Power supply apparatus and display apparatus

Abstract

A liquid crystal display apparatus is capable of reducing a power loss incurred by a power-supply section in a process of generating a power-supply voltage for driving a backlight section. In the configuration of the power-supply section, a main power-supply circuit and an inverter circuit (or a DC-DC converter) are connected to an input-voltage generation unit in parallel to each other, which is used for rectifying and smoothing the commercial alternative current power. The main power-supply circuit and the inverter circuit (or the DC-DC converter) each include an isolation transformer including a primary-side winding not isolated from the commercial alternative current power and a secondary winding provided on the secondary side. The direct current input voltage is supplied to the primary side to be subjected to a power conversion process to generate an output voltage on the secondary side of the isolation transformer. Thus, the number of power conversion process stages for supplying power to the backlight section connected to the inverter circuit (or the DC-DC converter) is reduced by 1. As a result, the power loss incurred by the power-supply section can be reduced to a value smaller than that of the conventional one.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A display apparatus having a backlight section and a load other than said backlight section, said display apparatus comprising:
 an input-voltage generation section for generating a direct current input voltage from an alternating current; 
 a first power conversion section for receiving said direct current input voltage, and for carrying out a DC-DC power conversion process on the direct current input voltage to generate a direct current power-supply voltage to be supplied to said load; 
 a second power conversion section connected in parallel with said first power conversion section, and including:
 a primary side for receiving said direct current input voltage, and including:
 a pair of series connected switches for switching the direct current input voltage to generate an alternating current input voltage being supplied to a primary winding of at least one transformer, and 
 a driving circuit for driving said pair of series connected switches, 
 
 a secondary side, isolated from said primary side by said at least one transformer, for generating, from an alternating current output voltage supplied by a secondary winding of the at least one transformer, a power-supply voltage to be supplied to a plurality of parallel connected backlights of said backlight section, 
 a voltage detection circuit connected in series with only one of the plurality of parallel connected backlights for detecting a voltage supplied to that backlight, and 
 a feedback section for receiving the detected voltage from said voltage detection circuit, for rectifying the detected voltage, and for supplying the rectified voltage to said driving circuit of said primary side of said second power conversion section, 
 said driving circuit controlling the quantity of light emitted by the plurality of parallel connected backlights to a constant value based on the rectified voltage; and 
 a display section for displaying a picture using said backlight section. 
 
 
     
     
       2. A display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transformer includes a plurality of transformers each associated with a respective portion of the plurality of parallel connected backlights of said backlight section. 
     
     
       3. A display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of parallel connected fluorescent tubes is are employed as the plurality of parallel connected backlights of said backlight section, and said secondary side of said second power conversion section generates the power-supply voltage to be supplied to each of said parallel connected fluorescent tubes. 
     
     
       4. A display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said input-voltage generation section includes a rectification/smoothing circuit having a plurality of diodes for rectifying the alternating current, and a capacitor for smoothing a rectified output of said plurality of diodes, and said input-voltage generation section generates said direct current input voltage as a voltage appearing between terminals of said capacitor. 
     
     
       5. A display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said input-voltage generation section includes a power-factor improvement converter for generating a stabilized direct current output voltage as the direct current input voltage. 
     
     
       6. A display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said feedback section isolates the primary and secondary sides of the second power conversion section from each other. 
     
     
       7. A display apparatus having a backlight section and a load other than the backlight section, the display apparatus comprising:
 an input-voltage generation section which generates a direct current input voltage from an alternating current; 
 a first power conversion section which receives the direct current input voltage, and carries out a DC-DC power conversion process on the direct current input voltage to generate a direct current power-supply voltage to be supplied to the load; 
 a second power conversion section connected in parallel with the first power conversion section, and including:
 a primary side which receives the direct current input voltage, and including:
 a pair of series connected switches which switches the direct current input voltage to generate an alternating current input voltage being supplied to a primary winding of at least one transformer, and 
 a driving circuit which drives the pair of series connected switches, 
 
 a secondary side, isolated from the primary side by the at least one transformer, which generates, from an alternating current output voltage supplied by a secondary winding of the at least one transformer, a power-supply voltage to be supplied to a plurality of parallel connected backlights of the backlight section, 
 a voltage detection circuit connected in series with only one of the plurality of parallel connected backlights for detecting a voltage supplied to that backlight, and 
 a feedback section which receives the detected voltage from the voltage detection circuit, rectifies the detected voltage, and supplies the rectified voltage to the driving circuit of the primary side of the second power conversion section, 
 the driving circuit controlling the quantity of light emitted by the plurality of parallel connected backlights to a constant value based on the rectified voltage; and 
 a display section which displays a picture using the backlight section. 
 
