SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REGULATING A VOLTAGE SIGNAL

1 . A relay driver control system comprising:

a voltage conversion unit configured to:

receive and convert an AC input voltage signal to a DC voltage signal;

a frequency filtering unit in electrical communication with the voltage conversion unit, the frequency filtering unit being configured to:

filter out frequency components of the DC voltage signal exceeding a frequency threshold;

a voltage limiting unit in electrical communication with the frequency filtering unit, the voltage limiting unit being configured to:

limit the filtered DC voltage signal to voltage values not exceeding an upper voltage threshold; and

a voltage monitoring unit in electrical communication with the voltage limiting unit and a relay driver, the voltage monitoring unit being configured to:

generate an enabling signal based on the limited DC voltage signal;

monitor the enabling signal relative to an activation threshold; and

output an activation signal to the relay driver when the enabling signal meets the activation threshold.

2 . The relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage monitoring unit is further configured to:

monitor the enabling signal relative to a deactivation threshold; and

cease outputting the activation signal to the relay driver when the enabling signal meets the deactivation threshold.

3 . The relay driver control system according to claim 2 , wherein the activation threshold and the deactivation threshold form a hysteresis window.

4 . A relay driver control system according to claim 2 , wherein the deactivation threshold is 0.4 V.

5 . A relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the activation threshold is 0.9 V.

6 . The relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the upper voltage threshold is 30 V.

7 . The relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage monitoring unit comprises:

a voltage divider in electrical communication with the voltage limiting unit, configured to:

receive the limited DC voltage signal; and

output the enabling signal based on the limited DC voltage signal; and

a voltage regulator in electrical communication with the voltage limiting unit and the voltage divider, configured to:

receive the limited DC voltage signal and the enabling signal; and

monitor the enabling signal.

8 . The relay driver control system according to claim 7 , wherein the voltage divider comprises a first resistor and a second resister, wherein the voltage divider is configured to provide the enabling signal as a voltage across the second resistor.

9 . The relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage conversion unit comprises a rectifier.

10 . The relay driver control system according to claim 9 , wherein the rectifier comprises a first diode; a second diode; a third diode; and a fourth diode.

11 . The relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency filtering unit comprises a capacitor.

12 . The relay driver control system according to claim 11 , wherein the voltage conversion unit comprises a rectifier;

wherein the rectifier comprises a first diode; a second diode; a third diode; and a fourth diode;

wherein the capacitor is in series with the first diode and the fourth diode.

13 . The relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency filtering unit is a capacitor in parallel with the voltage conversion unit.

14 . The relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage limiting unit comprises:

a voltage limiting resistor;

a voltage limiting Zener diode; and

a transistor.

15 . The relay driver control system according to claim 14 , wherein a resistance of the voltage limiting resistor is pre-selected so as to limit an output voltage of the voltage limiting unit to voltage values not exceeding the upper voltage threshold.

16 . The relay driver control system according to claim 14 , wherein the Zener diode comprises a Zener voltage in the range of 15 V to 24 V.

17 . A relay driver control system according to claim 14 , wherein the transistor is a bipolar junction transistor.

18 . The relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency threshold is 50 Hz.

19 . The relay driver control system according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency threshold is 60 Hz.

20 . A relay driver control method comprising:

receiving and converting, by a voltage conversion unit, an input AC voltage signal to a DC voltage signal;

filtering out, by a frequency filtering unit, frequency components of the DC voltage signal exceeding a frequency threshold;

limiting, by a voltage limiting unit, the filtered DC voltage signal to voltage values not exceeding an upper voltage threshold;

generating, by a voltage monitoring unit, an enabling signal based on the limited DC voltage signal;

monitoring, by the voltage monitoring unit, the enabling signal relative to an activation threshold; and

outputting, by the voltage monitoring unit, an activation signal to a relay driver when the enabling signal meets the activation threshold.

21 . The relay driver control method according to claim 20 , further comprising:

monitoring, by the voltage monitoring unit, the enabling signal relative to a deactivation threshold; and

ceasing, by the voltage monitoring unit, output of the activation signal to the relay driver when the enabling signal meets the deactivation threshold.

22 . The relay driver control method according to claim 20 , further comprising:

receiving, at a voltage divider in electrical communication with the voltage limiting unit, the limited DC voltage signal; and

outputting, at the voltage divider, the enabling signal based on the limited DC voltage signal.

23 . The relay driver control method according to claim 22 , further comprising:

receiving, at a voltage regulator in electrical communication with the voltage limiting unit and the voltage divider, the limited DC voltage signal and the enabling signal; and

monitoring, at the voltage regulator, the enabling signal.

24 . The relay driver control method according to claim 22 further comprising:

providing, at the voltage divider, the enabling signal as a voltage across a second resistor of the voltage divider.