Information output apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016011133-A1
Application number	US-201514726973-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 1, 2015
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An information output apparatus comprises: a first switching element joined through a solder part, and forming one arm of a power conversion apparatus; a second switching element connected in series with the first switching element, and forming the other arm of the power conversion apparatus; a smoothing capacitor; a measuring unit configured to measure a temperature of the first switching element to output a measured value; an applying unit configured to apply two or more continuous pulses in a state where a potential difference across the smoothing capacitor is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the pulses causing the first switching element and the second switching element to simultaneously turn on; an adjusting unit configured to adjust pulse widths of the pulses; and an output unit configured to output information indicating a deterioration of the solder part based on a manner of a change in measured values.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An information output apparatus comprising:
a first switching element joined through a solder part to a surface of a substrate cooled by a refrigerant, and forming one arm of a power conversion apparatus; a second switching element connected in series with the first switching element, and forming the other arm of the power conversion apparatus; a smoothing capacitor disposed in parallel with the first switching element and the second switching element; a measuring unit configured to measure a temperature of the first switching element to output a measured value corresponding to the measured temperature; an applying unit, achieved by a process performed by a processing device, configured to apply two or more continuous pulses to the first switching element and the second switching element in a state where a potential difference across the smoothing capacitor is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the pulses causing the first switching element and the second switching element to simultaneously turn on; an adjusting unit, achieved by a process performed by the processing device, configured to adjust pulse widths of the pulses so that a difference between a temperature of the first switching element before having the pulses applied and a temperature of the first switching element after having the pulses applied becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature; and an output unit, achieved by a process performed by the processing device, configured to output information indicating a deterioration of the solder part based on a manner of a change in measured values, the measured values being output from the measuring unit when the pulses are applied.

2 . The information output apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the manner of a change in the measured values includes a peak value among the measured values or a difference between a measured value before having the pulses applied and the peak value among the measured values.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Onishi Yukio
• Sato Takato
• Shinojima Yasushi
• Shimono Masaru

Classifications

• G01R31/71

  Testing of solder joints · CPC title

• G01R31/2642 Primary

  Testing semiconductor operation lifetime or reliability, e.g. by accelerated life tests · CPC title

• G01R31/40

  Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10) · CPC title

• G01N25/72 Primary

  Investigating presence of flaws · CPC title