Harmonic-insensitive ac-to-dc converter

Claim 3

A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said angles are selected in accordance with the order of the harmonics, the effect of which is to be reduced.

Claim 4

A system as defined in claim 2 wherein said angles are about (2n-1) pi /4, n being successive natural, positive integers, the gain for successive segments between each pair of angles being in the ratio of substantially 1+ Square Root 2/1 where the numerator is the relative gain for a segment following an angle where n is even and the denominator is the relative gain for the segment following an angle where n is odd.

Claim 5

A system as defined in claim 2 wherein said angles are determined in accordance with points of intersection in time of the absolute value of said input wave with a DC level derived from said system or a portion thereof.

Claim 8

A system as defined in claim 5 wherein said DC level is established at about Square Root 2/2 times the absolute peak value of the fundamental of said wave.

Claim 9

A system as defined in claim 5 in which said second converter is adapted for providing an output responsively to the peak-to-peak value of said wave.

Claim 10

A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said DC level is established at about sin 41* times the absolute peak value of the fundamental of said wave.

Claim 11

A system as defined in claim 5 in which both of said converters are substantially responsive only to said fundamental and to said components, the harmonic numbers of which are odd and which are in 0* or 180* phase relationship with said fundamental.

Claim 12

A system as defined in claim 5 wherein said first converter comprises a high gain amplifier having a pair of feedback paths, a first unidirectional current conducting means in one of said paths for permitting current flow only during positive excursions of said input wave, a second unidirectional current conducting means in the other of said paths for permitting current flow only during negative excursions of said input wave, respective load impedances in each of said paths, and means for deriving a unipolar output signal from across the load impedance in at least one of said paths.

Claim 13

A system as defined in claim 5 wherein said first converter comprises a high-gain amplifier having a pair of feedback paths, a first unidirectional current conducting means in one of said paths for permitting current flow only during positive excursions of said input wave, a second unidirectional current conducting means in the other of said paths for permitting current flow only during negative excursions of said input wave, respective load impedances in each of said paths, means for deriving a unipolar output signal from across the load impedance in at least one of said paths, and a summing junction at the input of said amplifier; means connecting the output of said first converter to said summing junction; and means for deriving a DC level from one of the outputs of said system or of said first converter and for applying said DC level to said summing junction.

Claim 14

A system as defined in claim 5 wherein said second converter comprises a pair of diodes with respective like electrodes coupled to one another, the other respective like electrodes of said diodes being connected to be respectively driven in response to peaks of opposite polarity of said input wave, resistive attenuator means for biasing said peaks and each including a series resistance connected between the source of said input wave and the respective other electrode of the corresponding diode and a shunt resistance connected between said respective other electrode and a reference terminal adapted to be connected to a source of biasing DC potential, and means connecting the output of said summing means to said reference terminal.

Claim 15

A system as defined in claim 12 wherein said first converter comprises a diode connected to be driven in response to one polarity of said input wave.

Claim 16

A system as defined in claim 12 wherein said first converter comprises another pair of diodes with respective like electrodes coupled to one another, the other respective like electrodes of said another pair being connected to be driven in response to peaks of opposite polarity of said input wave.

Claim 17

A system as defined in claim 5 wherein one of said converters is responsive to the full-wave absolute value of said input wave, and the other of said converters is integral with said means for summing.

Claim 18

A system as defined in claim 5 wherein: said first converter comprises first and second diodes having one pair of opposite electrodes connected to one another and to the source of said input wave; said second converter comprising first and second voltage dividers each having an input connected to said source; third and fourth diodes, the outputs of said first and second dividers being respectively connected to the anode of said third diode and the cathode of said fourth diode; means for summing and filtering the output of said third and first diodes through appropriate ones of said weighting means; means for summing and filtering the outputs of the second and fourth diodes through appropriate ones of said weighting means; means connecting the summed, filtered output of said third and first diodes for biasing said fourth diode through a portion of said second divider; means connecting the summed, filtered output of said second and fourth diodes for biasing said third diode through a portion of said first divider; and means for determining the difference between said summed outputs.

Claim 19

A system as defined in claim 5 wherein: said first converter comprises first and second diodes having one pair of opposite electrodes connected to one another and to the source of said input wave; said second converter comprising first and second voltage dividers each having an input connected to said source; third and fourth diodes, the outputs of said first and second dividers being respectively connected to the anode of said third diode and the cathode of said fourth diode; means for summing the output of said third and first diodes through appropriate ones of said weighting means; means for summing the outputs of the second and fourth diodes through appropriate ones of said weighting means; means connecting the summed output of said third and first diodes for biasing said third diode through a portion of said first divider; means connecting the summed output of said second and fourth diodes for biasing said fourth diode through a portion of said second divider; and means for determining the difference between said summed outputs.

