Patents Examined by Adolf D. Berhane
  • Patent number: 11953961
    Abstract: An electric switch-mode power converter comprises: a parameter predictor for predicting and updating at least one regulator parameter of a regulator controlling a switching device of the converter, a performance feedback signal generator for providing a performance feedback signal indicative of a performance of the conversion operation, wherein the parameter predictor is configured to predict an update of the regulator parameter based on the performance feedback signal and during update intervals, the intervals being during the power conversion operation and being separated by pauses without update.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Salman Nazir, Benjamin L. Schwabe
  • Patent number: 11949332
    Abstract: A power converter for converting an input voltage at an input of the power converter into an output voltage at an output of the power converter may include a first power converter branch comprising a first capacitor, a first switch network, and a first inductor, the first switch network arranged to selectably couple the first capacitor between an input voltage, a first reference voltage, and a first terminal of the first inductor, wherein a second terminal of the first inductor is coupled to an output node; a second power converter branch comprising a second capacitor, a second switch network, and a second inductor, the second switch network arranged to selectably couple the second capacitor between the input voltage, a second reference voltage, and a first terminal of the second inductor, wherein a second terminal of the second inductor is coupled to the output node; and a third switch network between the first power converter branch and the second power converter branch, wherein the third switch network is
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic Inc.
    Inventor: Changjong Lim
  • Patent number: 11949281
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein provide examples of an electrical panel (e.g., a modular electrical panel) that is configured to control a plurality of electrical loads. The electrical panel may include a control circuit, memory, a communication circuit, and an alternating current (AC) line feed and/or a direct current (DC) line feed. The electrical panel may also include a plurality of power supplies and a plurality of control modules, where more than one control module is associated with each of the plurality of power supplies. Each control module may configured to receive DC power from the associated power supply and provide an output voltage to at least one electrical load. The electrical panel provides flexibility as to whether each stage of conversion, regulation, and/or control is performed at a control module located within the electrical panel or performed at an accessory module located at an electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Stuart W. DeJonge, Robert C. Newman, Jr., Matthew W. Nuhfer, Michael W. Pessina, Thomas M. Shearer
  • Patent number: 11949327
    Abstract: A power factor correction circuit comprising: a global voltage input; and means for deriving a reference current from the global voltage; whereby the means for deriving the reference current comprises a leading phase admittance cancellation, LPAC, transfer function and a filter, whereby the reference current is derived from a sum of an output of the LPAC transfer function and an output of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Ignacio Castro, Ponggorn Kulsangcharoen, Rodrigo Fernandez-Mattos
  • Patent number: 11948731
    Abstract: A control device for a power conversion device using a multi-phase magnetic coupling reactor is provided. The multi-phase magnetic coupling reactor including: a first outer coil; a second outer coil; an inner coil; and a core. Directions of magnetic fluxes generated in the first outer coil, the second outer coil, and the inner coil are opposite to each other in any combination. The control device is configured to switch among a one-phase operation, a two-phase operation, and a three-phase operation. The control device is configured to select two phases of the first outer coil and the second outer coil in the two-phase operation, and the control device is configured to select one of the first outer coil and the second outer coil in the one-phase operation before the two-phase operation or a one-phase operation after the two-phase operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryota Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 11942785
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a power electronics device having at least two inverters and a transformer apparatus having a core arrangement, at least one primary winding and at least one secondary winding that wind around the core arrangement at least in sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventor: Sebastian Umlauf
  • Patent number: 11936302
    Abstract: A detection circuit including a temperature voltage generator circuit and an output circuit. The temperature voltage generator circuit generates a detection voltage corresponding to a temperature of the detection circuit based on a predetermined constant current, when a pulse signal received by the detection circuit is at a first level, and stop generating the detection voltage when the pulse signal is at a second level. The output circuit outputs a detection signal indicating whether the temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature based on the detection voltage, during a period of time between a first time that is a predetermined time period after the pulse signal reaches the first level and a second time at which the pulse signal switches from the first level to the second level, the pulse signal remaining in the first level in the period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jian Chen
  • Patent number: 11936285
