Patents Examined by Matthew Nguyen
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Patent number: 9793809Abstract: In one example, a circuit includes a first voltage converter and a second voltage converter. The first voltage converter is configured to convert a first voltage to a second voltage, determine whether the first voltage converter is operating in an unsafe state, and output an indication that the first voltage converter is operating in the unsafe state. The second voltage converter is configured to selectively activate a high side switch and a low side switch to convert the second voltage to a third voltage. In response to receiving the indication that the first voltage converter is operating in the unsafe state, the second voltage converter is further configured to activate the high side switch and the low side switch to establish an electrical path between the second voltage and a reference node of the circuit.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2016Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Michael Lenz, Cristian Garbossa, Marco Piselli
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Patent number: 9793814Abstract: An AC to DC converter system is disclosed in which a conversion circuit for converting an AC input signal to a DC output signal is operably coupled with an enabling circuit designed for sensing and output parameter indicative of the presence or absence of a load at the DC output. The system is designed so that the conversion circuit operates in an inactive standby state when there is no load, and in an active state for supplying DC power when a load is present. The enabling circuit is configured to operate using low power.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2015Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: TRIUNE SYSTEMS, LLCInventors: Ross E. Teggatz, Brett Smith, Amer Atrash, Wayne Chen
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Patent number: 9793810Abstract: A method comprises providing a buck-boost converter comprising a first high-side switch and a first low-side switch connected in series across an input capacitor, a second high-side switch and a second low-side switch connected in series across an output capacitor and an inductor coupled between a common node of the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch, and a common node of the second high-side switch and the second low-side switch, detecting a first voltage resonance waveform across a switch of the buck-boost converter and turning on the switch of the buck-boost converter when the first voltage resonance waveform falls to zero.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2015Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Dianbo Fu, Jinbo Huang, Ce Liu, Liming Ye, Heping Dai, Daoshen Chen
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Patent number: 9793822Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 23, 2015Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology LimitedInventors: Marco Boni, Christoph Saniter
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Patent number: 9787197Abstract: A switching power supply unit includes input terminals, output terminals, first to third primary windings and first to third secondary windings, a switching circuit, a rectifying smoothing circuit, and a driver. In the switching circuit, first and second switching devices, third and fourth switching devices, and first and second capacitors, coupled in series to one another, are disposed in parallel between the input terminals. In the rectifying smoothing circuit, first to third arms, each having two of rectifying devices disposed in series, are disposed in parallel between the output terminals, the first secondary winding is coupled between the first and the second arms to form an H-bridge coupling, the second and the third secondary windings are coupled between the second and the third arms to form an H-bridge coupling, and a choke coil is disposed between the first to the third arms and an output capacitor.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2016Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventor: Wataru Nakahori
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Patent number: 9780662Abstract: A portable control loop is provided for current sensing DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter includes a power circuit, an external circuit, a control circuit and a duty cycle integration circuit. The power circuit comprises at least one controllable switch to regulate current from an input voltage. The external circuit comprises at least one output inductor and a capacitor. The duty cycle integration circuit receives a voltage differential signal across the output inductor and generates a compensation signal based at least on the voltage differential signal. The control circuit receives the compensation signal and feedback from load voltage and generates a control signal to control the controllable switch within the power circuit.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2016Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.Inventor: Andrea Milanesi
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Patent number: 9780676Abstract: A power converter circuit includes a switching circuit with at least one electronic switch, a capacitor configured to provide or receive a voltage with a predefined voltage level, at least one first inductor, and a snubber circuit. The snubber circuit includes at least one second inductor inductively coupled to the at least one first inductor and electrically coupled to the capacitor.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2016Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AGInventors: Johann Kolar, Matthias Kasper
