Abstract: An insulated power supply apparatus includes an upper arm transformer which has a primary side coil and a secondary side coil, a lower arm transformer which has a primary side coil and a secondary side coil, and a power supply control section which has a voltage control switching element and an integrated circuit which turns on or off the voltage control switching element. At least one of the upper arm transformer and the lower arm transformer is adjacent to the power supply control section when viewing a surface of the substrate from a front thereof. An electric path transfers output voltage of the secondary side coil of the transformer adjacent to the power supply control section, to the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit turns on or off the voltage control switching element to perform feedback control so that the output voltage detected via the electric path reaches a target voltage.

Abstract: Upper arm connection sections and lower arm connection sections are provided in parallel. An upper arm transformer and a power supply are provided in an area opposed to the lower arm connection sections with respect to the upper arm connection sections. A power supply control section is provided in at least one of an area opposed to the upper arm connection sections with respect to the upper arm transformer, and an area which is sandwiched between at least one of the upper and lower connection sections closest to one side of the substrate positioned in a direction in which the upper arm connection sections are arranged, and the one side. The lower arm transformer is provided in an area opposed to the upper arm connection sections with respect to the lower arm connection sections. The lower arm transformer is common to at least two of the lower arm switching elements.

Abstract: A motor vehicle includes an electric motor, a smoothing capacitor, a discharge device and a controller. The smoothing capacitor smoothes the electric current that is used to drive the electric motor. The discharge device is capable of releasing the electric charge stored in the capacitor. The controller is configured to receive sensor data that indicates a state of the motor vehicle and determine whether to activate a discharge device, based on the sensor data received.

Abstract: In an electric power conversion system having a discharge control device capable of discharging a voltage charged in a capacitor to a voltage of not more than a predetermined voltage, a linear regulator decreases a voltage of the capacitor and outputs the decreased voltage to a drive unit at a bottom arm in a U phase. A flyback converter for discharging use inputs an output of the linear regulator, and outputs electric power to a drive unit at an upper arm in the U phase. When detecting that own vehicle collides with an obstacle, the discharge control device starts to execute discharge control of the capacitor by turning off a photo coupler and turning on the linear regulator.

Abstract: A temperature detecting apparatus includes an integrated circuit that integrates an overheating detecting circuit, a breakage detecting circuit and a disabling circuit, and an element connection terminal connecting a temperature sensing element. The disabling circuit disables the breakage detecting circuit from detecting a breakage of wire when a voltage at the element connection exceeds a disabling threshold which is set higher than an overheating detection threshold and a breakage detection threshold. A predetermined voltage higher than the disabling threshold is applied to the element connection terminal when the temperature sensing element is not connected to the element connection terminal.

Abstract: A drive device has a break circuit. The break circuit inputs phase-current values transferred from phase-current sensors mounted on an electrical path of a motor generator. A power switching element is equipped with a freewheel diode connected in parallel with each other. An inverter has pairs of the power switching elements. In each pair, the power switching element in a high voltage side and the power switching element in a low voltage side are connected in series. It is detected for the freewheel diode to be in a freewheel mode when a forward current flows in the freewheel diode. The break circuit detects the freewheel mode where the current flows in the freewheel diode in a lower arm when the phase-current value is not less than a predetermined threshold value. The break circuit detects the freewheel mode where the current flows in the freewheel diode in an upper arm when the phase-current value is not more than the threshold current value.

Abstract: A charging current is supplied to the gate (control terminal) of a driven switching device during an on-state command interval, for raising the gate voltage to an on-state value. Otherwise, discharging of the gate capacitance is enabled, for decreasing the gate voltage to an off-state value. A second switching device is connected between the gate and a circuit point held at the off-state voltage value, and is maintained in an on state while the gate discharging is enabled. At a first time point, the gate voltage rises above a threshold value. At a second time point, a voltage detection circuit detects that that the gate voltage has risen above the threshold value, causing the second switching device to be set in the off state. It is ensured that the delay between the first and second time points is shorter than a minimum duration of an on-state command interval.

Abstract: A discharge control apparatus arranged in a power conversion system having high-side switching element and low-side switching element to convert the DC power from the battery to a predetermined type of power. The discharge control is performed to discharge a capacitor connected in parallel to the switching elements when an abnormal event occurs. The discharge control apparatus is configured to simulate the operation of the switching elements assuming occurrence of the abnormal event, and transmits a plurality of signals representing the simulation result to a control device via a common photocoupler that isolates the switching elements side and the control device side. The control device diagnoses whether or not a fault occurs in the discharge control or the like by the simulation result.

Abstract: In a test of discharging a capacitor by electrically turning on a first switching element and a second switching element that are inserted in series in a conductor connecting a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the capacitor, a discharge current that passes through the first and second switching elements tend to apply stress on the first and second switching elements. In this discharge test, while a first control signal for putting the first switching element into a low resistance state is being applied to the first switching element, a second control signal increasing a voltage thereof over time is applied to the second switching element, and application of one of or both of the first and second control signals is stopped when a current detector detects a current. Since a discharge test ends when a limited discharge current starts flowing, stress associated with the discharge test is reduced.

