Patents Examined by Harry Behm
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Patent number: 10271389Abstract: Converters (1) comprise switches (14) for in response to control signals controlling amplitudes of converter output signals and comprise control loops for in response to detections of the amplitudes of the converter output signals producing the control signals. The control loops comprise circuits (21-23) for in response to simple detections of the amplitudes counting a first number of first time-intervals for which the amplitudes are above or below reference amplitudes, for transforming counting results into the control signals having control values, and for in response to the first number of first time-intervals being equal to/larger than a reference number overruling the control values and producing control signals having first or second limit values. Complex detections of the amplitudes are no longer necessary.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2015Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V.Inventor: Andrew Ulrich Rutgers
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Patent number: 10256714Abstract: The present disclosure provides a snubber circuit, wherein the snubber circuit is used to an electronic equipment including a pulse signal generator, a driving power source and a load, and the snubber circuit includes a current detection module, a control module and a snubber module. The current detection module is connected to the driving power source and detects the driving current of the driving power source. The control module is connected to the current detection module and the snubber module and adjusts a center frequency of the snubber module according to the driving current detected by the current detection module. The snubber module is connected to an output terminal of the pulse signal generator and filters the noise of the pulse signal. Therefore, the present disclosure may dynamically adjust a center frequency of a filtering, so as to increase a filtering performance and increase an efficiency of suppressing EMI.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2015Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., LtdInventor: Dan Cao
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Patent number: 10241322Abstract: A control device for controlling a switching converter includes a switch controller that generates a control signal with a switching period for controlling switching of a switch of the switching converter and setting a first interval in which a current flows in the switch, a second interval in which energy is transferred onto a storage element of the switching converter, and a third, wait, interval, at the end of the second interval. The duration of the first interval is determined based on a control voltage indicating the output voltage. A pre-distortion stage receives the control voltage and generates a pre-distorted control voltage as a function of the control voltage and a relationship between one of the first and third time intervals and the switching period, wherein the switch controller is configured to control a duration of the first interval based on the pre-distorted control voltage.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2016Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Giovanni Gritti, Claudio Adragna
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Patent number: 10218280Abstract: The present invention discloses a power converter, a switch control circuit, and a short circuit detection method for current sensing resistor of the power converter. The power converter includes: a transformer, a power switch, a current sensing resistor and a switch control unit. The current sensing resistor has one end coupled to the power switch and another end coupled to ground. The switch control unit generates the operation signal to control the power switch. The switch control unit generates a first sample-and-hold voltage at a first time point and a second sample-and-hold voltage at a second time point according to a voltage across the current sensing resistor. When a voltage difference between the first sample-and-hold voltage and the second sample-and-hold voltage is smaller than a reference voltage, it is determined that a short circuit occurs in the current sensing resistor.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2016Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Kuang-Fu Chang, Tzu-Chen Lin
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Patent number: 10211750Abstract: According to one aspect, embodiments herein provide a DC-AC inverter comprising a DC-DC converter portion, an inverter portion, a clamp circuit, a controller configured to operate, in a first mode, the DC-DC converter portion to convert input DC power into DC power having a desired voltage level at a first polarity and the inverter portion to provide output power having the desired voltage level at the first polarity to the output, operate, in a second mode, the DC-DC converter portion to convert the input DC power into DC power having a desired voltage level at a second polarity and the inverter portion to provide output power having the desired voltage level at the second polarity to the output; and operate, in a third mode, the clamp circuit to drive voltage at the output to zero and to store energy discharged by a load capacitance in an energy storage device.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2016Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATIONInventors: Hui-Jung Chen, Chaocheng Yen, Yen-Chih Hu
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Patent number: 10193454Abstract: An overvoltage detection circuit for a power converter a current augmentation circuit coupled to receive a sense signal representative of an output voltage of the power converter only during a portion of an off time of a power switch of the power converter. The current augmentation circuit is further coupled to output an augmented signal. A detection circuit is coupled to receive the augmented signal from the augmentation circuit and a power signal representative of a rectified version of the sense signal at a same input terminal. The detection circuit is operable to output an overvoltage detection signal based at least in part on the augmented signal, the overvoltage detection signal being representative of an overvoltage condition in the output voltage of the power converter.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.Inventor: Marvin Cruz Espino
