# US 9,520,796 B2 · Control method and device for quasi-resonant high-power-factor flyback converter

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- Number: US 9,520,796 B2
- Document ID: US9520796B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/572,638
- Filed: 2015-03-06
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-06
- Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
- Applicants: Stmicroelectronics S.R.L.
- Inventors: Claudio Adragna; Giovanni Gritti
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520796B2

## CPC

- H02M 3/33523: {with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop}
- H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
- H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
- H02M 1/36: Means for starting or stopping converters
- H02M 1/42: Circuits or arrangements for compensating for or adjusting power factor in converters or inverters
- H02M 1/4258: {using a single converter stage both for correction of AC input power factor and generation of a regulated and galvanically isolated DC output voltage (H02M1/4241 takes precedence)}
- H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter}
- H02M 1/0058: {by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero (using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826)}
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a high power factor quasi resonant converter. The converter converts an AC power line input to a DC output to power a load, generally a string of LEDs. The power input is fed into a transformer being controlled by a power switch. The power switch is driven by a controller having a shaping circuit. The shaping circuit uses a current generator, switched resistor and capacitor to produce a sinusoidal reference voltage signal. The controller drives the power switch based on the voltage reference signal, resulting in a sinusoidal input current in a primary winding of the transformer, resulting in high power factor and low total harmonic distortion for the converter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for controlling a power transistor of a power circuit, comprising:
a driver circuit having a first input configured to receive a voltage reference signal, and an output configured to drive the power transistor based on the voltage reference signal; and
a driver control circuit configured to provide the voltage reference signal to the driver circuit, the driver control circuit including:
a multiplier having a first input configured to receive a first signal based on a feedback signal from the power circuit, a second input configured to receive a second signal, and an output, the multiplier being configured to produce a multiplier signal based on a multiplication of the first and second signals;
a current generator coupled to the multiplier and configured to produce a current reference signal;
a first resistor coupled to an output of the first current generator; and
a switch configured to couple the first resistor in parallel with a capacitor when the power transistor is on, and wherein the driver control circuit is configured to provide the voltage reference signal based on the current reference signal, and a resistance of the first resistor, and a capacitance of the capacitor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, comprising:
the capacitor, which is coupled between the first current generator and a supply voltage terminal, wherein the switch and first resistor are coupled between the first current generator and the supply voltage terminal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the current generator and the first resistor are configured to provide the second signal to the second input of the multiplier and the multiplier is configured to output the voltage reference signal to the driver circuit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein the current generator includes a control terminal configured to receive a control voltage from an input circuit of the power circuit, the control voltage being based on a rectified input voltage of the power circuit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the multiplier is configured to receive the second signal from an input circuit of the power circuit, the second signal being based on a rectified input voltage of the power circuit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the current generator includes:
a second resistor coupled between a rectifier and the second input of the multiplier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the first resistor is coupled between the second resistor and the switch.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the current generator includes a control terminal coupled to the output of the multiplier and is configured to provide the voltage reference signal to the driver circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the driver circuit includes:
a comparator having a first input to an output of the driver control circuit, a second input configured to receive a sense signal indicative of a current though the power switch, and an output;
a flip-flop having a reset input, coupled to the output of the comparator, and an output; and
a driver having an input coupled to the output of the flip-flop and an output configured to control the power switch.

### Claim 10

A device for controlling a driver of a power circuit, comprising:
a multiplier having a first input configured to receive a first signal based on a feedback signal from the power circuit, a second input configured to receive a second signal based on an input signal from the power circuit, and an output, the multiplier being configured to produce a multiplier signal based on a multiplication of the first and second signals;
a current generator coupled to the multiplier and configured to produce a current reference signal;
a capacitor coupled between the first current generator and a supply voltage terminal;
a first resistor coupled to an output of the first current generator; and
a switch configured to couple the first resistor in parallel with the capacitor when the power transistor is on.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the current generator and the first resistor are configured to provide the second signal to the second input of the multiplier and the multiplier is configured to output a voltage reference signal to the driver.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the current generator includes a control terminal coupled to the output of the multiplier and is configured to provide a voltage reference signal to the driver.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the current generator includes:
a second resistor coupled between a rectifier and the second input of the multiplier.

### Claim 14

A system, comprising:
a rectifier having an input and configured to output a rectified voltage;
a transformer having a primary winding configured to receive a sinusoidal input current from the rectifier;
a power transistor coupled to the primary winding of the transformer and configured to drive the transformer;
a driver circuit configured to drive the power transistor based on a voltage reference signal;
a control circuit configured to produce the voltage reference signal, having:
a multiplier having a first input configured to receive a first signal, a second input configured to receive a second signal based on the rectified voltage, and an output at which the multiplier is configured to produce a multiplier signal based on a multiplication of the first and second signals;
a current generator coupled to the multiplier and configured to output a reference current;
a first resistor coupled to an output of the first current generator;
a capacitor coupled between the current generator and a supply voltage terminal; and
a switch configured to couple the resistor in parallel with the capacitor when the power transistor is on.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the driver circuit includes:
a comparator having a first input coupled to an output of the control circuit, a second input configured to receive a sense signal indicative of a current though the power transistor, and an output;
a flip-flop having a reset input, coupled to the output of the comparator, and an output; and
a driver having an input coupled to the output of the flip-flop and an output configured to control the power transistor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the current generator and the first resistor are configured to provide the first signal to the first input of the multiplier, the multiplier being configured to provide the voltage reference signal to the driver circuit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the current generator includes a control terminal coupled to the output of the multiplier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the current generator includes a control terminal configured to receive a control voltage from an input circuit of the power circuit, the control voltage being based on a rectified input voltage of the power circuit.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the multiplier is configured to receive the second signal from an input circuit of the power circuit, the second signal being based on a rectified input voltage of the power circuit.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the current generator includes:
a second resistor coupled between the rectifier and the second input of the multiplier.