U.S. patent application number 15/433865 was filed with the patent office on 2017-06-15 for system and method for zero voltage switching and switch capacator modulation.
The applicant listed for this patent is NEOFOCAL SYSTEMS, INC.. Invention is credited to MARK PETING.
Application Number | 20170170732 15/433865 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59020184 |
Filed Date | 2017-06-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170170732 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PETING; MARK |
June 15, 2017 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ZERO VOLTAGE SWITCHING AND SWITCH CAPACATOR
MODULATION
Abstract
A direct current driver circuit for driving a modulated direct
current is disclosed. The direct current driver circuit uses a
switched capacitor network to keep the circuit operating within
carefully prescribed voltage levels in order to reduce energy
losses.
Inventors: |
PETING; MARK; (YAMHILL,
OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
NEOFOCAL SYSTEMS, INC. |
Portland |
OR |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
59020184 |
Appl. No.: |
15/433865 |
Filed: |
February 15, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62267852 |
Dec 15, 2015 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05B 45/37 20200101;
H02M 3/1584 20130101; H02M 1/143 20130101; H02M 3/158 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H02M 3/158 20060101
H02M003/158; H05B 33/08 20060101 H05B033/08; H02K 11/33 20060101
H02K011/33 |
Claims
1. A direct current driver circuit, said direct current driver
circuit comprising the elements of: a first power inductor; a
second signal inductor; and a switched capacitor network.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application No. 62/267,852 filed Dec. 15, 2015, which
is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The disclosure relates to the field of electronic circuits
for driving modulated direct current particular, but not by way of
limitation, the discussion discloses techniques for modulating
direct current with zero voltage switching and switched capacitor
modulation.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Direct current (DC) loops are a type of electronic circuitry
that provides certain advantages for many applications. Most
digital electronic circuits operate with direct current circuits.
With a modulated direct current loop, many independent individual
direct current circuits can be supported. However, the field of
electronic circuitry for generating modulated direct current loops
is rather limited. Thus, it would be desirable to develop new and
improved electronic circuitry for generating modulated direct
current loops.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0004] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale,
like numerals describe substantially similar components throughout
the several views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes
represent different instances of substantially similar components.
The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by
way of lip various embodiments discussed in the present
document.
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of a
machine in the example form of a computer system within which a set
of instructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more
of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed.
[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the overall
architecture of a single-wire multiple-node direct current loop
control system.
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates a timing diagram that shows show digital
information may be modulated as current deviations from a nominal
current value.
[0008] FIG. 4 illustrates a direct current driver circuit that may
include a switched capacitor network.
[0009] FIG. 5A illustrates a first embodiment of a switched
capacitor network.
[0010] FIG. 5B illustrates a second embodiment of a switched
capacitor network.
[0011] FIG. 5C illustrates a first embodiment of a switched
capacitor network.
[0012] FIG. 6 illustrates a direct current driver circuit that
includes a switched capacitor network to manage voltage levels.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0013] The following detailed description includes references to
the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed
description. The drawings show illustrations in accordance with
example embodiments. These embodiments, which are also referred to
herein as "examples," are described in enough detail to enable
those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It will be
apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details in the
example embodiments are not required in order to practice the
present invention. For example, although the example embodiments
are mainly disclosed with reference to a system at efficiently
transmits energy and control information to control Light Emitting
Diodes (LEDs), the teachings of this disclosure can be used in any
current loop circuit system. The example embodiments may be
combined, other embodiments may be utilized, or structural, logical
and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope
what is claimed. The following detailed description is, therefore,
not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope is defined by
the appended claims and their equivalents.
[0014] In this document, the terms "a" or "an" are used, as is
common in patent documents, to include one or more than one. In
this document, the term "or" is used to refer to a nonexclusive or,
such that "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A
and B," unless otherwise indicated. Furthermore, all publications,
patents, and patent documents referred to in this document are
incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as though
individually incorporated by reference. In the event of
inconsistent usages between this document and those documents so
incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated
reference(s) should be considered supplementary to that of this
document; for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this
document controls.
Computer Systems
[0015] The present disclosure concerns computer systems since
computer systems are generally used to control LED lighting and
display systems. FIG. 1 illustrates diagrammatic representation of
a machine in the example form of a computer system 100 that may be
used to implement portions of the present disclosure. Within
computer system 100 there are a set of instructions 124 that may be
executed for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the
methodologies discussed herein. In a networked deployment, the
machine may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client
machine in client-server network environment, or as a peer machine
in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine
may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB),
a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web
appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine
capable of executing a set of computer instructions (sequential or
otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine.
Furthermore, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term
"machine" shall also be taken to include any collection of machines
that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of
instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies
discussed herein.
