Patents Examined by Christopher Clark
  • Patent number: 10340681
    Abstract: A power management system comprises a power converter comprising a power stage and configured to detect an abnormal static state of the power stage, to generate a protection signal in response to the detection of the abnormal static state of the power stage, and to stabilize a direct current (DC) power supply voltage in response to an enable signal to generate a DC output voltage, and a main control circuit configured to generate the enable signal for the power converter based on the protection signal received from the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Ik Cho, Hyoung-Seok Oh, Je-Hyung Yoon, Yoo-Jun Jeong
  • Patent number: 10242827
    Abstract: An electrically controlled switching device includes a support, a first contact coupled to the support, a second contact coupled to the support, an SMA element operably connected with the second contact, a sensor positioned on or adjacent to the SMA element, and a controller in communication with the sensor. The SMA element is configured to transform between a first shape and a different second shape responsive to an electrical pulse heating the SMA element to a transformation temperature. The sensor is configured to detect a detected temperature of the SMA element. The controller is configured to control the electrical pulse heating the SMA element. The controller receives signals from the sensor indicative of the detected temperature of the SMA element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN ELECTRICAL & POWER
    Inventors: David Michael Geier, James Walter Broadwell, James Michael McCormick, Patrick Wellington Mills
  • Patent number: 10202203
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for grounding insulated P-clamps used to secure fuel conduits. To do so, one end of the device is adapted to be secured between the flanges of the P-clamp, and a second end is adapted to extend into the clamp to make electrical contact with the conduit. The device creates an electrical path to the grounded structure to which the clamp is secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Skibba, M. Scott Montgomery
  • Patent number: 10193313
    Abstract: A corona ignition system including a corona igniter, switches, and a programmable controller capable of rapidly adjusting to changes in resonant frequency is provided. Energy at a drive frequency and an output current is provided to the corona igniter. Switches provide energy to the corona igniter at the drive frequency and are activated at different times. The controller obtains the output current provided to the corona igniter, typically once every half cycle, and activates the first switch a predetermined amount of time after a first zero crossing of the output current, wherein the first zero crossing is a zero crossing of the most recent full cycle of the output current. The second switch is activated a predetermined amount of time after a second zero crossing occurring after the first zero crossing. The delay of the system is accounted for by the controller, rather than other components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Ignition LLC
    Inventor: John Antony Burrows
  • Patent number: 10193324
    Abstract: A circuit including a source, a load, and an isolation circuit for controllably isolating the load from the source. The isolation circuit is disposed between the source and the load. The isolation circuit includes at least one insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and at least one gate turn-off thyristor (GTO) in parallel with the insulated-gate bipolar transistor. When no fault condition exists, the GTO is configured to be on to couple the load to the source. When a fault condition exists, the at least one IGBT is configured to turn on. After the at least one IGBT turns on, the at least one GTO is configured to turn off. After a predetermined amount of time after the at least one GTO turns off, the at least one IGBT is configured to turn off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Silicon Power Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Waldron, Kenneth Brandmier, James K. Azotea
  • Patent number: 10193322
    Abstract: A circuit including a source, a load, and an isolation circuit for controllably isolating the load from the source. The isolation circuit is disposed between the source and the load. The isolation circuit includes at least one insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and at least one gate turn-off thyristor (GTO) in parallel with the insulated-gate bipolar transistor. When no fault condition exists, the GTO is configured to be ON to couple the load to the source. When a fault condition exists, the at least one IGBT is configured to turn ON. After the at least one IGBT turns ON, the at least one GTO is configured to turn OFF. After a predetermined amount of time, reflecting the post fabrication alteration to the GTO's minority carrier lifetime (e.g. electron irradiation), after the at least one GTO turns OFF, the at least one IGBT is configured to turn OFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Silicon Power Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Waldron, Kenneth Brandmier, James K. Azotea
  • Patent number: 10183401
    Abstract: Systems and methods for transferring a micro device from a carrier substrate are disclosed. In an embodiment, a mass transfer tool includes an articulating transfer head assembly, a carrier substrate holder, and an actuator assembly to adjust a spatial relationship between the articulating transfer head assembly and the carrier substrate holder. The articulating transfer head assembly may include an electrostatic voltage source connection and a substrate supporting an array of electrostatic transfer heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Higginson, Andreas Bibl, David Albertalli
  • Patent number: 10181718
    Abstract: Provided herein are improved electrical circuit protection devices for protection against electrostatic discharge (ESD), the devices including a first support substrate, a first electrode and a second electrode formed on the first support substrate, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed from a conductive material. The devices further include a first bonding pad disposed on the first and second electrode, the first bonding pad having a first cavity formed therein; a second support substrate disposed on the first bonding pad, the second support substrate having a second cavity formed therein, and a voltage variable material disposed within the first cavity and the second cavity and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode. The devices further include a second bonding pad disposed on the second support substrate, and a third support substrate disposed on the second bonding pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Littelfuse, Inc.
