Power supply module having internal energy storage circuit for stable oscillation
AssigneeVisteon Global Technologies, Inc.
InventorsCindy Marie Rutyna, Eve Ann Hadley, Peter Langer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power supply module has an internal energy storage circuit to reduce the number of external wire connections to the power supply module. The power supply module is used to provide pulsed electrical energy to a load. The power supply module includes a semiconductor switch, an oscillator, and an energy storage circuit. The energy storage circuit accumulates energy for providing electrical energy to the oscillator to maintain stable, active operation of the oscillator and to provide a control voltage for the semiconductor switch.
Claims19
A power supply module for providing electrical energy to a load, the power supply module comprising:
- a switch having a first state for placing an electrical potential across terminals of the load at a supply voltage level and a second state for placing no electrical potential across the terminals;
- an oscillator for alternately activating the first state for a first duration and activating the second state for a second duration to reduce an average voltage applied to the load over time to a lesser voltage level than the supply voltage level;
- and
- an energy storage circuit for accumulating electrical energy at least during the second state for powering the oscillator, the energy storage circuit comprising a blocking diode for preventing the flow of the accumulated electrical energy to the switch.
An electrical circuit for a vehicle, the electrical circuit comprising:
- an energy source;
- a load;
- a switching unit coupled to the energy source for energizing the load;
- a power supply module for controlling the duration of the energizing of the load and connected in an electrical path between the switching unit and electrical ground, the power supply module comprising an energy storage circuit for storing electrical energy and a switch for energizing the load, the energy storage circuit having a blocking diode for preventing the flow of stored electrical energy to the switch;
- and
- a single wire coupled between the load and the switching unit to complete the electrical circuit for the load.
A method for providing electrical energy to a load, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing an electrical potential across terminals of the load during a first state at a supply voltage level and, during a second state, placing no electrical potential across the terminals;
- alternately activating the first state of a switch for a first duration and activating the second state of the switch for a second duration to reduce an average voltage applied to the load over time to a lesser voltage level than the supply voltage level;
- and
- accumulating electrical energy in an energy storage circuit at least during the second state for powering an oscillator for alternately activating the first state and the second state and preventing the flow of the accumulated electrical energy from the energy storage circuit to the switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.