Patents Examined by Gustavo Rosario Benitez
  • Patent number: 11929678
    Abstract: A power supply unit using intellectual pre-regulator which includes an input port connected to a power source realized as battery or generator (hereinafter, it is called as ‘battery’), an output port connected to an electronic device, a voltage dropping part connected between said input port and said output port to drop the input voltage to match it to the voltage required by said electronic device, and a detection-control part to detect the voltage required by said electronic device connected to said output port and to transfer it to said voltage dropping part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SJ SOLUTION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yeong Ryong Yun
  • Patent number: 11916494
    Abstract: A controller includes first and second setting sections. The first setting section sets a first duty-cycle, which is a percentage of a switch-on time period of a drive switch in one switching-cycle, by peak current-mode control to control a reactor current to be a current-command value generated based on an AC-voltage value. The second setting section sets a second duty-cycle, which is the percentage of the switch-on time period of the drive switch in one switching-cycle, by average-current-mode control to control an average value of the reactor current to be the current-command value. The controller operates the drive switch at the first duty-cycle when an absolute value of the AC-voltage value is equal to or more than a threshold less than an amplitude of the AC-voltage value, and operates the drive switch at the second duty-cycle when the absolute value of the AC-voltage value is less than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Iyasu, Yuichi Handa
  • Patent number: 11909300
    Abstract: A switch-mode power supply (SMPS), an SMPS system and a power supply method for an SMPS system are disclosed. The SMPS controller includes an output-voltage power supply unit, a built-in energy storage unit and a logic control unit. The output-voltage power supply unit is configured to charge the built-in energy storage unit using an output voltage from the SMPS system so that the built-in energy storage unit can provide an operating voltage for the logic control unit. The use of a stand-off energy storage capacitor can be dispensed with, and the use of the output voltage as a power supply is enabled. As a result, significant reductions in overall and standby power dissipation are achieved. In addition, the SMPS controller may further include a high-voltage power supply unit, which provides a hybrid power supply solution, together with the output-voltage power supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SHANGHAI BRIGHT POWER SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Rulong Jiang, Liqiang Hu, Shungen Sun, Zhen Zhu, Xiaoru Gao, Yihui Chen, Hong Zhang, Pengfei Lu
  • Patent number: 11881785
    Abstract: A first bridge circuit executes power conversion between a first DC voltage and a first alternating current voltage of a primary-side winding of a transformer. A second bridge circuit executes the power conversion between a second DC voltage and a second AC voltage of a secondary winding of the transformer. A control circuit controls on and off of switching elements so that a zero voltage period is provided in only one of the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage. A length of the zero voltage period is determined so that charging and discharging of a snubber capacitor is completed during a dead time in which the on and off of a positive-side switching element and a negative-side switching element of each switching arm are switched in a bridge circuit on a side outputting an AC voltage in which the zero voltage period is not provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takaharu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 11876440
    Abstract: A method for operating an electronic module which includes at least three semiconductor elements is disclosed. In the event of a defect of one of the semiconductor elements, by targeted control of at least two of the other semiconductor elements, a current is conducted via the defective semiconductor element in order to destroy or disconnect the defective semiconductor element or a weak point associated with the defective semiconductor element. This current is distributed to the semiconductor elements which are controlled in a targeted manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Markus Pfeifer
  • Patent number: 11870332
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a power conversion circuit including input positive and negative terminals, output positive and negative terminals, an input inductor, two bridge arms, a transformer, an output capacitor and an auxiliary capacitor. The input and output negative terminals are connected. A first terminal of the input inductor is coupled to the input positive terminal. Each bridge arm includes three switches connected in series and two connection points between the switches. The winding of the transformer is coupled in series between the connection points of the two bridge arms, and two windings of the transformer are connected and form a connection point coupled to the output positive terminal. Two terminals of the output capacitor are electrically connected to the output positive and negative terminals respectively. Two terminals of the auxiliary capacitor are electrically connected to a second terminal of the input inductor and the output terminal respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Zhengyu Ye, Xueliang Chang, Shengli Lu
  • Patent number: 11870350
    Abstract: A switched-mode power controller includes a primary side controller circuit configured in a startup mode of operation to generate a fixed switching frequency pulse width modulation (PWM) signal with incrementing duty-ratio value. The PWM signal drives a main-switch that charges an inductive device with stored energy and discharges the stored energy into a capacitor on a secondary side to generate a power controller output voltage. Based on a comparison of the power controller output voltage with a reference voltage, the primary side controller circuit is configured to stop the incrementing of the duty-ratio of the PWM signal and begin a quasi-resonant mode of operation during which the primary side controller circuit reduces a number of valleys detected in one or more off-times of the main-switch in one or more respective main-switch switching periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Appulse Power Inc.
