, performing a third boost determining step, comprising;

when the voltage is not less than a third predetermined boost level, entering to the boost conversion mode; and

when the voltage is less than the third predetermined boost level, shutting down the hybrid power convertor,

wherein the third predetermined boost level is 0.672 times the rated voltage.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first boost determining step further comprising:

when the voltage equals to the output voltage, entering the linear-like regulation mode.

11. A hybrid power convertor, comprising:

an input terminal receiving an input voltage;

an output terminal exporting an output voltage;

a control module having a first comparison terminal coupled to the input terminal, a second comparison terminal coupled to the output terminal, a mode-control terminal, a boost-control terminal and a buck-control terminal;

a switching module coupled to the input terminal and the mode-control terminal, and having a buck input terminal and a boost input terminal;

a buck module coupled to the buck input terminal, the buck-control terminal and the output terminal, and capable of performing a switching conversion mode or a linear regulation mode alternatively; and

a boost module coupled to the boost input terminal, the boost-control terminal and the output terminal, and capable of performing a boost conversion mode or a linear-like regulation mode alternatively,

wherein when the input voltage is greater than the output voltage, the control module makes the switching module conductive to the buck module; and

when the input voltage is not greater than the output voltage, the control module makes the switching module conductive to the boost module.

12. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 11, wherein said buck module further comprising:

a buck transistor having a first buck transistor terminal, a second buck transistor terminal and a third buck transistor terminal, wherein the first buck transistor terminal is coupled to the buck input terminal;

a buck inductor having a first buck inductor terminal and a second buck inductor terminal, wherein the first buck inductor terminal is coupled to the second buck transistor terminal, and the second buck inductor terminal is coupled to the output terminal;

a buck capacitor having a first capacitor terminal and a second capacitor terminal, wherein the first capacitor terminal is coupled to the second buck inductor terminal, and second capacitor terminal is grounded; and

a buck conductive element at least having a first buck conductive element terminal and a second buck conductive element terminal, wherein the first buck conductive element terminal is coupled to the second buck transistor terminal, and the second buck conductive element terminal is grounded,

wherein the third buck transistor terminal is coupled to the buck-control terminal, and the control module makes the buck module alternatively perform in one of the switching conversion mode and the linear regulation mode based on a predetermined buck level.

13. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said buck transistor is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), the first buck transistor terminal is a drain of the MOSFET, the second buck transistor terminal is a source of the MOSFET, and the third buck transistor terminal is a gate of the MOSFET.

14. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said buck transistor is a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), the first buck transistor terminal is a collector of the BJT, the second buck transistor terminal is an emitter of the BJT, and the third buck transistor terminal is a base of the BJT.

15. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said buck conductive element is a diode, the first buck conductive element terminal is a cathode of the diode, and the second buck conductive element terminal is an anode of the diode.

16. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said buck conductive element is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), the first buck conductive element terminal is a source of the MOSFET, the second buck conductive element terminal is a drain of the MOSFET, and a gate of the MOSFET is coupled to the control module.

17. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 12, wherein when said control module detects that the input voltage is greater than the predetermined buck level, the control module controls the buck transistor so as to make the buck module enter the switching conversion mode.

18. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the control module detects that the input voltage is not greater than the predetermined buck level, the control module controls the buck transistor so as to make the buck module enter the linear regulation mode.

19. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 11, wherein said boost module further comprising:

a boost inductor having a first boost inductor terminal and a second boost inductor terminal, wherein the first boost inductor terminal is coupled to the boost input terminal;

a boost transistor having a first boost transistor terminal, a second boost transistor terminal and a third boost transistor terminal, wherein the first buck transistor terminal is coupled to the second boost inductor terminal and the second boost inductor is grounded;

a boost diode at least having an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode is coupled to the second boost inductor terminal, and the cathode is coupled to the output terminal; and

a boost capacitor having a first boost capacitor terminal and a second boost capacitor terminal, wherein the first boost capacitor terminal is coupled to the cathode and the second boost capacitor is grounded,

wherein the third boost transistor terminal is coupled to the boost-control terminal, and the control module makes the boost module alternatively perform in one of the boost conversion mode and the linear-like regulation mode based on a predetermined boost level.

20. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 19, wherein said boost transistor is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), the first boost transistor terminal is a drain of the MOSFET, the second boost transistor terminal is a source of the MOSFET, and the third boost transistor terminal is a gate of the MOSFET.

21. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 19, wherein said buck transistor is a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), the first boost transistor terminal is a collector of the BJT, the second boost transistor terminal is an emitter of the BJT, and the third boost transistor terminal is a base of the BJT.

22. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 19, wherein when said control module detects that the input voltage is not less than the predetermined boost level, the control module controls the boost transistor so as to make the boost module enter the linear-like regulation mode.

23. The hybrid power convertor as claimed in claim 19, wherein when the control module detects that the input voltage is less than the predetermined boost level, the control module controls the boost transistor so as to make the boost module enter the boost conversion mode.