# US 2023/0053929 A1 · Driving apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0053929 A1 - Document ID: US20230053929A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/844,053 - Filed: 2022-06-20 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-18 - Assignees: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ryoga KIGUCHI; Hiromu TAKUBO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230053929A1 ## CPC - H03K 17/163: {Soft switching} - H03K 17/6872: {using complementary field-effect transistors} - H03K 17/6877: {the control circuit comprising active elements different from those used in the output circuit} - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A driving apparatus for driving a switching device is provided, the driving apparatus including: a high potential line; a high-potential-side switching control unit configured to perform switching as to whether to connect a control terminal of the switching device to the high potential line; a first resistor element located on a high-potential side and disposed in series with the high-potential-side switching control unit on a path from the control terminal of the switching device to the high potential line; a high-potential-side capacitor provided in parallel with the first resistor element on the path from the control terminal of the switching device to the high potential line; and a high-potential-side discharge control unit configured to control whether to discharge the high-potential-side capacitor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A driving apparatus for driving a switching device, the driving apparatus comprising: a high potential line; a high-potential-side switching control unit configured to perform switching as to whether to connect a control terminal of the switching device to the high potential line; a first resistor element located on a high-potential side and disposed in series with the high-potential-side switching control unit on a path from the control terminal of the switching device to the high potential line; a high-potential-side capacitor provided in parallel with the first resistor element on the path from the control terminal of the switching device to the high potential line; and a high-potential-side discharge control unit configured to control whether to discharge the high-potential-side capacitor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the high-potential-side discharge control unit is configured to discharge the high-potential-side capacitor with a condition that a control voltage on the control terminal of the switching device is equal to or higher than a plateau voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching device is either device of a pair of switching devices operated in a complementary manner, and the high-potential-side discharge control unit is configured to discharge the high-potential-side capacitor during a period from a completion of turning-on of the switching device to be driven to a start of next turning-off of the switching device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first resistor element is disposed between the control terminal of the switching device and the high-potential-side switching control unit, and the high-potential-side capacitor is disposed in parallel with the first resistor element between the control terminal of the switching device and the high-potential-side switching control unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The driving apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a high-potential-side diode disposed in parallel with the first resistor element between the control terminal of the switching device and the high-potential-side capacitor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the high-potential-side discharge control unit is a high-potential-side switch disposed between the high potential line and a connection point between the high-potential-side diode and the high-potential-side capacitor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The driving apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a second resistor element located on the high-potential side and disposed in series with the high-potential-side diode between the control terminal of the switching device and a connection point between the high-potential-side capacitor and the high-potential-side switch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The driving apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a third resistor element located on the high-potential side and disposed in series with the high-potential-side switch between the high potential line and the connection point between the high-potential-side capacitor and the high-potential-side switch. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The driving apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a fourth resistor element located on the high-potential side and disposed in series with the high-potential-side capacitor between a connection point between the high-potential-side switching control unit and the first resistor element and a connection point between the high-potential-side diode and the high-potential-side switch. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a capacitance of the high-potential-side capacitor is variable, and the driving apparatus further comprises a capacitance control unit configured to control the capacitance of the high-potential-side capacitor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The driving apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a resistance value of the second resistor element is variable, and the driving apparatus further comprises a resistance control unit configured to control the resistance value of the second resistor element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The driving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a resistance value of the third resistor element is variable, and the driving apparatus further comprises a resistance control unit configured to control the resistance value of the third resistor element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The driving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a resistance value of the fourth resistor element is variable, and the driving apparatus further comprises a resistance control unit configured to control the resistance value of the fourth resistor element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a reference potential line having a lower potential than the high potential line; a reference-potential-side switching control unit configured to perform switching as to whether to connect the control terminal of the switching device to the reference potential line; a first resistor element located on a reference-potential side and disposed in series with the reference-potential-side switching control unit on a path from the control terminal of the switching device to the reference potential line; a reference-potential-side capacitor provided, in parallel with the first resistor element located on the reference-potential side, on the path from the control terminal of the switching device to the reference potential line; and a reference-potential-side discharge control unit configured to control whether to discharge the reference-potential-side capacitor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the switching device or the high-potential-side discharge control unit is a wide bandgap semiconductor element containing at least one of silicon carbide, gallium nitride, gallium oxide, or diamond as a main material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the high-potential-side discharge control unit is a transistor device, a photocoupler, a digital isolator, a mechanical relay, or a photodiode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The driving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first resistor element is disposed between the control terminal of the switching device and the high-potential-side switching control unit, and the high-potential-side capacitor is disposed in parallel with the first resistor element between the control terminal of the switching device and the high-potential-side switching control unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3) The driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first resistor element is disposed between the control terminal of the switching device and the high-potential-side switching control unit, and the high-potential-side capacitor is disposed in parallel with the first resistor element between the control terminal of the switching device and the high-potential-side switching control unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The driving apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a third resistor element located on the high-potential side and disposed in series with the high-potential-side switch between the high potential line and the connection point between the high-potential-side capacitor and the high-potential-side switch. ### Claim 20 (depends on 7) The driving apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a fourth resistor element located on the high-potential side and disposed in series with the high-potential-side capacitor between a connection point between the high-potential-side switching control unit and the first resistor element and a connection point between the high-potential-side diode and the high-potential-side switch.