Fly-back Converter Energy Tracking Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring energy consumption in electronic devices face challenges in covering a wide range of current magnitudes and dynamic changes while minimizing side effects, often requiring high precision converters and complex compensation circuits, which can introduce errors and affect the device's functionality.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a switched mode energy tracking circuitry that uses switching elements, transformers, diodes, and a compare circuit to generate ON-time pulses with constant width, allowing for accurate energy measurement across a wide range of currents without affecting the device's functionality, and includes control logic stages for error handling and calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a shunt device is used for power measurement, then the measurement can be performed, but very high precision analogue to digital converters (24-Bit) are required and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary energy storage element (capacitor) between the power source and load. This capacitor stores energy during periods when the load requires less power and releases it when the load requires more power, thereby decoupling the measurement requirements from the actual power delivery requirements and eliminating the need for high-precision 24-bit converters
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from direct voltage/current measurement to energy measurement over time. By integrating power measurements over time to obtain energy consumption, the system can use lower precision converters because energy accumulation smooths out instantaneous variations and reduces the impact of measurement quantization errors
2Measurement precision
If a shunt device is used for power measurement, then the voltage drop can be measured, but the voltage drop generates potential sources of errors and requires adaptation of measurement range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the voltage drop measurement from the critical measurement path by using the shunt device only for reference voltage generation rather than for direct power measurement. The actual power measurement is performed through energy storage and release cycles, separating the reference function from the measurement function to eliminate error propagation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary energy storage in the capacitor before the actual power measurement cycle begins. This preliminary charging establishes a known energy baseline that allows subsequent measurements to be performed relative to this baseline, reducing the impact of voltage drop variations and improving measurement reliability
3Speed
If a buffer capacitor is coupled to the target side, then current is delivered immediately, but the capacitor needs to be recharged which affects the true current response of the device under test
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic charging cycles of the buffer capacitor rather than continuous charging. The capacitor is charged in discrete intervals synchronized with the measurement cycle, allowing the system to maintain the benefit of immediate current delivery while minimizing the disturbance to the device under test by keeping charging events periodic and predictable rather than continuous and intrusive
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables precise measurement of energy consumption across a wide range of current magnitudes with reduced side effects, minimizing errors and maintaining the device's functionality, by using pulse density modulation to track energy consumption and calibrating with reference impedances.
Implementation Method 1
one or more transformers T1-Ti... transfer energy from a primary energy source, e.g. power supply, to the output VO of the energy tracking system
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for tracking energy consumption. An energy tracking system comprises at least one switching element, at least one inductor and a control block to keep the output voltage at a pre-selected level. The switching elements are configured to apply the source of energy to the inductors. The control block compares the output voltage of the energy tracking system to a reference value and controls the switching of the switched elements in order to transfer energy for the primary voltage into a secondary voltage at the output of the energy tracking system. The electronic device further comprises an ON-time and OFF-time generator and an accumulator wherein the control block is coupled to receive a signal from the ON-time and OFF-time generator and generates switching signals for the at least one switching element in the form of ON-time pulses with a constant width ON-time.