Power supply unit having a voltage converter

• US 8,446,051 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2012
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EM Microelectronic - Marin SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: EM Microelectronic - Marin SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Luthi, Daniel, Divoux, Jean-Noel, Schmid, Steffen, Kern, Siegfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US13/396,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20120163054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 700/296, 713/340, 713/300, 323/322, 323/323, 307/130
• US Class Current: 307/130
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/05 Capacitor coupled rectifiers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

The present invention concerns an electrical installation or device equipped with a power supply unit comprising a voltage converter having primary and secondary parts respectively defining a primary side and a secondary side of this electrical installation or device. This power supply unit comprises a power management unit arranged on the primary side, the primary part of the converter being associated with a control circuit also arranged on the primary side and controlling the electrical energy flowing in the primary power path of the primary part. The control circuit receives from the power management unit at least a first control signal for switching OFF the electrical energy in the primary power path, the power supply unit entering a very low power mode (“Power-down” mode) when the first control signal is set to OFF so that the converter is not supplied anymore. The power management unit is arranged such that, in the very low power mode, it can receive or generate at least a wake-up signal and set to ON the first control signal in response to the wake-up signal for supplying again the primary and secondary parts of the converter.

Claims

1. Electrical installation or device equipped with a power supply unit comprising a voltage converter having primary and secondary parts respectively defining a primary side and a secondary side of this electrical installation or device, this power supply unit also comprising on said primary side:

an input circuit including a main rectifier;

a control circuit of the primary part of the converter which controls the electrical energy flowing in the primary power path of this primary part;

receiving means of at least an external control signal which provides at its output, in response to this external control signal, a wake-up signal for waking up the electrical installation or device from a very low power mode or generating means of such a wake-up signal;

a power supply controller arranged for receiving said wake-up signal and for providing to said control circuit at least a first control signal for switching OFF the electrical energy in said primary power path when the electrical installation or device enters said very low power mode, so that the secondary part of the converter is not supplied anymore, and for switching ON the electrical energy in said primary power path when it receives from said receiving means or generating means said wake-up signal;

primary supply voltages generation means arranged for supplying said control circuit, said receiving means or generating means and said power supply controller, said primary supply voltages generation means comprising a first voltage reducer or a first output of a voltage reducer unit supplying in parallel the control circuit and a part of the power supply unit comprising the receiving means or generating means and the power supply controller, said first voltage reducer being arranged for receiving an alternative power signal from an electrical supply source supplying the electrical installation or device and being formed by a capacitive divider, this first voltage reducer being associated to a dedicated rectifier which charges an intermediate voltage capacitor for supplying in parallel said control circuit and said part of the power supply unit.

2. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said first voltage reducer is formed by a circuit having only two double-diodes, one zener diode, capacitor(s) and entry resistor(s) for limiting the current in case of high level input voltage harmonics or if line transients occur.

3. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein, during said very low power mode, said control circuit of the primary part of the converter is shut down.

4. Electrical installation or device according to claim 3, wherein said control circuit comprises a switching circuit for turning OFF or ON the supply of this control circuit in order to respectively switch OFF or ON the energy supply in said primary part of the controller.

5. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein, during said very low power mode, said receiving means is powered only during short time intervals to keep the average power for its functioning as low as possible.

6. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said power supply controller manages several functions of the power supply unit.

7. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said power supply unit comprises a second voltage reducer, following said first voltage reducer, or a second output of the voltage reducer unit providing a low voltage for supplying said power supply controller and said receiving means or generating means.

8. Electrical installation or device according to claim 7, wherein said second voltage reducer is formed by a circuit having a low current zener diode, a resistor arranged in series with the zener diode and, in parallel to these two elements, a transistor arranged in series with a capacitor providing the low voltage, the base of the transistor being connected between the resistor and the zener diode.

9. Electrical installation or device according to claim 7, wherein said power supply controller and said receiving means or generating means are supplied in parallel by said second voltage reducer.

10. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means defines an external control interface, a sensor, a receiver and/or a switch arranged on said primary side for receiving at least said first external control signal.

11. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said generating means of said wake-up signal is associated with a time base, this time base being active in said very low power mode, said power supply controller being arranged for measuring a determined time period after which said wake-up signal is generated.

12. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said power supply controller is arranged for providing a second control signal to said control circuit of said primary part of the voltage converter, this second control signal defining a PWM signal for regulating the electrical current flowing through said primary power path in at least a functioning mode other than said very low power mode and thus regulating the electrical power supplied to said secondary side of the electrical installation or device.

13. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said power supply unit further comprises a start-up supply circuit arranged between said primary power path and said intermediate voltage capacitor, this start-up supply circuit being arranged to accelerate an initial charge of the intermediate voltage capacitor in a start-up mode wherein the primary part of the voltage converter is started up by this intermediate voltage capacitor.

14. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said power supply unit further comprises a discharge circuit for discharging, at least after a certain delay following an interruption of the supply of the electrical installation or device by said electrical supply source, a high voltage storage capacitor arranged after a main rectifier of this power supply unit in parallel to said primary power path.

15. Electrical installation or device according to claim 13, wherein said start-up supply circuit and said discharge circuit are both formed by a same electronic circuit block.

16. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein a bi-directional insulated interface is arranged between the primary side and the secondary side for data transfer between said power supply controller located on the primary side and at least a main controller located on the secondary side.

17. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said input circuit has at least a first capacitor on the AC side and at least a second capacitor on the DC side of said main rectifier, said first capacitor having a maximum value selected so that no parallel resistor is needed within said Input Circuit.

18. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein said power supply unit further comprises a power factor controller arranged on said primary power path, and wherein said power supply controller also controls this power factor controller at least for enabling it when needed.

19. Electrical installation or device according to claim 18, wherein the power factor controller is supplied by said first voltage converter.

20. Electrical installation or device according to claim 1, wherein it is arranged for keeping the current state of this electrical installation or device in said power supply controller, when the electrical supply source is cut OFF, without any additional battery or big capacitor.