Claim 20

A system as defined in claim 2 including a system input terminal at which said input signal wave can be applied; means connecting the input of said first converter to said input terminal; said means for selectively altering comprising: a second operational amplifier having its input connected through a first one of said weighting means to a unipolar output of said first converter and through a second one of said weighting means to said input terminal; a feedback loop connected between the output and input of said second amplifier and having a third one and fourth one of said weighting means connected in series therein; a third operational amplifier having a feedback loop with a resistor and capacitor in parallel therein; means connecting the output of said second amplifier to the input of said third amplifier; a fourth operational amplifier having its input connected to the output of said third amplifier; rectifying means; means connecting the output of said fourth amplifier through said rectifying means to the junction of said third and fourth weighting means; and a system output terminal connected to the output of said third amplifier.

Claim 21

A system as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said converters comprises a high gain amplifier having a pair of feedback paths, a first unidirectional current conducting means in one of said paths for permitting current flow only during positive excursions of said input wave, a second unidirectional current conducting means in the other of said path for permitting current flow only durinG negative excursions of said input wave, respective load impedances in each of said paths, and means for deriving a unipolar output signal from across the load impedance in at least one of said paths.

Claim 22

A system as defined in claim 19 including a system input terminal at which said input wave can be applied; each of said converters including a summing junction at its input; means connecting said input terminal to a first summing junction at the input of said first converter; means connecting said input terminal through a first one of said weighting means to a second summing junction at the input of said second converter; means connecting the output of said first converter through a second one of said weighting means to said second summing junction; an inverter; a summing and filtering amplifier having a third summing junction at its input; means connecting said input terminal through a third one of said weighting means to said third summing junction; means connecting a unipolar output of a first polarity of said first converter through a fourth one of said weighting means to said third summing junction; means connecting a unipolar output of an opposite polarity to said first polarity from said second converter, through said inverter, and through a fifth one of said weighting means to said third summing junction; and means connecting the output of said summing and filtering amplifier through a sixth one of said weighting means to said second summing junction.

Claim 23

A system as defined in claim 19 including a system input terminal at which said input wave can be supplied; each of said converters including a summing junction at its input; means connecting said input terminal to a first summing junction at the input of said first converter; means connecting said input terminal through a first one of said weighting means to a second summing junction at the input of said second converter; means connecting a unipolar output of said first converter through a second one of said weighting means to said second summing junction; a first summing and filtering amplifier; means connecting the input of said first summing and filtering amplifier through a third one of said weighting means to said input terminal and through a fourth one of said weighting means to the output of said first converter; a second summing and filtering amplifier; means connecting the input of said second summing and filtering amplifier through a fifth one of said weighting means to a unipolar output of said second converter and through a sixth one of said weighting means to the output of said first summing and filtering amplifier; and means connecting through a seventh one of said weighting means the output of said first summing and filtering amplifier to said second summing junction.

Claim 24

A system as defined in claim 19 including a system input terminal at which said input wave can be supplied; each of said converters including a summing junction at its input; means connecting said input terminal to a first summing junction at the input of said first converter; means connecting said input terminal through a first one of said weighting means to a second summing junction at the input of said second converter; means connecting a unipolar output of said first converter through a second one of said weighting means to said second summing junction; a first summing and filtering amplifier; means connecting the input of said first summing and filtering amplifier through a third one of said weighting means to said input terminal and through a fourth one of said weighting means to the output of said first converter; a second summing and filtering amplifier; means connecting the input of said second summing and filtering amplifier through a fifth one of said weighting means to a unipolar output of said second converter, through a sixth one of said weighting means to said Unipolar output of said first converter, and through a seventh one of said weighting means to said input terminal; means connecting through an eighth one of said weighting means the output of said first summing and filtering amplifier to said second summing junction.

Claim 27

A system as defined in claim 23 wherein said operational rectifier means includes a first operational rectifier and a second operational rectifier having an input summing junction, scaling impedances connecting the input of said rectifier and the output of said first rectifier to said summing junction, and said feedback means is connected to apply said DC to said summing junction.

Claim 28

A system as defined in claim 23 which further includes filter means operatively connected for receiving said DC so as to average said DC before the latter is applied to said summing junction.

Claim 29

A system as defined in claim 24 which further includes filter means having an input operatively connected through respective scaling impedances to both the input and output of said first rectifier and the output of said second rectifier so as to average said DC before the latter is applied to said summing junction.