# US 11,114,949 B2 · Inverter control board that is configured so that a detection circuit is appropriately arranged > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,949 B2 - Document ID: US11114949B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/645,670 - Filed: 2018-11-14 - Published: 2020-09-03 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-17 - Assignees: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Keita Mutsuura; Maiko Nitta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114949B2 ## CPC - H02M 7/537: using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters - G01R 15/04: Voltage dividers - G01R 31/42: AC power supplies - H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters - H02M 3/3374: {with preregulator, e.g. current injected push-pull} - H02M 7/48: using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode - H03K 17/691: using transformer coupling - H03K 17/78: using opto-electronic devices, i.e. light-emitting and photoelectric devices electrically- or optically-coupled - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - H02M 1/0006: {Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters} - H02M 7/003: {Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections} - H03K 2217/0063: High side switches, i.e. the higher potential [DC] or life wire [AC] being directly connected to the switch and not via the load - H03K 2217/0081: Power supply means, e.g. to the switch driver - 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) - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An inverter control board that is configured to be connected to an inverter for performing conversion between direct current power and multiple-phase alternating current power, wherein the inverter has arms, each arm provided for one alternating current phase and comprising a series circuit of a high-side switching element to be connected to a direct-current positive electrode and a low-side switching element to be connected to a direct-current negative electrode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inverter control board that is configured to be connected to an inverter for performing conversion between direct current power and multiple-phase alternating current power, wherein the inverter has arms, each arm provided for one alternating current phase and comprising a series circuit of a high-side switching element to be connected to a direct-current positive electrode and a low-side switching element to be connected to a direct-current negative electrode, the inverter control board comprising: a drive control circuit for driving and controlling the inverter; a low-voltage region and a high-voltage region as regions where a plurality of circuits are arranged, wherein: a circuit of the plurality of circuits arranged in the high-voltage region has a higher operating voltage than a circuit of the plurality of circuits arranged in the low-voltage region, the high-voltage region includes a plurality of high-side high-voltage regions, each configured to be connected to the high-side switching element of a corresponding phase, and the high-voltage region includes a plurality of low-side high-voltage regions, each configured to be connected to the low-side switching element of a corresponding phase; an insulation region that electrically insulates the low-voltage region, each of the high-side high-voltage regions, and each of the low-side high-voltage regions from one another, wherein: the circuit in the low-voltage region and the circuit in each of the high-side high-voltage regions are connected via respective high-side connection circuits included in a connection circuit across the insulation region and that transmits a signal in an electrically insulated state, and the circuit in the low-voltage region and the circuit in each of the low-side high-voltage regions are connected via respective low-side connection circuits included in the connection circuit and that transmits a signal in an electrically insulated state; and a voltage detection circuit for detecting a direct-current-side voltage of the inverter is arranged between the high-side connection circuit and the low-side connection circuit that are adjacent to each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inverter control board according to claim 1, wherein the voltage detection circuit detects the direct-current-side voltage of the inverter with respect to a reference potential for the low-side high-voltage regions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The inverter control board according to claim 2, wherein the high-side connection circuits and the low-side connection circuits of the multiple phases are arranged in a line. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The inverter control board according to claim 3, wherein each of the high-side connection circuits and each of the low-side connection circuits includes at least a drive circuit for transmitting a switching control signal from the low-voltage region to the high-voltage region and a drive power supply for supplying electric power to the drive circuit, and the drive circuits and the drive power supplies are arranged along a direction in which the high-side connection circuits and the low-side connection circuits are arranged. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The inverter control board according to claim 4, wherein in the high-side high-voltage regions, at least positive-electrode-side connection terminals to be connected to collector or drain terminals of the high-side switching elements are arranged, in the low-side high-voltage regions, at least negative-electrode-side connection terminals to be connected to emitter or source terminals of the low-side switching elements are arranged, in each of the high-side high-voltage regions, the positive-electrode-side connection terminal is arranged closer to one of the low-side high-voltage regions that are adjacent to the high-side high-voltage region across the insulation region, in each of the low-side high-voltage regions, the negative-electrode-side connection terminal is arranged closer to one of the high-side high-voltage regions that are adjacent to the low-side high-voltage region across the insulation region, and the voltage detection circuit is connected to the positive-electrode-side connection terminal and the negative-electrode-side connection terminal that are located adjacent to each other across the insulation region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The inverter control board according to claim 5, wherein a switching-control-signal generation circuit that generates a switching control signal for controlling switching of the inverter is arranged in the low-voltage region, and of a plurality of locations between the high-side connection circuits and the low-side connection circuits, the voltage detection circuit is arranged at a location closest to the switching-control-signal generation circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The inverter control board according to claim 6, wherein the voltage detection circuit is arranged between the high-side connection circuit and the low-side connection circuit that belong to the same phase. