Power supply apparatus having a reference voltage register and method of controlling

Claim 2

A power supply apparatus comprising: a power supply circuit for generating a DC output according to a pulse signal; a converter converting an output voltage and an output current from said power supply circuit into digital data; a reference value unit storing a reference value; a reference value determination unit determining a reference value and updating said stored reference value for maintaining a voltage applied to the input terminal of a load at a constant value even when the output current of the power supply circuit changes based on the digital data which corresponds to the output current and is obtained by said converter; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for said power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data which corresponds to the output voltage and is obtained by said converter and the reference value.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: said reference value determination unit obtains the reference value by adding a product of a resistance value of a conductor and an output current to a voltage required by the load, wherein the resistance value of a conductor is a resistance value between said power supply circuit and the load connected to said power supply circuit.

Claim 4

A controller for controlling a power supply circuit for generating a DC output based on a pulse signal, comprising: a converter converting an output voltage and an output current from said power supply circuit into digital data; a reference value unit storing a reference value; a reference value determination unit determining a reference value and updating said reference value for maintaining a voltage applied to the input terminal of a load at a constant value even when the output current of the power supply circuit changes based on the digital data which corresponds to the output current and is obtained by said converter; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for said power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data which corresponds to the output voltage and is obtained by said converter and the reference value.

Claim 5

A controller for controlling a power supply circuit for generating a DC output based on a pulse signal, comprising: a converter converting an output voltage and an output current from said power supply circuit into digital data; a reference value unit storing a reference value; a reference value determination unit determining a reference value and updating said reference value for maintaining a voltage applied to the input terminal of a load at a constant value even when the output current of the power supply circuit changes based on the digital data which corresponds to the output current and is obtained by said converter; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for said power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data which corresponds to the output voltage and is obtained by said converter and the reference value.

Claim 8

A power supply apparatus comprising: a power supply circuit for generating a DC output based on a received pulse signal; a reference value determination unit determining a reference value indicating an output voltage from said power supply circuit based on the output voltage; a converter converting the output voltage into digital data; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for the power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data obtained from said converter and the reference value, wherein said reference value determination unit determines an increasing rate of change of the reference value based on an output voltage to be supplied to a load in a process of starting the power supply circuit or a decreasing rate of change of the reference value based on an output voltage to be supplied to a load in a process of disconnecting the power supply circuit.

Claim 9

A power supply apparatus comprising: a power supply circuit for generating a DC output based on a received pulse signal; a reference value determination unit determining a reference value indicating an output voltage from said power supply circuit based on the output voltage; a converter converting the output voltage into digital data; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for the power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data obtained from said converter and the reference value, wherein said reference value determination unit determines an increasing rate of change of the reference value based on an output voltage to be supplied to a load in a process of starting the power supply circuit or a decreasing rate of change of the reference value based on an output voltage to be supplied to a load in a process of disconnecting the power supply circuit.

Claim 10

A power supply apparatus comprising: a plurality of power supply circuits for generating DC output according to received pulse signals; a reference value determination unit updating a plurality of reference values indicating respective output voltages from said plurality of power supply circuits with predetermined relationship maintained among said plurality of reference values: a converter converting output voltages from said plurality of power supply circuits into digital data; and a generator generating pulse signals to be provided for said plurality of power supply circuits based on a difference between each piece of digital data obtained by said converter and each of the corresponding reference values.

Claim 11

A power supply apparatus comprising: a plurality of power supply circuits for generating DC output according to received pulse signals; a reference value determination unit updating a plurality of reference values indicating respective output voltages from said plurality of power supply circuits with predetermined relationship maintained among said plurality of reference values: a converter converting output voltages from said plurality of power supply circuits into digital data; and a generator generating pulse signals to be provided for said plurality of power supply circuits based on a difference between each piece of digital data obtained by said converter and each of the corresponding reference values.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising: a monitor unit detecting an abnormal condition based on the output voltages from said plurality of power supply circuits wherein: said reference value determination unit updates a reference value for a normally operating power supply circuit such that a difference from an output voltage from a power supply circuit in which an abnormal condition has been detected by said monitor unit can indicate a constant value.

