Patents Examined by Emily P Pham
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Patent number: 11728723Abstract: In this invention we introduce the concept of energy injection in a resonant circuit with initial conditions which is part of almost all of the present topologies. The patent will present in details several methods of energy injection in a resonant circuit with initial conditions and how it is applies to different topologies. The patent presents also a simple and economical method of driving the clamp switch in a flyback topology operating in discontinuous mode and a bias circuit in a flyback topology wherein the output voltage varies over a large range.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2021Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Inventor: Ionel Jitaru
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Patent number: 11726513Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product are provided. The apparatus may be a regulator circuit. The regulator circuit includes a first voltage regulator to regulate a first input voltage to the first voltage regulator, the first voltage regulator including a P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS), a second voltage regulator to regulate a second input voltage to the second voltage regulator, and a switch circuit to selectively activate at least one of the first voltage regulator or the second voltage regulator. In one aspect, the second voltage regulator includes an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS). In one aspect, the second voltage regulator comprises a two-stage operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) circuit. In an aspect, the first voltage regulator is coupled to the second voltage regulator.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2021Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Yung-Chung Lo, Gang Zhang, Yiping Han, Frederic Bossu, Tsai-Pi Hung, Jae-Hong Chang
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Patent number: 11722075Abstract: An ultrasonic motor is provided that includes a stator including first and second piezoelectric elements provided on a first main surface of a vibrator having a plate shape, a rotor in direct or indirect contact with a second main surface of the vibrator, and a wiring member connected to the first and second piezoelectric elements. Moreover, the wiring member includes first and second connection members connected to the first and second piezoelectric elements, a central wiring portion connected to the first and second connection members and provided in a region including a center of an axial direction, and an extended wiring portion connected to the central wiring portion. The central wiring portion is fixed to the first main surface of the vibrator and the extended wiring portion is lifted from the first main surface of the vibrator.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2022Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Tsuguji Kambayashi, Toshiaki Yamashita
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Patent number: 11716034Abstract: A piezoelectric drive device includes a piezoelectric element, a vibrating plate with a concave portion provided in a side surface, and a projecting portion provided between two side surfaces of the concave portion and having a spherical shape, an elliptical shape, or an egg shape, wherein a plurality of the piezoelectric elements and a plurality of the vibrating plates are stacked, and the concave portion includes a bottom surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2021Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventor: Tomoaki Takahashi
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Patent number: 11716035Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electromechanical linear drive having a housing, an electromechanical drive unit, a transmission element which is coupled to the electro-mechanical drive unit, and an element to be driven which is in frictional contact with the transmission element, where the transmission element is mounted on at least two bearing points with respect to the housing. Improved accessibility to the element to be driven and a longer adjustment path of the element to be driven can be achieved by placing the element to be driven in frictional contact with the transmission element at a point of engagement outside of all bearing points.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2020Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: PHYSIK INSTRUMENTE (PI) GMBH & CO. KGInventors: Reinhard Hübner, Dominik Bocskai
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Patent number: 11711032Abstract: A vibration-type actuator includes a vibrator, a contact body, a pressure member, a holding member, and a base. The vibrator has an elastic member and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element fixed to the elastic member. The contact body contacts the vibrator. The pressure member presses the contact body and the vibrator in a first direction. The holding member holds the vibrator and includes a support portion and at least one fitting hole portion extending in the first direction. The support portion supports the vibrator movably in the first direction. The base holds the holding member. The contact body moves relative to the vibrator in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The base includes at least one fitting protrusion portion extending in the first direction and fits in the at least one fitting hole portion.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2021Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Nobuyuki Kojima
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Patent number: 11711033Abstract: The invention relates to a piezoelectric motor with bending travelling wave, comprising a rotary shaft (4) connected to a rotor (3), a piezoelectric element (2) attached to a vibrating stator (1), and a decoupling web (5) for attaching the vibrating stator to a mounting (7). The mounting (7) is mechanically connected to a base (9) by means of at least one deformable element (10) and at least one piezoelectric actuator (11), so that the support can be deformed angularly relative to the base in order to rotate the shaft when the vibrating stator is no longer electrically powered. The motor is particularly suitable for applications that require micrometre or nanometre accuracies, for example in positioning tools in industrial processes, precise medical robotics or optical applications.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2020Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: TELEMAQ SASInventors: Jean-Denis Sauzade, Florian Gourlay
