Patents Assigned to Astec International Limited
  • Patent number: 11942870
    Abstract: A power supply receives AC power and generates a DC output voltage. The power supply may be divided into a primary section that converts AC power to a relatively high DC voltage. A secondary section converts this relatively high DC voltage into a well-regulated lower DC voltage. In an embodiment, the current and/or power supplied by the primary to the secondary side is used by the secondary side in a closed-loop feedback system to limit the current drawn by the secondary side to a configurable value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Donald Cedrick Ongyanco, Joey De Guzman, Vincent Vicente Vivar, Ricardo Bernado Roldan, Jr., Arvin San Juan
  • Patent number: 11923779
    Abstract: A method of regulating an output voltage of a switched mode power supply having a variable input voltage and at least one power switch is provided. The method includes generating a control signal for the at least one power switch of the switched mode power supply based at least in part on a control voltage, the control signal having a duty cycle. The method also includes generating a reference voltage based at least in part on the duty cycle of the control signal and a maximum duty cycle, and generating the control voltage based at least in part on the reference voltage and the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Bing Zhang, Lian Liang, Mei Qin, Xiaodong Fan, Guozhen Wang
  • Patent number: 11881348
    Abstract: An isolated switch-mode power supply includes at least one input, at least one output, and a power circuit coupled between the at least one input and the at least one output for converting an input voltage or current to an output voltage or current. The power circuit includes a transformer having one or more primary windings, one or more secondary windings, an electrical insulator, and a core magnetically coupling the one or more primary windings and the one or more secondary windings. Upper portions of the primary and secondary windings are covered with the electrical insulator. Other example switchmode power supplies, transformers, magnetic chokes and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventor: Alfredo Belmonte Grueso
  • Patent number: 11848616
    Abstract: A three-phase power supply circuit is provided. The power supply circuit includes three LLC resonant voltage convertors, three step-down transformers, and a bridge rectifier. Each step-down transformer includes a primary and secondary coil, and each primary and secondary coil has a first node and a second node. Each step-down transformer is electrically coupled with one of the three LLC resonant voltage convertors by the first and second nodes of the primary coils. The bridge rectifier is electrically coupled with the first node of the secondary coil of each of the three step-down transformers. The second nodes of the secondary coils of each of the three step-down transformers are electrically coupled together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventor: James Sigamani
  • Patent number: 11817969
    Abstract: A system for automatically addressing serially connected slave devices includes a master device and multiple slave devices each including a serial communication transceiver, an address input port, an address output port, and a controller. The system also includes a serial communication wiring bus connected between the serial communication transceivers of the master and slave devices, and at least one digital address line connected between the address input ports and the address output ports. Each controller is configured to receive a PWM or PFM signal from a previous one of the multiple slave devices, determine an address for the slave device including the controller according to the received PWM or PFM signal, and transmit a PWM or PFM signal indicative of the determined address to a subsequent one of the multiple slave devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Vincent Vicente Vivar, James Larin David, Francis Xiaver Sicat De Rama
  • Patent number: 11817783
    Abstract: A switched mode power supply includes a multilevel buck power converter and a control circuit. The power converter includes a first buck circuit and a second buck circuit each having a power switch, a rectifier, and an inductor. The power supply may further include a resonant power converter coupled to the multilevel buck power converter. In some examples, the control circuit is configured to generate control signals for the first buck circuit's power switch and the second buck circuit's power switch to control the power converter, and adjust a switching frequency of the control signals to control the amount of reverse current flowing in the first buck circuit and the second buck circuit to achieve zero voltage switching of the first buck circuit's power switch and the second buck circuit's power switch. Other example multilevel buck power converters and power supplies are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: James Sigamani, Jonathan Ross B. Fauni
  • Patent number: 11791729
    Abstract: The technology described herein is directed to a DC input power supply unit with an auxiliary boost control circuit (or controller) that facilitates continuous supply of power to a standby output load of the power supply unit in a bootloader mode. More specifically, the auxiliary boost circuit (or controller) is configured to assume control of a primary power boost stage from a primary controller in a bootloader mode so that the power supply unit can continue to supply power to the standby output with a protection function regardless of the state of the power supply unit or primary controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Chih-hao Hsu, Chang-Chieh Yu, Carl Walker, Chun-Wei Chang, Po-Tso Chen
