Patents Examined by Ivan Laboy Andino
  • Patent number: 9923467
    Abstract: A multiphase converting controller, adapted to control a plural converting circuits coupled to an input voltage to commonly supply an output voltage, is disclosed. The multiphase converting controller comprises a feedback control circuit, an on-time control circuit, and a multiphase logic control circuit. The feedback control circuit determines a conduction starting point in time according to the output voltage and accordingly generates a conduction signal. The on-time control circuit determines a conduction time period. The multiphase logic control circuit controls the plural converting circuit in sequence in accordance to the conduction signal and the conduction time period. The on-time control circuit adjusts a length of the conduction time period according to a mode signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: GREEN SOLUTION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Li-Min Lee, Quan Gan, Shian-Sung Shiu
  • Patent number: 9906147
    Abstract: An embodiment apparatus comprises a secondary synchronous rectifier and a secondary gate drive controller coupled to a transformer winding. The secondary gate drive controller is configured to generate a forward gate drive signal for the forward switch and generate a freewheeling gate drive signal for the freewheeling switch, wherein the secondary gate drive controller generates a dead time between the forward gate drive signal and the freewheeling gate drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Liming Ye, Hengchun Mao
  • Patent number: 9891644
    Abstract: A low-dropout regulator, including: a dynamic pole tracking circuit having an active load, a voltage-to-current converter, a current amplifier, a bias circuit, a regulating transistor, a first feedback resistor, a second feedback resistor, and a first capacitor. The dynamic pole tracking circuit includes: a first PMOS, a second PMOS, a first resistor, and a second resistor. The voltage-to-current converter includes: a first NMOS, a second NMOS, a third NMOS, a fourth NMOS, a fifth NMOS, a sixth NMOS, a seventh NMOS, an eighth NMOS, a third PMOS, a fourth PMOS, a seventh PMOS, an eighth PMOS. The current amplifier includes: a fifth PMOS, a sixth PMOS, a ninth NMOS, a tenth NMOS, and a third resistor. The bias circuit includes: a ninth PMOS, a tenth PMOS, an eleventh PMOS, an eleventh NMOS, a twelfth NMOS, a thirteenth NMOS, and a fourth resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF ELECTRONIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF CHINA
    Inventors: Xin Ming, Tiansheng Li, Jun Xu, Zhuo Wang, Bo Zhang
  • Patent number: 9893619
    Abstract: A DC/DC converter in which a both-end voltage of each of capacitors can be safely uniformalized while an over current, which is passed through between the capacitors composing the DC/DC converter, is prevented. In a DC/DC converter which includes a plurality of switching elements, a reactor, a low-voltage side capacitor, a high-voltage side capacitor, a charge-discharge capacitor, and a controller which drives and controls the switching elements, the controller performs soft start control in which a duty ratio of at least one of the switching elements is gradually varied from 0% to 100%, and the switching element, in which the soft start control is not performed during the term of the soft start control, is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Kihara, Noriyuki Wada, Mitsuyasu Kunihiro, Makoto Akashi, Yuta Komatsu, Satoshi Murakami, Yoshihiro Takeshima
  • Patent number: 9866138
    Abstract: A voltage source converter of the controlled transition bridge type, having three phase limbs, each phase limb having a high &de director switch (Sw1 Sw3, Sw5) and a low side director switch (Sw4, Sw6, Sw2) connecting a respective DC terminal (DC+, DC?) to an AC node for that phase limb. Chain-link circuits for each phase limb comprise a plurality of series connect cells, each cell having an energy storage element that can be selectively connected in series or bypassed. The chain-link circuits are operated in a voltage mode to provide a defined voltage transition at the AC node during a transition between one director switch being turned off and the other director switch being turned on. Chain-link circuits are connected to a common node such that, in use, a current can flow from one phase limb to another via the respective chain-link circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY GMBH
    Inventors: Colin Donald Murray Oates, Kevin Dyke, David Reginald Trainer
  • Patent number: 9866100
    Abstract: A circuit for providing dynamic output current sharing using average current mode control for active-reset and self-driven synchronous rectification with pre-bias startup and redundancy capabilities for power converters. The circuit communicates a secondary side feedback signal to a primary side via a bidirectional magnetic communicator that also provides a secondary voltage supply. Pre-bias startup is achieved by detection of the output current direction and controlling the gate signals of synchronous rectifiers. The circuit permits dynamic current sharing via a single-control signal and automatic master converter selection and promotion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Crane Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Cuon Lam, Hach Nguyen, Khoa Nguyen, Peter Odell, Sovann Song
  • Patent number: 9847737
    Abstract: A voltage source converter for interconnecting first and second electrical networks, including first and second terminals for connection to the first electrical network, and a primary converter limb extending between the first and second terminals including first and second primary limb portions separated by a third terminal connectable to the second electrical network. The converter further including a second chain-link converter connected to the third terminal and a control unit configured to selectively operate one or more chain-link modules to generate a discontinuous pulse width modulation voltage waveform. The converter further including a controller configured to selectively operate each chain-link converter to control the configuration of a discontinuous pulse width modulation voltage waveform at the third terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Francisco Jose Moreno Muñoz, Omar Fadhel Jasim, Si Dang, Sajjad Fekriasl, Kevin Dyke
