# US 12,224,681 B2 · Systems and methods for reducing imbalance between groups of loads in electrical power systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,224,681 B2 - Document ID: US12224681B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/427,231 - Filed: 2024-01-30 - Published: 2024-07-25 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-23 - Assignees: Solaredge Technologies Ltd. - Applicants: Solaredge Technologies Ltd. - Inventors: Tzachi Glovinsky; Ilan Yoscovich; Guy Sella; Milan Ilic; Jaya Deepti Dasika - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224681B2 ## CPC - H02M 7/53803: {with automatic control of output voltage or current} - H02J 4/00: Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as AC or DC; Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks combining AC and DC sections or sub-networks (arrangements using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion H02J1/002; arrangements using high-voltage DC [HVDC] links H02J3/36) - H02M 1/009: {having two or more independently controlled outputs (for DC-DC converter with intermediate AC H02M3/33561)} - H02M 1/0095: {Hybrid converter topologies, e.g. NPC mixed with flying capacitor, thyristor converter mixed with MMC or charge pump mixed with buck} - H02M 3/01: {Resonant DC/DC converters} - H02M 3/015: {with means for adaptation of resonance frequency, e.g. by modification of capacitance or inductance of resonance circuit} - H02M 3/071: {adapted to generate a negative voltage output from a positive voltage source} - H02M 3/1582: {Buck-boost converters (H02M3/1584 takes precedence)} - H02M 3/1584: {with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel} - H02M 5/293: using semiconductor devices only - H02J 1/08: Three-wire DC power distribution systems; Systems having more than three wires - 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 1/083: {for the ignition at the zero crossing of the voltage or the current} - H02M 3/07: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02M 5/225: {comprising two stages of AC-AC conversion, e.g. having a high frequency intermediate link} - H02M 5/2932: {with automatic control of output voltage, current or power} - H02M 7/4815: {Resonant converters (H02M7/4811 and H02M7/4826 take precedence)} - H02M 7/4837: {Flying capacitor converters} - 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) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract An apparatus includes a DC-to-AC converter comprising a first output terminal and a second output terminal. The apparatus also includes a DC-to-DC converter comprising a third output. The DC-to-AC converter is configured to receive a DC input voltage from a DC power source, and to produce a first alternating output voltage at the first output terminal, and a second alternating output voltage at the second output terminal. The DC-to-DC converter is configured receive a DC input voltage from the DC power source, and to step down the DC input voltage at the third output. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a direct current to direct current (DC-to-DC) converter comprising a direct current (DC) input terminal and a DC output terminal, wherein the DC-to-DC converter is configured to: receive, via the DC input terminal of the DC-to-DC converter, a DC input voltage from a DC power source; provide, via the DC output terminal of the DC-to-DC converter, a DC output voltage to a plurality of groups of electrical loads; and regulate the DC output voltage to be substantially half of the DC input voltage by supplementing or absorbing a current difference between two or more groups of the plurality of groups of electrical loads; and a direct current to alternating current (DC-to-AC) converter comprising a DC input terminal and one or more alternating current (AC) output terminals, wherein the DC-to-AC converter is configured to: receive, via the DC input terminal of the DC-to-AC converter, the DC input voltage from the DC power source or the DC output voltage from the DC-to-DC converter; and provide, via each of the one or more AC output terminals of the DC-to-AC converter, a respective AC output voltage to at least one group of the plurality of groups of electrical loads. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a switching device coupling the DC-to-AC converter and the DC-to-DC converter to the plurality of groups of electrical loads, wherein the switching device is configured to: receive a control signal; and responsive to the control signal, reduce an imbalance between a first power demand of a first group of electrical loads of the plurality of groups of electrical loads and a second power demand of a second group of electrical loads of the plurality of groups of electrical loads by changing an association of at least one electrical load from the first group of electrical loads to the second group of electrical loads. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the switching device comprises: a first output terminal coupled to the first group of electrical loads; and a second output terminal coupled to the second group of electrical loads. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the switching device is configured to change the association of the at least one electrical load by changing a state of one or more switches of the switching device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the switching device is configured to receive the control signal from a user remote control. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the DC-to-DC converter comprises a charge-pump circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the DC-to-DC converter comprises a resonant switched capacitor circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more AC output terminals of the DC-to-AC converter comprises a first AC output terminal outputting a first AC output voltage, a second AC output terminal outputting a second AC output voltage, and a third AC output terminal outputting a third AC output voltage; wherein the second AC output voltage has a 120-degree phase difference from the first AC output voltage, and the third AC voltage output has a 120-degree phase difference from the first AC voltage output and a 120-degree phase difference from the second AC output voltage; and wherein the first, second, and third AC output voltages have about a same frequency and about a same voltage amplitude. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of smart outlets; wherein each smart outlet of the plurality of smart outlets comprises one or more switches; wherein each group of electrical loads of the plurality of groups of electrical loads is configured to be coupled to a corresponding smart outlet of the plurality of smart outlets; and wherein each of the plurality of smart outlets is configured, based on receiving a control signal from a remote control, to change a state of its one or more switches to couple its corresponding group of electrical loads to one of the DC output terminal or the one or more AC output terminals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein each smart outlet of the plurality of smart outlets is further configured to measure a current or power associated with the corresponding group of electrical loads. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: receiving, by a direct current to direct current (DC-to-DC) converter, a direct current (DC) input voltage from a DC power source; providing, by the DC-to-DC converter, a DC output voltage to a plurality of groups of electrical loads; regulating, by the DC-to-DC converter, the DC output voltage to be substantially half of the DC input voltage by supplementing or absorbing a current difference between two or more groups of the plurality of groups of electrical loads; receiving, by a direct current to alternating current (DC-to-AC) converter, the DC input voltage from the DC power source or the DC output voltage from the DC-to-DC converter; and providing, by the DC-to-AC converter, one or more AC output voltages to at least one group of the plurality of groups of electrical loads. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving, by a switching device coupling the DC-to-AC converter and the DC-to-DC converter to the plurality of groups of electrical loads, a control signal; and responsive to the control signal, reducing, by the switching device, an imbalance between a first power demand of a first group of electrical loads of the plurality of groups of electrical loads and a second power demand of a second group of electrical loads of the plurality of groups of electrical loads by changing an association of at least one electrical load from the first group of electrical loads to the second group of electrical loads. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein changing the association of the at least one electrical load comprises changing a state of one or more switches of the switching device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the control signal comprises receiving the control signal from a user remote control. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the DC-to-DC converter comprises a charge-pump circuit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the DC-to-DC converter comprises a resonant switched capacitor circuit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein providing the one or more AC output voltages comprises outputting a first AC output voltage, a second AC output voltage, and a third AC output voltage; wherein the second AC output voltage has a 120-degree phase difference from the first AC output voltage, and the third AC voltage output has a 120-degree phase difference from the first AC voltage output and a 120-degree phase difference from the second AC output voltage; and wherein the first, second, and third AC output voltages have about a same frequency and about a same voltage amplitude. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising; receiving, by a smart outlet configured to be coupled to a group of electrical loads of the plurality of groups of electrical loads, a control signal from a remote control; and responsive to the control signal, connecting, by the smart outlet, the group of electrical loads to one of a DC output terminal of the DC-to-DC converter or one or more AC output terminals of the DC-to-AC converter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein connecting the group of electrical loads to the one of the DC output terminal or the one or more AC output terminals comprises changing a state of one or more switches of the smart outlet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: measuring, by the smart outlet, a current or power associated with the group of electrical loads.