# US 11,310,882 B2 · Circuit for generating a DC voltage supply and a driver circuit using the DC voltage supply circuit

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,310,882 B2
- Document ID: US11310882B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/415,466
- Filed: 2019-12-12
- Published: 2022-03-03
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-20
- Assignees: Signify Holding B.V.
- Applicants: Signify Holding B.V.
- Inventors: Bernhard Christiaan Van Dijk; Paul Robert Veldman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310882B2

## CPC

- H02M 7/06: using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode
- H05B 45/3725: Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
- H05B 45/30: Driver circuits
- H05B 45/37: Converter circuits
- H02M 1/0006: {Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters}
- H02M 1/0058: {by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero (using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826)}
- Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
- 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)
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A circuit is for generating a DC voltage supply from a higher voltage AC signal. A first capacitor (C1) is in series between an input (12) and a first node (N1), a first diode (D1) is in forward direction between the first node and a DC voltage supply node (Nout), a second capacitor (C2) is between the DC voltage supply node and a reference terminal, and a second diode (D2) is in forward direction between the reference terminal and the first node. This defines a general charge pump architecture. A third capacitor (C3) is then provided between the first node and a second node (N2) and a controllable voltage supply (60) defines the voltage at the second node (N2). This adjustable node voltage improves the efficiency of the circuit, in that excess current can be dissipated efficiently, and it can be implemented with a simple circuit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit for generating a DC voltage supply from a higher voltage AC signal, comprising:
an input for receiving the higher voltage AC signal;
a first capacitor in series between the input and a first node;
a first diode in forward direction between the first node and a DC voltage supply node;
a second capacitor between the DC voltage supply node and a reference terminal;
a third capacitor between the first node and a second node;
a second diode in forward direction between the reference terminal and the first node;
a controllable voltage supply arranged to provide a voltage to the third capacitor via a third diode; and
a diode arrangement comprising the third diode and a fourth diode in series across the controllable voltage supply, with the junction between the third and fourth diodes defining the second node.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a voltage clamping device between one terminal of the first diode and the reference terminal, wherein the voltage clamping device for example is a Zener diode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference terminal is ground.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controllable voltage supply has a terminal connected to a DC node or a low frequency AC node, directly or via a capacitor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A driver circuit comprising:
a resonant switch mode power converter providing a first output for driving a load; and
a DC voltage supply circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high voltage AC signal is a second output from the resonant switch mode power converter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A driver circuit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the resonant switch mode power converter comprises an LCC converter.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

A lighting circuit comprising:
a driver circuit as claimed in claim 5;
a lighting load driven by the first output; and
auxiliary circuitry driven by the second output.