# US 9,520,794 B2 · Acceleration of output energy provision for a load during start-up of a switching power converter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,794 B2 - Document ID: US9520794B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/829,231 - Filed: 2013-03-14 - Published: 2014-01-30 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-07-25 - Assignees: Philips Lighting Holding B.V. - Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Inventors: Siddharth Maru; Zhaohui He; Mohit Sood; Prashanth Drakshapalli; Rahul Singh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520794B2 ## CPC - H02M 3/33523: {with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop} - H05B 47/24: Circuit arrangements for protecting against overvoltage - H02M 3/335: using semiconductor devices only - H03K 17/145: {in field-effect transistor switches} - H05B 45/14: using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules - H05B 45/3725: Switched mode power supply [SMPS] - 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] - 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 - 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) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract An electronic system and method include a controller to operate in a start-up mode to accelerate driving a load to an operating voltage and then operates in a post-start-up mode. A start-up condition occurs when the controller detects that a load voltage is below a predetermined voltage threshold level. The predetermined voltage threshold level is set so that the controller will boost the voltage to an operating value of a load voltage at a faster rate than during normal, steady-state operation. The controller causes a switching power converter to provide charge to the load at a rate in accordance with a start-up mode until reaching an energy-indicating threshold. When the energy-indicating threshold has been reached, the controller causes the switching power converter to (i) decrease the amount of charge provided to the load relative to the charge provided during the start-up mode and (ii) operate in a distinct post-start-up-mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: detecting a start-up condition of a load, wherein (i) detecting a start-up condition comprises detecting a load voltage below a predetermined voltage threshold level and (ii) a start-up condition includes when the load voltage is below the predetermined voltage threshold level during a normal operation of a switching power converter; upon detecting the start-up condition: causing the switching power converter to provide an amount of charge to the load at a rate in accordance with a start-up mode until reaching an energy-indicating threshold; determining if the energy-indicating threshold has been reached; and when the energy-indicating threshold has been reached, causing the switching power converter to (i) decrease the amount of charge provided to the load relative to the charge provided to the load during the start-up mode and (ii) operate in a distinct post-start-up-mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined voltage threshold level is 70% of a nominal, operating level of the load voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein causing the switching power converter to provide an amount of charge in accordance with a start-up mode to provide power to the load until reaching the energy-indicating threshold further comprises: causing the switching power converter to provide a maximum amount of charge available to the switching power converter to provide to the load until reaching the energy-indicating threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the energy-indicating threshold comprises a rate of change of the load voltage over time and determining if the energy-indicating threshold has been reached comprises: determining if the rate of change of the load voltage over time is less than a predetermined threshold rate of change of the load voltage over time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the energy-indicating threshold comprises a predetermined load threshold voltage and determining if the energy-indicating threshold has been reached comprises: determining if the load voltage is greater than the predetermined load threshold voltage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the switching power converter comprises a flyback-type switching power converter that includes a primary coil and a secondary coil, the energy-indicating threshold comprises a predetermined time threshold for a current in the secondary coil to decay to approximately zero, and determining if the energy-indicating threshold has been reached comprises: determining if the time of the current in the secondary coil to decay to approximately zero is greater than the predetermined time threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein causing the switching power converter to decrease the amount of charge provided to the load relative to the charge provided during the start-up mode and operate in a distinct post-start-up-mode comprises: during each cycle of an input voltage to the switching power converter: determining a target amount of charge for the switching power converter to provide to the load; providing charge to the load until the amount of charge provided to the load approximately equals the target amount of charge; and ceasing provision of charge to the load when the amount of charge provided to the load approximately equals the target amount of charge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the switching power converter comprises a single stage flyback-type converter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the load comprises one or more capacitors and one or more light emitting diodes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 further comprising: during the start-up mode, disregarding a phase-cut angle in an input voltage to the switching power converter when causing the switching power converter to provide the maximum amount of charge. ### Claim 11 An apparatus comprising: a controller, wherein the controller is configured to: detect a start-up condition of a load, wherein (i) to detect a start-up condition comprises to detect a load voltage below a predetermined voltage threshold level and (ii) a start-up condition includes when the load voltage is below the predetermined voltage threshold level during a normal operation of a switching power converter; upon detection of the start-up condition: cause the switching power converter to provide an amount of charge to the load at a rate in accordance with a start-up mode until reaching an energy-indicating threshold; determine if the energy-indicating threshold has been reached; and when the energy-indicating threshold has been reached, cause the switching power converter to (i) decrease the amount of charge provided to the load relative to the charge provided during the start-up mode and (ii) operate in a distinct post-start-up-mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the predetermined voltage threshold level is 70% of a nominal, operating level of the load voltage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein to cause switching power converter to provide an amount of charge in accordance with a start-up mode to provide power to the load until reaching the energy-indicating threshold the controller is further configured to: cause the switching power converter to provide a maximum amount of charge available to the switching power converter to provide to the load until reaching the energy-indicating threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the energy-indicating threshold comprises a rate of change of the load voltage over time and to determine if the energy-indicating threshold has been reached the controller is further configured to: determine if rate of change of the load voltage over time is less than a predetermined threshold rate of change of the load voltage over time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the energy-indicating threshold comprises a predetermined load threshold voltage and determining if the energy-indicating threshold has been reached the controller is further configured to: determine if the load voltage is greater than the predetermined load threshold voltage. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the switching power converter comprises a flyback-type switching power converter that includes a primary coil and a secondary coil, the energy-indicating threshold comprises a predetermined time threshold for a current in the secondary coil to decay to approximately zero, and to determine if the energy-indicating threshold has been reached the controller is further configured to: determine if the time of the current in the secondary coil to decay to approximately zero is greater than the predetermined time threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein to cause the switching power converter to decrease the amount of charge provided to the load relative to the charge provided during the start-up mode and operate in a distinct post-start-up-mode the controller is further configured to: during each cycle of an input voltage to the switching power converter: determine a target amount of charge for the switching power converter to provide to the load; provide charge to the load until the amount of charge provided to the load approximately equals the target amount of charge; and cease provision of charge to the load when the amount of charge provided to the load approximately equals the target amount of charge. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the switching power converter comprises a single stage flyback-type converter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the load comprises one or more capacitors and one or more light emitting diodes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller comprises an integrated circuit. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the controller is further configured to: during the start-up mode, disregard a phase-cut angle in an input voltage to the switching power converter when causing the switching power converter to provide the maximum amount of charge. ### Claim 22 An apparatus comprising: a switching power converter; a load coupled to the switching power converter; and a controller, coupled to the switching power converter; wherein the controller is configured to: detect a start-up condition of the load, wherein (i) to detect a start-up condition comprises to detect a load voltage below a predetermined voltage threshold level and (ii) a start-up condition includes when the load voltage is below the predetermined voltage threshold level during a normal operation of the switching power converter; upon detection of the start-up condition: cause the switching power converter to provide an amount of charge to the load at a rate in accordance with a start-up mode until reaching an energy-indicating threshold; determine if the energy-indicating threshold has been reached; and when the energy-indicating threshold has been reached, cause the switching power converter to (i) decrease the amount of charge provided to the load relative to the charge provided during the start-up mode and (ii) operate in a distinct post-start-up-mode. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the load comprises one or more light emitting diodes. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the switching power converter, the load, and controller are included in a lamp.