Claim 13

A controller for controlling a power supply circuit for generating a DC output according to a pulse signal, comprising: a reference value determination unit determining a reference value indicating an output voltage from said power supply circuit based on the output voltage; a converter converting the output voltage into digital data; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for said power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data obtained from said converter and the reference value, wherein said reference value determination unit determines an increasing rate of change of the reference value based on an output voltage to be supplied to a load in a process of starting the power supply circuit or a decreasing rate of change of the reference value based on an output voltage to be supplied to a load in a process of disconnecting the power supply circuit.

Claim 14

A controller for controlling a power supply circuit for generating a DC output according to a pulse signal, comprising: a reference value determination unit determining a reference value indicating an output voltage from said power supply circuit based on the output voltage; a converter converting the output voltage into digital data; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for said power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data obtained from said converter and the reference value, wherein said reference value determination unit determines an increasing rate of change of the reference value based on an output voltage to be supplied to a load in a process of starting the power supply circuit or a decreasing rate of change of the reference value based on an output voltage to be supplied to a load in a process of disconnecting the power supply circuit.

Claim 15

A controller for controlling a plurality of power supply circuits for generating DC output according to received pulse signals, comprising; a reference value determination unit updating a plurality of reference values indicating respective output voltages from said plurality of power supply circuits with predetermined relationship maintained among said plurality of reference values; a converter converting output voltages from said plurality of power supply circuits into digital data; and a generator generating pulse signals to be provided for said plurality of power supply circuits based on a difference between each piece of digital data obtained by said converter and each of the corresponding reference values.

Claim 16

A controller for controlling a plurality of power supply circuits for generating DC output according to received pulse signals, comprising; a reference value determination unit updating a plurality of reference values indicating respective output voltages from said plurality of power supply circuits with predetermined relationship maintained among said plurality of reference values; a converter converting output voltages from said plurality of power supply circuits into digital data; and a generator generating pulse signals to be provided for said plurality of power supply circuits based on a difference between each piece of digital data obtained by said converter and each of the corresponding reference values.

Claim 19

A power supply apparatus comprising: a power supply circuit for generating a DC output based on a received pulse signal; a reference value determination unit determining a reference value indicating an output voltage from said power supply circuit based on the output voltage; a converter converting the output voltage into digital data; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for the power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data obtained from said converter and the reference value, wherein said reference value determination unit determines an increasing or decreasing rate of change the reference value based on an electric characteristics of a load which is connected to the power supply apparatus in a process of starting or disconnecting the power supply circuit.

Claim 20

A power supply apparatus comprising: a power supply circuit for generating a DC output based on a received pulse signal; a reference value determination unit determining a reference value indicating an output voltage from said power supply circuit based on the output voltage; a converter converting the output voltage into digital data; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for the power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data obtained from said converter and the reference value, wherein said reference value determination unit determines an increasing or decreasing rate of change the reference value based on an electric characteristics of a load which is connected to the power supply apparatus in a process of starting or disconnecting the power supply circuit.

Claim 21

A controller for controlling a power supply circuit for generating a DC output according to a pulse signal, comprising: a reference value determination unit determining a reference value indicating an output voltage from said power supply circuit based on the output voltage; a converter converting the output voltage into digital data; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for said power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data obtained from said converter and the reference value, wherein said reference value determination unit determines an increasing or decreasing rate of change the reference value based on an electric characteristics of a load which is connected to the power supply apparatus in a process of starting or disconnecting the power supply circuit.

Claim 22

A controller for controlling a power supply circuit for generating a DC output according to a pulse signal, comprising: a reference value determination unit determining a reference value indicating an output voltage from said power supply circuit based on the output voltage; a converter converting the output voltage into digital data; and a generator generating a pulse signal to be provided for said power supply circuit based on a difference between the digital data obtained from said converter and the reference value, wherein said reference value determination unit determines an increasing or decreasing rate of change the reference value based on an electric characteristics of a load which is connected to the power supply apparatus in a process of starting or disconnecting the power supply circuit.