US7847532B2
Active / In Force
US
⏱️ 1.2 years remaining
Centralized controller and power manager for on-board power systems
Assignee: Aes Global Holdings Pte Ltd
•
Filing: 2008-01-22
•
Granted: 2010-12-07
•
Expires: 2028-01-22
Abstract
Abstract A controller for controlling a plurality of DC-DC switching cells each configured to generate an output voltage in response to receiving a PWM control signal from the controller. The controller includes a plurality of output ports for outputting a plurality of PWM control signals, and at least one input port for receiving a plurality of output voltages from the plurality of switching cells. The controller is configured to sample the plurality of output voltages one at a time via a multiplexer and to regulate the output voltages in response to the sampling.
Inventors
- 👤 Geoffrey Potter
- 👤 Hong Mao
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 17:40
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02J; H02J1/00; H02J1/08; G; G06; G06F; G06F1/00; G06F1/26; H02M; H02M1/00; H02M1/0067; H02M1/007; H02M1/008; H02M3/00; H02M3/02; H02M3/04; H02M3/10; H02M3/145; H02M3/155; H02M3/156; H02M3/157
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 48
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
A controller for controlling a plurality of DC-DC switching cells, each switching cell configured to generate an output voltage in response to receiving a PWM control signal from the controller, the controller comprising a plurality of output ports for outputting a plurality of PWM control signals, and at least one input port for receiving a plurality of output voltages from the plurality of switching cells, the controller configured to sample the plurality of output voltages one at a time via a multiplexer and to regulate the output voltages in response to the sampling.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
93 words
A controller for controlling a plurality of DC-DC switching cells, each switching cell configured to generate an output voltage in response to receiving a PWM control signal from the controller, the controller comprising a plurality of output ports for outputting a plurality of PWM control signals, and at least one input port for receiving a plurality of output voltages from the plurality of switching cells, the controller configured to sample the plurality of output voltages one at a time via a multiplexer and to regulate the output voltages in response to the sampling.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The controller of claim 1 further configured to sample the plurality of output voltages in a sequence.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The controller of claim 1 further configured to regulate the output voltages by adjusting the PWM control signals in response to the sampling.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The controller of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional input port for receiving an output voltage from one of the plurality of switching cells.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The controller of claim 4 wherein the controller is configured to sample the output voltage received at said additional input port substantially continuously.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The controller of claim 4 further comprising a digital filter to determine an adjustment to the output voltage received by the additional input port.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The controller of claim 1 wherein the at least one input port includes a plurality of input ports, wherein the controller comprises the multiplexer, and wherein the multiplexer includes a plurality of inputs coupled to the plurality of input ports.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The controller of claim 7 further comprising an analog to digital converter having an input coupled to an output of the multiplexer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The controller of claim 1 further comprising a firmware-based filter algorithm to determine an adjustment to the output voltage.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The controller of claim 1 further configured to perform monitoring, sequencing and margining functions for the plurality of switching cells.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The controller of claim 1 further comprising at least one operating parameter input port for receiving a plurality of operating parameter signals from the plurality of switching cells.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The controller of claim 11 further configured to sample the plurality of operating parameter signals one at a time via a multiplexer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The controller of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a digital controller.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The controller of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured as a controller module for attachment to a circuit board.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
89 words
A controller for controlling a plurality of DC-DC switching cells, each switching cell configured to generate an output voltage in response to receiving a PWM control signal from the controller, the controller comprising a plurality of output ports for outputting a plurality of PWM control signals to the plurality of switching cells, and at least one input port for receiving one or more output voltages from the plurality of switching cells, the controller configured to configured to perform monitoring, sequencing and/or margining functions for the plurality of switching cells.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
89 words
A controller for controlling a plurality of DC-DC switching cells, each switching cell configured to generate an output voltage in response to receiving a PWM control signal from the controller, the controller comprising a plurality of output ports for outputting a plurality of PWM control signals to the plurality of switching cells, and at least one input port for receiving one or more output voltages from the plurality of switching cells, the controller configured to configured to perform monitoring, sequencing and/or margining functions for the plurality of switching cells.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
68 words
A DC-DC power converter comprising a switch, a rectifier, and an output filter coupled to the rectifier for generating a DC output voltage from a DC input voltage, a first output port for outputting the DC output voltage, a second output port for outputting a first PWM control signal to a first switching cell, and a controller for controlling said switch and generating said first PWM control signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
68 words
A DC-DC power converter comprising a switch, a rectifier, and an output filter coupled to the rectifier for generating a DC output voltage from a DC input voltage, a first output port for outputting the DC output voltage, a second output port for outputting a first PWM control signal to a first switching cell, and a controller for controlling said switch and generating said first PWM control signal.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
91 words