  • Patent number: 9847642
    Abstract: One circuit includes first and second primary terminals for connection to first and second power transmission lines and a current transmission path extending between the primary terminals and having current transmission path portions separated by a third primary terminal. A first current transmission path portion includes at least one primary switching element connected in series between the first and third primary terminals, the second current transmission path portion includes an energy conversion block connected between the second and third primary terminals, and the energy conversion block includes at least one primary energy conversion element for removing energy from the power transmission lines. The control circuit further includes a converter limb connected across the second and third primary terminals that includes an auxiliary converter. The control circuit further includes a control unit which controls the auxiliary converter to selectively provide a voltage source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Omar Fadhel Jasim, Kevin J. Dyke, David Reginald Trainer
  • Patent number: 9825554
    Abstract: A voltage source converter comprises first and second DC terminals for connection to a DC network, and at least one limb connected between the first and second DC terminals. The or each limb includes: a phase element including two parallel-connected sets of series-connected switching elements connected in an H-bridge to define first and second diagonal switching pairs, a respective junction between each set of series-connected switching elements defining an AC terminal for connection to an AC network; and a sub-converter configured to be controllable to act as a voltage waveform synthesizer. The voltage source converter further includes a controller to operate the sub-converter to selectively synthesize a driving commutation voltage to modify a DC side current at a DC side of the H-bridge to minimize any differences in magnitude and direction between the DC side current and an AC side current at an AC side of the H-bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: David Reginald Trainer, Omar Fadhel Jasim, Jonathan Charles Clare
  • Patent number: 9819273
    Abstract: An isolated power conversion apparatus has an isolation transformer, a series circuit including a load and an inductor connected in series with each other, the series circuit being disposed on a secondary side of the isolation transformer, and one or a plurality of switching means disposed between the series circuit and the secondary side of the isolation transformer, the switching means being bidirectional. This apparatus sends out power from a DC power supply of a primary side of the isolation transformer toward the load as DC power or AC power of an arbitrary polarity, or regenerates and supplies the DC power or AC power from the load to the DC power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: NF CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9806599
    Abstract: A short-circuit device and a protection method for a submodule for a power converter are disclosed. The submodule includes a bridge circuit having at least one power semiconductor branch extending between a first and a second DC voltage node and at least one controllable power semiconductor switch disposed therein to which a freewheeling diode is connected in anti-parallel, and a capacitor connected in parallel to the bridge circuit. The short-circuit device has at least one selected of the freewheeling diodes anti-parallel to the power semiconductor switches of the bridge circuit, wherein the at least one selected freewheeling diode is manufactured in press pack design and rated such that, when a fault occurs in the submodule, the at least one selected freewheeling diode breaks down due to the fault conditions and provides a durable, stable, low-impedance short circuit path between a first and a second AC voltage connection of the submodule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Martin Geske, Joerg Janning, Thomas Brueckner, Roland Jakob
  • Patent number: 9806529
    Abstract: An inverter comprises a first boost apparatus having an input coupled to a positive dc bus, a second boost apparatus having an input coupled to a negative dc bus, a first switch coupled to an input of an L-C filter and the first boost apparatus, a second switch coupled to the input of the L-C filter and the second boost apparatus, a third switch coupled between the positive dc bus and the first switch, wherein a common node of the first switch and the third switch is directly connected to an output of the first boost apparatus, a fourth switch coupled between the negative dc bus and the second switch, wherein a common node of the fourth switch and the second switch is directly connected to an output of the second boost apparatus and an isolation switch coupled between the input of the L-C filter and ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dianbo Fu, Bo He, Quan Li
  • Patent number: 9800176
    Abstract: The present application discloses a TNPC inverter device, comprising: a TNPC inverter module and a short circuit detecting module. The TNPC module at least comprises an inverting bridge arm and a bi-directional switching bridge arm. The inverting bridge arm comprises at least two switches connected in series; the bi-directional switching bridge arm comprises at least two switches. The short circuit detecting module mainly consists of two switch detecting unit corresponding to the two switches in the inverting bridge arm respectively. Increasing the voltage drop of the switches in the inverting bridge when a short circuit occurs in the TNPC module by some way, then it could realize the short circuit detecting module is able to detect all the paths of the short circuit in the TNPC module to simplify the peripheral circuit of the TNPC module in the TNPC inverter device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xibing Ding, Weiyi Feng, Weiqiang Zhang, Hongyang Wu
  • Patent number: 9800157
