US 11,689,027 B2
Controller circuit for photovoltaic module
Timothy Patrick Pauletti, Dallas, TX (US); Suheng Chen, Plano, TX (US); Amneh Mohammed Akour, Plano, TX (US); and Nat Maruthachalam Natarajan, Plano, TX (US)
Assigned to Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US)
Filed by Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/731,140.
Application 17/731,140 is a division of application No. 16/540,417, filed on Aug. 14, 2019, granted, now 11,342,787.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/821,050, filed on Mar. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0263341 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. H02J 3/38 (2006.01); H02J 9/06 (2006.01); H02S 40/32 (2014.01); H02J 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02J 3/381 (2013.01) [H02J 9/062 (2013.01); H02J 13/00006 (2020.01); H02S 40/32 (2014.12); H02J 3/388 (2020.01); H02J 9/068 (2020.01); H02J 2300/22 (2020.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A photovoltaic (PV) module comprising:
a string of PV cells; and
a controller coupled to the string of PV cells, the controller including:
a receiver circuit configured to receive a first signal from a transmitter circuit and to change a second signal from a first state to a second state responsive the first signal; and
a mode control and power conversion circuit configured to: receive a direct current (DC) voltage from the string of PV cells; receive the second signal from the receiver circuit; and switch from a first mode to a second mode responsive to the second signal being in the second state, wherein in the second mode the mode control and power conversion circuit is configured to convert the DC voltage to a standby voltage and to provide the standby voltage to DC power lines, the standby voltage being less than an operating voltage provided by the mode control and power conversion circuit in the first mode.