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:
Nov. 13, 2001
Filed:
May. 29, 1996
Stanley Canter, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Space Systems/Loral, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for operating a pulse width modulated switching power converter (,), and a pulse width modulated switching power converter that is constructed to operate in accordance with the method. The power converter has an input coupled to an output of a solar array (,) and an output providing an output current, the output being coupled to battery (,) for applying a charging current I,to the battery while also supplying a current I,to a load. The method includes the steps of: (a) incrementally increasing (,, C,) a duty cycle of the pulse width modulated switching power converter so as to incrementally increase a magnitude of the output current of the switching power converter; (b) sensing (,) a first magnitude of both I,and I,; (c) storing (,) the sensed magnitude; (d) sensing a second magnitude of both I,and I,; and (e) comparing (,) the stored first magnitude to the sensed second magnitude. If the stored first magnitude is determined to be less than the sensed second magnitude, the method maintains the duty cycle at a current duty cycle increment. If instead the stored first magnitude is determined to be greater than the sensed second magnitude, the method decreases the duty cycle. The step of incrementally increasing includes a step of periodically increasing the charge upon a capacitance (C,) that is coupled to a control node of the pulse width modulated switching power converter, and the step of decreasing the duty cycle includes a step of at least partially discharging the capacitance.