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Patent number: 9762131Abstract: Disclosed is an Auxiliary-Free High-Side Driven Secondary-Side Regulated (AF-HSD-SSR) flyback converter, which includes an AC-to-DC rectification unit, an input capacitor, a switching unit, a current-sensing resistor, an Auxiliary-Free (AF) flyback transformer, an output rectifier, an output capacitor, a PWM controller, and a SSR unit. The AF flyback transformer includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, where the primary winding is split into two halves. The switching unit is placed at the high side of the primary winding, and the PWM controller in collocation with the SSR unit drives the switching unit in response to all the required voltage and current sense signals to keep voltage conversion and power delivery safe and efficient within the specifications. The first half of the primary winding can provide the PWM controller with a continuous and steady working voltage supply after startup, thus eliminating the need for the auxiliary winding.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2016Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: INNO-TECH CO., LTD.Inventors: Chih-Liang Wang, Ching-Sheng Yu, Wen-Yen Pen
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Patent number: 9762116Abstract: A voltage conversion apparatus includes a booster circuit, a boost stop circuit, a Zener diode, and a capacitor. The boost stop circuit includes a transistor. When an overvoltage equal to or larger than a breakdown voltage of the Zener diode is output to an output line of the booster circuit, the Zener diode is turned on. Accordingly, the transistor is turned on and a switching element is turned off to stop a boost operation. Further, the capacitor is charged through the Zener diode. Even when the Zener diode is turned off due to a drop in the output voltage after the stop of the boost operation, the transistor maintains its on state for a certain time by discharge of the capacitor. Thus, the stop of the boost operation is continued.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2016Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: OMRON AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Takashi Yamaguchi, Akihiro Kinoshita, Shinji Horio
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Patent number: 9748852Abstract: An electrical circuit for providing electrical power for use in powering electronic devices, such as monitors, televisions, white goods, data centers, and telecom circuit boards, is described herein. The electrical circuit includes an input terminal configured to receive an input power signal, an output terminal configured to provide an output power signal, and a plurality of voltage reduction circuit cells coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal. Each of the voltage reduction circuit cells includes a pair of flyback capacitors, a switching circuit, and a hold capacitor. The switching device is configured to operate the corresponding voltage reduction circuit cell at a charging phase and at a discharging phase. The plurality of voltage reduction circuit cells are configured to deliver the output power signal having a voltage level that is less than the voltage level of the input power signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: Advanced Charging Technologies, LLCInventors: Michael H. Freeman, W. J. Weaver, Jr., Mitchael C. Freeman, Robert Dieter, Andrea Baschirotto, Piero Malcovati, Marco Grassi, Glenn Noufer, Randall L. Sandusky, Neaz Farooqi, Jim Devoy, Silvia Jaeckel, Madison Hayes Yarbro Freeman
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Patent number: 9748833Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes a transformer; a primary side full bridge circuit provided on a primary side of the transformer; a first port connected to the primary side full bridge circuit; a second port connected to a center tap of the primary side of the transformer; a secondary side full bridge circuit provided on a secondary side of the transformer; a third port connected to the secondary side full bridge circuit; and a control unit configured to cause an upper arm of the secondary side full bridge circuit to operate in an active region in a case where a capacitor connected to the third port is charged with a transmitted power transmitted to the secondary side full bridge circuit via the transformer from the primary side full bridge circuit when power of the second port is stepped up and the stepped up power is output to the first port.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shoichi Shono, Masafumi Uchihara, Naoto Hasegawa, Mitsuhiro Miura, Fumiki Tanahashi, Jun Muto
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Patent number: 9742274Abstract: A DC-DC voltage converter including a main switch formed by a normally ON switch element connected in series with a normally OFF switch element including a control circuit, a load in series with the main switch, the main switch and the load being configured to be connected to terminals of a DC voltage source. A voltage source, that can be used for controlling is obtained by connecting a main peak detector circuit to the mid-point of the main switch. The control circuit of the normally OFF switch element can be supplied with the DC voltage that makes the entire device self-supplied. Such a converter can, for example, find application in aeronautics.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2013Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignees: LABINAL POWER SYSTEMS, Centre National De La Recherche ScientifiqueInventors: Fabien Dubois, Dominique Bergogne
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Patent number: 9739806Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of detecting a voltage can include: (i) generating a first current according to a first voltage and a converting resistor; (ii) charging a detection capacitor by the first current during a first time period of a switching cycle of a switching power supply; (iii) charging the detection capacitor by a second current during a second time period of the switching cycle; (iv) detecting a voltage across the detection capacitor to obtain a detection voltage at an end time of the second time period, where the first time period includes a rising portion of a current flowing through the inductor, and the second time period includes a decreasing portion of the inductor current; and (v) determining a state of a present output voltage of the switching power supply according to the detection voltage.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2016Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTDInventor: Yunlong Han
