Patents Examined by Jue Zhang
  • Patent number: 11716018
    Abstract: An integrated single stage ac-dc driver for powering LED loads includes a boost converter operating in a Discontinuous Conduction Mode, DCM, comprising a half-bridge, and a Zeta Asymmetrical Half Bridge, ZAHB, integrated with the boost converter such that the boost converter and the ZAHB share the half-bridge to perform power factor control, PFC, with a fixed duty cycle and control an output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ignacio Castro, Douglas Araujo Pedroso
  • Patent number: 11711015
    Abstract: A controller of a switching converter includes an error amplifying circuit, a first comparison circuit, a valley detection circuit, a valley selection circuit and a frequency control circuit. The error amplifying circuit generates a compensation signal based on the difference between a reference signal and a feedback signal. The first comparison circuit compares the compensation signal with a modulation signal and generates a pulse frequency modulation signal. The valley detection circuit detects valleys of a resonant voltage of the switching converter and generates a valley pulse signal. The valley selection circuit generates a valley enable signal corresponding to a target valley number based on the pulse frequency modulation signal and the valley pulse signal. The frequency control circuit generates a frequency control signal to control the switching frequency of the first switch based on the valley enable signal and the valley pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hui Li, Siran Wang
  • Patent number: 11703900
    Abstract: A transmitter is provided. the transmitter includes a hybrid feedback circuit and a hybrid driving circuit. The hybrid feedback circuit compares a reference voltage with a feedback voltage in closed-loop, determines whether to perform polarity reversal according to a mode control signal, controls power output according to a comparison result and the mode control signal, and generates a first output signal. The hybrid driving circuit, coupled to the hybrid feedback circuit, receives the first output signal of the hybrid feedback circuit, generates a transmitter output signal according to an input data, and generates a second output signal according to the transmitter output signal. The first output signal and the second output signal are transmitted back to the hybrid feedback circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Cvitek Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Wen Yeh, Ching-Lung Ti, Chia-Chieh Tu
  • Patent number: 11705815
    Abstract: A controller of a power converter is coupled to a switch assembly and configured to perform a hold-up time procedure that causes the controller to control first and second switching elements into opposite conducting states during a first period of time of a pulse cycle and into alternate opposite conducting states during a second period of time of the pulse cycle. The hold-up time procedure also causes the controller to control a first pair of synchronous rectifier switching devices into a conducting state during a third period of time overlapping less than all of the first period of time and into the conducting state during a fourth period of time overlapping less than all of the second period of time. A second pair of synchronous rectifier switching devices is controlled into a non-conducting state during the first and second periods of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: AES Global Holdings PTE Ltd.
    Inventors: Lei Shi, Kandor Sze Ngok Pong, Siu Lun Wu
  • Patent number: 11705804
    Abstract: A voltage source converter as well as a method and computer program product for controlling the converter. The converter includes at least one phase leg connected between a first DC terminal having a first voltage and a second DC terminal having a second voltage, the phase leg including an upper arm and a lower arm with cells, where a junction between the arms is connected to a corresponding AC terminal. The converter also includes a control unit configured to control the cells to output a train of pulses of trapezoidal shape where the generation of a first control signal for a first cell used to initiate a transition between two levels of a pulse coincides with the decision that a transition is to be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Alexandre Christe, Yuhei Okazaki, Michele Luvisotto
  • Patent number: 11705826
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a capacitive coupler for high-voltage step-down include an actively-controlled current-steering circuit connected in series with a current-limiting capacitor in order to transform a higher and potentially variable AC voltage to a lower regulated DC voltage. The actively-controlled current-steering circuit includes a switching element which, during operation, is predominantly either fully open or fully closed, and comparatively spends only a small fraction of operating time in a transition-state between the open and closed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tyler D. Smith, John Patterson, Clinton W. Ewell
  • Patent number: 11695325