    Inventors: Conrado De Leon, Albert Enriquez, Editha Liquido, Crispin Zulueta
  • Patent number: 10170905
    Abstract: An embodiment electronic circuit includes an electronic switch comprising a load path, and a control circuit configured to drive the electronic switch. The control circuit is configured to operate in one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode based at least on a level of a load current of the electronic switch. In the first operation mode the control circuit is configured to generate a first protection signal based on a current-time-characteristic of the load current and drive the electronic switch based on the first protection signal. The control circuit is configured to generate a status signal such that the status signal has a wakeup pulse when the operation mode changes from the second operation mode to the first operation mode and, after the wakeup pulse, a signal level representing a level of the load current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Robert Illing, Christian Djelassi, Markus Ladurner, David Jansson
  • Patent number: 10163597
    Abstract: An energy-saving ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) includes an electronic circuit board provided in a housing and a breaker switch mounted on and controlled by the electronic circuit board. The electronic circuit board includes a power circuit, a test circuit, a work indicator circuit, a leakage detection circuit, a neutral-line ground fault detection circuit, a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) circuit, and an integrated circuit. The GFCI is characterized by further including a dual-coil switch-closing circuit parallel-connected to the power circuit and is advantageous in that the breaker switch can be rapidly closed by simultaneously supplying electricity to both coils to effect strong electromagnetic attraction, is kept closed by only one of the coils after current to the other coil is cut off via the properties of capacitors, and when a circuit fault occurs, is opened via an SCR which renders the single working coil out of electricity to ensure safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: SHANGHAI YUNYUAN ELECTRIC APPLIANCE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Guojiu Liu
  • Patent number: 10163587
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a withdrawable arc eliminator having an interlock function, and more particularly, to a withdrawable arc eliminator having an interlock function capable of preventing insertion or withdrawal of an arc eliminator applied to an electrical panel, in a closed state of the arc eliminator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyunwook Lee, Kwanghyeon Ahn, Seogwon Lee, Youngwoo Jeong
  • Patent number: 10164238
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a battery protection device and a battery protection device manufactured by the method, and more particularly, a method for manufacturing a battery protection device and a battery protection device which reduce a defect rate and also the number of processes, thus enhancing productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignees: TES CO., LTD
    Inventor: Young Dae Kim
  • Patent number: 10141732
    Abstract: An apparatus for switching in a DC voltage mains has a switching device for interrupting the flow of current in at least one line of the DC voltage grid. The switching device is connected into the line of the DC voltage grid by way of a first and a second connection. An attenuation member absorbs energy from the applied terminal voltage. The attenuation member has a first and a second node that are electrically connected via an attenuation element, an electrical connection from the first node to the first connection via a first controlled or uncontrolled switching element, and an electrical connection from the first node to the second connection via a second controlled or uncontrolled switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Enrique Gaxiola, Andre Schoen
  • Patent number: 10136507
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a method for low emission charge neutralization, comprising: generating a high frequency alternating current (AC) voltage; transmitting the high frequency AC voltage to at least one non-metallic emitter; wherein the at least one non-metallic emitter comprises at least 70% silicon by weight and less than 99.99% silicon by weight; wherein the at least one emitter comprises at least one treated surface section with a destroyed oxidation layer; and generating ions from the at least one non-metallic emitter in response to the high frequency AC voltage. Another embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for low emission charge neutralization wherein the apparatus can perform the above-described operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Gefter, Aleksey Klochkov
  • Patent number: 10135237
