# US 8,787,051 B2 · Method and apparatus for controlling the equivalent resistance of a converter

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- Number: US 8,787,051 B2
- Document ID: US8787051B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/720,300
- Filed: 2012-12-19
- Published: 2013-07-04
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-30
- Assignees: Macroblock, Inc.
- Applicants: Macroblock, Inc.
- Inventors: Lon-Kou Chang; Yi-Wen Huang; Han-Hsiang Huang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787051B2

## CPC

- H05B 39/08: by shifting phase of trigger voltage applied to gas-filled controlling tubes {also in controlled semiconductor devices (in converters H02M5/00; with regulation G05F1/44)}
- H05B 45/00: Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
- H05B 45/3725: Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
- H05B 45/375: using buck topology
- H05B 45/38: using boost topology
- H05B 45/385: using flyback topology
- Y02B 20/30: Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

The disclosure provides a method for controlling an equivalent resistance of a converter. The method includes receiving a power source input signal, generating a first control signal according to a voltage level and a state of the power source input signal to adjust an equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in the damper mode or the converter mode, when the voltage conversion module operates in the converter mode converting the power source input signal to an output signal, and when the voltage conversion module operates in the damper mode detecting the voltage level or the current level of the power source input signal, and adjusting the equivalent resistance so that the voltage conversion module could operate in the bleeder mode or the converter mode to convert the power source input signal to the output signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for controlling an equivalent resistance of a converter, wherein the method is adapted to an apparatus for controlling the equivalent resistance of the converter, and the apparatus includes a voltage conversion module, the method comprising:
receiving a power source input signal;
generating a first control signal according to a voltage level and a state of the power source input signal to adjust an equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in a damper mode or a converter mode;
converting the power source input signal to an output signal when the voltage conversion module operates in the converter mode;
adjusting the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module to provide a required damper resistance when the voltage conversion module operates in the damper mode;
detecting the voltage level or a current level of the power source input signal to generate a second control signal, and adjusting the equivalent resistance to provide a required holding current for a dimmer and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in a bleeder mode or the converter mode to convert the power source input signal to the output signal, after the voltage conversion module finishes operating in the damper mode; and
adjusting the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module so that the current level is greater the required holding current of the dimmer when the voltage conversion module operates in the bleeder mode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating the first control signal according to the voltage level and the state of the power source input signal to adjust the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in the damper mode or the converter mode further comprises:
detecting whether the voltage level of the power source input signal is greater than zero;
if the voltage level of the power source input signal is not greater than zero returning to detecting whether the voltage level of the power source input signal is greater than zero;
if the voltage level of the power source input signal is greater than zero detecting whether the power source input signal is in a vibrating state or a jumping state;
if the power source input signal is not in the vibrating state or the jumping state, generating the first control signal to control the voltage conversion module to operate in the converter mode; and
if the power source input signal is in the vibrating state or the jumping state, generating the first control signal to adjust the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in the damper mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein detecting the voltage level or the current level of the power source input signal to generate the second control signal, and adjusting the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module to cause the voltage conversion module to operates in the bleeder mode or the converter mode to convert the power source input signal to the output signal further comprises:
detecting the voltage level or the current level of the power source input signal is lower than a predetermined default value;
if the voltage level or the current level of the power source input signal is lower than the default value, generating the second control signal to adjust the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in the bleeder mode, and adjusting the current level of the power source input signal to be equal to a bleeder current and converting the power source input signal to the output signal, wherein the current level of the power source input signal is greater than or equal to the required holding current of the dimmer; and
if the voltage level or the current level of the power source input signal is greater than the default value, generating the second control signal to adjust the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in the converter mode, and converting the power source input signal to the output signal, wherein the current level of the power source input signal is greater than the required holding current of the dimmer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the power source input signal includes an input voltage and an input current.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the output signal includes a quantitative voltage and a quantitative current.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage conversion module is a buck-boost converter, a power factor correction resonance converter, a buck converter, a boost converter or a fly-back converter.

### Claim 7

An apparatus for controlling an equivalent resistance of a converter, comprising:
a control module for receiving a power source input signal, generating a first control signal according to a voltage level and a state of the power source input signal, and generating a second control signal according to the voltage level or a current level of the power source input signal; and
a voltage conversion module connected to the control module for adjusting an equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module according to the first control signal to cause the voltage conversion module to operate in a damper mode or a converter mode, and when the voltage conversion module operates in the converter mode, the voltage conversion module is used to convert the power source input signal to an output signal, and when the voltage conversion module operates in the damper mode, subsequent to the voltage conversion module operating in the damper mode, the voltage conversion module is used to adjust the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module according to the second control signal and a required holding current of dimmer so that the voltage conversion module operates in a bleeder mode or the converter mode and the power source input signal is converted to the output signal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control module is used to detect whether the voltage level of the power source input signal is greater than zero, if the power source input signal is not greater than zero, the control module continues to detect whether the voltage level of the power source input signal is greater than zero, if the voltage level of the power source input signal is greater than zero, the control module detects whether the power source input signal is in a vibrating state or a jumping state, if the power source input signal is not in the vibrating state or the jumping state, the control module generates the first control signal to cause the voltage conversion module to operate in the converter mode, and if the power source input signal is in the vibrating state or the jumping state, the control module generates another first control signal to control the voltage conversion module to adjust the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in the damper mode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control module is used to whether the voltage level or the current level of the power source input signal is lower than a predetermined default value, if the voltage level or the current level of the power source input signal is lower than the predetermined default value, the control module generates the second control signal to adjust the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in the bleeder mode, and the current level of the power source input signal is adjusted to be equal to a bleeder current and the power source input signal is converted to the output signal, wherein the current level of the power source input signal is greater than or equal to a required holding current of a dimmer, if the voltage level or the current level is higher than the default value, the control module generates another second control signal to adjust the equivalent resistance of the voltage conversion module and cause the voltage conversion module to operate in the converter mode, so that the power source input signal is converted to the output signal and the current level of the power source input signal is greater than the holding current of the dimmer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the power source input signal includes an input voltage and an input current.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the output signal includes a quantitative voltage and a quantitative current.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the voltage conversion module is a buck-boost converter, a power factor correction resonance converter, a buck converter, a boost converter, or a fly-back converter.