Patents Examined by Matthew Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9876429
    Abstract: An apparatus including an inductor coupled to a load circuit, a control circuit, and a driver circuit. The control circuit may be configured to select a first operating mode in response to a determination that a value of current flowing through the inductor is greater than a threshold, and to otherwise select a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, the driver circuit may be configured to source current to the load circuit through the inductor for a first duration, based on a comparison of a supply voltage level to a voltage level across the load circuit. In the second operating mode, the driver circuit may be configured to source current to the load circuit through the inductor at a number of time points. At each time point the current may be sourced for a second duration that is based on an allowable peak current flowing through the inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan F. Bolus, Jitendra K. Agrawal
  • Patent number: 9871436
    Abstract: A system and methods for reducing common mode leakage current for a three-phase three-level inverter using a single modulation waveform, implemented by a controller using a space vector diagram is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation
    Inventors: Da Jiao, Yu Liu
  • Patent number: 9864388
    Abstract: A reference voltage generator may include the following elements: a first power supply terminal configured to receive a first power supply voltage; a second power supply terminal configured to receive a second power supply voltage; a reference voltage output node configured to provide a reference voltage; a first switch electrically connected between the first power supply terminal and the reference voltage output node; a second switch electrically connected between the second power supply terminal and the reference voltage output node; a first positive feedback module electrically connected to both the reference voltage output node and the first switch and configured to provide a first feedback voltage to the first switch; and a second positive feedback module electrically connected to both the reference voltage output node and the second switch and configured to provide a second feedback voltage to the second switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kai Zhu, Jie Chen
  • Patent number: 9864352
    Abstract: An input/output (I/O) device for an automation control system includes a device housing containing control circuitry, the device housing being mountable to a support, a control power input for receiving control power from a first adjacent I/O device when connected thereto, the control power input configured to supply control power to the control circuitry, a control power output for outputting control power to a second associated adjacent I/O device, a field power input for receiving field power from the first associated adjacent I/O device when connected thereto, and a field power output for transmitting field power to the second associated I/O device. The field power input is selectively removable to prevent field power from being received by the I/O device from the first associated adjacent I/O device when connected thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Asia Pacific Business Ctr. Pte., Ltd.
    Inventor: Soon Seng Kang
  • Patent number: 9859784
    Abstract: A hybrid power convertor includes an input to receive an input voltage, an output to export an output voltage, a control module, a switching module, a buck module and a boost module. The control module has a first comparison terminal coupled to the input, a second comparison terminal coupled to the output, a mode-control terminal, a boost-control terminal and a buck-control terminal. The switching module is coupled to the input and the mode-control terminal, and has a buck input terminal and a boost input terminal. The buck module is coupled to the buck input terminal, the buck-control terminal and the output terminal, and the buck module is able to perform a switching convertor mode and a linear regulator mode. The boost module is coupled to the boost input terminal, the boost-control terminal and output terminal, and the boost module is able to perform a boost convertor mode and a linear-like regulator mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignees: LITE-ON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, LITE-ON ELECTRONICS (GUANGZHOU) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wei Lieh Lai, Yi Pin Lee
  • Patent number: 9860392
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a power converter circuit includes a first power converter coupled between a direct-current (DC) node and a first pair of output nodes. The first power converter may be configured to provide a first power signal having a first phase to the first pair of output nodes. The power converter circuit may also include a second power converter coupled between the DC node and a second pair of output nodes. The second power converter may be configured to provide a second power signal having a second phase to the second pair of output nodes. The second phase and the first phase may differ by an odd multiple of ninety degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Anthony Lofthouse, Bassem ElAzzami
  • Patent number: 9859811
    Abstract: An electronic device receives a voltage from an AC-DC adapter that is separate from the electronic device. The electronic device detects a change in the voltage from the AC-DC adapter. In response to detecting the change, the electronic device determines an amount of current from the AC-DC adapter. The electronic device adjusts a power consumption of a load in the electronic device based on the determined current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Lee Warren Atkinson
  • Patent number: 9859788
    Abstract: When a standby signal is High, a Comp_stb signal that is overlapped with an AC waveform is output from an AC-COMP combining circuit in a COMP signal changing circuit, input into a PWM.comp, and compared with an output waveform of a ramp oscillator. Here, only when a peak of the Comp_stb signal is higher than a minimum voltage of the ramp oscillator is an OUT terminal output signal output from a control IC and a burst operation is performed. When the Comp_stb signal is lower than the minimum voltage of the ramp oscillator, the OUT terminal output signal is not output from the control IC because a reset signal of an RSFF remains High. Accordingly, a switching loss is reduced by operating a switching element in a burst mode when a switching power supply apparatus is in a lightly loaded or unloaded state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 9847710
    Abstract: A two-stage power converter architecture including an isolation transformer and rectification of the isolation transformer output by an LLC resonant circuit and methodology for operating the same feeds an output voltage back to a circuit for generating waveforms for controlling a totem pole circuit to provide output voltage regulation as well as rectification of AC input voltage. The circuit for controlling the totem pole circuit may also be responsive to the AC input power waveform to provide power factor correction (PFC), in which case, the feedback signal provides additional pulse width modulation of the PFC signals. Bus capacitor size may also be reduced by injecting harmonics of the AC input waveform into the feedback signal which also serves to substantially maintain efficiency of the (preferably LLC) resonant second stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred C. Lee, Xiucheng Huang, Qiang Li
  • Patent number: 9847725
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a flyback system. The flyback system includes a tank circuit comprising a primary side and a secondary side. The flyback system also includes a switching device configured to pulse energy to the tank circuit. The energy is stored in a first side of the tank circuit when the switching device is on. The energy is transferred from the primary side to the secondary side when the switching device is off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventor: Robert Pray
  • Patent number: 9841454
    Abstract: An energy saving device that is adapted to be connected to a power outlet and further connected to at least one electrical device, said electrical devices drawing power through the energy saving device, the energy saving device including testing means adapted to perform at least one installation verification test and communication means adapted to communicate a validation signal to a monitoring entity when a result of the installation verification test indicates that a correct installation has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Embertec Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Giuseppe Antonio Gelonese
  • Patent number: 9825453
    Abstract: A protection mode control circuit includes an auto-restart counter configured to count the cycle of a first signal in a protection condition and to generate an auto-restart signal when a result of the count reaches a protection reference value and a latch mode unit configured to generate a latch mode signal for changing protection mode to latch mode when the auto-restart signal is consecutively generated by a predetermined threshold number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-Tae Lee, Ji-Hoon Jang, Hyeong Seok Baek, Hang-Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 9819270
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a switching power converter, a control circuit and an integrated circuit therefor, and a constant-current control method. The control circuit samples a valley value of an electric current through a first power transistor in a power stage circuit and a peak value of an electric current through a second power transistor in the power stage circuit, and obtains parameters representing an output current in accordance with an average value of the valley value and peak value. Thus, the constant-current control can be performed by sampling the electric current through the first power transistor and the second power transistor. Moreover, the switching power converter simplifies a current feedback loop for outputting a constant current, and the integrated circuit has fewer pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: SILERGY SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY (HANGZHOU) LTD.