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The inverter control board according to claim 7, wherein the voltage detection circuit includes a plurality of voltage divider resistors connected in series between the direct-current positive electrode and the direct-current negative electrode, and all the plurality of voltage divider resistors are arranged in the low-side high-voltage region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The inverter control board according to claim 2, wherein in the high-side high-voltage regions, at least positive-electrode-side connection terminals to be connected to collector or drain terminals of the high-side switching elements are arranged, in the low-side high-voltage regions, at least negative-electrode-side connection terminals to be connected to emitter or source terminals of the low-side switching elements are arranged, in each of the high-side high-voltage regions, the positive-electrode-side connection terminal is arranged closer to one of the low-side high-voltage regions that are adjacent to the high-side high-voltage region across the insulation region, in each of the low-side high-voltage regions, the negative-electrode-side connection terminal is arranged closer to one of the high-side high-voltage regions that are adjacent to the low-side high-voltage region across the insulation region, and the voltage detection circuit is connected to the positive-electrode-side connection terminal and the negative-electrode-side connection terminal that are located adjacent to each other across the insulation region. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The inverter control board according to claim 2, wherein a switching-control-signal generation circuit that generates a switching control signal for controlling switching of the inverter is arranged in the low-voltage region, and of a plurality of locations between the high-side connection circuits and the low-side connection circuits, the voltage detection circuit is arranged at a location closest to the switching-control-signal generation circuit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The inverter control board according to claim 2, wherein the voltage detection circuit is arranged between the high-side connection circuit and the low-side connection circuit that belong to the same phase. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The inverter control board according to claim 2, wherein the voltage detection circuit includes a plurality of voltage divider resistors connected in series between the direct-current positive electrode and the direct-current negative electrode, and all the plurality of voltage divider resistors are arranged in the low-side high-voltage region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The inverter control board according to claim 1, wherein the high-side connection circuits and the low-side connection circuits of each alternating current phase are arranged in a line. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The inverter control board according to claim 13, wherein each of the high-side connection circuits and each of the low-side connection circuits includes at least a drive circuit for transmitting a switching control signal from the low-voltage region to the high-voltage region and a drive power supply for supplying electric power to the drive circuit, and the drive circuits and the drive power supplies are arranged along a direction in which the high-side connection circuits and the low-side connection circuits are arranged. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The inverter control board according to claim 13, wherein in the high-side high-voltage regions, at least positive-electrode-side connection terminals to be connected to collector or drain terminals of the high-side switching elements are arranged, in the low-side high-voltage regions, at least negative-electrode-side connection terminals to be connected to emitter or source terminals of the low-side switching elements are arranged, in each of the high-side high-voltage regions, the positive-electrode-side connection terminal is arranged closer to one of the low-side high-voltage regions that are adjacent to the high-side high-voltage region across the insulation region, in each of the low-side high-voltage regions, the negative-electrode-side connection terminal is arranged closer to one of the high-side high-voltage regions that are adjacent to the low-side high-voltage region across the insulation region, and the voltage detection circuit is connected to the positive-electrode-side connection terminal and the negative-electrode-side connection terminal that are located adjacent to each other across the insulation region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The inverter control board according to claim 13, wherein a switching-control-signal generation circuit that generates a switching control signal for controlling switching of the inverter is arranged in the low-voltage region, and of a plurality of locations between the high-side connection circuits and the low-side connection circuits, the voltage detection circuit is arranged at a location closest to the switching-control-signal generation circuit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The inverter control board according to claim 1, wherein in the high-side high-voltage regions, at least positive-electrode-side connection terminals to be connected to collector or drain terminals of the high-side switching elements are arranged, in the low-side high-voltage regions, at least negative-electrode-side connection terminals to be connected to emitter or source terminals of the low-side switching elements are arranged, in each of the high-side high-voltage regions, the positive-electrode-side connection terminal is arranged closer to one of the low-side high-voltage regions that are adjacent to the high-side high-voltage region across the insulation region, in each of the low-side high-voltage regions, the negative-electrode-side connection terminal is arranged closer to one of the high-side high-voltage regions that are adjacent to the low-side high-voltage region across the insulation region, and the voltage detection circuit is connected to the positive-electrode-side connection terminal and the negative-electrode-side connection terminal that are located adjacent to each other across the insulation region. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The inverter control board according to claim 1, wherein a switching-control-signal generation circuit that generates a switching control signal for controlling switching of the inverter is arranged in the low-voltage region, and of a plurality of locations between the high-side connection circuits and the low-side connection circuits, the voltage detection circuit is arranged at a location closest to the switching-control-signal generation circuit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The inverter control board according to claim 1, wherein the voltage detection circuit is arranged between the high-side connection circuit and the low-side connection circuit that belong to the same phase. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The inverter control board according to claim 1, wherein the voltage detection circuit includes a plurality of voltage divider resistors connected in series between the direct-current positive electrode and the direct-current negative electrode, and all the plurality of voltage divider resistors are arranged in the low-side high-voltage region.