 
     
     
       8. A display apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one transformer includes a plurality of transformers each associated with a respective portion of the plurality of parallel connected backlights of the backlight section. 
     
     
       9. A display apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein a plurality of parallel connected fluorescent tubes is employed as the plurality of parallel connected backlights of the backlight section. 
     
     
       10. A display apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the input-voltage generation section includes a rectification/smoothing circuit having a plurality of diodes which rectify the alternating current, and a capacitor which smoothes smooths a rectified output of the plurality of diodes, and the input-voltage generation section generates the direct current input voltage as a voltage appearing between terminals of the capacitor. 
     
     
       11. A display apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the input-voltage generation section includes a power-factor improvement converter which generates a stabilized direct current output voltage as the direct current input voltage. 
     
     
       12. A display apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the feedback section isolates the primary and secondary sides of the second power conversion section from each other. 
     
     
       13. A display apparatus having a backlight section and a load other than the backlight section, the display apparatus comprising:
 an input-voltage generation section for generating a direct current input voltage from an alternating current;   a first power conversion section for generating a direct current power-supply voltage to be supplied to the load;   a second power conversion section connected in parallel with the first power conversion section, and including:   a primary side for receiving the direct current input voltage, and including:   a pair of series connected switches for switching the direct current input voltage to generate an alternating current input voltage being supplied to a primary winding of at least one transformer,   a driving circuit for driving the pair of series connected switches,   a secondary side, isolated from the primary side by the at least one transformer, for generating, from an alternating current output voltage supplied by a secondary winding of the at least one transformer, a power-supply voltage to be supplied to a plurality of parallel connected backlights of the backlight section,   a voltage detection circuit connected in series with one of the plurality of parallel connected backlights for detecting a voltage supplied to that backlight,   a feedback section for receiving the detected voltage from the voltage detection circuit, for adjusting the detected voltage to generate an adjusted optical signal voltage, and for supplying the adjusted optical signal voltage to the driving circuit of the primary side of the second power conversion section, and   the driving circuit controlling the quantity of light emitted by the plurality of parallel connected backlights to a constant value based on the adjusted optical signal voltage; and   a display section for displaying a picture using the backlight section.    
     
     
       14. A display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the at least one transformer is a plurality of transformers each associated with a respective portion of the plurality of parallel connected backlights of the backlight section.  
     
     
       15. A display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of transformers are parallel connected with respect to one another.  
     
     
       16. A display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the at least one transformer includes a plurality of secondary windings each associated with a respective portion of the plurality of parallel connected backlights of the backlight section.  
     
     
       17. A display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of parallel connected fluorescent tubes are employed as the plurality of parallel connected backlights of the backlight section, and the secondary side of the second power conversion section generates the power-supply voltage to be supplied to each of the parallel connected fluorescent tubes.  
     
     
       18. A display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the input-voltage generation section includes a power-factor improvement converter for generating a stabilized direct current output voltage as the direct current input voltage.  
     
     
       19. A display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a junction located between the pair of series connected switches is connected to a first terminal of the primary winding of the at least one transformer, and a terminal of the pair of series connected switches is connected through a capacitor to a second terminal of the primary winding of the at least one transformer.  
     
     
       20. A display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the junction point between the switches is connected to the primary winding, and wherein one terminal of the switches is electrically connected to the primary winding by a capacitor.  
     
     
       21. A power-supply apparatus for generating a direct current power-supply voltage having a backlight section and a load other than the backlight section, the power-supply apparatus comprising:
 an input-voltage generation section for generating a direct current input voltage from an alternating current;   a first power conversion section for generating a direct current power-supply voltage to be supplied to the load;   a second power conversion section connected in parallel with the first power conversion section, and including:   a first power-supply side for receiving the direct current input voltage, and including:   a pair of series connected switches for switching the direct current input voltage to generate an alternating current input voltage being supplied to a first winding of at least one transformer,   a driving circuit for driving the pair of series connected switches,   a second power-supply side, for generating, from an alternating current output voltage supplied by a second winding of the at least one transformer, a power-supply voltage to be supplied to a plurality of parallel connected the backlight section,   a voltage detection circuit connected in series with one of the plurality of parallel connected the backlight section for detecting a voltage supplied to the backlight section,   a feedback section for receiving the detected voltage from the voltage detection circuit, for adjusting the detected voltage to generate an adjusted optical signal voltage, and for supplying the adjusted optical signal voltage to the driving circuit of the first power-supply side of the second power conversion section, and   the driving circuit controlling the quantity of light emitted by the plurality of parallel connected backlights to a constant value based on the adjusted optical signal voltage; and   the backlight section driving a light source as the load.    
     
     
       22. A power-supply apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one transformer is a plurality of parallel connected transformers.