    Inventor: Aleksandar Radic
  • Patent number: 11860658
    Abstract: A regulating circuit including a first direct current (DC)-DC converter configured to apply a first supply voltage to a first node in a first mode and apply the first supply voltage to a second node in a second mode, a first low drop output (LDO) regulator connected to the first node, the first LDO regulator configured to provide an output voltage to an output node by regulating the first supply voltage of the first node, and a second LDO regulator connected to the first node, the second LDO regulator configured to provide an auxiliary current to the first node in the second mode may be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikhwan Kim, Takahiro Nomiyama, Jiseon Paek, Jaeyeol Han
  • Patent number: 11855526
    Abstract: An improved method for zero-voltage switching (ZVS) of a voltage-fed half-bridge using a variable dead band is provided. The duration of the dead band is determined dynamically and is precisely long enough to ensure the absence of shoot-through events while also minimizing or eliminating switching losses and reverse conduction losses. The method generally includes: (a) calculating the equivalent capacitance as seen by the current source charging the midpoint of the half-bridge; (b) calculating the ZVS charge requirement based on the link voltage and the equivalent capacitance; (c) calculating the charge delivered by the current source over time during a dead band vector, equating the result to the ZVS charge requirement, and solving for the ZVS time requirement at each commutation point over the switching cycle; and (d) updating the dead bands for each commutation of each half-bridge in the switched-mode power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Philip Michael Johnson, Alan Wayne Brown
  • Patent number: 11843318
    Abstract: This application discloses a converter and a power adapter, to reduce an energy loss of the power adapter. The converter includes: a DC power supply, a primary power transistor, an auxiliary power transistor, a first capacitor, a transformer, and a control circuit. The first capacitor is connected in series to the transformer to form a series circuit, the series circuit is connected in parallel to a first terminal and a second terminal of the auxiliary power transistor. The control circuit is configured to: when an excitation current in the transformer is in a continuous state, regulate a target voltage to a preset voltage threshold, and control the primary power transistor to be turned on when first dead time ends, where the target voltage is a voltage between the first terminal of the primary power transistor and the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: HUAWEI DIGITAL POWER TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gun Yang, Liang Wu, Zuwei He
  • Patent number: 11837967
    Abstract: A rectifier arrangement for rectifying an AC voltage into a DC voltage has connections, circuit arrangements, an interconnection apparatus and an intermediate circuit. Each circuit arrangement has first and second circuit arrangement connections, between which a changeover arrangement and a coil are connected in series with the changeover arrangement. The changeover arrangements are interconnected to the intermediate circuit. The interconnection apparatus is designed to enable at least a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the circuit arrangements form a first group and a second group, with two connections connected to the circuit arrangements in the first group, but not to the circuit arrangements in the second group, and two connections are connected to the circuit arrangements in the second group, but not to the circuit arrangements in the first group. In the second configuration, at least one of the connections is connected to all circuit arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG.