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switch system (1) comprising a power line (2) for supplying a charge from a voltage source (+Vbat), said power line having a main switch (Q1) comprising a first main terminal (D) and a second main terminal (S), between which a main current (Ip) is intended to pass, and a control terminal (G) for selectively placing the main switch (Q1) in a closed, open or semi-closed state, the main switch (Q1) in its semi-closed state being equivalent to a variable resistor controlled by the control terminal and connected between the first and the second main terminal, characterized in that the switch system (1) further comprises a current-limiting device (3) designed to, when the main current (Ip) exceeds a maximum current threshold, decrease a control current (Ig) entering the control terminal (G), so as to cause the main switch (Q1) to transition from the closed state to the semi-closed state, so as to limit the main current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur
    Inventors: Laurent Domenger, Panagiotis Giannikopoulos, Hafid Ihaddaden
  • Patent number: 11929680
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes various aspects of adaptive current control in switching power regulators for fast transient response. In some aspects, a clock of a switching power regulator is prevented, in response to detecting a transient load, from affecting application of current to an inductor of the regulator. A first switch device applies current to the inductor of the regulator until inductor current reaches a maximum current level. A second switch device then enables the current to flow through the inductor until the inductor current reaches a current control signal based on an output voltage of the switching power regulator. In some aspects, an offset is also applied to the current control signal to further increase average inductor current. These operations may be repeated without interruption from the clock to quickly increase the inductor current, and thus current provided to the regulator output in response to the transient load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventor: Wei Shen
  • Patent number: 11923774
    Abstract: A switching power supply apparatus includes switching elements that generate switching current flowing through an inductor, a switching control circuit, and an inductor current detection circuit that detects current flowing through the inductor. The inductor current detection circuit is composed of a time constant circuit including a detection capacitor and a detection resistor that are connected in series to each other and is connected in parallel to the inductor. A time constant of the inductor current detection circuit has characteristics varied with frequency or temperature. This compensates variation of equivalent series resistance of the inductor with respect to the frequency or variation thereof with respect to the temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Hosotani
  • Patent number: 11923767
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a three-phase AC/DC converter aiming for low input current harmonic. The converter includes an input stage for receiving a three-phase AC input voltage, an output stage for at least one load, and one or more switching conversion stages, each stage including a plurality of half bridge modules. The switches in each module operate with a substantially fixed 50% duty cycle and are connected in a specific pattern to couple a DC-link and a neutral node of the input voltage. The AC/DC converter further includes one or more controllers adapted to vary the switching frequency of the switches in the switching conversion stages based on at least one of load voltage, load current, input voltage, and DC-link voltage. The converter can also include one or more decoupling stages, such as, inductive components adapted to decouple the output stage from the switching conversion stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chi Zhang, Zhiyu Shen, Yungtaek Jang, Sheng-Hua Li, Ruxi Wang, Peter Mantovanelli Barbosa
  • Patent number: 11916468
    Abstract: A converter includes a DC bus, a first DC-DC converter, a second DC-DC converter, and a plurality of circulating current suppression circuits. The first DC-DC converter is coupled to the DC bus and includes a first plurality of switches. The second DC-DC converter is coupled to the DC bus in parallel with the first DC-DC converter. The second DC-DC converter includes a second plurality of switches. The plurality of circulating current suppression circuits are coupled to the DC bus and are further respectively coupled to the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter. Each of the plurality of circulating current suppression circuits has a resonant frequency at or around a switching frequency for the first and second pluralities of switches. The plurality of circulating current suppression circuits is configured to suppress current at or around the switching frequency and pass at least direct current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zheyu Zhang, Kenneth McClellan Rush, Luca Tonini, Hao Tu
  • Patent number: 11916487
    Abstract: An asymmetric half-bridge converter is provided. The asymmetric half-bridge converter includes a switch circuit, a resonance tank, a current sensor, and a controller. The current sensor senses a waveform of a resonance current flowing through the resonance tank to generate a sensing result. The controller determines the sensing result. When the sensing result indicates that an ending current value of a primary resonance waveform of the resonance current is greater than a predetermined value, the controller performs a first switching operation on the switch circuit. When the sensing result indicates that the ending current value of the primary resonance waveform is less than or equal to the predetermined value, the controller performs a second switching operation on the switch circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Power Forest Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Chao-Chang Chiu, Kuan-Chun Fang, Yueh-Chang Chen, Tzu-Chi Huang, Che-Hao Meng
  • Patent number: 11916481