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for setting a dead time between the opening of a first switching element (31) of a half bridge (2) and the closing of a second switching element (32) of the half bridge (2), comprising the steps: reducing the dead time of a switching cycle relative to the dead time of a preceding switching cycle, and determining a temperature of at least one of the switching elements (31, 32); wherein the steps of reducing the dead time and of determining the temperature are repeated for subsequent switching cycles until a critical dead time is reached, in the case of which a termination condition, which depends on the determined temperature, is fulfilled; and wherein the dead time is set using the critical dead time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Hans Geyer
  • Patent number: 11695321
    Abstract: A gate drive adapter circuit includes an input circuit, an output circuit, and a charge pump circuit. The input circuit is configured to receive pulses suitable for controlling a silicon power transistor. The output circuit is coupled to the input circuit. The output circuit is configured to translate the pulses to voltages suitable for controlling a silicon-carbide power transistor. The charge pump circuit is coupled to the input circuit and to the output circuit. The charge pump circuit is configured to generate a negative voltage. The output circuit is configured to apply the negative voltage to translate the pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Xun Gong, Ingolf Frank
  • Patent number: 11695329
    Abstract: A circuit for use in a switched mode power supply includes a dual-boost power-factor correction converter having an active rectifier stage with first and second rectifier transistors and first and second boost stages each with an inductor and transistor. An active rectifier controller circuit generates control signals for driving the rectifier transistors, respectively, on and off in accordance with an AC input voltage. A PFC controller circuit generates a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) control signal that is based on an output voltage of the boost stages and which is further based on a current sense signal representing the current passing through the active rectifier stage. A logic circuit generates a control signal for the transistor of the first boost stage and a control signal for the transistor of the second boost stage, based on the PWM control signal and at least one of the control signals for the rectifier transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Alessandro Pevere
  • Patent number: 11695332
    Abstract: In described examples, a power management circuit includes a voltage sensor and a differential power converter. The voltage sensor is coupled in series with other voltage sensors between a high voltage bus and a ground bus. The voltage sensor senses a voltage across an impedance and outputs a control signal in response to the sensed voltage. The differential power converter is coupled in series with other differential power converters and in parallel with a load between the high voltage bus and the ground bus. The differential power converter is configured to increase or decrease a supplied current in response to a change in magnitude of the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Pradeep Samuel Shenoy
  • Patent number: 11693441
    Abstract: A voltage regulator that includes a first amplifier, a second amplifier, a summer, and a transistor is presented. The first amplifier has a first gain and a first frequency bandwidth, and is configured to generate a first voltage output. The second amplifier has a second gain that is lower than the first gain and a second frequency bandwidth that is higher than the first frequency bandwidth, and is configured to generate a second voltage output. The summer is configured to generate a summed voltage output. The transistor is connected to the summer and configured to generate a regulated voltage based on the summed voltage output of the summer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Samuel T. Ray
  • Patent number: 11682984
    Abstract: A converter with a half bridge circuit with at least one active half bridge branch, of which the phase connection in each case is connected via a respective switching device to a respective reference potential. A control device of the converter is configured to alternatingly conductively and non-conductively switch the respective switching device. The first and second switching device in each case includes a parallel connection of at least one transistor of a first type and at least one transistor of a second type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Daniel Ruppert
  • Patent number: 11677308
    Abstract: A multiphase converter topology is used for the transmission of electrical energy from an AC voltage input with m grid phase connections to a DC voltage output or vice versa. It has a power part with half-bridges for switching currents, an AC voltage filter between the power part and the AC voltage input, and DC voltage block(s) connected between the power part and the DC output. The AC voltage filter has alternating voltage filter stage(s) with m+1 input connections, m+1 output connections and a ground connection. The m grid phase connections are thereby connected in parallel to one another and form a first phase connection for the connection of a single-phase AC voltage. A neutral conductor connection of the AC voltage filter forms a neutral conductor connection of the AC voltage input and a second phase connection for the connection of the single-phase AC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Prodrive Technologies Innovation Services B.V.