    Inventors: Daniel Spesser, Tim Pfizenmaier, Florian Mayer, Stefan Endres
  • Patent number: 11837964
    Abstract: A method for detecting low impedance condition at an output (15) of an electrical converter (10), a control unit (1000), a computer program product, and an electrical converter (10) are presented. The method includes determining (110) a first current value (I1(T1)) of a first current (I1), and a second current value (I1(T2)) of the first current (I1), and determining (120) a first current difference (?I1) between the first (I1(T1)) and the second (I1(T2)) current values, and comparing (130) the first current difference (?I1) to a first current difference threshold (I1_TH), and if the first current difference (?I1) is of predefined magnitude with respect to the first current difference threshold (I1_TH), such as higher, turning off (140) a first voltage (U1) driving the first current (I1), such as by switching off a corresponding switch or switches for applying the first voltage (U1) to the output (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: DANFOSS POWER ELECTRONICS A/S
    Inventors: Nicklas Södö, Juha Norrena
  • Patent number: 11824447
    Abstract: An example redundant power supply system comprises a power supply input to receive power from a power supply; a buck-boost converter coupled to the power supply input; and a controller coupled to the buck-boost converter. The controller is to receive a power supply identification signal from the power supply. The controller is also to enable or disable the buck-boost converter based on the power supply identification signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Chao-Wen Cheng, Ying-Chi Chou, Feng Ming Lu, Chien Fa Huang, Chieh-Shen Huang, Tsung Yen Chen, Peter Seiler, Poying Chih
  • Patent number: 11824433
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling and/or limiting inrush current is described. The system includes a buck converter section; a power factor conversion (PFC) boost converter section; and a storage capacitor section. In a first mode of operation, the boost converter section is disabled and the buck converter section is active and in a second mode of operation, the boost converter section is active and the buck converter section is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Inventors: Jason Neudorf, Steven Lyons, Kyle Hathaway
  • Patent number: 11824438
    Abstract: A controller includes first and second half bridge sense circuits coupled to a half bridge node. The half bridge node is coupled between a high side switch and a low side switch coupled to an input. A rising slew detection circuit is coupled to the first half bridge sense circuit to output a first slew detection signal in response to a rising slew event at the half bridge node. A falling slew detection circuit is coupled to the second half bridge sense circuit to output a second slew detection signal in response to a falling slew event at the half bridge node. A control circuit coupled to output a high side drive signal to the high side switch and a low side drive signal to the low side switch in response to the first slew detection signal, the second slew detection signal, and a feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert J. Mayell, Yueming Wang, Roger Colbeck, Paul Walter DeMone, Steven Greig Porter, Robert W. Busse, Sorin S. Georgescu
  • Patent number: 11817776
    Abstract: Disclosed are a Power Factor Correction (PFC) control method, apparatus, and device, and a computer-readable storage medium. The method includes: acquiring an input voltage value, input current value, and output voltage value from a PFC circuit (S101); acquiring a current reference value for current loop control by using a Prony's method according to the input voltage value, the output voltage value, and a preset voltage reference value (S102); and performing current loop control according to the current reference value and the input current value, and outputting a corresponding Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal, so as to control a switch tube in the PFC circuit to be correspondingly switched on or switched off (S103).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: INSPUR SUZHOU INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chengrui He
  • Patent number: 11817785
    Abstract: DAC control logic for controlling a DAC for supplying a target voltage VTARGET to a switching converter is disclosed. The DAC logic comprises control logic which is configured, in response to DAC ramp-down, to decrement DAC input code supplied to the DAC in a series of steps. The DAC control logic is configured, for at least some of the steps during ramp down, to wait until at least one switching cycle has occurred in the switching converter before decrementing the DAC input code from a current value to a new value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
    Inventors: Vipul Raithatha, Rob Cox, Allan Warrington, Vinod Aravindakshan Lalithambika, Michael Jason Houston
  • Patent number: 11817768
    Abstract: Provided is a power conversion device that can suppress interference between control of input current from an AC power supply and voltage control for a DC capacitor to perform both the controls with high accuracy, and can reduce the capacitance and size of the DC capacitor. A power conversion circuit includes a rectification bridge circuit, a leg circuit having upper and lower legs connected in series, a DC capacitor, a smoothing capacitor, and a reactor. A control circuit performs PWM control of the leg circuit by generating a duty cycle so as to control a voltage of the DC capacitor while controlling an input current from an AC power supply, in a control cycle. When the duty cycle is generated, a sum of duty cycles is made constant in one cycle for each leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Toyoda, Takaaki Takahara
  • Patent number: 11811331
    Abstract: Provided is a system for an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) rectifier for charging ultra-capacitors. The system may include a power converter, which may receive power from a power source. A direct current (DC) bus may be connected to the power converter and may receive power from the power converter. At least one IGBT may be connected to the DC bus and may receive power from the DC bus. An array of ultra-capacitors may be connected to the at least one IGBT. At least one controller may control the at least one IGBT to charge the array of ultra-capacitors. A method and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Velocity Magnetics, Inc.
    Inventors: Domenic P. Marzano, Alex R. Rugh, Joseph L. Hake
  • Patent number: 11811322
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a bi-directional power converter (100) for converting an input voltage into an output voltage. The bi-directional power converter (100) may comprise a primary switching unit having a primary switching frequency and a secondary switching unit having a secondary switching frequency: the primary switching frequency being lower than the secondary switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: FORSEE POWER
    Inventor: Benoît Peron