# US 10,245,862 B2 · Power supply apparatus, printer, and control method

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- Number: US 10,245,862 B2
- Document ID: US10245862B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/162,335
- Filed: 2016-05-23
- Published: 2016-12-01
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2015-05-27
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yasufumi Ogasawara; Takashi Sakai; Hisao Okita; Shinya Ishikawa; Toru Oshika
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245862B2

## CPC

- B60L 50/40: using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
- B41J 23/00: Power drives for actions or mechanisms (B41J9/00 {, B41J19/305} take precedence)
- H02J 7/04: Regulation of charging current or voltage
- H02J 7/865: {Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence)}
- H02J 7/875: {Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation}
- H02J 7/96: in response to battery voltage
- H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
- H02M 7/02: Conversion of AC power input into DC power output without possibility of reversal
- B60L 2270/20: Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery
- H02J 7/345: {using capacitors as storage or buffering devices}
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A power supply apparatus includes a power source unit configured to supply electric power to an electric load, a capacitor connected to a power supply line extending from the power supply unit to the electric load, a charge circuit configured to charge the capacitor while restricting a current value of the electric power supplied from the power source unit, a specifying unit configured to specify a voltage value of the capacitor, a first determination unit configured to determine whether the charge of the capacitor is completed in accordance with the voltage specified by the specifying unit, and a second determination unit configured to determine whether the voltage specified by the specifying unit is equal to or smaller than an error threshold value after the first determination unit determines that the charge of the capacitor is completed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power supply apparatus comprising:
a power source circuit configured to supply electric power to an electric load;
a capacitor connected to a power supply line extending from the power source circuit to the electric load and configured to supply electric power to the electric load;
a charge circuit configured to charge the capacitor by supplying a current that is powered by the electric power supplied from the power source circuit;
a detection circuit configured to detect a voltage value of the capacitor; and
a controller configured to, in a case where the detected voltage value of the capacitor reaches a first threshold value,
control the charge circuit to change a current value of the current of the charge circuit from a first current value to a second current value that is smaller than the first current value, wherein the first current value is supplied before the detected voltage value reaches the first threshold value, and wherein the second current value is greater than zero, and
wherein, after the detected voltage value of the capacitor reaches the first threshold value, the controller is further configured to
continually determine, while the second current value is supplied to the capacitor, whether the detected voltage value of the capacitor is smaller than a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value; and
cause a discharge of the capacitor in a case where the controller determines that the detected voltage value of the capacitor is smaller than the second threshold value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the discharge of the capacitor by causing an increase in a current flow out of the capacitor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the increase in the current flow out of the capacitor by activating a discharge circuit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second current value is larger than a natural discharge of the capacitor when connected to the power supply line.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the controller causes the discharge of the capacitor, the charge circuit and the power source circuit are turned off.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the capacitor is charged, the charge circuit changes the current value of the current supplied from the charge circuit in accordance with the voltage value detected by the detecting circuit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 6,
wherein the charge circuit changes the current value of the current supplied from the charge circuit such that an amount of generated heat becomes equal to or smaller than an allowable power dissipation of the charge circuit, and
wherein a value for the amount of generated heat is obtained in accordance with (i) a difference between a value of a voltage supplied from the power source circuit and the voltage value of the capacitor detected by the detecting circuit and (ii) the value of the current supplied from the charge circuit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric power supplied from the power source circuit when the electric load is to be operated is electric power in which a current value is not restricted.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge circuit configured to perform discharge from the capacitor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the electric load, wherein the electric load is a print head.

### Claim 11

A printer comprising:
a print head, and
a power supply apparatus, wherein the power supply apparatus includes:
a power source circuit configured to supply electric power to the print head,
a capacitor connected to a power supply line extending from the power source circuit to the print head and configured to supply electric power to the print head,
a charge circuit configured to charge the capacitor by supplying a current that is powered by the electric power supplied from the power source circuit,
a detection circuit configured to detect a voltage value of the capacitor, and
a controller configured to, in a case where the detected voltage value of the capacitor reaches a first threshold value, control the charge circuit to change a current value of the current of the charge circuit from a first current value to a second current value that is smaller than the first current value,
wherein the first current value is supplied before the detected voltage value reaches the first threshold value,
wherein the second current value is greater than zero, and
wherein, after the detected voltage value of the capacitor reaches the first threshold value, the controller is further configured to
continually determine, while the second current value is supplied to the capacitor, whether the detected voltage value of the capacitor is smaller than a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value, and
cause a discharge of the capacitor in a case where the controller determines that the detected voltage value of the capacitor is smaller than the second threshold value.

### Claim 12

A method for controlling a power supply apparatus having a power source circuit configured to supply electric power to an electric load, a capacitor connected to a power supply line extending from the power source circuit to the electric load and configured to supply electric power to the electric load, and a charge circuit configured to charge the capacitor by supplying a current that is powered by the electric power supplied from the power source circuit, the method comprising:
detecting a voltage value of the capacitor;
determining whether the voltage value of the capacitor has reached a first threshold value;
in a case where the voltage value of the capacitor has reached the first threshold value, controlling the charge circuit to change a current value of a current of the charge circuit from a first current value to a second current value that is smaller than the first current value, wherein the first current value is supplied before the detected voltage value reaches the first threshold value, and wherein the second current value is greater than zero; and
the detected voltage value of the capacitor reaches the first threshold value,
continually determining, while the second current value is supplied to the capacitor, whether the detected voltage value of the capacitor is smaller than a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value, and
causing a discharge of the capacitor in a case where the detected voltage value of the capacitor is smaller than the second threshold value.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply apparatus is configured for a printer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the controller determines that the detected voltage value of the capacitor is not smaller than the second threshold value and a condition is met to start an operation, the controller stops determining whether the detected voltage value of the capacitor is smaller than the second threshold value and the controller causes power to be supplied to the electric load from at least one of the power source circuit and the charged capacitor during performance of the operation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The power supply apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, after performance of the operation, the controller resumes determining whether the detected voltage value of the capacitor is smaller than the second threshold value.