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Patent number: 11711031Abstract: A piezoelectric inertia actuator is disclosed herein, which includes an actuator body, a coupling body defining a receiver, a lock body positioned within the receiver, and a piezo body attached to the coupling body. At least one flexible frame configured to support an engaging body may extend from the piezo body. A spring blade configured to apply a preload force to the engaging body via a decoupling preload body may extend from the coupling body. A tension member may be positioned within the lock body and apply a preload force to the piezo body, thereby creating a net compressive stress therein. The piezoelectric inertia actuator may further include a piezo preload body configured to apply a reaction force to the piezo body in order to maintain the compressive stress therein. The preload applied to the piezo body may be substantially decoupled from the preload applied to the engaging body.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2020Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: MICRO-CONTROLE—SPECTRA-PHYSICSInventors: Eric Durand, Joel Mendes Pereira
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Patent number: 11705830Abstract: An electromechanical motor (1) comprises a stator (2) and a translator (10). The stator has two electromechanical actuators (20) having electromechanically active material (26) and means (35) for providing exciting signals. The translator is arranged between, and in driving contact with, driving portions (22) of the electromechanical actuators. The stator has a spring element (30) arranged for holding the driving portions against the translator. The electromechanical actuators are arranged for providing a vibration, which gives rise to a driving action, directed in a driving direction (X) perpendicular to the direction of the normal force, against the surface of the translator. The electromechanical motor further comprises a guiding means (50) having a circular hole (52). The translator has a cylindrically shaped guidance part (16) arranged at least partly in the circular hole. A tunable high-frequency filter comprising such a motor is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2020Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: ACUVI ABInventor: Andreas Danell
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Patent number: 11705824Abstract: A half bridge DC-DC converter device includes a primary circuit and a secondary circuit, which include separate windings that are disposed around a magnetic core. The first circuit includes two switches and a drive circuit to turn the two switches on and off in an alternating fashion. The primary circuit further includes two thermal regulating components to regulate the current at the base of the two switches over a range of operating temperatures. The regulation of base current over a range of different operating temperatures results in the half bridge converter device being efficient and maintaining a stable switching frequency over the operational temperature range.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2021Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Gerald Ezekwem, Alireza Harrasi
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Patent number: 11689121Abstract: There is provided a vibration wave motor that includes a plurality of pressing parts separated by slits and can prevent an intervention member from protruding from the slits. The vibration wave motor includes a vibrator, a driven body configured to be brought into pressure contact with the vibrator and to move relative to the vibrator, a pressing member configured to move together with the driven body and to bring the driven body into pressure contact with the vibrator, and an intervention member intervening between the driven body and the pressing member, and configured to be pressed together with the driven body when the pressing member brings the driven body into pressure contact with the vibrator. The pressing member includes a plurality of pressing parts that is separated by slits and presses the intervention member. The intervention member is firmly fixed to the driven body.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2020Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kei Suefuji, Satoshi Tsuchiya
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Patent number: 11689120Abstract: A control apparatus for a vibration type actuator that moves a vibrating body in which vibrations are excited by an electromechanical energy conversion element, and a contact body contacting the vibrating body relative to each other includes a generation unit configured to generate multi-phase driving signals having a phase difference applied to the electromechanical energy conversion element, and a detection unit configured to detect an actual position of a movable unit including the vibrating body or the contact body. The generation unit sets the phase difference based on a deviation of the actual position from a target position of the movable unit. The generation unit makes larger a change rate of the phase difference against the deviation from when the movable unit stops to when the movable unit starts moving as the target position changes than that after the movable unit starts moving.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2021Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Kyouhei Suzuki
