Standby Power Control Circuit for Sub-One-Watt Household Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric household appliances fail to meet the energy consumption threshold of below one watt in standby state, despite efforts to reduce energy consumption through automatic power switching.
Innovation Solution
An electronic control device with a switching mode low power supply unit, opto-triacs, and a sensing circuit that automatically switches the appliance to a standby state, maintaining a low voltage supply to minimize energy usage, and resumes operation based on user commands or detected voltage variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If electronic control devices switch the appliance to standby state by opening switches between power network and appliance devices, then standby-state energy consumption is reduced, but the energy consumption still fails to meet the below-one-watt threshold required by recent regulations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes power supply to non-essential circuits during standby state. The control device selectively opens switches to disconnect power from devices that are not needed during standby, while maintaining minimal power supply to essential control functions. This extraction approach reduces overall standby consumption to below the one-watt threshold while preserving necessary standby functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the power supply parameters during standby state by adjusting voltage levels and current distribution. The control device modifies electrical parameters to provide reduced power levels to specific circuits, transforming the power consumption profile from high to below-one-watt levels while maintaining operational readiness for quick restart.
2Loss of energy
If power is cut off to devices during standby state to reduce energy consumption, then energy efficiency improves, but the appliance must quickly resume operation upon receiving an enabling signal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-charging capacitors and maintaining minimal standby power to control circuits before full operation is needed. The control device keeps essential control logic and power management circuits in a ready state with minimal power consumption, allowing the appliance to resume full operation quickly upon receiving an enabling signal without requiring complete system re-initialization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic power management where the control device continuously adjusts power distribution based on operational state. During standby, power is dynamically reduced to minimal levels, and upon detecting an enabling signal, the system dynamically transitions back to full power operation. This dynamic approach balances energy savings with fast reactivation capability.
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 effectively reduces standby-state energy consumption to below one watt, aligning with current energy regulations while ensuring quick and efficient reactivation upon user input, thereby optimizing energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the second switch means comprise at least one opto-triac, which is configured to disconnect said sensing means from supply lines based on said second control signal
Implementation Method 2
a switching mode low power supply unit, which is connected to said supply lines to be supplied by said first electrical quantity corresponding to a first supply voltage, and is configured to supply a second supply voltage to said electric control means and to said sensing means
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Household appliance (1) comprising electric loads (2) and an electronic command device (3) which is configured to reduce energy consumption of the electric household appliance (1) during a standby state; the electronic command device (3) comprising first switch device (4) which is connected between the household appliance electric loads (2) and supply lines (31,32), and is configured to switch on/off based on a first control signal (SFC); sensing device (33) which is configured to sense the first electrical quantity (VA) on the supply lines (31,32), and is configured to generate a sensing signal (SHV) which is indicative of the sensed first electrical quantity (VA); electric control unit (20), which is configured to provide the first control signal (SFC) to cause the first switch device (4) to be open/closed, based on the sensing signal (SHV); a second switch device (40) connected between the sensing device (33) and the supply lines (31,32) and configured to be open/closed on the basis of a second control signal (SVS), to cause the sensing device (33) to be connected/disconnected respectively to/from supply lines (31,32). The electric control unit (20) generates the second control signal (SVS) to open said second switch device (40) based on a standby command/request which is indicative of a request of transition of the household appliance from the operating state to the standby state.