Patent EP-0803964-A3 (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.