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Patent number: 9742270Abstract: A voltage regulator is controlled to improve supply voltage rejection by cancelling an alternating component of a supply voltage signal that is capacitively coupled to a high-impedance node within the voltage regulator. This cancellation is done by capacitively coupling an inverted version of the alternating component to the high-impedance node to thereby substantially cancel the alternating component present on the high-impedance node. The high-impedance node may be a high-impedance voltage reference node of the voltage regulator.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2015Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: STMicroelectronics Design and Application S.R.O.Inventor: Sandor Petenyi
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Patent number: 9742306Abstract: A converter device includes: a converter circuit unit converting alternating-current voltages from a ? connection and a Y connection of a twelve-phase rectification transformer, into a direct-current voltage; a current detection unit detecting a current of a direct-current bus connected to the converter circuit unit; an open-phase detection unit connected to a side of the ? or Y connection to detect whether open phase is caused in the connection connected thereto; and an output unit outputting, when detected that there is open phase caused in the ? or Y connection based on a detection signal of the open-phase detection unit and a current value of the direct-current bus detected by the current detection unit, an indication that open phase is caused in the ? or Y connection. When open phase is caused, it is possible to output an indication of whether the open phase is caused on the ? or Y connection side.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2015Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Masahiro Otsubo
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Patent number: 9735662Abstract: An insulation communication device includes a transmission circuit having a primary coil; and a reception circuit including a secondary coil, and is configured to transmit a signal from the transmission circuit to the reception circuit by magnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil. The transmission circuit includes an edge detection circuit, a bridge circuit, a coil current information detection circuit, and a pulse signal control circuit. The reception circuit includes a first detection circuit, a second detection circuit and an output signal generation circuit.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2014Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kohei Ikegawa, Shuntaro Okada, Takeshi Nakamura
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Patent number: 9735677Abstract: A DC-DC converter operating in pulse frequency modulation (PFM) and pulse width modulation (PWM) modes includes a plurality of PWM signal generators. The PWM signal generators generate PWM signals with different duty cycles. PWM signals with larger duty cycles may be selected for use in undervoltage situations.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2015Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Inventor: Hassan Ihs
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Patent number: 9729085Abstract: Systems related to controlling a DC/AC converter. A control system uses a nonlinear adaptive observer to estimate the state variables inverter current and converter voltage using a sensed grid current and a bus voltage as inputs. For non-observable points (such as when the duty cycle=0.5), the required information can be found from the DC bus voltage.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2015Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Inventors: Majid Pahlevaninezhad, Suzan Eren, Praveen Jain
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Patent number: 9729045Abstract: Power converter includes a switched power stage to generate an output voltage from an input voltage, and a controller to generate a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for switching the switched power stage in dependence upon a voltage error signal. The voltage error signal is a difference between a reference voltage and the output voltage. The controller comprises a synchronizer to generate a first clock signal for clocking a low frequency domain of the controller, and a digital PWM controller clocked by the first clock signal and configured to determine an on-time information of the PWM signal and a PWM generator to generate the PWM signal based on the on-time information. The synchronizer is configured to synchronize a frequency of the PWM signal to a frequency imposed by the external reference signal by synchronizing a frequency of the first clock signal to the frequency imposed by the external reference signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2016Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Inventors: Marco Meola, Christian Glassner, Frank Trautmann
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Patent number: 9729058Abstract: A boost-type converter circuit includes a pair of converter switches that are alternatively switchable on and off. An inductor is coupled to the intermediate point between the converter switches. A driver module controls switching on and off of the converter switches in respond to a comparator output signal. A reference signal line provides to the comparator a reference signal, and an output feedback line provides to the comparator an output feedback signal. These signals are compared to each other to generate the comparator output signal for controlling the driver module. A low-pass filter network is coupled to the inductor and configured to provide a ripple current which is a low-pass filtered replica of the current through the inductor. An injector circuit injects the ripple current into the reference signal line coupled to the comparator.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2016Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Manuela Larosa, Giovanni Sicurella, Giuseppe Platania