    Inventors: Johann Walter Kolar, Panteleimon Papamanolis, Florian Krismer
  • Patent number: 11677331
    Abstract: A system and method for an interleaved inverter including a set of module circuits and an inverter controller. The module circuits include multiple switches. The inverter controller is configured to assign a first phase shift value to each of the module circuits during a normal mode of operation and assign a second phase shift value to at least one of the module circuits during a failure mode of operation. The second phase shift value is greater than the first phase shift value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Isaac S. Frampton, Adam Larson
  • Patent number: 11671000
    Abstract: An electrical supply device is connected on a network side to an electrical supply network and includes a frequency converter having a network-side power converter and an intermediate circuit, and a network filter, which is connected upstream of the network-side power converter. In a method for operating the electrical supply device, during a pulse-blocking operating state of the frequency converter, a check is carried out for the presence of a dangerous state of the network filter, and only in the presence of the dangerous state, only the network-side power converter is actuated such that a network perturbation causing the dangerous state of the network filter is at least damped to protect the network filter from the dangerous state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Benno Weis
  • Patent number: 11671028
    Abstract: An AC-to-AC modular multilevel converter (MMC) is configured to be connected between a three-phase AC system and a single-phase AC system. The MMC includes a number of converter arms connected in a ring to allow a circulating current to be circulated in the ring through each of the converter arms. Each converter arm includes series-connected converter cells. Phase terminals are arranged in the ring between the converter arms such that each of the converter arms is separated from neighboring converter arms by at least one of the phase terminals. The phase terminals include respective terminals for each of a first phase, a second phase and a third phase of the three-phase AC system and respective terminals for each of a positive conductor and a negative conductor of the single-phase AC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG
    Inventors: Thomas Schaad, Michail Vasiladiotis, Jan Svensson, Georgios Stamatiou
  • Patent number: 11662761
    Abstract: A reference voltage circuit includes: a first and a second NPN transistor having a collector and a base shorted and diode-connected, the second NPN transistor having an emitter connected to a first potential node and operating at a higher current density; a first resistor connected in series with the first NPN transistor; a second resistor having one end connected to a circuit with the first NPN transistor and the first resistor connected in series; a third resistor having one end connected to the collector of the second NPN transistor; a connection point to which the other ends of the second and the third resistor are connected; an arithmetic amplifier circuit having an inverting input terminal, a non-inverting input terminal, and an output terminal respectively connected to the second resistor, the third resistor, and the connection point; and a current supply circuit connected to the collector of the first NPN transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ABLIC Inc.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Sawai, Tsutomu Tomioka
  • Patent number: 11664717
    Abstract: A power converter includes a transformer, a switching bridge circuit, a resonant tank circuit, an output rectifier, and a controller. The switching bridge circuit includes a plurality of switches, each switch controllable into a conduction mode and into a non-conduction mode. The controller is configured to control the plurality of switches based on a series of phase shift modulation switching cycles, each cycle comprising a control period and a delay period. During the control period, the controller causes the conduction mode of each switch of the plurality of switches to overlap a portion of each conduction mode of two other switches. During the delay period, the controller controls all of the switches into non-conduction modes overlapping in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: AES Global Holdings PTE Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Morrison, Phelim Bradley
  • Patent number: 11662758
    Abstract: A voltage regulator can include an input device, a current mirror, one or more offset control circuits, an output device, and a positive feedback loop. The input device can be configured to receive a source voltage from a voltage source. The current mirror can be coupled to the input device and configured to provide load current regulation within the voltage regulator. The one or more offset control circuits can be configured to balance voltage levels within the voltage regulator. The output device can include at least a first transistor that is matched to a second transistor within the voltage regulator such that the matching is configured to provide supply regulation within the voltage regulator. The positive feedback loop can be formed at least in part by the current mirror, the first transistor and the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA AVX Components (San Diego), Inc.
    Inventors: Syed Khursheed Enam, Amin Shameli, Mansoorali Companywala, Jesse Shih-Chieh Hsin
  • Patent number: 11658559
    Abstract: A system may include a power converter configured to receive an input voltage and generate an output voltage and a controller configured to control operation of the power converter based on a comparison of a current associated with the power converter to a threshold current and control the threshold current as a function of the input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Graeme G. Mackay, Jason W. Lawrence