# US 2021/0242790 A1 · Control unit for improving conversion efficiency

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- Number: US 2021/0242790 A1
- Document ID: US20210242790A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/238,213
- Filed: 2021-04-23
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-01
- Assignees: Delta Electronics, Inc.
- Applicants: Delta Electronics, Inc.
- Inventors: Da JIN; Xue-Liang CHANG; Ya-Hong XIONG; Qing-Hua SU
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242790A1

## CPC

- H02M 3/3376: {with automatic control of output voltage or current}
- H02M 3/33507: {with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters (H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence)}
- H02M 3/33576: {having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer}
- H02M 1/0006: {Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters}
- H02M 1/0048: {Circuits or arrangements for reducing losses (using snubbers H02M1/34)}
- H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A control unit is provided. The control unit is configured to provide a control signal for controlling a power unit. The power unit comprises a first positive voltage terminal, a second positive voltage terminal, a first negative voltage terminal, a second negative voltage terminal, and a switching element. The first negative voltage terminal and the second positive voltage terminal are coupled to each other in a short circuit manner. One terminal of the switching element is electrically connected to the first negative voltage terminal. The control unit is configured to: receive a pulse width modulation signal; receive a first power supply signal; receive a second positive voltage terminal signal; output a second power supply signal; and output the control signal for controlling the switching element to be turned on or turned off.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control unit, configured to provide a control signal for controlling a power unit, wherein the power unit comprises:
a first positive voltage terminal;
a second positive voltage terminal;
a first negative voltage terminal; and
a second negative voltage terminal, wherein the first negative voltage terminal and the second positive voltage terminal are coupled to each other in a short circuit manner; and
a switching element, wherein one terminal of the switching element is electrically connected to the first negative voltage terminal;
wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive a pulse width modulation signal, wherein a reference ground of the pulse width modulation signal is the second negative voltage terminal;
receive a first power supply signal;
receive a second positive voltage terminal signal;
output a second power supply signal, wherein a voltage difference between the second power supply signal and the second positive voltage terminal signal is larger than zero; and
output the control signal for controlling the switching element to be turned on or turned off, wherein a reference ground of the control signal is the second positive voltage terminal signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control unit of claim 1, wherein the control signal and the pulse width modulation signal are the same phase or complementary.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control unit of claim 1, wherein a high level of the control signal is the second power supply signal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control unit of claim 1, wherein a voltage value of the second power supply signal is a sum of a voltage value of the first power supply signal and a voltage value of the second positive voltage terminal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control unit of claim 1, wherein
the first positive voltage terminal is coupled to one terminal of an input voltage of the power unit, and configured to receive the input voltage together with the second negative voltage terminal;
the second positive voltage terminal is coupled to one terminal of an output voltage of the power unit, and configured to output the output voltage with the second negative voltage terminal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The control unit of claim 5, wherein the power unit further comprises:
an input capacitor;
a primary-side switching circuit, coupled to the input capacitor in parallel, and coupled between the first positive voltage terminal and the first negative voltage terminal;
a magnetic element circuit, coupled to the primary-side switching circuit;
a secondary-side switching circuit, coupled to the magnetic element circuit; and
an output capacitor, coupled to the secondary-side switching circuit in parallel, and coupled between the second positive voltage terminal and the second negative voltage terminal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The control unit of claim 6, wherein the magnetic element circuit comprises:
a magnetic core;
a primary-side winding, coupled to the primary-side switching circuit; and
a secondary-side winding, coupled to the secondary-side switching circuit, wherein the primary-side winding and the secondary-side winding coupled to each other through the magnetic core.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The control unit of claim 7, wherein the secondary-side winding comprises at least two windings, wherein the at least two windings are coupled to each other in parallel, and a connection point of the at least two windings forms a center-tapped terminal, wherein the secondary-side winding and the secondary-side switching circuit form a center-tapped full wave rectifying circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The control unit of claim 6, wherein the primary-side switching circuit comprises a full bridge circuit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The control unit of claim 6, wherein the primary-side switching circuit comprises a half bridge circuit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The control unit of claim 6, wherein the power unit further comprises an input inductor, and the input inductor receives the input voltage together with the input capacitor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The control unit of claim 6, wherein the control unit generates the first driving signal to drive the primary-side switching circuit according to the control signal and the second power supply signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The control unit of claim 6, wherein the control unit generates the second driving signal to drive the secondary-side switching circuit according to the pulse width modulation signal and the first power supply signal.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The control unit of claim 12, wherein a reference ground of the first driving signal is the second positive voltage terminal.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The control unit of claim 13, wherein a reference ground of the second driving signal is the second negative voltage terminal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 6)

The control unit of claim 6, wherein the secondary-side switching circuit comprises a full bridge rectifying circuit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The control unit of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises:
a bootstrap circuit, configured to generate the control signal and the second power supply signal according to the pulse width modulation signal and the first power supply signal, wherein a reference ground of the control signal is the second positive voltage terminal.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The control unit of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises:
an isolation power supply, configured to provide the first power supply signal and the second power supply signal;
an isolation circuit, configured to generate the control signal according to the first power supply signal and the pulse width modulation signal, wherein a reference ground of the control signal is the second positive voltage terminal.