Patents Examined by Adolf Berhane
  • Patent number: 10181802
    Abstract: A converter configuration has at least one series circuit with at least two series-connected sub-modules which in each case have at least one switch and are installed in each case at a predefined electrical installation position the converter configuration. The converter configuration further has a central unit connected to the sub-modules to control the sub-modules. The sub-modules in each case have a memory in which an identifier, in particular a serial number, uniquely identifying the respective sub-module is stored. The sub-modules in each case have a control device which can forward the stored identifier to the central unit via a communication connection connecting the respective sub-module and the central unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mike Dommaschk, Wolfgang Goblirsch, Alfred Habermeier, Joerg Lang, Christian Siegl, Tobias Wieners-Rehrmann
  • Patent number: 10180693
    Abstract: A processing circuit including a reference voltage generator and a voltage detector is provided. The reference voltage generator is configured to generate a first reference voltage to a controller. The voltage detector is configured to detect the first reference voltage. When the first reference voltage is not within a predetermined range, the voltage detector triggers the reference voltage generator such that the reference voltage generator generates a second reference voltage to the controller. When the second reference voltage is lower than a predetermined value, the voltage detector resets the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Nuvoton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Bo-Yi Lee
  • Patent number: 10177685
    Abstract: Disclosed examples include switching power converters, control methods and ripple filter circuits in which first and second switches are connected in series across first and second DC bus nodes, with an inductor connected to a switching node joining the first and second switches and a storage capacitor between the inductor and the second DC bus node. A control circuit operates the switches to alternately transfer ripple energy from a DC bus capacitor of the DC bus circuit through the inductor to the storage capacitor, and then to transfer ripple energy from the storage capacitor through the inductor to the DC bus capacitor to regulate the ripple voltage of the DC bus circuit, and the control circuit provides hysteretic control of the absolute value of the inductor current between a first value and a higher second value during transfer of ripple energy between the DC bus capacitor and the storage capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Bin Gu, Michael Douglas Seeman
  • Patent number: 10177666
    Abstract: A method for regulating an output of a power converter includes receiving a signal from an auxiliary winding of an energy transfer element of the power converter. The energy transfer element includes an input winding coupled to an input of the power converter, an output winding coupled to the output of the power converter, and the auxiliary winding. The signal represents a line input voltage of the power converter during at least a portion of an on time of a power switch coupled to the input winding. The signal represents an output voltage of the power converter during at least a portion of an off time of the power switch. The power switch is switched in response to the signal to regulate the output of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex B. Djenguerian, Balu Balakrishnan
  • Patent number: 10177558
    Abstract: A buck switching regulator includes: a power stage, which includes: an upper-gate switch, a lower-gate switch and an inductor, connected with one another at a switching node; and a supply control switch, controlling the power supply form an output terminal to a load. An overvoltage protection method includes the following steps: (A) sensing a voltage of the switching node, to obtain a switching node voltage; (B) determining whether an overvoltage event occurs in the switching node voltage; and (C) if it is determined yes in the step (B), outputting a protection signal. An overvoltage event is determined directly according to the switching node voltage, not directly according to the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jyun-Che Ho, Jo-Yu Wang, Isaac Y. Chen
  • Patent number: 10176938
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tap switch control method, which comprises the steps of: measuring data of a distribution system; calculating a second dead band and a reference voltage using the measured data; comparing the difference between the measured actual voltage and the reference voltage with a first dead band; comparing the difference between the actual voltage and the reference voltage with the second dead band, when the difference between the actual voltage and the reference voltage is outside the first dead band as a result of the comparison with the first dead band; and controlling the tap of the transformer, when the difference between the actual voltage and the reference voltage is outside the second dead band as a result of the comparison with the second dead band. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress a frequent operation of tap switching due to the fluctuations of the system and distributed power supply by applying the double dead band and to ensure the transformer's lifespan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Gilsoo Jang, Chong Suk Song
  • Patent number: 10175272
    Abstract: A remote differential voltage sensing circuit having a voltage input (Vin) and a voltage output (Vout), comprises a dual differential input stage including a common-source or common-collector differential input stage in parallel with a common-gate or common-base differential input stage. The common-source or collector differential input stage has differential inputs, one coupled to the voltage input (Vin) and the other coupled to the voltage output (Vout). The common-gate or common-base differential input stage has differential inputs, one coupled to a local ground (Agnd) and the other coupled to a remote ground (Rgnd). An output stage is driven by an output of the dual differential input stage and produces an output voltage at the voltage output (Vout). A compensation network is coupled between the voltage output (Vout) and the output of the dual differential input stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: INTERSIL AMERICAS LLC
