Electronic control of protection parameters for a semiconductor switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12424929-B2
Application number	US-202318305797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2023
Priority date	Apr 24, 2023
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A system includes an electronic device including a circuit having a semiconductor switch, and a controller configured to control a gate driver connected to the semiconductor switch via a protection circuit. The controller is configured to set a protection parameter including a voltage threshold representing a selected value of a voltage across the semiconductor switch, the protection parameter configured to cause the semiconductor switch to be deactivated in response to an overcurrent condition, the protection parameter selected based on a mathematical model of the semiconductor switch, the mathematical model representing a physical property of at least one of the electronic device and the semiconductor switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an electronic device including a circuit having a semiconductor switch;
a controller configured to control a gate driver connected to the semiconductor switch via a protection circuit, the controller configured to set a protection parameter including a voltage threshold representing a selected value of a voltage across the semiconductor switch, the protection parameter configured to cause the semiconductor switch to be deactivated in response to an overcurrent condition, the protection parameter selected based on a mathematical model of the semiconductor switch, the mathematical model representing a physical property of at least one of the electronic device and the semiconductor switch, wherein the mathematical model includes a physics-based semiconductor model, the semiconductor model prescribing a value of the protection parameter based on a temperature of the semiconductor switch, a phase of current applied to the semiconductor switch for controlling the semiconductor switch, and a ripple current.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is disposed in a vehicle, and the system is configured to wirelessly transmit the protection parameter to an external location for remote monitoring of the electronic device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mathematical model includes a thermal model of a junction temperature of the semiconductor switch, and a torque speed model including a torque speed operating point.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to update the protection parameter at each of a plurality of switching cycles.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the protection parameter includes a blanking time.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to select the blanking time by controlling at least one of a charging current and a capacitance of a capacitor.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the protection parameter includes a threshold desaturation voltage of the protection circuit.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the voltage threshold by controlling at least one of a charging current, a resistance of a variable resistor and an internal comparator threshold.

9. A method comprising:
controlling a semiconductor switch of an electronic device during a switching cycle by a gate driver connected to the semiconductor switch via a protection circuit;
monitoring a voltage across the semiconductor switch during the switch cycle, and comparing the voltage across the semiconductor switch to a protection parameter, the protection parameter including a voltage threshold representing a selected value of a voltage across the semiconductor switch;
based on an overcurrent condition causing the voltage of the semiconductor switch to exceed the voltage threshold, deactivating the semiconductor switch, wherein the protection parameter is selected based on a mathematical model of the semiconductor switch, the mathematical model representing a physical property of at least one of the electronic device and the semiconductor switch, wherein the mathematical model is a physics-based semiconductor model, the semiconductor model prescribing a value of the protection parameter based on a temperature of the semiconductor switch, a phase of current applied to the semiconductor switch for controlling the semiconductor switch, and a ripple current.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device is disposed in a vehicle, and the mathematical model includes at least one of a torque model and a power inverter loss model.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the mathematical model includes a thermal model of a junction temperature of the semiconductor switch, and a torque speed model including a torque speed operating point.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising updating the protection parameter at each of a plurality of switching cycles.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the protection parameter includes a blanking time, the blanking time selected by controlling at least one of a charging current and a capacitance of a capacitor.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the protection parameter includes a threshold desaturation voltage of the protection circuit.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device is disposed in a vehicle, and the method further comprising wirelessly transmitting the protection parameter to an external location for remote monitoring of the electronic device.

16. A system of a vehicle, comprising:
an electronic device including a circuit having a semiconductor switch;
a gate driver connected to the semiconductor switch via a protection circuit; and
a controller configured to control the gate driver and set a protection parameter including a voltage threshold representing a selected value of a voltage across the semiconductor switch, the protection parameter configured to cause the semiconductor switch to be deactivated in response to an overcurrent condition, the protection parameter selected based on a mathematical model of the semiconductor switch, the mathematical model representing a physical property of at least one of the electronic device and the semiconductor switch, wherein the mathematical model is a physics-based semiconductor model, the semiconductor model prescribing a value of the protection parameter based on a temperature of the semiconductor switch, a phase of current applied to the semiconductor switch for controlling the semiconductor switch, and a ripple current.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the electronic device is disposed in a vehicle, and the mathematical model includes at least one of a torque model and a power inverter loss model.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the mathematical model includes a thermal model of a junction temperature of the semiconductor switch, and a torque speed model including a torque speed operating point.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the protection parameter includes a blanking time, and the controller is configured to select the blanking time by controlling at least one of a charging current and a capacitance of a capacitor.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the protection parameter includes a threshold desaturation voltage of the protection circuit.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Alvi Muhammad Hussain
• Kim Junghoon
• Lee Chunhao J
• Welchko Brian A
• Gach Eric Bernard

Classifications

• H02H5/041

  additionally responsive to excess current (H02H5/048 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60L3/003 Primary

  relating to inverters · CPC title

• B60L2210/42

  Voltage source inverters · CPC title

• H02M1/325

  with means for allowing continuous operation despite a fault, i.e. fault tolerant converters · CPC title

• H02M7/53871

  with automatic control of output voltage or current · CPC title