Abstract: The discharge control device for a power conversion system performs discharge control to discharge a capacitor parallel-connected to the input side of the power conversion system including a plurality of pairs of high-side and low-side switching elements connected in series and each controlled by a drive unit, by turning on the high-side and low-side switching elements of one of the pairs at the same time. At this time, the discharge control device inhibits an ON command from being inputted to the drive units for the high-side and low side switching elements of the other pairs.

Abstract: The power conversion control apparatus is for controlling a power conversion circuit in which a plurality of pairs each including a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element connected in series to each other are connected in parallel to a capacitor, and an external battery is connected to the capacitor through a relay. To discharge the capacitor, the power conversion control apparatus turns on both the high-side and low-side switching elements of at least one of the pairs to make a short circuit between both electrodes of the capacitor on condition that the relay is open.

Abstract: The power conversion apparatus includes a power conversion circuit including parallel-connected pairs of a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element connected in series, high-side driver circuits to drive the high-side switching elements, low-side driver circuits to drive the low-side switching elements, and a transformer to supply voltages to drive the high-side switching and low-side switching elements to the high-side and low-side driver circuits. The high-side switching elements are mounted in a row along a first direction on a wiring board, and the low-side switching elements are mounted in a row along the first direction on the wiring board side by side with the row of the high-side switching elements. The transformer is mounted on the wiring board on the side of the row of the high-side switching elements opposite to the row of the low-side switching elements.

Abstract: A discharge controller carries out discharge control by determining a voltage to be applied to a conduction control terminal of each of switching elements such that a current in a non-saturation region of one of the switching elements is lower than a current in a non-saturation region of the other thereof, and applying the voltage to the conduction control terminal of each switching element with an opening-closing member opening an electrical path to turn on the switching elements, resulting in short-circuit of both electrodes of a capacitor so that a discharge current is outputted from the capacitor based on the discharge control. A manipulator manipulates, based on a value of the discharge current, how to apply the voltage to the conduction control terminal of the one of the switching elements, thus controlling an amount of heat to be generated in the one of the switching elements.

Abstract: A charging current is supplied to the gate (control terminal) of a driven switching device during an on-state command interval, for raising the gate voltage to an on-state value. Otherwise, discharging of the gate capacitance is enabled, for decreasing the gate voltage to an off-state value. A second switching device is connected between the gate and a circuit point held at the off-state voltage value, and is maintained in an on state while the gate discharging is enabled. At a first time point, the gate voltage rises above a threshold value. At a second time point, a voltage detection circuit detects that that the gate voltage has risen above the threshold value, causing the second switching device to be set in the off state. It is ensured that the delay between the first and second time points is shorter than a minimum duration of an on-state command interval.

Abstract: A voltage detection circuit includes operational amplifiers, a battery, and a voltage circuit. The voltage circuit offsets the inverting input terminals and non-inverting input terminals of the operational amplifiers to the positive side with reference to a ground GND.

Abstract: A temperature detecting apparatus includes an integrated circuit that integrates an overheating detecting circuit, a breakage detecting circuit and a disabling circuit, and an element connection terminal connecting a temperature sensing element. The disabling circuit disables the breakage detecting circuit from detecting a breakage of wire when a voltage at the element connection exceeds a disabling threshold which is set higher than an overheating detection threshold and a breakage detection threshold. A predetermined voltage higher than the disabling threshold is applied to the element connection terminal when the temperature sensing element is not connected to the element connection terminal.

Abstract: In an electric power conversion system having a discharge control device capable of discharging a voltage charged in a capacitor to a voltage of not more than a predetermined voltage, a linear regulator decreases a voltage of the capacitor and outputs the decreased voltage to a drive unit at a bottom arm in a U phase. A flyback converter for discharging use inputs an output of the linear regulator, and outputs electric power to a drive unit at an upper arm in the U phase. When detecting that own vehicle collides with an obstacle, the discharge control device starts to execute discharge control of the capacitor by turning off a photo coupler and turning on the linear regulator.

Abstract: A switching device is provided which includes a switching element, and a current limiting circuit which limits current passing through the switching element when the current passing through the switching element exceeds a short-circuit detection threshold. The current limiting circuit limits the current passing through the switching element, until the current passing through the switching element becomes equal to or smaller than a current-limitation cancellation threshold which is smaller than the short-circuit detection threshold.

Abstract: A discharge control apparatus arranged in a power conversion system having high-side switching element and low-side switching element to convert the DC power from the battery to a predetermined type of power. The discharge control is performed to discharge a capacitor connected in parallel to the switching elements when an abnormal event occurs. The discharge control apparatus is configured to simulate the operation of the switching elements assuming occurrence of the abnormal event, and transmits a plurality of signals representing the simulation result to a control device via a common photocoupler that isolates the switching elements side and the control device side. The control device diagnoses whether or not a fault occurs in the discharge control or the like by the simulation result.

Abstract: The discharge control device for a power conversion system performs discharge control to discharge a capacitor parallel-connected to the input side of the power conversion system including a plurality of pairs of high-side and low-side switching elements connected in series and each controlled by a drive unit, by turning on the high-side and low-side switching elements of one of the pairs at the same time. At this time, the discharge control device inhibits an ON command from being inputted to the drive units for the high-side and low side switching elements of the other pairs.