Appeal No. 1998-2460
Application No. 08/654,763
Representative independent claim 1 is reproduced as
follows:
1. A method for operating a pulse width modulated
switching power converter having an input coupled to an output
of a solar array and an output providing an output current,
the output current being coupled to a battery for supplying a
current I to the battery and also coupled to a load for
CHARGE
supplying a load current I comprising the steps of:
LOAD,
sensing a first magnitude of the output current, the output
current comprising both ICHARGEand I ;LOAD
storing the sensed magnitude;
incrementally increasing a duty cycle of the pulse width
modulated switching power converter to attempt to
incrementally increase a magnitude of the output current of
the switching power converter;
sensing a second magnitude of the output current; and
comparing the stored first magnitude to the sensed second
magnitude;
if the stored first magnitude is less than the sensed second
magnitude, maintaining the duty cycle at a current duty cycle
increment, else
if the stored first magnitude is greater than the sensed
second magnitude, decreasing the duty cycle;
wherein the method does not directly sense the output of the
solar array while operating to maximize the charging current
to the battery, and wherein the duty cycle of the pulse width
modulated switching power converter is controlled only in
accordance with the sensed output current.
-3-
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007