    Abstract: A Buck constant voltage driver and an application circuit thereof, are disclosed. In the Buck constant voltage driver, the peripheral structure is remained unchanged for possessing the advantages of low cost and simplicity of the prior art. Meanwhile, in order to compensate the difference of output voltage caused by the change of the forward voltage drop under different output currents, an output voltage compensation module is added to the Buck constant voltage driver. The output voltage compensation module is operable to acquire an output current information based on the sampling voltage on the sampling resistor, and to compensate the preset first reference voltage according to the output current information, thus maintaining the output voltage of the Buck constant voltage driver constant, under different output current conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Fremont Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Yuquan Huang, Dennis Sinitsky
  • Patent number: 11909214
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of electric power system, and more particularly to a topology of a series-connected MMC with a small number of modules, where the topology is composed of a three-phase bridge circuit, half-bridge valve strings, a three-phase filter inductor, and a three-phase grid frequency transformer. The topology of a series-connected MMC with a small number of modules in the present disclosure needs only two half-bridge valve strings, thus greatly reducing the number of the submodules as compared with the conventional MMC structure. When achieving the same high DC voltage output, the present disclosure can improve the power density of the MMC, realize stable three-phase AC output voltage, and further achieve balance of capacitor voltages in the two half-bridge valve strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SOUTHEAST UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Wu Chen, Liangcai Shu, Haozhe Jin, Xiaokun He
  • Patent number: 11901832
    Abstract: This application relates to an active compensating device. In one aspect, the active compensating device includes two or more high current paths through which a second current supplied by a second device is transmitted to a first device, and a sensing unit sensing the first current on the high current paths and generating an output signal corresponding to the first current. The device may also include an amplifying unit amplifying the output signal of the sensing unit to generate an amplified current and a compensating unit generating a compensation current based on the amplified current and allowing the compensation current to flow to each of the two or more high current paths. The device may further include a first anti-disturbance unit connected in parallel to output terminals of the sensing unit, and a second anti-disturbance unit connected in parallel to input terminals of the compensating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: EM CORETECH CO., LTD., UNIST (ULSAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)
    Inventors: Sang Yeong Jeong, Jin Gook Kim
  • Patent number: 11901121
    Abstract: An electronic safety actuator (1) for an elevator safety brake, includes a first solenoid (2), a magnet (3), movable by the first solenoid (2) between a first position proximate to the first solenoid (2) and a second position distal from the first solenoid (2) a second solenoid (6) and a detector (8). The detector (8) is arranged to apply an electrical signal to one of the first solenoid (2) and the second solenoid (6), and to detect an electrical signal induced in the other of the first solenoid (2) and the second solenoid (6) as a result of the applied electrical signal. There is also provided a method of detecting a condition or state of the first solenoid (2) or the magnet (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Javier Munoz Sotoca
  • Patent number: 11901825
    Abstract: An isolated DC-DC converter includes a transformer, a full-bridge switching circuit, a protective circuit, a control unit, an inductor, and an output circuit. The isolated DC-DC converter includes a first voltage detection unit that detects a voltage value between a first conductive path and a second conductive path, and a first current detection unit that detects a current value of the inductor. The control unit determines at least one of a first dead time and a second dead time on the basis of the voltage value detected by the first voltage detection unit and the current value detected by the first current detection unit, using a method that increases the dead time as the voltage value increases and reduces the dead time as the current value increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd., Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ibuki Kawamura, Takumi Uemura
  • Patent number: 11891189
    Abstract: A seal-cover assembly for a structure including a first side and a second side opposing the first side. The seal-cover assembly includes a cap defining a recess, and an insert fixed to the cap within the recess to form a cover unit. The cover unit is configured to be secured to the first side of the structure. The seal-cover assembly includes a fastener configured to be disposed through the structure from the second side of the structure. The fastener is attached to the cover unit relative to the second side without accessing the first side of the structure. Additionally, an aircraft includes the structure and the seal-cover assembly as discussed above. Furthermore, a method of assembling the seal-cover assembly to the structure includes the cover unit secured to the first side of the structure such that an interior of the cover unit is inaccessible from the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Daniel James Cowan, Bart Stevens
  • Patent number: 11888411
    Abstract: A main circuit power supply device includes: a plurality of voltage-division power storage elements connected in series; voltage adjustment circuits for adjusting each of voltages of the plurality of voltage-division power storage elements through mutual transfer of power between the plurality of voltage-division power storage elements; and at least one DC/DC converter which is connected to at least one of the voltage-division power storage elements and supplies a control power source to a main circuit control circuitry to control a main circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akito Nakayama, Taichiro Tsuchiya, Jumpei Isozaki