High efficiency resonant switching converters

Claim 2

A DC to DC flyback converter for supplying power derived from an input voltage source to one or more output terminals, comprising: a first transformer which isolates the one or more output terminals from the input voltage source, said transformer having a primary winding; a first semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said primary winding with the input voltage source; a resonant capacitor; a second semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said resonant capacitor with said primary winding; and control circuitry having means for alternately turning said first switch ON and OFF according to a first selected duty cycle and means for alternately turning said second switch ON and OFF according to a second selected duty cycle, wherein said second duty cycle is selected such that said second switch is turned ON only so long as required to discharge said resonant capacitor.

Claim 3

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 1, wherein said means for turning said first switch ON and OFF comprise a first voltage control signal and said means for turning said second switch ON and OFF comprise a second voltage control signal.

Claim 4

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 2, further comprising means for deriving said second voltage control signal from said first voltage control signal.

Claim 5

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 3, wherein said means for deriving said second voltage control signal from said first voltage control signal comprise delay circuitry.

Claim 6

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 1, further comprising a second transformer, said second transformer having a primary winding provided in series with said first transformer primary winding.

Claim 7

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 5, said second transformer having substantially greater inductance than said first transformer.

Claim 8

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 5, said first and second transformers each having a secondary winding, said respective secondary windings provided in parallel.

Claim 9

A DC to DC flyback converter for supplying power derived from an input voltage source to one or more output terminals, comprising: a transformer which isolates the one or more output terminals from the input voltage source, said transformer having a primary winding; a first semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said primary winding with the input voltage source; a resonant capacitor; a second semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said resonant capacitor with said primary winding; and control circuitry having means for alternately turning said first switch ON for a period of time T ON and OFF for a period of time T OFF , respectively, and means for alternately turning said second switch ON for a period of time T D2 and OFF for a period of time T D3 , respectively, wherein each second switch ON time period T D2 commences after a time delay T D1 following each instance said first switch is turned ON, and wherein said time period T D2 is limited to the time required to discharge said resonant capacitor.

Claim 10

A DC to DC flyback converter for supplying power derived from an input voltage source to one or more output terminals, comprising: a transformer which isolates the one or more output terminals from the input voltage source, said transformer having a primary winding; a first semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said primary winding with the input voltage source; a resonant capacitor; a second semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said resonant capacitor with said primary winding; and control circuitry having means for alternately turning said first switch ON for a period of time T ON and OFF for a period of time T OFF , respectively, and means for alternately turning said second switch ON for a period of time T D2 and OFF for a period of time T D3 , respectively, wherein each second switch ON time period T D2 commences after a time delay T D1 following each instance said first switch is turned ON, and wherein said time period T D2 is limited to the time required to discharge said resonant capacitor.

Claim 13

The method for controlling a DC to DC flyback converter of claim 9, comprising the further step of: deriving said second voltage control signal from said first voltage control signal.

Claim 14

A DC to DC flyback converter for supplying power derived from an input voltage source to one or more output terminals, comprising: a first transformer having a primary winding; and a second transformer having a primary winding, said first transformer primary winding provided in series with said second transformer primary winding, said first transformer having substantially greater inductance than said second transformer.

Claim 15

A DC to DC flyback converter for supplying power derived from an input voltage source to one or more output terminals, comprising: a first transformer having a primary winding; and a second transformer having a primary winding, said first transformer primary winding provided in series with said second transformer primary winding, said first transformer having substantially greater inductance than said second transformer.

Claim 16

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 11, said first and second transformers each having a secondary winding, said first transformer secondary winding provided in parallel with said second transformer secondary winding.

Claim 17

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 11, further comprising: a first semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said primary windings with the input voltage source; a resonant capacitor; a second semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said resonant capacitor with said primary windings; and control circuitry having means for alternately turning said first switch ON and OFF according to a first selected duty cycle and means for alternately turning said second switch ON and OFF according to a second selected duty cycle, wherein said second duty cycle is selected such that said second switch is turned ON only so long as required to discharge said resonant capacitor.

Claim 18

A DC to DC flyback converter for supplying power derived from an input voltage source to one or more output voltage terminals over a wide range of output load levels, comprising: magnetic energy transfer means for isolating the one or more output voltage terminals from the input voltage source, said magnetic energy transfer means having an effective variable inductance.

Claim 19

A DC to DC flyback converter for supplying power derived from an input voltage source to one or more output voltage terminals over a wide range of output load levels, comprising: magnetic energy transfer means for isolating the one or more output voltage terminals from the input voltage source, said magnetic energy transfer means having an effective variable inductance.

Claim 20

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 14, wherein the inductance of said magnetic energy transfer system is inversely related to the output load level.

Claim 21

The DC to DC flyback converter of claim 14, said magnetic energy transfer means comprising a pair of transformers, one of the transformers having substantially greater inductance than the other.