  • Patent number: 11779826
    Abstract: A multi-phase switched-mode power supply includes first and second interleaved phase circuits coupled between input and output terminals. The first phase circuit includes a first inductor coupled with a first switch, and the second phase circuit includes a second inductor coupled with a second switch. A control circuit is configured to output first and second PWM signals to the first and second switches. An on time of the second PWM signal is equal to an on time of the first PWM signal plus a fixed offset time period. The control circuit is configured to determine a period between rising edges of the first PWM signal in order to determine an off trigger PWM signal, and change the second PWM signal to a logical low value when a falling edge of the off trigger PWM signal occurs while the second PWM signal has a logical high value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Israel Gomez Beltran, Zhizhi Li, Siu Lun Wu
  • Patent number: 11784556
    Abstract: A power device is provided. The power device includes a current limiting resistor in series with a load, the current limiting resistor configured to provide a first current path to the load. The power device also includes an inrush current control device configured to provide a second current path to the load, the second current path configured to bypass the first current path in response to the inrush current control device being activated. The power device also includes a bypass device configured to provide a third current path to the load, the third current path configured to provide a low-resistance current path to the load during a power surge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Yongtao Xie, Pengfei Cai, Wenchao Que
  • Patent number: 11750097
    Abstract: A switch-mode AC-DC power converter includes a pair of input terminals, a pair of output terminals, and four switches coupled in a bridgeless totem-pole circuit arrangement between the pair of input terminals and the pair of output terminals. A control circuit is coupled to the four switches and configured to, during a cycle of an AC voltage input, turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, and apply pulse-width modulation (PWM) control signals to the third and fourth switches. The control circuit is also configured to, during a zero crossing of the AC voltage input, supply a PWM control signal to the fourth switch to reduce a rate of voltage change across the second switch at the zero crossing to reduce common mode noise of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Zhihua Gu, Siu Chik Wong, Kim Ly Kha
  • Patent number: 11749433
    Abstract: A transformer includes a magnetic structure and a set of coils. The magnetic structure includes a top member, a bottom member, and a plurality of legs extending between the top member and the bottom member. The plurality of legs include two outer legs. The set of coils is wound about the two outer legs of the magnetic structure and electrically coupled in series. In other examples, the magnetic structure includes a middle member positioned between the top member and the bottom and extending between the two outer legs. In such examples, a second set of coils is wound about the two outer legs of the magnetic structure and electrically coupled in series. Other example transformers and power converters such as multiphase interleaved power converters having transformers are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: James Sigamani, Jonathan Ross Bernardo Fauni
  • Patent number: 11750087
    Abstract: An electric power supply includes a totem pole bridgeless PFC power converter. The PFC power converter includes an input for coupling to an AC power source, an output, four switching devices coupled between the input and the output, two diodes coupled between the four switching devices and the input, a first inductor coupled between the four switching devices and the two diodes, and a second inductor coupled between the two diodes and the input. Other example electric power supplies and totem pole bridgeless PFC power converters are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Jun Liu, Guangqun Li, Liren Wang
  • Patent number: 11742694
    Abstract: An electric power supply comprises first and second input circuits for receiving first and second input DC voltages and a control circuit coupled to the first and second input circuits. The control circuit is configured to sense the first input DC voltage and the second input DC voltage and to enable the first input circuit and disable the second input circuit in response to the first input circuit having the highest input DC voltage to substantially prevent current from back feeding to the first input circuit from the second input circuit. The control circuit is also configured to enable the second input circuit and disable the first input circuit in response to the second input circuit having the highest input DC voltage to substantially prevent current from back feeding to the second input circuit from the first input circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Rochie Ligaya Sedillo Libby, Neil Maderas Reyes, Khanderao Madhav Gaikwad
  • Publication number: 20230261583
    Abstract: A method of regulating an output voltage of a switched mode power supply having a variable input voltage and at least one power switch is provided. The method includes generating a control signal for the at least one power switch of the switched mode power supply based at least in part on a control voltage, the control signal having a duty cycle. The method also includes generating a reference voltage based at least in part on the duty cycle of the control signal and a maximum duty cycle, and generating the control voltage based at least in part on the reference voltage and the output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Bing Zhang, Lian Liang, Mei Qin, Xiaodong Fan, Guozhen Wang