    Abstract: A system is provided. The system includes a plurality of uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), each UPS of the plurality of UPSs including an inverter, a ring bus, and at least one controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of UPSs, the at least one controller configured to control at least one bridge current in each UPS, the at least one bridge current controlled such that the inverter of each UPS operates in a partial current limiting regime between a full current limiting regime and a linear mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Silvio Colombi, Andrea Mannuccini, Luigi De Bernardi
  • Patent number: 10132856
    Abstract: Software code for operating a circuit interrupting device having an auto-monitoring circuit for automatically testing various functions and structures of the device. The auto-monitoring circuit initiates the software code which includes an auto-monitoring routine which, among other things, establishes a self-test fault during the positive or negative half-wave of an AC power cycle and determines whether the detection mechanisms within the device properly detect the self-test fault. An early detection signal indicates that the self-test fault was properly detected without interfering with the normal operation of the detection circuitry and without causing a false trip within the device. Additional functionality of the software code permits automatic verification that the device is properly wired, that is, not miswired, and determines whether the device has reached the end of its useful life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen Simonin
  • Patent number: 10110025
    Abstract: An enhanced parallel protection circuit is provided. A system using separate battery packs in a parallel configuration is arranged with multiple protection circuit modules (PCMs). The PCMs are configured to detect fault conditions, such as over voltage, under voltage, excess current, excess heat, etc. Individual PCMs can be configured to control associated switches and/or other components. When a fault condition is detected by an individual PCM, the individual PCM triggers one or more associated switches to shut down one or more components. In addition, by the use of the techniques disclosed herein, the individual PCM can also trigger switches that are controlled by other PCMs. Configurations disclosed herein mitigate occurrences where a multi-PCM device is operating after at least one PCM has shut down. Configurations disclosed herein provide safeguards and redundant protection in scenarios where a fault event is detected by one PCM and not detected by another PCM in a parallel configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Alan Dutra, Scott Francis Fullam, Agustya Ruchir Mehta, Junius Mark Penny, David Lukofsky
  • Patent number: 10074642
    Abstract: A circuit protection component including a crowbar device for protecting electronic devices from transients is generally disclosed. The circuit protection component may include a steering diode bridge and a crowbar device electrically connected to the steering diode bridge. The crowbar device may have a base and an emitter formed on a first layer, the first layer defining a breakdown voltage, which when exceeded allows current to pass under the emitter and out the device through a hole formed in the emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Littelfuse, Inc.
    Inventors: Ader Shen, Ethan Kuo, Ting-Fung Chang
  • Patent number: 10056178
    Abstract: The superconducting magnet device reduces the number of connections within and/or the number of wires leading out of a superconducting coil winding and promptly starts expending the magnetic energy in a superconducting coil operating in a persistent-current mode when the superconducting coil increases in temperature or transitions to normal conductivity. This invention provides a superconducting magnet device that has the following: a superconducting coil connected to an excitation power supply; a persistent-current switch connected to the superconducting coil; a heater that controls the temperature of the persistent-current switch; a current source that is connected in parallel with the persistent-current switch and has a different polarity from the excitation power supply; a driving circuit connected to the heater and the current source; and a signal-inputting means for inputting a signal to the driving circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihisa Miyazoe, Takeshi Nakayama, Manabu Aoki
  • Patent number: 10048305
    Abstract: A semiconductor abnormality detection circuit includes a semiconductor circuit and a controller which controls supply of power to a load. The semiconductor circuit includes a switch device disposed between a power source and the load, and a sense signal generator generating a sense signal corresponding to a current flowing through the switch device. The controller judges that the semiconductor circuit is operating normally if the instruction voltage level is equal to an off-voltage corresponding to non-energization of the switch device and a voltage of the sense signal is equivalent to a prescribed off-voltage corresponding to non-energization of the switch device or the instruction voltage level is equal to an on-voltage corresponding to energization of the switch device and a voltage of the sense signal is equivalent to a prescribed on-voltage corresponding to a steady energization state of the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Iwasaki