# US 9,520,766 B2 · Power supply device for a household appliance and an operating method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,766 B2 - Document ID: US9520766B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/755,851 - Filed: 2013-01-31 - Published: 2013-08-01 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-31 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: Mario Barbati; Carlo Calesella; Diego Naftali Gutierrez; Christiano Vito Pastore; Claudio Vittorio Crisafulli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520766B2 ## CPC - H02M 1/12: Arrangements for reducing harmonics from AC input or output - H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators - H02M 3/33507: {with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters (H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence)} - H05B 6/062: {for cooking plates or the like} - H05B 6/68: for monitoring or control - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - Y02B 40/00: Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers - 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) - 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 A household appliance power supply device and method are disclosed. The power supply device comprises a switching converter having an input filtering stage; and a determining means configured to obtain estimation data indicative of the input current that is adsorbed from the a main power input, on the base of the rate of change of the bus voltage across said bus capacitor respectively, during a second switching period. The switching converter further comprises a bus capacitor, electrically connected with at least one output terminal of a rectifying stage, a resonant tank, electrically connected with said bus capacitor, and a switching device electrically connected with said resonant tank, said switching device being operated with a switching cycle having a first switching period, and a second switching period. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A household appliance power supply device, comprising: a switching converter; and a determining device, wherein, the switching converter comprises: an input filtering stage, comprising at least one of a filtering inductor, and a rectifying stage, electrically connected with a main power supply, wherein the rectifying stage includes at least one rectifying stage output terminal; a bus capacitor, electrically connected with the at least one rectifying stage output terminal; a resonant tank electrically connected with at least one bus capacitor terminal; and a switching device configured for operation with a switching cycle, the switching device is electrically connected with said resonant tank, wherein the switching cycle comprises a first switching period, in which said switching device allows a flow of a first current between said bus capacitor and said resonant tank, and a second switching period, in which said switching device blocks the flow of said first current; and wherein the determining device is configured to obtain estimation data indicative of an input current that is adsorbed from the main power supply by said power supply device, said estimation determined based on the rate of change of a bus voltage across the at least one bus capacitor terminals during said second switching period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The household appliance power supply device, according to claim 1, wherein said determining device comprise detecting means, configured to provide detection signals or data, indicative of said bus voltage, and processing means, operatively associated with said detecting means and configured to obtain said estimation data based on at least one of said detection signals and a detection data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The household appliance power supply device, according to claim 2, wherein said detecting means comprise a first voltage sensor operatively associated with sampling means for providing digital samples of said bus voltage, at a first and second instant comprised in said second switching period, said processing means comprising digital processing means for obtaining said estimation data by interpolating said first and second digital samples over time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The household appliance power supply device, according to claim 2, wherein said detecting means comprise a second voltage sensor for providing analogue detection signals of said bus voltage, said processing means comprising an analogue processing circuit that is activated during said second switching period for obtaining said estimation data based on said analogue detection signals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The household appliance power supply device, according to claim 1, wherein said switching converter is a Q-R switching converter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The household appliance power supply device, according to claim 1, further comprising, a household appliance configured to receive the power supply device, said household appliance is at least one of a microwave oven and an induction cook-top. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The household appliance power supply device, according to claim 1, wherein said determining device is part of a control loop for adjusting a power or an electric current supplied by said power supply device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The household appliance power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the bus capacitor is electrically connected in parallel with the at least one rectifying stage output terminal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The household appliance power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the switching device is electrically connected in series with said resonant tank. ### Claim 10 A method for operating a household appliance power supply device, comprising: configuring a household appliance power supply device with a switching converter, wherein the switching converter includes an input filtering stage configured with at least one filtering inductor, and a rectifying stage; connecting a main power input, electrically, to the rectifying stage; connecting a bus capacitor, electrically, to at least one output terminal configured at least one of on an outside surface or within said rectifying stage; connecting a resonant tank, electrically, to at least one terminal configured at least one of on an outside surface or within said bus capacitor; connecting a switching device, electrically, to said resonant tank; operating said switching device with a switching cycle, wherein the switching cycle comprises a first switching period, and a second switching period; configuring the first switching period to allow a flow of a first current between said bus capacitor and said resonant tank; configuring the second switching period to block the flow of said first current; and obtaining an estimation data obtained based on the rate of change of a bus voltage across a rectifying stage terminal on the rectifying stage and the at least one terminal configured on the outside surface or within the bus capacitor during said second switching period, wherein the estimation data is indicative of an input current that is adsorbed from the main power input by said household appliance power supply device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method, according to claim 10, further comprising: providing at least one of a detection signal and a signal data indicative of said bus voltage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method, according to claim 10, further comprising: providing a digital sample of said bus voltage, at a first instant in time and a second instant in time of the second switching period; and obtaining said estimation data by differentiating said first and second digital samples over a predetermined time. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method, according to claim 10, further comprising: providing an analogue detection signal of said bus voltage; and obtaining said estimation data on a basis of said analogue detection signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method, according to claim 10, wherein said switching converter is a Q-R switching converter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method, according to claim 10, further comprising, a household appliance configured to receive the power supply device, said household appliance is at least one of a microwave oven and an induction cook-top. ### Claim 16 A household appliance power supply device, comprising: a switching converter; and a determining device, wherein, the switching converter includes an input filtering stage electrically connected with a main power supply, a bus capacitor, a resonant tank electrically connected with at least one bus capacitor terminal; and a switching device configured for operation with a switching cycle, the switching device is electrically connected with said resonant tank, wherein the switching cycle comprises a first switching period, in which said switching device allows a flow of a first current between said bus capacitor and said resonant tank, and a second switching period, in which said switching device blocks the flow of said first current; and wherein the determining device is configured to obtain estimation data indicative of an input current that is adsorbed from the main power supply by said power supply device, based on the rate of change of a bus voltage measured across the at least one bus capacitor terminal during said second switching period. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The power supply device, according to claim 16, wherein the input filtering stage includes at least one of a filtering inductor, and a rectifying stage, the input filtering stage is electrically connected with the main power supply, wherein the rectifying stage includes at least one rectifying stage output terminal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The power supply device, according to claim 17, wherein the bus capacitor is electrically connected in parallel with the at least one rectifying stage output terminal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The power supply device, according to claim 17, wherein the resonant tank electrically connected with at least one bus capacitor terminal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The power supply device, according to claim 17, wherein the bus capacitor is electrically connected in parallel with the at least one rectifying stage output terminal and the switching device is electrically connected in series with said resonant tank.