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Patent number: 10191503Abstract: A power supply device has an input and output, a first transistor between the input and output, and a differential circuit responding to a difference between output voltage and a reference voltage with an output connected to a gate of the first transistor. A current monitoring circuit comprises a second input transistor with a gate connected to the gate of the first transistor and causes monitor current corresponding to current flow in the first transistor to flow. A comparator compares the monitor current to a reference and activates a switch to control a zero-point circuit which is connected between an output of the differential circuit and an input of the differential circuit and minimizes oscillation without the necessity of an output capacitor.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2018Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATIONInventor: Akio Ogura
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Patent number: 10164534Abstract: A converter can include: (i) a first switch having a first terminal for receiving an input voltage, and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of a second switch; (ii) an inductor having a first terminal coupled to a common node of the first and second switches, and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of a third switch, where second terminals of the second and third switches are coupled to ground; and (iii) a plurality of output channels coupled to a common node of the inductor and the third switch, where the converter operates in a buck-boost mode, a buck mode, or a boost mode based on the relationship between the input voltage and output voltages of the plurality of output channels.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2016Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTDInventors: Kailang Hang, Liangwei Sun
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Patent number: 10164543Abstract: A method for controlling a power converter includes generating a load detection signal in response to a conduction signal and a driver input signal, and generating a gate control signal in response to the load detection signal. The gate control signal is delayed by a delay amount in response to the load detection signal. An apparatus for controlling a power converter includes a gate signal control circuit generating a load detection signal in response to a conduction signal and a driver input signal, and a synchronous rectifier (SR) driver generating a gate control signal in response to the load detection signal.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2017Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLCInventors: Sangcheol Moon, Jintae Kim, Hangseok Choi
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Patent number: 10158281Abstract: In an embodiment, a power-supply controller includes a control circuit, a drive circuit, and a signal-drop-reducing circuit. The control circuit is configured to generate a drive signal having a duty cycle, and the drive circuit is configured to cause a phase circuit of a power supply to generate, in response to the drive signal, an output signal having a magnitude. And the signal-drop-reducing circuit is configured to disable the driver circuit in response to the duty cycle corresponding to a signal magnitude that is lower than the magnitude of the output signal. For example, where a power supply has a non-zero residual output signal (e.g., output voltage) on its output node after the power supply is deactivated, such a power-supply controller can reduce or eliminate a drop in the residual output signal caused by, or that would be caused by, a restarting of the power supply.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2016Date of Patent: December 18, 2018Assignee: INTERSIL AMERICAS LLCInventors: Harold William Satterfield, James White
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Patent number: 10156861Abstract: An electronic device may include: a load and a voltage regulator coupled to the load and configured to provide a load current, where the voltage regulator includes a first and a second pass device coupled in parallel and configured to operate simultaneously. A method may include providing current to a load using a first and a second pass device coupled in parallel and configured to operate simultaneously, where the first device provides a first current corresponding to a high-frequency component and the second device provides a second current corresponding to a low-frequency component; in response to a decrease in a low-frequency component, causing the second current to decrease and causing the low-frequency component to increase; and in response to an increase in the low-frequency component, causing the second current to increase and causing the low-frequency component to decrease.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2016Date of Patent: December 18, 2018Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.Inventors: Ricardo Coimbra, Javier Mauricio Olarte Gonzalez, Marcos Mauricio Pelicia
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Patent number: 10153705Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for controlling a multi-channel power supply and to corresponding devices. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling a multi-channel power supply is provided. Therein each channel comprises an intrinsic channel resistance and a resistor adjustable between a lowest resistance and a highest resistance. The method comprises the following steps: Measuring for each channel a measure indicative of a current in the respective channel; Adjusting, on the basis of the measures, the adjustable resistor in the channel having the highest intrinsic channel resistance to the lowest resistance; and Adjusting, on the basis of the measures, the adjustable resistor(s) in the remaining channel(s), such that currents in each channel are balanced. With it a concept of simultaneously performing current balancing and reduction of power dissipation is provided.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2014Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)Inventors: János Ladvánszky, Martin Dahlström, Mats Göran Wilhelmsson
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Patent number: 10153689Abstract: A controller for use in a power factor correction converter includes a power factor enhancer that includes a zero-crossing detector coupled to receive an ac line input voltage signal and is coupled to output a zero-crossing signal. A peak detector is coupled to receive the ac line input voltage signal and the zero-crossing signal and is coupled to output a peak signal. A peak modulator is coupled to receive the zero-crossing signal and is coupled to generate a peak modulation function. A line feed forward function generator is coupled to generate a line feed forward function. A multiplier is coupled to receive the peak modulation function and the line feed forward function, and is coupled to output a pre-distortion signal each half line cycle.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2016Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.Inventor: Roger Colbeck