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Xin Zhang, Gwilym Luff, Peter J. Mole
  • Patent number: 10170995
    Abstract: A multiphase power converter and a corresponding method is presented. The multiphase power converter contains a first and a second constituent switched-mode power converter. The first constituent switched-mode power converter provides, both in a first mode of operation and in a second mode of operation, a first phase current to an output of the converter. The second constituent switched-mode power converter provides, in the second mode, a second phase current to the output of the converter. The converter switches, depending on an operation condition of the converter, between the first mode and the second mode. A first transconductance of the first constituent switched-mode power converter is adapted when switching between the first mode and the second mode. By adapting the first transconductance, unsteadiness of the output voltage of the converter occurring during the switching between both modes of operation is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Carsten Barth, Jens Masuch
  • Patent number: 10168726
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a self-adaptive startup compensation device. The self-adaptive startup compensation device provides an operational transconductance amplifier that outputs a bias current to the error amplifier of the negative feedback loop of the DC-to-DC converter in such a manner that the error amplifier adjusts the error amplifier signal to be outputted, thereby adjusting the compensation signal generated by the negative feedback loop during a startup period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chih-Ning Chen, Chun-Kai Hsu
  • Patent number: 10170973
    Abstract: A synchronous rectifier circuit used in a switching power supply apparatus that performs synchronous rectification includes a transistor and a secondary control IC. The transistor performs switching operation in accordance with a gate voltage applied to a gate terminal. The secondary control IC includes a terminal and applies the gate voltage to the gate terminal of the transistor. The terminal is connected to a capacitor which stores electric charge to be supplied to the gate terminal of the transistor. The terminal is applied with a direct-current voltage obtained through synchronous rectification. The direct-current voltage is equal to or smaller than a withstand voltage of the gate of the transistor, and equal to or larger than a threshold voltage of the transistor. A maximum value of the gate voltage is the direct-current voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Tatsuya Hirose
  • Patent number: 10171004
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a full-bridge circuit connected to a primary winding of a transformer and a full-bridge circuit connected to a secondary winding of the transformer. The full-bridge circuit includes a first series circuit including a first set of switching elements, a second series circuit including a second set of switching elements, a first charge-discharge capacitor connected to a node between a first pair of the first switching elements and a node between a second pair of first switching elements, and a second charge-discharge capacitor connected to a node between the a first pair of the second switching elements and a node between a second pair of the second switching elements. The full-bridge circuit can operate in one of a full-bridge operation mode and a half-bridge operation mode. The disclosed DC-DC converter can constantly operate with high efficiency even when the variation range of a load is wide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junichi Itoh, Hayato Higa
  • Patent number: 10170979
    Abstract: An electronic system includes a multiple POL regulators that supply a regulated voltage to a component within the electronic system. A phase spreading scheme may be implemented so that the POL regulators operate under various phases to reduce voltage noise, high input capacitance, and high radiated emissions. One phase spreading scheme includes a single POL regulator controlling phase spreading so that the other POL regulators operate under different phases. Another phase spreading scheme includes an upstream POL regulator determining a phase offset that may be passed to a downstream POL regulator so that the downstream POL regulator may operate under a different phase relative to the upstream POL regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony E. Baker, Don R. Dignam, Harvey Hum, Jian Meng
  • Patent number: 10170994
    Abstract: The described embodiments include an apparatus that controls voltages for an integrated circuit chip having a set of circuits. The apparatus includes a switching voltage regulator separate from the integrated circuit chip and two or more low dropout (LDO) regulators fabricated on the integrated circuit chip. During operation, the switching voltage regulator provides an output voltage that is received as an input voltage by each of the two or more LDO regulators, and each of the two or more LDO regulators provides a local output voltage, each local output voltage received as a local input voltage by a different subset of circuits in the set of circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Gibney, Larry D. Hewitt, Daniel L. Bouvier
  • Patent number: 10170986
