The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2001
Filed:
May. 06, 2000
Mathew Mahmoudi, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Warne M. Rintala, Cupertino, CA (US);
JDS Uniphase Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A power supply is provided for use in a laser system including a gas ion laser tube which requires a filament voltage provided by an output section of the power supply. The filament voltage provided should not exceed a maximum AC filament voltage specified for the laser tube. The power supply is configured to receive AC utility power using one of at least first and second AC utility power sources having different first and second intended fixed magnitudes and which utility sources vary in amplitude from the intended fixed magnitudes over corresponding first and second source voltage ranges. The power supply is configured to include a power control arrangement which automatically controls the output section to generate an auto-ranging AC filament voltage from either of the first and second utility sources to be supplied as the filament voltage. For each of the first and second AC utility power sources, the auto-ranging AC filament voltage is limited to a regulated range extending below, but not exceeding the maximum AC filament voltage when the first and second voltages are within the first and second source voltage ranges, irrespective of which of the first or second AC utility power sources to which the power supply is connected. In one feature, the filament voltage is provided to the laser tube in a way which manages an operating lifetime of the laser tube in view of known lifetime data. In another feature, minimum air cooling requirements of a laser tube are met when one or more auto-ranging AC fan voltages are generated by the auto-ranging power supply over the first and second AC utility source voltage ranges.