  • Patent number: 11728728
    Abstract: power supply module comprises a voltage converter coupled to first and second inputs. The voltage converter comprises a boosting circuit configured to boost an input voltage and comprises an input voltage selector (IVS) selectively connect and disconnect the first and second inputs to the boosting circuit. A first sensing circuit is coupled to the first input and comprises a pair of inputs coupled to the first input, a rectifier assembly, a resistor bank coupled between the pair of inputs and the rectifier assembly, a sense resistor coupled to the rectifier assembly, and a voltage sensor coupled to the sense resistor. A DC converter is configured to generate and supply an auxiliary voltage to the first sensing circuit. The resistor bank filters an electromagnetic interference (EMI) signal transmitted from the DC converter to a value below a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventor: Weng Fai Ng
  • Patent number: 11716016
    Abstract: A switched mode power supply (SMPS) includes a filter (202), a power factor correction (PFC) circuit (204), and a control circuit (206, 406) configured to determine various electrical parameters of the SMPS. In some embodiments, the control circuit (206, 406) is configured to determine a power line frequency and an AC input voltage based on an AC line voltage and an AC neural voltage. In other embodiments, the control circuit (206, 406) is configured to determine an AC input current based on a reactive current flowing through the filter (202) and a PFC AC current. In further embodiments, the control circuit (206, 406) is configured to report a value of an electrical parameter if value is determined to be accurate. Other example switch mode power supplies, control circuits and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: PengFei Li, XiaoLin He, HaiJun Zhang, XunJiang Dai, Liang Meng
  • Patent number: 11711020
    Abstract: A transformer for a multiphase power converter includes a magnetic structure, a first coil configured to electrically couple to an input circuit or an output circuit of a subconverter of the multiphase power converter, and a second coil configured to electrically couple to an input circuit or an output circuit of another subconverter of the multiphase power converter. The magnetic structure includes a top member, a bottom member, and legs extending between the top member and the bottom member in substantially the same direction. The legs include two outer members and two inner members. The first coil is wound about one of the two inner members of the magnetic structure, and the second coil is wound about the other one of the two inner members of the magnetic structure. Other example transformers, and multiphase power converters including transformers are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventor: Todd Martin Schaible
  • Patent number: 11687485
    Abstract: A system for monitoring inter-integrated circuit (12C) communication includes a power supply, a battery backup unit, an 12C serial clock line (SCL) coupled between the power supply and the battery backup unit, an 12C serial data line (SDA) coupled between the power supply and the battery backup unit, and a controller. A first monitor line is coupled between the controller and the 12C serial clock line, and a second monitor line is coupled between the controller and the 12C serial data line. The controller is configured to monitor a digital communication transmitted on the 12C serial clock and data lines between the power supply and the battery backup unit, interpret a message included in the monitored digital communication, and perform a control function according to the interpreted message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventor: Donald Cedrick Ongyanco
  • Patent number: 11671024
    Abstract: A switched mode power supply includes a power circuit and a control circuit coupled to the power circuit for regulating its output voltage. The control circuit is configured to generate a control signal for at least one power switch of the power circuit using a reference voltage, determine if a duty cycle of the control signal is within a defined range, sense one or more output parameters of the power circuit including the output voltage of the power circuit, and in response to determining the duty cycle of the control signal is outside the defined range, adjust the reference voltage to adjust the duty cycle of the control signal. The reference voltage is adjustable over time to thereby linearly adjust the output voltage of the power circuit. Other example switched mode power supplies, control circuits, and methods for regulating output voltages of switched mode power supplies are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Lian Liang, Bing Zhang, Mei Qin, Wenyong Liu, Zhishuo Li
  • Patent number: 11664721
    Abstract: A multiphase interleaved forward power converter includes an inductor and first and second subconverter comprising respective transformers. The converter also includes first and second drives configured to respectively operate the first and second subconverters with cycling periods comprising a conduction period, a reset period, and an idle period. The first and second drives are also configured to phase shift the cycling periods in each subconverter such that the conduction period of the subconverter is at least partially complementary to the idle period of the other subconverter. The second drive also clamps a voltage across a winding of the transformer of the first subconverter to substantially prevent a first resonance voltage from propagating in the first subconverter during the idle period of the first subconverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: John Faustino Begino, III, Nathaniel Franco Neri