Method for remote control of a power converter module and a device therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9584013-B2
Application number	US-201214382089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2012
Priority date	Mar 1, 2012
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods, systems and a module for operating a power converter module, the power converter module comprises a voltage source, a remote control terminal configured to be connected to a voltage potential for remote control of the power converter module. A voltage converter is configured to send an alarm signal, determine the voltage potential of the remote control terminal, and control an output voltage of the voltage converter at an output terminal of the power converter module based on the determined voltage potential of the remote control terminal. An alarm branch is configured to change the voltage potential of the remote control terminal by a voltage source in response to an alarm signal from the voltage converter when the remote control terminal is connected to a voltage potential, thereby causing the voltage converter to control the output voltage at the output terminal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power converter module comprising:
a voltage source,
a remote control terminal configured to be connected to a voltage potential for remote control of the power converter module,
an output terminal for output of an output voltage,
a voltage converter operatively connected to said output terminal and to said remote control terminal, wherein the voltage converter is configured to:
send an alarm signal,
determine the voltage potential of the remote control terminal, and
control the output voltage of the voltage converter at the output terminal of the power converter module based on the determined voltage potential of the remote control terminal, and

an alarm branch comprising a bias terminal operatively connected to said voltage source, an alarm terminal operatively connected to said voltage converter for receiving said alarm signal, and a control terminal operatively connected to said remote control terminal, and wherein said alarm branch is configured to change the voltage potential of the remote control terminal by coupling the remote control terminal to the voltage source or to ground in response to an alarm signal from the voltage converter when said remote control terminal is connected to a voltage potential, thereby causing the voltage converter to control the output voltage at the output terminal.

2. The power converter module according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm branch is configured to cause the voltage potential of the control terminal to be above a first threshold level in response to receipt of said alarm signal when the remote control terminal is connected to a voltage potential via a resistor, whereby the increased voltage potential of the remote control terminal above the first threshold level causes the voltage converter to disable the output voltage at the output terminal.

3. The power converter module according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm branch is configured to cause the voltage potential of the control terminal to be below a second threshold level if a previously received alarm signal is no longer received by the alarm branch when the remote control terminal is connected to a voltage potential via a resistor, whereby the decreased voltage potential of the remote control terminal below the second threshold level causes the voltage converter to enable the output voltage at the output terminal.

4. The power converter module according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm branch comprises:
a first resistor operatively connected in a first end to said bias terminal and in a second end to said control terminal,
a second resistor operatively connected in a first end to said control terminal,
a PNP transistor, wherein an emitter thereof is operatively connected to said bias terminal, a base thereof is operatively connected to said alarm terminal, and an collector thereof is operatively connected to a second end of said second resistor.

5. The power converter module according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm branch is configured to cause the voltage potential of the control terminal to be below a third threshold level in response to receipt of said alarm signal when the remote control terminal is connected to a voltage potential, whereby the decreased voltage potential of the remote control terminal below the third threshold level causes the voltage converter to disable the output voltage at the output terminal.

6. The power converter moduel according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm branch is configured to cause the voltage potential of the control terminal to be above a fourth threshold level if the previously received alarm signal is no longer received by the alarm branch when the remote control terminal is connected to a voltage potential, whereby the increased voltage potential of the remote control terminal above the fourth threshold level causes the voltage converter to enable the output voltage at the output terminal.

7. The power converter module according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm branch comprises:
a first resistor operatively connected in a first end to said bias terminal and in a second end operatively connected to said control terminal,
a NPN transistor, wherein an emitter thereof is operatively connected to a ground potential of the alarm branch, a base thereof is operatively connected to said alarm terminal, and a collector thereof is operatively connected to said control terminal.

8. Power converter module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the voltage converter is further configured to determine if an alarm condition occurs in the voltage converter, wherein said alarm condition is at least one from a group of alarm conditions comprising operating parameters of the voltage converter, and the voltage converter is further configured to send at least one alarm signal indicating which alarm condition, from said group of alarm conditions, that is operative,
the alarm branch is configured to change the voltage potential of the control terminal thereof in response to receipt of said at least one alarm signal received from the voltage converter, and wherein said change of the voltage potential of the remote control terminal corresponds to the alarm condition that said at least one alarm signal indicated is operative,
thereby allowing the voltage converter to control at least one operation thereof based on said voltage potential of the remote control terminal.

9. A method for operating a power converter module, the method comprising:
detecting if an alarm condition has changed in a voltage converter of the power converter module,
sending an alarm signal from said voltage converter to an alarm branch of the power converter module, if an alarm condition is detected by said voltage converter,
controlling a voltage potential of a remote control terminal of the power converter module by means of said alarm branch if an alarm condition is detected by said voltage converter, wherein the alarm branch is controlled by said alarm signal and is arranged between a voltage source of the power converter module and said remote control terminal, wherein the remote control terminal is operatively connected to said voltage converter and connected to a voltage potential for remote control of the power converter module, and wherein said alarm branch is configured to change the voltage potential of the remote control terminal by coupling the remote control terminal to the voltage source or to ground in response to said alarm signal from the voltage converter,
the voltage converter determining the voltage potential of the remote control terminal, and
the voltage converter controlling the output voltage at an output terminal of the power converter module based on the determined voltage potential of the remote control terminal.

10. The method for operating a power converter module according to claim 9 , wherein when the remote control terminal is operatively connected to a voltage potential via a resistor, the step of controlling a voltage potential of the remote control terminal involves:
increasing the voltage potential of the remote control terminal by means of said alarm branch above a first threshold level if the alarm signal is received by said alarm branch,
and said step of determining the voltage potential of the remote control terminal involves:
determining if the voltage potential of the remote control terminal is above said first threshold level,

and said step of controlling the output voltage of the voltage converter involves:
disabling the output voltage at the output terminal if the voltage potential of the remote control terminal is determined to be above said first threshold level.

11. The method for operating a power converter module

Assignees

• Karlsson Magnus
• Persson Oscar
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Karlsson Magnus
• Persson Oscar

Classifications

• G06F1/305 Primary

  in the event of power-supply fluctuations · CPC title

• H02M3/156 Primary

  with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators · CPC title

• G05F1/565

  sensing a condition of the system or its load in addition to means responsive to deviations in the output of the system, e.g. current, voltage, power factor (G05F1/563 takes precedence) · CPC title