Patent ID: 8432712

Claim:
Power supply methodology for reducing a relatively high level alternating current (AC) from an AC source to a relatively lower level direct current (DC), comprising: providing a voltage divider configured as a series of capacitors and diodes arranged for series charging of the capacitors and parallel discharge thereof through a single switching element and no inductor in order to shift from charge mode to discharge mode; and controlling operation of the single switching element so that the capacitor series is charged during the negative half cycle of the AC source and then discharged through said single switch element during the positive half cycle thereof, thereby producing a relatively low DC voltage based on the relatively higher level AC input source; wherein providing such voltage divider includes providing a plurality of capacitors connected in series with a first plurality of diodes for charging the capacitors, and a second plurality of diodes coupled to each of the series connected capacitors and to a single switch element for discharging the capacitors, with such voltage divider configured for having respective input and output portions, with such input portion configured for unidirectional transmission of current from the input source to the capacitive divider, and with the input and output portions of the divider configured to operate alternately; charging of the plurality of capacitors is achieved during the negative half cycle of the AC input source by coupling an upper end of the first plurality of diodes to a ground potential and by forcing such ground potential to be relatively positive with respect to a lower end of the first plurality of diodes/capacitor string as the output of the AC input source goes through its negative half cycle; and discharging of the plurality of capacitors is achieved during the positive half cycle of the AC input source by closing the single switching element so as to discharge the plurality of capacitors through the second plurality of diodes, into a load associated therewith.