Claim 22

A DC to DC power converter for supplying power derived from an input voltage source to an output voltage terminal, comprising: a transformer which isolates the output voltage terminal from the input voltage source, said transformer having a primary winding, a flyback-secondary winding and a forward-secondary winding, respectively; a load-side inductor electrically coupled in series with said forward-secondary winding; and a load-side storage capacitor electrically coupled with said flyback-secondary winding, said inductor and capacitor connected in parallel across said output voltage terminal.

Claim 23

A DC to DC power converter for supplying power derived from an input voltage source to an output voltage terminal, comprising: a transformer which isolates the output voltage terminal from the input voltage source, said transformer having a primary winding, a flyback-secondary winding and a forward-secondary winding, respectively; a load-side inductor electrically coupled in series with said forward-secondary winding; and a load-side storage capacitor electrically coupled with said flyback-secondary winding, said inductor and capacitor connected in parallel across said output voltage terminal.

Claim 24

The DC to DC power converter of claim 17, further comprising: a first semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said primary winding with the input voltage source, said transformer both storing energy and transferring energy through said forward-secondary winding, respectively.

Claim 25

The DC to DC power converter of claim 18, further comprising: a resonant capacitor; a second semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said resonant capacitor with said primary winding; and control circuitry having means for alternately turning said first switch ON and OFF according to a first selected duty cycle and means for alternately turning said second switch ON and OFF according to a second selected duty cycle.

Claim 26

Start-up circuitry for connecting a voltage supply for the control circuitry of a power converter to a voltage source, comprising: means including a first semiconductor switch to connect the voltage supply to the voltage source upon initial start-up of the power converter; means including a second semiconductor switch and a comparator to maintain said connection until the voltage supply is charged to a first voltage level and then discontinuing said connection until the voltage of said voltage supply drops below a second voltage level, said first voltage level being greater than said second voltage level, wherein said second switch is controlled by an output signal from said comparator and said first switch is controlled by said second switch.

Claim 27

Start-up circuitry for connecting a voltage supply for the control circuitry of a power converter to a voltage source, comprising: means including a first semiconductor switch to connect the voltage supply to the voltage source upon initial start-up of the power converter; means including a second semiconductor switch and a comparator to maintain said connection until the voltage supply is charged to a first voltage level and then discontinuing said connection until the voltage of said voltage supply drops below a second voltage level, said first voltage level being greater than said second voltage level, wherein said second switch is controlled by an output signal from said comparator and said first switch is controlled by said second switch.

Claim 28

The start-up circuitry of claim 20, wherein said means to connect comprise a first semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples the voltage supply to the voltage source, and said means to maintain said connection comprise a second semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples an activating gate of said first semiconductor switch to ground, said second semiconductor switch being activated by an output signal of a voltage comparator.

Claim 29

The start-up circuitry of claim 21, said voltage comparator comparing an input voltage to a reference voltage, said input voltage determined in part by the voltage level of the voltage supply.

Claim 30

The start-up circuitry of claim 20, said first voltage level selected at a level sufficient operating voltage to the control circuitry such that said control circuitry can commence operation and thereafter be powered by an auxiliary converter output terminal, said second voltage level selected to allow for typical start-up converter output voltage fluctuations without causing said connection to be reestablished.

Claim 31

A DC to DC flyback converter for supplying power to one or more output terminals from an input voltage source, comprising: a first transformer which isolates the one or more output terminals from the input voltage source, said transformer having a primary winding; a first semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said primary winding with the input voltage source; a resonant capacitor; a second semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said resonant capacitor with said primary winding; control circuitry having means for alternately turning said first switch ON and OFF according to a first selected duty cycle and means for alternately turning said second switch ON and OFF according to a second selected duty cycle, wherein said second duty cycle is selected such that said second switch is turned ON only so long as required to discharge said resonant capacitor; and start-up circuitry having means including a first semiconductor switch to connect a voltage supply for said control circuitry to the input voltage, said connection being maintained from start-up by means including a second semiconductor switch and a comparator until said voltage supply is charged by the input voltage to a first selected voltage level and then discontinued until said voltage supply drops below a second selected voltage level, wherein said second switch is controlled by an output signal from said comparator and said first switch is controlled by said second switch.

Claim 32

A DC to DC flyback converter for supplying power to one or more output terminals from an input voltage source, comprising: a first transformer which isolates the one or more output terminals from the input voltage source, said transformer having a primary winding; a first semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said primary winding with the input voltage source; a resonant capacitor; a second semiconductor switch that, when ON, electrically couples said resonant capacitor with said primary winding; control circuitry having means for alternately turning said first switch ON and OFF according to a first selected duty cycle and means for alternately turning said second switch ON and OFF according to a second selected duty cycle, wherein said second duty cycle is selected such that said second switch is turned ON only so long as required to discharge said resonant capacitor; and start-up circuitry having means including a first semiconductor switch to connect a voltage supply for said control circuitry to the input voltage, said connection being maintained from start-up by means including a second semiconductor switch and a comparator until said voltage supply is charged by the input voltage to a first selected voltage level and then discontinued until said voltage supply drops below a second selected voltage level, wherein said second switch is controlled by an output signal from said comparator and said first switch is controlled by said second switch.