IP Library Granted Patent US 9,001,541
Granted Patent B2
US 9,001,541 · App. 13/584,408 · Granted Apr 7, 2015

Switch control circuit, power factor corrector including the same, and driving method of the power factor corrector

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,001,541
App. No.
13/584,408
Granted
Apr 7, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to a switch control circuit, a power factor corrector including the same, and a driving method thereof. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a turn-on time of a power switch is controlled according to a zero crossing voltage to sense a voltage of both terminals of the power switch, and a turn-off time of the power switch is controlled according to a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage. At this time, the switching frequency of the power switch is sensed by the zero crossing voltage and the switching frequency is restricted by a predetermined threshold frequency.

Claims (74)

1. A power factor corrector comprising:

a power switch; and

a switch control circuit receiving a zero crossing voltage to sense the voltage of both terminals of the power switch and a feedback voltage corresponding to an output voltage, controlling a turn-on time of the power switch by using the zero crossing voltage, and controlling a turn-off time of the power switch by using the feedback voltage,

wherein the switch control circuit senses a switching frequency of the power switch by using the zero crossing voltage and restricts the switching frequency by a predetermined threshold frequency.

2. The power factor corrector of claim 1 , wherein

the switch control circuit controls the turn-on time of the power switch by using the zero crossing voltage after a predetermined screen period corresponding to the threshold frequency from a time that the power switch is turned off.

3. The power factor corrector of claim 2 , wherein

the switch control circuit includes:

a zero crossing detection comparator controlling a zero crossing reference voltage to control the turn-on time and the zero crossing voltage and generating a zero crossing detection signal according to a comparison result, and

a frequency restriction unit generating the on control signal to turn on the power switch in synchronization with the zero crossing detection signal of an enable level generated after the screen period is passed.

4. The power factor corrector of claim 3 , wherein

the zero crossing detection comparator includes

an inversion terminal input with the zero crossing voltage and

a non-inversion terminal input with the zero crossing reference voltage, and

generates the zero crossing detection signal of the enable level at a time that the zero crossing voltage becomes lower than the zero crossing reference voltage.

5. The power factor corrector of claim 4 , wherein

the zero crossing detection comparator is realized as a hysteresis comparator,

the zero crossing reference voltage includes a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level higher than the first reference voltage level according to a hysteresis characteristic,

and the zero crossing detection comparator generates the zero crossing detection signal of the enable level at a time that the zero crossing voltage is lower than the first reference voltage.

6. The power factor corrector of claim 3 , wherein

the switch control circuit further includes

a duty comparator comparing a sawtooth wave that is increased with a constant slope during the turn-on period of the power switch and the feedback voltage and generating an off control signal according to a comparison result, and

an SR flip-flop turning on the power switch according to the on control signal and generating a gate control signal turning off the power switch according to the off control signal.

7. The power factor corrector of claim 6 , wherein

the duty comparator includes

an inversion terminal input with the feedback voltage, and

a non-inversion terminal input with the sawtooth wave, and

the SR flip-flop generates the gate control signal turning on the power switch in synchronization with the increasing edge of the on control signal and turning off the power switch in synchronization with the increasing edge of the off control signal.

8. The power factor corrector of claim 1 , wherein

the power factor corrector further includes

an assistance coil having a primary coil of a primary side transmitted with an input voltage, a secondary coil of a secondary side with which the output voltage is generated, and a predetermined turn ratio with the primary coil, and

the zero crossing voltage is dependant on an assistance voltage generated at the assistance coil.

9. The power factor corrector of claim 8 , wherein

the switch control circuit includes

a zero crossing detection comparator comparing a predetermined zero crossing reference voltage to control the turn-on time of the power switch and the zero crossing voltage,

a resistor having one terminal connected to the zero crossing detection comparator and the other terminal connected to the assistance coil, and

a capacitor connected to one terminal of the resistor.

10. A method of driving a power factor corrector receiving an input voltage and generating an output voltage according to a switching operation of a power switch, comprising;

controlling a turn-on time of the power switch for a switching frequency of the power switch to not exceed a predetermined threshold frequency by using a zero crossing voltage to sense the voltage of both terminals of the power switch; and

controlling the turn-off time of the power switch by using a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein

the controlling of the turn-on time includes

controlling the turn-on time of the power switch by using the zero crossing voltage after a predetermined screen period corresponding to the threshold frequency from a time that the power switch is turned off.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein

the controlling of the turn-on time includes

comparing the zero crossing reference voltage to control the turn-on time and the zero crossing voltage and generating the zero crossing detection signal according to the comparison result, and

generating the on control signal to turn on the power switch in synchronization with the zero crossing detection signal of an enable level generated after the screen period is passed.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein

the generating of the zero crossing detection signal includes

generating the zero crossing detection signal of the enable level at a time that the zero crossing voltage is lower than the zero crossing reference voltage.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein

the zero crossing detection comparator is realized by a hysteresis comparator,

the zero crossing reference voltage includes a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level higher than the first reference voltage level according to a hysteresis characteristic, and

the generating of the zero crossing detection signal of the enable level is generating the zero crossing detection signal of the enable level at a time that the zero crossing voltage is lower than the first reference voltage.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein

the controlling of the turn-off time includes

comparing a sawtooth wave that is increased with a constant slope during the turn-on period of the power switch and the feedback voltage, and controlling the turn-off time according to the comparison result.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein

the power factor corrector further includes a primary coil of a primary side transmitted with the input voltage, a secondary coil of a secondary side at which the output voltage is generated, and an assistance coil having a predetermined turn ratio with the primary coil, and

the zero crossing voltage is dependant on the assistance voltage that is generated at the assistance coil.

17. A switch control circuit of a power factor corrector receiving an input voltage and generating an output voltage according to a switching operation of a power switch, comprising:

a zero crossing detection comparator comparing a zero crossing voltage to sense the voltage of both terminals of the power switch and a zero crossing reference voltage to control the turn-on time and generating the zero crossing detection signal according to the comparison result; and

a frequency restriction unit generating an on control signal to turn on the power switch in synchronization with the zero crossing detection signal of an enable level after the screen period is passed,

wherein the screen period is a period corresponding to the threshold frequency when the switching frequency of the power switch is restricted by a predetermined threshold frequency.

18. The switch control circuit of claim 17 , wherein

the zero crossing detection comparator is realized as a hysteresis comparator,

the zero crossing reference voltage includes a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level higher than the first reference voltage level according to a hysteresis characteristic, and

the zero crossing detection comparator generates the zero crossing detection signal of the enable level at a time that the zero crossing voltage is lower than the first reference voltage.

19. The switch control circuit of claim 17 , wherein

the switch control circuit further includes

a duty comparator comparing a sawtooth wave that is increased with a constant slope during the turn-on period of the power switch and the feedback voltage and generating an off control signal according to a comparison result, and

an SR flip-flop turning on the power switch according to the on control signal and generating a gate control signal turning off the power switch according to the off control signal.

20. The switch control circuit of claim 17 , wherein

the zero crossing voltage is dependant on a voltage of an assistance coil having a predetermined turn ratio for a primary coil connected to the input voltage of the power factor corrector.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 04481, FRAME 0541 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064072/0459 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 17, 2017
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044481/0541 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2017
From: FAIRCHILD KOREA SEMICONDUCTOR, LTD.
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 044361/0205 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2013
From: CHO, GYE-HYUN; EOM, HYUN-CHUL; YANG, SEUNGUK; PARK, YOUNG-BAE
To: FAIRCHILD KOREA SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
Reel/Frame 029877/0316 →