# US 2018/0026528 A1 · Power Converter and Power Conversion Method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0026528 A1 - Document ID: US20180026528A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/546,574 - Filed: 2015-02-27 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-27 - Assignees: The University of Hong Kong - Applicants: The University of Hong Kong - Inventors: Song Xiong; Siew Chong Tan; Shu Yuen Ron Hui - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180026528A1 ## CPC - 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 7/4837: {Flying capacitor converters} - H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)} - H02M 1/0093: {wherein the output is created by adding a regulated voltage to or subtracting it from an unregulated input} - 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) ## Abstract A power converter comprising one or more switch blocks. Each switch block has: a plurality of switch-pairs each having two switches connected in series to each other; a plurality of primary nodes each interconnecting the switches in a respective switch-pair; and a plurality of secondary nodes, each switch-pair being connected in series to an adjacent switch-pair through a said secondary node to form a serial chain of switch-pairs, the secondary nodes including a secondary node at one end of said serial chain and a secondary node at another end of said serial chain. Each adjacent pair of said primary nodes is connectable to a flying capacitor. Each pair of said secondary nodes is connectable to one or more of the following: one or more bypass capacitors, and one or more other said switch blocks. The power converter further comprises a first terminal formed by any two of the secondary nodes in any one of the switch blocks, and a second terminal formed by any two of the secondary nodes in any one of the switch blocks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power converter comprising: one or more switch blocks each having: a plurality of switch-pairs each having two switches connected in series to each other; a plurality of primary nodes each interconnecting the switches in a respective switch-pair; and a plurality of secondary nodes, each switch-pair being connected in series to an adjacent switch-pair through a said secondary node to form a serial chain of switch-pairs, the secondary nodes including a secondary node at one end of said serial chain and a secondary node at another end of said serial chain; each adjacent pair of said primary nodes connectable to a flying capacitor; and each pair of said secondary nodes connectable to one or more of the following: one or more bypass capacitors, and one or more other said switch blocks; the power converter further comprising: a first terminal formed by any two of the secondary nodes in any one of the switch blocks; and a second terminal formed by any two of the secondary nodes in any one of the switch blocks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A power converter according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of said switch blocks, one defining a first-stage switch block and the others defining nth-stage switch blocks with two secondary nodes of each nth-stage switch block connected to two secondary nodes of one or more earlier stage switch blocks. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A power converter according to claim 2 wherein the first terminal is a low voltage terminal connected to two secondary nodes of the first-stage switch block. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A power converter according to claim 3 wherein the first terminal is a low voltage terminal connected to two adjacent secondary nodes of the first-stage switch block. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) A power converter according to claim 2 wherein the second terminal is a high voltage terminal connected to a secondary node of the first-stage switch block and to a secondary node of the last nth-stage switch block. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A power converter according to claim 2 comprising two of said switch blocks, one defining a first-stage switch block and the other defining a second-stage switch block with two secondary nodes of the second-stage switch block connected to two secondary nodes of the first-stage switch block. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A power converter according to claim 6 comprising a third switch block defining a third-stage switch block with two secondary nodes of the third-stage switch block connected to two secondary nodes of the second-stage switch block. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A power converter according to claim 6 comprising a third switch block defining a third-stage switch block with one secondary node of the third-stage switch block connected to one secondary node of the second-stage switch block and another secondary node of the third-stage switch block connected to one secondary node of the first-stage switch block. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A power converter according to claim 1 configured to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal at a desired conversion ratio. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A power converter according to claim 9 wherein the conversion ratio is fractional. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A power converter according to claim 9 comprising one or more reconfiguration switches connected to one or more switch blocks such that the conversion ratio is variable in real-time, the power converter thereby being reconfigurable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) A power converter according to claim 3 wherein the second terminal is a high voltage terminal connected to a secondary node of the first-stage switch block and to a secondary node of the last nth-stage switch block. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) A power converter according to claim 4 wherein the second terminal is a high voltage terminal connected to a secondary node of the first-stage switch block and to a secondary node of the last nth-stage switch block. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) A power converter according to claim 3 comprising two of said switch blocks, one defining a first-stage switch block and the other defining a second-stage switch block with two secondary nodes of the second-stage switch block connected to two secondary nodes of the first-stage switch block. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) A power converter according to claim 4 comprising two of said switch blocks, one defining a first-stage switch block and the other defining a second-stage switch block with two secondary nodes of the second-stage switch block connected to two secondary nodes of the first-stage switch block. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) A power converter according to claim 5 comprising two of said switch blocks, one defining a first-stage switch block and the other defining a second-stage switch block with two secondary nodes of the second-stage switch block connected to two secondary nodes of the first-stage switch block. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) A power converter according to claim 2 configured to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal at a desired conversion ratio. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3) A power converter according to claim 3 configured to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal at a desired conversion ratio. ### Claim 19 (depends on 4) A power converter according to claim 4 configured to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal at a desired conversion ratio. ### Claim 20 (depends on 5) A power converter according to claim 5 configured to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal at a desired conversion ratio. ### Claim 21 (depends on 6) A power converter according to claim 6 configured to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal at a desired conversion ratio. ### Claim 22 (depends on 7) A power converter according to claim 7 configured to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal at a desired conversion ratio. ### Claim 23 (depends on 8) A power converter according to claim 8 configured to convert a first voltage at the first terminal to a second voltage at the second terminal at a desired conversion ratio. ### Claim 24 (depends on 10) A power converter according to claim 10 comprising one or more reconfiguration switches connected to one or more switch blocks such that the conversion ratio is variable in real-time, the power converter thereby being reconfigurable.