Universal single-stage power converter with PFC capability

1. A switched-mode power converter comprising:

an inductor;

at least three ports, at least one of which is a donor/receptor port;

a plurality of switches for transferring energy between the ports and the inductor; and

a controller configured to:

(1) receive controller input signals based on:

two or more reference signals;

a polarity and a magnitude of a voltage or a current of at least one port; and

a polarity and a magnitude of a current in the inductor; and

(2) activate the switches based on the controller input signals;

wherein, during a chopping cycle, energy can be transferred from a first port of the at least three ports to a second port of the at least three ports regardless of the polarity of the inductor current at the beginning of the chopping cycle, such that:

if the controller determines that the polarity of the inductor current at the beginning of the chopping cycle is positive, then the controller can configure the switches to transfer energy from the first port to the second port; and

if the controller determines that the polarity of the inductor current at the beginning of the chopping cycle is negative, then the controller can configure the switches to transfer energy from the first port to the second port.

2. The switched-mode power converter of claim 1 where a first controller input signal is based on (i) a first reference signal and (ii) a first voltage or current at a first port.

3. The switched-mode power converter of claim 2 where a second controller input signal is based on (i) a second reference signal and (ii) a second voltage or current at a second port, and the controller first (i) activates the switches based on the first controller input signal and then (ii) activates the switches based on the second controller input signal, both within a single chopping cycle.

4. The switched-mode power converter of claim 3 where:

the first port is a donor port;

the second port is a receptor port; and

the first controller input signal is based on the voltage at the first, donor port; and

the second controller input signal is based on the voltage or the current at the second, receptor port.

5. The switched-mode power converter of claim 4 where the first and second controller input signals are used for power factor correction to regulate (i) current at the first, donor port and (ii) current or voltage at the second, receptor port.

6. The switched-mode power converter of claim 1 capable of transferring energy directly from a donor port to a receptor port without transferring the energy to or from the donor/receptor port, wherein, when a required amount of energy is not available from the donor port, additional energy is transferred from the donor/receptor port to the receptor port, all within a single chopping cycle.

7. The switched-mode power converter of claim 1 capable of dividing an energize portion of a chopping cycle into two parts, each part energizing the inductor from a different port.

8. The switched-mode power converter of claim 1 capable of dividing a transfer portion of a chopping cycle into two parts, one part transferring energy from the inductor to a first port, and another part transferring energy from the inductor to a second port.

9. The switched-mode power converter of claim 8 capable of dividing an energize portion of the chopping cycle into two parts, each part energizing the inductor from a different port.

10. The switched-mode power converter of claim 1 capable of transferring energy directly from a donor port to a receptor port without transferring the energy to or from the donor/receptor port up to an amount available, then energizing the inductor from the donor/receptor port, and then transferring additional energy from the inductor to the receptor port to satisfy a demand all within a single chopping cycle.

11. The switched-mode power converter of claim 1 capable of adding energy from a first port to the energy in the inductor at the beginning of the chopping cycle so that, after transferring energy from the inductor to a second port, a demand will be met during the chopping cycle.

12. The switched-mode power converter of claim 1 wherein:

the at least three ports include an input port (e.g., VP), a storage port (e.g., Vstore), and an output port (Vout);

at the beginning of the chopping cycle, the polarity of the inductor current can be either positive or negative;

during the chopping cycle, the controller can activate the switches to transfer energy from any of the input, storage, and output ports to any other of the input, storage, and output ports independent of polarity of the inductor current at the beginning of the chopping cycle.

13. The switched-mode power converter of claim 12 wherein the chopping cycle comprises:

a first energize part in which energy is stored into the inductor from any of the input, storage, and output ports;

followed by a second energize part in which energy is stored into the inductor from any other of the input, storage, and output ports; and

followed by a transfer part in which energy is transferred from the inductor to any of the input, storage, and output ports.

14. The switched-mode power converter of claim 13 , wherein:

when, at the beginning of the chopping cycle, the inductor current has positive polarity, the controller can activate the switches to transfer energy having positive polarity into the inductor from the input port during the first energize part of the chopping cycle; and

when, at the beginning of the chopping cycle, the inductor current has negative polarity, the controller can activate the switches to transfer energy having negative polarity into the inductor from the input port during the first energize part of the chopping cycle.

15. The switched-mode power converter of claim 12 wherein the chopping cycle comprises:

a first energize part in which energy is stored into the inductor from any of the input, storage, and output ports;

followed by a first transfer part in which energy is transferred from the inductor to any of the input, storage, and output ports;

followed by a second energize part in which energy is stored into the inductor from any of the input, storage, and output ports; and

followed by a second transfer part in which energy is transferred from the inductor to any of the input, storage, and output ports.

16. The switched-mode power converter of claim 15 , wherein:

when, at the beginning of the chopping cycle, the inductor current has positive polarity, the controller can activate the switches to transfer energy having positive polarity into the inductor from the input port during the first energize part of the chopping cycle; and

when, at the beginning of the chopping cycle, the inductor current has negative polarity, the controller can activate the switches to transfer energy having negative polarity into the inductor from the input port during the first energize part of the chopping cycle.