[0016] The example computer system 100 includes a processor 102
(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit
(GPU) or both), a main memory 104 and a static memory 106, which
communicate with each other via a bus 108. The computer system 100
may further include a video display adapter 110 that drives a video
display system 115 such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or a
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). The computer system 100 also includes an
alphanumeric input device 112 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control
device 114 (e.g., a mouse or trackball), a disk drive unit 116, an
output signal generation device 118, and a network interface device
120.
[0017] The disk drive unit 116 includes a machine-readable medium
122 on which is stored one or more sets of computer instructions
and data structures (e.g., instructions 124 also known as
`software`) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the
methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 124
may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main
memory 104 and/or within the processor 102 during execution thereof
by the computer system 100, the main memory 104 and the processor
102 also constituting machine-readable media. Note that the example
computer system 100 illustrates only one possible example and that
other computers may not have all of the components illustrated in
FIG. 1.
[0018] The instructions 124 may further be transmitted or received
over a computer network 126 via the network interface device 120.
Such transmissions may occur utilizing any one of a number of
well-known transfer protocols such as the File Transport Protocol
(FTP).
[0019] While the machine-readable medium 122 is shown in an example
embodiment to be a single medium, the term "machine-readable
medium" should be taken to include a single medium or multiple
media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or
associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of
instructions. The term "machine-readable medium" shall also be
taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or
carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and
that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the
methodologies described herein, or that is capable of storing,
encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with
such a set of instructions. The term "machine-readable medium"
shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to,
solid-state memories, optical media, and magnetic media.
[0020] For the purposes of this specification, the term "module"
includes an identifiable portion of code, computational or
executable instructions, data, or computational object to achieve a
particular function, operation, processing, or procedure. A module
need not be implemented in software; a module may be implemented in
software, hardware/circuitry, or a combination of software and
hardware.
[0021] In the present disclosure, a computer system may comprise a
very small microcontroller system. A microcontroller may comprise a
single integrated circuit that contains the four main components
that create a computer system: an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU),
a control unit, a memory system, and an input and output system
(collectively termed I/O).
[0022] Microcontrollers are very small and inexpensive integrated
circuits that are very often used in digital electronic
devices.
Multiple-Node Power and Control System Overview
[0023] To power and control multiple circuit nodes, a single-wire
direct current loop control system may be used. Specifically,
individually circuit nodes are arranged in a series configuration
that is driven by a head-end control unit located at the head of
the series. The series of separate individually controlled circuit
nodes may be referred to as a "line" or "string" of nodes devices.
The head-end control unit for the string of nodes may be referred
to as the "line driver" or "string driver" since the head-end
control unit provides the electrical power and control signals that
drive all of the individually controlled circuit nodes on the line
or string.
[0024] Although the present disclosure will be disclosed with
circuit nodes for driving Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), the
teachings of the present disclosure may be used to control circuit
nodes driving any other type of electronic circuits such as sound
systems, motors, sensors, cameras, Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs),
etc.
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the overall
architecture of the single-wire direct current loop control system
that drives several circuit node units (250-1 to 250-N).
[0026] Specifically, a line driver circuit 220 is situated at the
head of a series of individually controlled circuit node units
(250-1 to 250-N). In the particular embodiment of FIG. 2, each of
the individually controlled circuit node units (250-1 to 250-N) are
used to drive Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Since this specific
application is for driving LEDs, the line driver circuit 220 is
referred to as the LED line driver circuit 220. But as stated
earlier, the line driver circuit 220 can be used to drive any other
type of electrical circuit.
[0027] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the LED line driver circuit 220
receives electrical power from an external power supply circuit
210. The LED line driver circuit 220 also receives LED control data
from a master LED controller system 230. The master LED controller
system 230 provides detailed control data describing how the
various LEDs on the individually controlled LED units (250-1 to
250-N) on the string should be powered on or off and the brightness
of each powered on LED. The master LED controller system 230 can be
any type of digital electronic system that provides LED control
data the appropriate format to the LED line driver circuit 220.
[0028] The master LED controller system 230 may range from a simple
single chip microcontroller to a sophisticated computer system that
drives many different LED strings in a coordinated manner. For
example, in a relatively simple embodiment, the nit components of a
microcontroller-implemented master LED controller system 230, the
power supply 210, and the LED line driver 220 may be combined into
a single small LED Driver System 239 that controls an entire long
string of LED units 250. In a more sophisticated embodiment, an
external computer system, such as computer system 100 illustrated
in FIG. 1, can be programmed to output appropriate LED control data
signals 231 to the LED line driver circuit 220 using signal
generation device 118 or any other appropriate data output
system.
[0029] It will be appreciated that several of the above-disclosed
and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be
desirably combined into many other different systems or
applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or
unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or
improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in
the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following
claims.
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