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Patent number: 11682986Abstract: A piezoelectric drive device includes a substrate, a convex portion coupling to the substrate and transmitting drive power to a driven member, first drive piezoelectric elements placed on the substrate and vibrating the substrate in Y directions in which the substrate and the convex portion are arranged, second drive piezoelectric elements placed on the substrate and vibrating the substrate in Z directions orthogonal to the Y directions, a reference piezoelectric element placed on the substrate, receiving the vibration in the Y directions, and outputting a detection signal, and a concave portion placed side by side with the reference piezoelectric element in the Z directions in a plan view from an X direction orthogonal to the Y directions and the Z directions.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Kiichi Kajino, Tomoaki Takahashi
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Patent number: 11682985Abstract: A piezoelectric driving device includes a substrate, a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed on the substrate, a first groove section provided between the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and a first wire provided in at least a part of a side surface and a bottom section of the first groove section.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Tomoaki Takahashi, Kiichi Kajino
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Patent number: 11682955Abstract: A vibration module is provided, having a main axis passing through the center of the vibration module, including a fixed part and a first vibration part. The first vibration part is disposed within the fixed part. The first vibration part includes a first moving member and a first driving assembly. The first driving assembly drives the first moving member to move relative to the fixed part.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2020Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: TDK TAIWAN CORP.Inventors: Chao-Chang Hu, Liang-Ting Ho, Che-Wei Chang
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Patent number: 11681316Abstract: Embodiments described herein present a new LDO design that eliminates the need for the sleep bias circuitry included in other systems. Further, the new LDO design can be biased with a small fraction of the operating current enabling the LDO to wake up substantially faster than previous LDO designs that include separate sleep circuitry. In some cases, the LDO can instantly (or faster than other LDOs) transition from a sleep mode to an operating mode enabling improved operation compared to prior LDOs. Furthermore, the new LDO design maintains a non-breakdown voltage across the transistors reducing the need to enter sleep mode to prevent transistors of the LDO from entering a breakdown region.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.Inventor: Bo Zhou
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Patent number: 11671012Abstract: A switching regulator includes a high side transistor coupled to an input voltage node. The switching regulator also includes a low side transistor coupled to the high side transistor at a switch node. An adaptive on-time control circuit is also included and is configured to cause the high side transistor to turn on for an adaptive period of time based on a ratio of an output voltage from the switching regulator to input voltage. The adaptive period of time is configured to occur responsive to a current through an inductor falling below a predetermined threshold.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATEDInventors: Jiancong Ruan, Runqin Tan
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Patent number: 11664748Abstract: A drive control device 100, which controls driving of a vibration type actuator 200 including a vibrator 214 that includes a piezoelectric element 203, and a rotor 207, includes amplifier circuits 11 and 12 amplifying a power supply voltage to generate a drive voltage to be applied to the piezoelectric element 203, and a microcomputer unit 1. The microcomputer unit 1 performs a control to increase the amplitude of the drive voltage to perform acceleration from when the vibration type actuator 200 is started to when a target speed of the rotor 207 is reached, decrease the frequency of the drive voltage without changing the amplitude of the drive voltage when power supplied to the piezoelectric element 203 exceeds a first power limit P-Lim1, and increase the amplitude of the drive voltage when the power falls below a second power limit P-Lim2 during an operation of decreasing the frequency.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akira Shimada, Akio Atsuta
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Patent number: 11664747Abstract: A driving circuit for driving a piezoelectric load, can include: a rechargeable power supply; a power stage circuit coupled between the rechargeable power supply and the piezoelectric load; where during a first operation interval of an operation period, the rechargeable power supply charges the piezoelectric load through the power stage circuit, such that a power supply voltage signal provided to the piezoelectric load in the first operation interval corresponds to a reference voltage in a first interval; and where during a second operation interval of the operation period, the piezoelectric load charges the rechargeable power supply through the power stage circuit, such that the power supply voltage signal in the second operation interval corresponds to the reference voltage in a second interval.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTDInventors: Zhiwei Xu, Chiqing Fang, Chen Zhao
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Patent number: 11664746Abstract: A vibration-type actuator capable of suppressing reduction in holding torque or holding force under influence of humidity. A vibration-type actuator 10 includes a vibrating body 2 and a driven body 1. The vibrating body 2 has a piezoelectric element 2c and an elastic body 2b. The driven body 1 is in contact with the vibrating body 2. The vibration-type actuator 10 moves the vibrating body 2 and the driven body 1 relatively to each other by vibration excited to the vibrating body 2. At least one of a first contact portion of the vibrating body 2 and a second contact portion of the driven body 1 includes a stainless-steel sintered body with pores and at least some of the pores are impregnated with a resin.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2019Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiromitsu Morita, Jun Tamai, Yasuyuki Araki