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Patent number: 10153695Abstract: Embodiments described herein describe a switching power converter that includes a switch, an inductor, a diode, and a controller that generates a control signal to turn on and turn off the switch. The controller generates the control signal by generating a reference signal, integrating a difference between a voltage value of the generated reference signal, and a voltage difference between voltage values of the switching node and the second output terminal, and generating the control signal by processing the integrated voltage difference.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2017Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor Inc.Inventor: Andrey B. Malinin
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Patent number: 10146239Abstract: Disclosed is a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator includes a reference voltage circuit, a noise cancellation circuit, an error amplifier, a pass transistor and a voltage divider. The voltage regulator can cancel the noise generated by the reference voltage circuit and the error amplifier, and also can improve its Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR).Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2017Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.Inventor: Ping-Yuan Deng
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Patent number: 10141866Abstract: Various examples are directed to systems and methods for a multi-level inverter to convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The inverter may comprise first, second and third capacitors electrically coupled in series between a positive DC rail and a negative DC rail. A first pole switch bank of the inverter may comprise a plurality of first pole switches. A first pole may be electrically coupled to the first pole switch bank.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2015Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTEInventor: Madhav Manjrekar
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Patent number: 10141842Abstract: The invention provides a power converter comprising: an input for receiving input power with a variable nominal mains level, wherein said variable nominal mains level falls within at least 90V to 240V; a main power switch (Q1) driven by the input power, and a control circuit (Q2, Q3) for controlling a control current of the main power switch (Q1), wherein the control circuit in (Q2, Q3) is adapted to sense the level of the input power and draw current from a control terminal of the power switch (Q1) according to the level, and said control circuit is adapted to operate in linear region and increase the drawn current along with the increase of the level throughout the variable nominal mains level of the input power, wherein the control circuit comprises: a Darlington bridge with a first transistor (Q2) and a second transistor (Q3), the first transistor (Q2) with a base terminal connected to a circuit position indicative of the voltage amplitude of the input power, the second transistor (Q3) with a base terminaType: GrantFiled: June 29, 2016Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.Inventors: Xianhui Zhang, Ken K. Li, Zhi Quan Chen, Junhu Liu, Ace Li
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Patent number: 10135358Abstract: A switching regulator has: a switching device; a rectifying device having the anode thereof connected to an output terminal from which an output voltage is output; an inductor arranged between the switching device and the output terminal; a controller having an error amplifier configured to produce an error signal commensurate with a difference between a voltage commensurate with the cathode voltage of the rectifying device and a reference voltage, the controller using the cathode voltage of the rectifying device as a supply voltage and turning ON and OFF the switching device according to the cathode voltage of the rectifying device; a monitor configured to monitor a current that flows through the inductor; and a current varier configured to increase, based on the result of monitoring by the monitor, a current that flows through the rectifying device with increase in the current flowing through the inductor.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2016Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.Inventor: Satoru Nate
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Patent number: 10128746Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a switched capacitor DC-DC converter configured for converting a DC input voltage into a higher or lower DC output voltage. The switched capacitor DC-DC converter comprises an output voltage regulator utilizing a feedback loop with a multi-level quantizer configured to convert a lowpass filtered control signal into a corresponding digital control signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2016Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: Danmarks Tekniske UniversitetInventors: Dennis Oland Larsen, Ivan Harald Holger Jorgensen, Martin Vinter
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Patent number: 10128749Abstract: An inductor conducts a first current, which is variable. A first transistor is coupled through the inductor to an output node. The first transistor alternately switches on and off in response to a voltage signal, so that the first current is: enhanced while the first transistor is switched on in response to the voltage signal; and limited while the first transistor is switched off in response to the voltage signal. A second transistor is coupled to the first transistor. The second transistor conducts a second current, which is variable. On/off switching of the second transistor is independent of the voltage signal. Control circuitry senses the second current and adjusts the voltage signal to alternately switch the first transistor on and off in response to: the sensing of the second current; and a voltage of the output node.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2014Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATEDInventors: Erick Omar Torres, Harish Venkataraman, Philomena C. Brady