Load drive control apparatus with performances of power-consumption reduction and overheat protection
First Claim
1. An apparatus for driving and controlling a load being driven, comprising:
- a drive control circuit, which operates on a driving power to be supplied thereto, for controlling a drive of the load responsive to a control signal given depending on how to drive the load, the control of the load including an overheat protection control performed with a hysteresis characteristic of a temperature of at least one of a component placed in the drive control circuit and the load, the overheat protection control involving a drive-limiting operation limiting the drive of the load when an overheat state is detected based on the temperature, the hysteresis characteristic of the temperature having an upper temperature and a lower temperature; and
a mode switchover circuit for switching the driving power used in the drive control circuit between a normal mode and a stand-by mode in response to the control signal, the stand-by mode stopping the driving power to the load and the normal mode allowing the driving power to be supplied to the load,wherein either the drive control circuit or the mode switchover circuit has means for prohibiting a transition from the normal mode to the stand-by mode during the drive-limiting operation regardless of a value of the control signal, as long as the temperature is higher than the lower temperature.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A load drive control apparatus comprises a drive control circuit and a mode switchover circuit. The drive control circuit, which operates under a driving power, for driving/controlling a load on a control signal. The drive/control of the load includes an overheat protection control with a hysteresis characteristic carried out on a temperature of a component of the drive control circuit and/or the load. The overheat protection control involves a drive-limiting operation to stop a drive of the load. The mode switchover circuit switches over the drive control circuit between a normal mode and a stand-by mode responsively to the control signal. The stand-by mode is less in driving power consumption than the normal mode. The stop of the drive of the load is maintained during the drive-limiting operation whatever the control signal indicates, as long as the temperature is higher than a lower limit of the hysteresis characteristic.
15 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for driving and controlling a load being driven, comprising:
-
a drive control circuit, which operates on a driving power to be supplied thereto, for controlling a drive of the load responsive to a control signal given depending on how to drive the load, the control of the load including an overheat protection control performed with a hysteresis characteristic of a temperature of at least one of a component placed in the drive control circuit and the load, the overheat protection control involving a drive-limiting operation limiting the drive of the load when an overheat state is detected based on the temperature, the hysteresis characteristic of the temperature having an upper temperature and a lower temperature; and a mode switchover circuit for switching the driving power used in the drive control circuit between a normal mode and a stand-by mode in response to the control signal, the stand-by mode stopping the driving power to the load and the normal mode allowing the driving power to be supplied to the load, wherein either the drive control circuit or the mode switchover circuit has means for prohibiting a transition from the normal mode to the stand-by mode during the drive-limiting operation regardless of a value of the control signal, as long as the temperature is higher than the lower temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15)
-
-
9. An apparatus for driving and controlling a load being driven, comprising:
-
a drive control circuit, which operates on a driving power to be supplied thereto, for controlling a drive of the load responsive to a control signal given depending on how to drive the load, the control of the load including an overheat protection control performed with a hysteresis characteristic of a temperature of at least one of a component placed in the drive control circuit and the load, the overheat protection control involving a drive-limiting operation limiting the drive of the load when an overheat state is detected based on the temperature, the hysteresis characteristic of the temperature having an upper temperature and a lower temperature; and a mode switchover circuit for switching the driving power used in the drive control circuit between a normal mode and a stand-by mode in response to the control signal, the stand-by mode stopping the driving power to the load and the normal mode allowing the driving power to be supplied to the load, wherein the drive control circuit (8) includes means for starting the overheat protection control that involves the drive-limiting operation when the temperature reaches the upper temperature (T1), for determining whether or not the temperature is over a middle temperature (T3) responsive to an issue of the control signal indicating the drive of the load, and for prohibiting the drive of the load even in the normal mode until the temperature becomes equal to or smaller than the lower limit-temperature (T2;
T2<
T3<
T1), in cases where the determination reveals that the temperature is still over the middle temperature.
-
-
10. An apparatus for driving and controlling a load being driven, comprising:
-
a drive control circuit, which operates on a driving power to be supplied thereto, for controlling a drive of the load responsive to a control signal given depending on how to drive the load, the control of the load including an overheat protection control performed with a hysteresis characteristic of a temperature of at least one of a component placed in the drive control circuit and the load, the overheat protection control involving a drive-limiting operation limiting the drive of the load when an overheat state is detected based on the temperature, the hysteresis characteristic of the temperature having an upper temperature and a lower temperature; and a mode switchover circuit for switching the driving power used in the drive control circuit between a normal mode and a stand-by mode in response to the control signal, the stand-by mode stopping the driving power to the load and the normal mode allowing the driving power to be supplied to the load, wherein the drive control circuit includes means for memorizing information indicative a temperature rise when the temperature reaches the upper temperature, means for determining whether or not the information has been memorized in response to an issue of the control signal indicating the drive of the load; and means for prohibiting the drive of the load even in the normal mode until the temperature becomes equal to or smaller than the lower temperature, in cases where the determination reveals that the information has been memorized. - View Dependent Claims (11)
-
-
12. An apparatus for driving and controlling a load being driven, comprising:
-
a drive control circuit, which operates on a driving power to be supplied thereto, for controlling a drive of the load responsive to a control signal given depending on how to drive the load, the control of the load including an overheat protection control performed with a hysteresis characteristic of a temperature of at least one of a component placed in the drive control circuit and the load, the overheat protection control involving a drive-limiting operation limiting the drive of the load when an overheat state is detected based on the temperature, the hysteresis characteristic of the temperature having an upper temperature and a lower temperature; and a mode switchover circuit for switching the driving power used in the drive control circuit between a normal mode and a stand-by mode in response to the control signal, the stand-by mode stopping the driving power to the load and the normal mode allowing the driving power to be supplied to the load wherein the drive control circuit includes, means for actuating a timer to count a predetermined period of time when the temperature reaches the upper temperature, means for determining whether or not the timer has been actuated in response to an issue of the control signal indicating the drive of the load; and means for prohibiting the drive of the load even in the normal mode until the temperature becomes equal to or smaller than the lower temperature, in cases where the determination reveals that the timer has been actuated. - View Dependent Claims (13)
-
-
16. An apparatus for driving and controlling a load being driven, comprising:
-
a power supply circuit producing a driving power from a power supply voltage supplied thereto depending on a normal mode and a stand-by mode, the stand-by mode stopping the driving power to the load and the normal mode allowing the driving power to be supplied to the load; a drive control circuit, which operates on the driving power to be supplied thereto, for controlling a drive of the load responsive to a control signal given depending on how to drive the load; an overheat protection processor performing an overheat protection control with a hysteresis characteristic of a temperature of at least one of a component placed in the drive control circuit and the load, the overheat protection control involving a drive-limiting operation limiting the drive of the load when an overheat state is detected based on the temperature, the hysteresis characteristic of the temperature having an upper temperature and a lower temperature; a mode switchover circuit for switching the power supply circuit between the normal mode and the stand-by mode in response to the control signal; and switchover prohibiting means for prohibiting a transition from the normal mode to the stand-by mode during the drive-limiting operation regardless of a value of the control signal as long as the temperature is higher than the lower temperature. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
Specification