A method of using a single controller to control a plurality of DC-DC switching cells each configured to generate an output voltage in response to a PWM control signal from the controller, the method comprising providing a PWM control signal to each of the switching cells, receiving via a multiplexer a plurality of output voltages from the plurality of switching cells, sampling the received plurality of output voltages one at a time, and adjusting the PWM control signal for one of said switching cells in response to its sampled output voltage.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
91 words
A method of using a single controller to control a plurality of DC-DC switching cells each configured to generate an output voltage in response to a PWM control signal from the controller, the method comprising providing a PWM control signal to each of the switching cells, receiving via a multiplexer a plurality of output voltages from the plurality of switching cells, sampling the received plurality of output voltages one at a time, and adjusting the PWM control signal for one of said switching cells in response to its sampled output voltage.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the switching cells are switching cell modules.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the controller is a controller module.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the controller comprises a digital controller.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 17 wherein sampling the plurality of output voltages includes sampling the plurality of output voltages in a sequence.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 17 wherein adjusting one of said PWM control signals includes adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM control signal by a predetermined amount.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 17 wherein adjusting includes adjusting said PWM control signal for one of said switching cells when its sampled output voltage is outside a predetermined range.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 23 wherein adjusting further includes adjusting the duty cycle of said PWM control signal for one of said switching cells by a predetermined amount when its sampled output voltage is outside the predetermined range.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 24 wherein the predetermined amount is an amount calculated to change the sampled output voltage by approximately half of the predetermined range.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the controller includes the multiplexer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the multiplexer is external to the controller.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
69 words
The controller of claim 14 further comprising at least one operating parameter input port for receiving a plurality of operating parameter signals from the plurality of switching cells, and a multiplexer coupled to the at least one operating parameter input port, the controller configured to sample the plurality of operating parameter signals one at a time via the multiplexer coupled to the at least one operating parameter input port.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
35 words
The controller of claim 28 further configured to sample the plurality of output voltages in a sequence and configured to regulate the output voltages by adjusting the PWM control signals in response to the sampling.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
46 words
The controller of claim 29 further comprising at least one additional input port for receiving an output voltage from one of the plurality of switching cells, and wherein the controller is further configured to sample the output voltage received at said additional input port substantially continuously.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
20 words
The controller of claim 30 further configured to perform monitoring, sequencing and margining functions for the plurality of switching cells.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
35 words
The controller of claim 31 further configured to sample the plurality of output voltages in a sequence and configured to regulate the output voltages by adjusting the PWM control signals in response to the sampling.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
20 words
The controller of claim 15 wherein the controller is configured as a controller module for attachment to a circuit board.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
28 words
The controller of claim 33 further comprising at least one operating parameter input port for receiving a plurality of operating parameter signals from the plurality of switching cells.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
22 words
The controller of claim 34 further configured to sample the plurality of operating parameter signals one at a time via a multiplexer.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
33 words
The controller of claim 34 further configured to sample the one or more output voltages one at a time via a multiplexer and to regulate the output voltages in response to the sampling.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
46 words
The controller of claim 36 further comprising at least one additional input port for receiving an output voltage from one of the plurality of switching cells, and wherein the controller is further configured to sample the output voltage received at said additional input port substantially continuously.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
21 words
The DC-DC power converter of claim 16 further comprising an input port for receiving an output voltage of the switching cell.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
28 words
The DC-DC power converter of claim 38 wherein the controller is further configured to regulate the output voltage of the switching cell by adjusting the PWM control signal.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
36 words
The DC-DC power converter of claim 16 further comprising a third output port for outputting a second PWM control signal to a second switching cell, the controller further configured for generating the second PWM control signal.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
69 words
The DC-DC power converter of claim 40 further comprising at least one input port for receiving an output voltage of the first switching cell and an output voltage of the second switching cell, the controller further configured to regulate the output voltage of the first switching cell and the output voltage of the second switching cell by adjusting the first PWM control signal and the second PWM control signal.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the controller is a controller module.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 42 wherein adjusting includes adjusting the duty cycle of said PWM control signal for one of said switching cells by a predetermined amount when its sampled output voltage is outside a predetermined range.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 24 wherein the predetermined amount is an amount calculated to change the sampled output voltage by approximately half of the predetermined range.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2013-12-06 | 2014-06-07 | 2014-12-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2017-12-06 | 2018-06-07 | 2018-12-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2021-12-06 | 2022-06-07 | 2022-12-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |