Patent EP-0803964-A2 (EP)
Inventor: MONTMINY STEVEN N
IPC: G06F17/50
Filed: 1997-04-21
Abstract: A method is described for use in determining a power converter configuration including receiving power converter operating characteristic information, and, in a computer, determining alternative power converter configurations that are consistent with the operating characteristic information. The method also includes, in the computer, selecting one of the alternative power converter configurations that tends to have optimal efficiency. 
     A method is described for use in determining a power converter configuration including receiving power converter operating characteristic information, receiving optimization criteria, and, in a computer, determining alternative power converter configurations that are consistent with the operating characteristic information and selecting one of the alternative power converter configurations that tends to be optimal with respect to the optimization criteria. 
     A method is described for use in determining a power converter configuration including determining alternative power converter configurations that are consistent with operating characteristic information, calculating a combined heat loss for each of the alternative power converter configurations, and selecting one of the alternative power converter configurations that tends to minimize the combined heat loss. 
     A method is described for use in determining a power converter configuration including receiving power converter operating characteristic information, receiving selection criteria, and, in a computer, determining alternative power converter configurations that are consistent with the operating characteristic information and selecting one of the alternative power converter configurations in response to the selection criteria. 
     A method is described for supplying a power converter including receiving, at a first party, operating characteristic information about a power converter from a second party, and, in a computer, determining a power converter configuration that is consistent with the operating characteristic information and tends to optimize the power converter based on optimization criteria and providing specifications for the determined power converter configuration. 
     A system is described for use in determining a power converter configuration including a program for determining a power converter configuration that is consistent with operating characteristics and tends to optimize the power converter configuration based on optimization criteria, and a user interface, coupled to the program, that receives the power converter operating characteristics. 
     A method is described for use in determining a power converter configuration including receiving, at a first party, functional operating characteristic information about a power converter and optimization criteria from a second party, and, in a computer, accessing a power converter generator that determines power converter configurations that meet the functional operating characteristic information and which determines and stores information about each configuration with respect to the optimization criteria. The method also includes in the computer selecting one of the determined power converter configurations that tends to optimize the power converter configuration based on the optimization criteria, providing specifications for the selected power converter configuration to the second party, receiving, at the first party, approval of the selected power converter configuration from the second party, and delivering fabrication information for the selected power converter configuration to a manufacturing facility.