Patent ID: 6404659
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: H02M

Abstract:
An electric power conversion apparatus having a circuit on a low side for performing a switching operation based on reference potential, and a circuit on a high side for performing a switching operation based on floating reference potential which is different from the reference potential by a variable amount, comprising:on the high side, a detection unit detecting a state of an operation of the circuit on the high side; and a signal generation unit generating a signal based on a detection result of said detection unit; and on the low side, a reception unit receiving a signal generated by said signal generation unit; and a control unit controlling the circuit on the low side or the high side corresponding to a signal received by said reception unit, in said signal generation unit and said reception unit are connected to each other using a directional element with which a connection or disconnection state is determined based on a transmission direction of a signal; and wherein said directional element is connected to a terminal for an output signal from said signal generation unit at the high side and to a terminal for an input signal to said reception unit at the low side, said directional element being connected in such a way to enable a current flow to be admitted through said directional element from said input terminal of said reception unit to said output terminal of said signal generation unit under a situation in which a floating reference potential is at a zero level.