# US 12,224,672 B2 · Asymmetric power converter

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- Number: US 12,224,672 B2
- Document ID: US12224672B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/174,193
- Filed: 2023-02-24
- Published: 2024-06-13
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-09
- Assignees: Chicony Power Technology Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Chicony Power Technology Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Min-Han Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224672B2

## CPC

- 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)}
- H02M 3/33573: {Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer}
- H02M 1/0064: {Magnetic structures combining different functions, e.g. storage, filtering or transformation}
- H02M 1/4225: {using a non-isolated boost converter}
- H02M 3/01: {Resonant DC/DC converters}
- H02M 3/33523: {with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop}
- H02M 3/33571: {Half-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer}
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

An asymmetric power converter includes a primary-side rectifying/filtering circuit, a power factor correction circuit, an asymmetric conversion circuit, and a feedback control circuit. The primary-side rectifying/filtering circuit rectifies and filters an input voltage to output a first voltage. The power factor correction circuit converts the first voltage into a power voltage. The asymmetric conversion circuit converts the power voltage into an output voltage to supply power to a load, and an output current is drawn by the load. The feedback control circuit generates a feedback control signal according to a load power demand provided by the load. The feedback control circuit controls the asymmetric conversion circuit to operate in a full-bridge resonant mode, a half-bridge resonant mode, or a hybrid half-bridge resonant mode according to the feedback control signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An asymmetric power converter, comprising:
a primary-side rectifying/filtering circuit, configured to receive an input voltage, and rectify and filter the input voltage into a first voltage,
a power factor correction circuit, configured to receive the first voltage, and convert the first voltage into a power voltage,
an asymmetric conversion circuit, configured to receive the power voltage, and convert the power voltage into an output voltage to supply power to a load, and an output current being drawn by the load,
a feedback control circuit, coupled to the asymmetric conversion circuit, and configured to generate a feedback control signal according to a load power demand provided by the load, wherein the load power demand comprises information of the output voltage and information of the output current,
wherein the feedback control circuit controls the asymmetric conversion circuit to operate in a full-bridge resonant mode, a half-bridge resonant mode, or a hybrid half-bridge resonant mode according to the feedback control signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power factor correction circuit comprises:
a first switch, a first end of the first switch coupled to a first end of the first voltage,
a first inductor, a first end of the first inductor coupled to a second end of the first switch, and a second end of the first inductor coupled to a second end of the first voltage,
a first diode, a first end of the first diode coupled to the first end of the first inductor,
a first capacitor, a first end of the first capacitor coupled to a second end of the first diode, and a second end of the first capacitor coupled to the second end of the first inductor, and
a first resistor, a first end of the first resistor coupled to the first end of the first capacitor, and a second end of the first resistor coupled to the second end of the first capacitor,
wherein the first switch is controlled to switching according to the switching frequency so as to convert the first voltage into the power voltage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power factor correction circuit comprises:
a first inductor, a first end of the first inductor coupled to a first end of the first voltage,
a first switch, a first end of the first switch coupled to a second end of the first inductor, and a second end of the first switch coupled to a second end of the first voltage,
a first diode, a first end of the first diode coupled to the first end of the first switch,
a first capacitor, a first end of the first capacitor coupled to a second end of the first diode, and a second end of the first capacitor coupled to the second end of the first switch, and
a first resistor, a first end of the first resistor coupled to the first end of the first capacitor, and a second end of the first resistor coupled to the second end of the first capacitor,
wherein the first switch is controlled to switching according to the switching frequency so as to convert the first voltage into the power voltage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the asymmetric conversion circuit comprises:
a primary-side isolation circuit, configured to receive the feedback control signal and the power voltage, and
a secondary-side isolation circuit, configured to convert the power voltage into the output voltage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the primary-side isolation circuit comprises a bridge synchronous rectification circuit; the secondary-side isolation circuit comprises a bridge switching circuit and a resonant circuit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bridge synchronous rectification circuit comprises:
a first switch,
a second switch, a first end of the second switch coupled to a second end of the first switch,
a third switch, a first end of the third switch coupled to a first end of the first switch,
a fourth switch, a first end of the fourth switch coupled to a second end of the third switch, and a second end of the fourth switch coupled to a second end of the second switch,
a first resonant inductor,
a first resonant capacitor, coupled to the first resonant inductor in series to form a series-connected branch, and a first end of the series-connected branch coupled to the second end of the first switch and the first end of the second switch, and
a second resonant inductor, a first end of the second resonant inductor coupled to a second end of the series-connected branch, and a second end of the second resonant inductor coupled to the second end of the third switch and the first end of the fourth switch,
wherein the feedback control circuit controls the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch according to the feedback control signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the output voltage is greater than a threshold voltage, the asymmetric conversion circuit operates in the full-bridge resonant mode,
wherein the first switch and the fourth switch are simultaneously turned on or turned off, the second switch and the third switch are simultaneously turned on or turned off, and the first switch and the second switch are complemently switched so as to convert the power voltage into the output voltage.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first switch and the fourth switch are first turned on, and then the second switch and the third switch are turned on, and the operation is continuously repeated to form a flyback conversion operation.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second switch and the third switch are first turned on, and then the first switch and the fourth switch are turned on, and the operation is continuously repeated to form a forward conversion operation.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the output voltage is less than a threshold voltage and the output current is less than a threshold current, the asymmetric conversion circuit operates in the half-bridge resonant mode,
wherein the first switch and the second switch are complemently switched, and the third switch and the fourth switch are complemently turned on and turned off so as to convert the power voltage into the output voltage; or the first switch and the second switch are complemently turned on and turned off, and the third switch and the fourth switch are complemently switched so as to convert the power voltage into the output voltage.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first switch is first turned on, and then the second switch is switched on to be complemently switched, and the third switch is turned on and the fourth switch is turned off, and the operation is continuously repeated to form a flyback conversion operation.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 10, wherein the fourth switch is first turned on, and then the third switch is switched on to be complemently switched, and the first switch is turned on and the second switch is turned off, and the operation is continuously repeated to form a flyback conversion operation.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second switch is first turned on, and then the first switch is switched on to be complemently switched, and the third switch is turned on and the fourth switch is turned off, and the operation is continuously repeated to form a forward conversion operation.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 10, wherein the third switch is first turned on, and then the fourth switch is switched on to be complemently switched, and the second switch is turned on and the first switch is turned off, and the operation is continuously repeated to form a forward conversion operation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the output voltage is less than a threshold voltage and the output current is greater than a threshold current, the asymmetric conversion circuit operates in the hybrid half-bridge resonant mode,
wherein the first switch and the second switch are partially complemently switched and partially complemently turned on and turned off, and the third switch and the fourth switch are correspondingly partially complemently turned on and turned off and correspondingly partially complemently switched to convert the power voltage into the output voltage.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first switch and the second switch are first complemently switched and then complemently turned on and turned off, and the third switch and the fourth switch are correspondingly first complemently turned on and turned off and then correspondingly complemently switched, and the operation is continuously repeated to form a flyback conversion operation.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 15, wherein the third switch and the fourth switch are first complemently switched and then complemently turned on and turned off, and the first switch and the second switch are correspondingly first complemently turned on and turned off and then correspondingly complemently switched, and the operation is continuously repeated to form a forward conversion operation.

### Claim 18 (depends on 5)

The asymmetric power converter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bridge switching circuit comprises an upper switch; the resonant circuit comprises a capacitor and a resistor to form a parallel-connected branch, and the parallel-connected branch is coupled to the upper switch.