    Abstract: Provided is a switching regulator configured to suppress noise coupling, which may occur when a comparator is switched between a normal current operation and a low current consumption operation, to thereby operate stably. The switching regulator has a configuration in which switches are connected to input terminals of the comparator, and a feedback resistor having a large resistance value is disconnected from the input terminal of the comparator when switching is performed between the normal current operation and the low current consumption operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Kawano, Katsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 9780685
    Abstract: An electrical power converter includes: AC voltage terminals U, V, and W; DC voltage terminals P and N; a converter cell series unit composed of one or more converter cells connected in series between the AC voltage terminals U, V, and W and the DC voltage terminals P and N, each converter cell including a semiconductor element and a capacitor; and a first inductance connected in series to the converter cell series unit, between, of the DC voltage terminals P and N, a DC voltage terminal at the lowest potential with respect to the ground, and the AC voltage terminals U, V, and W.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Takushi Jimichi, Kimiyuki Koyanagi, Satoshi Azuma, Sadao Funahashi, Shinzo Tamai, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Kotaro Higashi
  • Patent number: 9780556
    Abstract: A Voltage Sourced Converter, VSC, for a High Voltage Direct Current, HVDC, power converter, the VSC comprises a bridge circuit for each of one or more phases of an AG network. The bridge circuit has two arms, each arm connecting the supply to a pole of a DC terminal, wherein each arm of the bridge circuit has one or more semiconductor modules capable of being switched between an on-condition, in which a capacitor of the module is in-line in the arm of the bridge circuit, and an off-condition, in which the capacitor is out of line. A DC current fault detection arrangement detects a fault arising at one or the other of the poles of the DC terminal within the DC converter or the DC grid. A controller responsive to the detection of the DC current fault switches one or more of the semiconductor modules in one of the arms of the bridge to the on and one or more of the semiconductor modules of the other arm of the bridge circuit to the off-condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
    Inventors: Xiao-Ping Zhang, Zhou Li
  • Patent number: 9780635
    Abstract: A circuit for providing dynamic output current sharing using average current mode control for active-reset and self-driven synchronous rectification with pre-bias startup and redundancy capabilities for power converters. The circuit communicates a secondary side feedback signal to a primary side via a bidirectional magnetic communicator that also provides a secondary voltage supply. Pre-bias startup is achieved by detection of the output current direction and controlling the gate signals of synchronous rectifiers. The circuit permits dynamic current sharing via a single-control signal and automatic master converter selection and promotion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Crane Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Cuon Lam, Hach Nguyen, Khoa Nguyen, Peter Odell, Sovann Song
  • Patent number: 9774240
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, apparatus and methods for an edge rate driver for a power converter switch. In an example, the driver can include an input node configured to receive a pulse width modulated signal, a first switch configured to couple a control node of the power converter switch to a supply voltage during a first state, a second switch configured to couple the control node of the power converter switch to a reference voltage during a second state, and a first current source configured to supply charge current to the first switch when the power converter switch transitions from the second state to the first state, the charge current configured to charge a parasitic capacitance of the power converter switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Michael David Mulligan, Timothy Alan Dhuyvetter
  • Patent number: 9768710
    Abstract: A voltage source converter (30) comprises a converter limb (36), having primary and secondary limbs connected in parallel between first and second DC terminals (32,34), the primary limb element including first and second primary limb element portions (38,40) separated by a third terminal (42), being connectable to an AC electrical network (46), each primary limb element portion (38,40) including at least one primary switching element (50), the secondary limb including first and second secondary limb element portions (52,54) separated by a junction (56), and including a DC side chain-link converter (58), and a connection interconnecting the third terminal (42) and the junction (56) wherein the voltage source converter (30) further includes a control unit (62) controlling the switching of the respective switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Colin Oates, Kevin J. Dyke, David Reginald Trainer
  • Patent number: 9755432
    Abstract: An alternate arm converter includes at least one converter limb that defines first and second limb portions. Each limb portion includes at least one director switch connected in series with a chain-link converter between one of two DC terminals and an AC terminal of the converter. The chain-link converters are operable to generate a voltage waveform at the AC terminal, and the director switches are operable to switch the respective chain-link converters in and out of circuit between the respective DC terminal and the AC terminal. The converter also includes a controller configured to selectively control the switching of each director switch to form a current circulation path including each limb portion and the DC network. The controller, during formation of the current circulation path, forces an alternating current to flow through the current circulation path to transfer energy between the chain-link converters of the limb portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Colin Donald Murray Oates, David Reginald Trainer, Ralph Feldman, Michael Marc Claude Merlin, Timothy Charles Green