    Inventor: Fuhua Deng
  • Patent number: 9812979
    Abstract: A time delay through a voltage converter, including a transformer therein, must be known or estimated in order to optimally control the voltage converter. For example, power switches that control the input power to the voltage converter must use this time delay in order to, e.g., achieve zero-voltage switching (ZVS) with minimal dead-time. The time delays are typically considered as constants, and the power switch control is optimized for a limited operational range that corresponds to such constant time delays. Herein, variable time delays are determined based upon varying load conditions of the voltage converter. By more accurately determining the time delay for a given load condition and basing the voltage converter control on such accurate (load-dependent) time delays, the voltage converter may be more optimally controlled and achieve higher efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Darryl Tschirhart
  • Patent number: 9812759
    Abstract: Remote units are mounted in a support structure so that cooling air flow is not impeded by the support structure. The remote units may have RF communications circuitry and other components that generate heat in the provision of wireless services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Corning Optical Commuication Wireless Ltd
    Inventors: Rami Anolik, Ami Hazani
  • Patent number: 9812946
    Abstract: A power converter and a method are disclosed. The power converter includes a plurality of converting modules and a plurality of switching circuits. Each of the converting modules includes a bypass element configured to be shorted when a fault occurs. The switching circuits are electrically coupled in series to each other and electrically coupled in parallel to the converting modules respectively. Any one of the switching circuits is configured to be shorted when the bypass element of the corresponding converting module is shorted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Peter Mantovanelli Barbosa, Chia-Hsun Wu, Chih-Chiang Chan
  • Patent number: 9806523
    Abstract: A switching circuit for extracting power from an electric power source includes (1) an input port for electrically coupling to the electric power source, (2) an output port for electrically coupling to a load, (3) a first switching device configured to switch between its conductive state and its non-conductive state to transfer power from the input port to the output port, (4) an intermediate switching node that transitions between at least two different voltage levels at least in part due to the first switching device switching between its conductive state and its non-conductive state, and (5) a controller for controlling the first switching device to maximize an average value of a voltage at the intermediate switching node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor LLC
    Inventors: Anthony J. Stratakos, Michael D. McJimsey, Ilija Jergovic, Alexandr Ikriannikov, Artin Der Minassians, Kaiwei Yao, David B. Lidsky, Marco A. Zuniga, Ana Borisavljevic
  • Patent number: 9806596
    Abstract: A control board where the ground potential includes a first conductor extending from the ground terminal of the power source generator to a first branch, a second conductor branching at the first branch, extending to the temperature detector, and electrically connected to only the temperature detector on a downstream side of the first branch, and a third conductor branching in a direction not directed to the second conductor at the first branch and extending to the drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keita Mutsuura
  • Patent number: 9800138
    Abstract: A power factor correction circuit includes a rectifier that rectifies AC power supply voltage, a series circuit of an inductor and a semiconductor switch connected between the rectifier circuit output terminals, and a series circuit of a diode and a smoothing capacitor connected to both ends of the semiconductor switch, a load connected to both ends of the smoothing capacitor, so that the power factor on the input side of the rectifier circuit is corrected by the switching operation of the semiconductor switch. This power factor correction circuit includes a control circuit that controls the switching frequency of the semiconductor switch such that the switching frequency becomes maximum when the ripple of a current flowing through the inductor becomes maximum. According to this power factor correction circuit, normal mode noise can be reduced, and the size of a filter circuit can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroki Katsumata
  • Patent number: 9793822
    Abstract: A method for operating an electrical circuit, in particular of a converter is described. The circuit, in at least one embodiment, includes a line-side converter that is coupled to a capacitor. The line-side converter includes at least two series connections, each including at least two power semiconductor elements, and each of the at least two series connections being connected parallel to the capacitor. The line-side converter is coupled to an energy supply system. The DC voltage that is present at the capacitor is determined. A maximum voltage is predetermined. If the DC voltage present at the capacitor is determined to be greater than the maximum voltage, then at least two of the power semiconductor elements are switched into their conductive state in such a manner that the capacitor is discharged in the direction of the energy supply system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited
    Inventors: Marco Boni, Christoph Saniter