    Abstract: A system is disclosed which allows for a multiphase Buck switching converter, where some phases operate in peak-mode current control, and some phases operate in valley-mode current control, simultaneously with the peak-mode phases. The peak-mode phases of the switching converter operate at lower frequency, and with a higher value inductor than the valley mode phases. The peak-mode phases support discontinuous control mode (DCM) operation and continuous control mode (CCM) operation, and the valley-mode phases only support CCM operation. The peak-mode phases of the switching converter are always enabled, and the valley-mode phases are only enabled at high currents. The peak-mode and valley-mode currents are matched with a peak current servo, for better efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventor: Mark Childs
  • Patent number: 10164526
    Abstract: A signal generation circuit, a voltage conversion device, and a computer program are provided wherein the minimum increment of a value to be set for a generating portion, can be made substantially smaller than an actual increment with a relatively small processing load. A CPU specifies a set value Y (closest to a target value X) and a second closest set value Z in every N periods of a first signal, determines N set values for the first signal by combining Y and Z based on the result of comparison between the values of Y and Z and the value of X, sets one set value for a generating portion for each period of the first signal, calculates a value for setting off-time of the second signal in a first period in N periods as an additional value, and sets the calculated value for the generating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignees: AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd., Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Higashi, Takenori Abe
  • Patent number: 10164541
    Abstract: A power supply unit includes a conversion circuit that performs power conversion of power input into the power supply unit to supply direct-current power to an output path of the power supply unit, a control circuit that controls the conversion circuit so that output voltage supplied from the conversion circuit to the output path has a fixed value if output current supplied from the conversion circuit to the output path is lower than or equal to an overcurrent trip point and controls the conversion circuit so that the output voltage is decreased if the output current exceeds the overcurrent trip point, a monitoring circuit that monitors a discharge output from a discharge circuit to the output path, and a trip point changing circuit that increases the overcurrent trip point if the discharge output monitored by the monitoring circuit is decreased to a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Koichi Onodera, Hironobu Kageyama
  • Patent number: 10164539
    Abstract: A power conversion system with clamp mode switching includes a clamp conversion circuit, a switching circuit module, a PWM control module, and a feedback control module. The PWM control module stabilizes a feedback voltage when the feedback control module feeds the feedback voltage back to the switching circuit module and the PWM control module. The switching circuit module switches the clamp conversion circuit to operate in an active clamp mode or a non-active clamp mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: CHICONY POWER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tso-Jen Peng, Ping-Sheng Chen
  • Patent number: 10160334
    Abstract: Provided is a power conversion device capable of selectively suppressing harmonic noise in a frequency band and a machine equipped with the power conversion device. The power conversion device includes a switching element (13), a switching signal generation unit (23, 24) for generating a switching control signal for controlling the turning on/off of the switching element (13), and a control unit (18), and is characterized in that the switching control signal generation unit (23, 24) generates the switching control signal including a combination of a pair of symmetrical pulse waveforms having on and off periods that are interchanged with respect to a repeated cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Houda, Masayoshi Takahashi, Hiroki Funato, Hitoshi Akiyama
  • Patent number: 10164513
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of acquiring input and output voltage information by employing a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller, which is in collocation with an input power processing unit, a primary inductor, a switch element, a current-sensing resistor, an output rectifier, and an output filter for converting an alternating current input power into an rectified input power and an output power, and the output power supplies an external load. A current-sensing signal is specifically disposed and applied to calculation of the input voltage and output voltage of the rectified input power when the switch element is turned on and off, respectively. Thus, no resistive voltage divider is needed, and power consumption at no load is greatly improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: INNO-TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chih-Feng Lin, Shu-Chia Lin, Ching-Yuan Lin, Wen-Yueh Hsieh
  • Patent number: 10164542
    Abstract: A converter includes first and second input terminals and first and second output terminals. The converter also includes an output capacitor coupled between the first output terminal and the second output terminal, and a magnetic component having two input terminals and three output terminals. A first output terminal of the magnetic component is coupled through a first electronic switch to the second output terminal of the converter, a second output terminal of the magnetic component is coupled to the first output terminal of the converter, and a third output terminal of the magnetic component is coupled through a second electronic switch to the second output terminal of the electronic converter. In addition, the converter includes a switching stage configured to transfer current pulses from the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the converter to the two input terminals of the magnetic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano Saggini, Osvaldo Enrico Zambetti, Alessandro Zafarana