US 11,996,831 B2
Solid state power controller
Ed Culpin, Wessling (DE); Thalles Gomes, Wessling (DE); and Martin Angerer, Wessling (DE)
Assigned to Lilium eAircraft GmbH, Wessling (DE)
Filed by Lilium eAircraft GmbH, Wessling (DE)
Filed on Feb. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/651,744.
Claims priority of application No. 21158135 (EP), filed on Feb. 19, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0271745 A1, Aug. 25, 2022
Int. Cl. H03K 17/082 (2006.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01)
CPC H03K 17/0822 (2013.01) [B64C 29/00 (2013.01); B64D 2221/00 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solid state power controller, comprising:
a power supply line configured to be connected between a power source and a load;
a semiconductor switching unit provided on the power supply line and configured to switch between at least two states, including a conducting state and a non-conducting state,
according to a command signal; and
a state machine configured to:
exhibit at least three states including an ON state, an OFF state, and a pre-charge state; and
output the command signal according to a current state of the state machine, wherein:
in the ON state, a power dissipation within the semiconductor switching unit is controlled according to a positive supply power voltage,
in the OFF state, the power dissipation within the semiconductor switching unit is controlled to be zero,
in the pre-charge state, the power dissipation within the semiconductor switching unit is controlled according to a predetermined reference voltage,
the state machine is a non-programmable logic part formed by a plurality of non-programmable electronic components and is configured to:
transition from the OFF state to the pre-charge state based on a vehicle command transmitted via an external communication line, and
transition from the pre-charge state to the ON state when a voltage across the semiconductor switching unit drops below the reference voltage, and
the semiconductor switching unit is formed by one or more non-programmable electronic components.