DC-DC Converter Enable Sequencing to Prevent Peak Current Overlap

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional DC-to-DC converting systems in LED screens face issues with simultaneous activation leading to excessively high electric currents, causing overcurrent protection and potential shutdown due to superposed peaks in DC output signals.

Innovation Solution

A power converting system comprising a first DC-to-DC converting device and multiple second DC-to-DC converting devices, each enabled by a delayed enabling signal to prevent simultaneous peak currents, utilizing a buck converter configuration with a power convertor, voltage-dividing unit, current-detecting unit, peak-values-comparing unit, and latching unit to manage and delay the enabling signals, ensuring peaks do not occur simultaneously.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If multiple DC-to-DC converting devices are simultaneously activated to provide power to LED components, then the power supply capacity is sufficient to meet the total power demand, but excessively high electric currents occur due to simultaneous peak currents causing overcurrent protection and potential shutdown

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supply capacityVSAvoidexcessively high electric current
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by using a enabling signal delay circuit to pre-delay the activation of multiple DC-to-DC converting devices. The delay circuit ensures that devices are activated sequentially rather than simultaneously, preventing current peaks from occurring at the same time. This preliminary timing adjustment resolves the contradiction by maintaining sufficient total power capacity while avoiding harmful current surges that would trigger overcurrent protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If DC-to-DC converting devices are delayed activated to prevent simultaneous peak currents, then excessively high electric currents are avoided, but the control system complexity increases due to delay circuits and enabling signals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexcessively high electric currentVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses an enabling signal delay circuit as an intermediary component between the power supply and multiple DC-to-DC converting devices. This delay circuit acts as a mediator that sequentially enables devices without requiring complex control logic in each converter. The intermediary delay circuit simplifies the overall control system by providing a straightforward timing mechanism that prevents simultaneous activation while maintaining system reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4012907B1Power converting system and DC-to-DC converting device
Publication Date: 2023.10.25 TOP VICTORY INVESTMENTS LTD
  • EP4012907B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4012907B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4012907B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system includes a first device (2) and N number of second devices (3) . The first device (2) generates, based on a DC input signal (Vin), a first DC output voltage (Vout1) and a first enabling signal (En1), enabled by which, a first one of the second devices (3) generates a second DC output voltage (Vout2) and a second enabling signal (En2) based on the DC input signal (Vin). In a similar manner, an ith one of the second devices (3) is enabled by an (i-1)th one of the second devices (3) to generate an (i+1)th DC output voltage (Vouti+1) and an (i+1)th enabling signal (Eni+1) based on the DC input signal (Vin) . A starting time point of a logic-high level portion of each enabling signal is later than a peak time point corresponding to a peak voltage of the corresponding DC output voltage.