Patents Examined by Matthew Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9729056
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit includes a voltage regulator electrically coupled to a load through an output inductor and operable to regulate a voltage applied to the load, an output capacitor electrically coupled to a node between the inductor and the load, and a charge injection circuit capacitively coupled to the node. The output capacitor is configured to discharge energy stored in the capacitor to the load during step-up transient events at the load and absorb energy from the load during step-down transient events at the load. The charge injection circuit is operable to inject charge onto the output capacitor during the step-up transient events and absorb charge from the output capacitor during the step-down transient events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Jens Ejury
  • Patent number: 9728967
    Abstract: A combination includes an AC power system and a system for improving power factor in the AC power system by continuously variable, analog control of level of reactive current introduced into a power conveying line of the AC power system. A power factor-improving circuit includes at least one channel that comprises a channel-level AC electron tube circuit and at least one associated reactive impedance element interconnected in series manner. Each of the channel-level AC electron tube circuit is responsive to a control system for continuously variable, analog control of the level of reactive current in the at least one associated reactive impedance element so that the foregoing level of reactive current changes, as necessary, in a continuously variable, analog manner to improve power factor in the power conveying line. Each of the channel-level AC electron tube circuit comprises at least one cold-cathode field-emission electron tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Fusion Systems LLC
    Inventor: Curtis A Birnbach
  • Patent number: 9729064
    Abstract: An electrical circuit for providing electrical power for use in powering electronic devices is described herein. The electrical circuit includes a power converter circuit that is electrically coupled to an electrical power source for receiving alternating current (AC) input power from the electrical source and delivering direct current (DC) output power to an electronic device. The power converter circuit includes a transformer and a switching device coupled to a primary side of the transformer for delivering power from the electrical power source to a primary side of the transformer. A controller is coupled to a voltage sensor and the switching device for receiving the sensed voltage level from the voltage sensor and transmitting a control signal to the switching device to adjust the voltage level of power being delivered to the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Charging Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael H. Freeman, Robert Dieter, Jr., Mitchael C. Freeman, Sateesh Pillai, Daniel Segarra
  • Patent number: 9729065
    Abstract: An energy efficient apparatus includes a switching device, a frequency dependent reactive device, and a control element is provided. The switching device is coupled to a source of electrical power and includes a pair of transistors and is adapted to receive a control signal and to produce an alternating current power signal. The frequency of the alternating current power signal is responsive to the control signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is electrically coupled to the pair of transistors for receiving the alternating current power signal and producing an output power signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is chosen to achieve a desired voltage of the output power signal relative to the frequency of the alternating current power signal. The control element senses an actual voltage of the direct current power signal and modifies the control signal delivered to achieve the desired voltage of the direct current power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Charging Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael H. Freeman, W. J. “Jim” Weaver, Jr., Mitchael C. Freeman, Robert Dieter, Brian Santee
  • Patent number: 9729050
    Abstract: The invention relates to a power supply device (3) for supplying power to an electrical consumer (2) having a variable power consumption in a power distribution system (1), particularly in a DC power distribution system for lighting applications, wherein the power supply device (3) is output current controlled and is adapted to provide the output current depending on the power consumed by the electrical consumer (2). Since the output current is not constant, but controlled depending on the power consumed by the electrical consumer (2) being preferentially a lamp, the output current can be adapted to the actually consumed power, thereby allowing for an improved efficiency of distributing the power in the power distribution system (1). In particular, if less power is consumed by the electrical consumer (2), a lower output current can be provided, thereby reducing losses in cables and electrical connectors of the power distribution system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventor: Matthias Wendt
  • Patent number: 9722496
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of compensating for transmission voltage loss from a switching power supply, can include: (i) receiving a sampling signal that represents an output current of the switching power supply; (ii) delaying the sampling signal to generate a delayed sampling signal; (iii) converting the delayed sampling signal to generate a compensation signal; and (iv) regulating an output voltage of the switching power supply based on the compensation signal to compensate for the transmission voltage loss from the output voltage transmission to a load such that a voltage at the load is maintained as substantially consistent with an expected voltage at the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Xiaoru Xu, Yunlong Han
  • Patent number: 9716426
    Abstract: A lamp oscillator which outputs a sawtooth wave signal to be compared with an error signal of an output voltage in order to generate a PWM signal. The oscillator includes a first charging current changing circuit, in which a current amplifier converts a differential voltage between the error signal and a reference voltage into a current and outputs the converted current. When the load of a switching power supply circuit is heavy, a capacitor is charged with a constant current and generates a sawtooth wave signal having a predetermined slope. During a light load, the first charging current changing circuit adds the current, which increases as the load becomes lighter, to the current to thereby make the slope of the sawtooth wave signal steeper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takato Sugawara
  • Patent number: 9716434
    Abstract: An apparatus can include: (i) a power stage circuit including first, second, third, and fourth switches and an inductor; (ii) a constant time control circuit configured to generate a switch trigger signal according to switching signals of the first and third switches; (iii) a PWM control circuit configured to receive an input voltage signal via the input terminal, an output voltage via the output terminal, and the switch trigger signal, and to generate switching signals to control the first, second, third, and fourth switches; and (iv) the PWM control circuit being configured to turn on or off the first and third switches in response to the switch trigger signal being activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventor: Fuhua Deng
  • Patent number: 9712043
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling overcurrent of a grid-connected inverter due to an abnormal grid voltage includes a grid voltage sensor configured to sense a grid voltage according to an output current of the grid-connected inverter, a voltage variation calculator configured to calculate a D-axis voltage and a Q-axis voltage of the grid voltage to obtain variation values of the D-axis voltage and the Q-axis voltage, and an output current controller configured to determine whether at least one of the D-axis voltage variation value and the Q-axis voltage variation value exceeds a set value of the grid voltage variation, and decrease the output current by a predetermined value when one of the D-axis voltage variation value and the Q-axis voltage variation value exceeds the set value of the grid voltage variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: POSCO ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jeong Heum Lee, Sang Ho Moon, Ju Young Chang, Jae Sig Kim, Jin Su Lee
  • Patent number: 9712069
    Abstract: A transformer of distributed-constant type is provided between an AC power supply with a frequency f and a load with a resistance value R, and includes: a first converter connected to the AC power supply and having a length of ?/4; and a second converter provided between an end of the first converter and the load, and having a length of ?/4, where a wavelength at the frequency f is ?. Such a transformer has a small size and a light weight, and does not need a coil, an iron core, and the like as used in a conventional transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., National University Corporation Toyohashi University of Technology
    Inventors: Hideaki Nakahata, Nobuo Shiga, Kenichi Hirotsu, Takashi Ohira, Kyohei Yamada
  • Patent number: 9703302
    Abstract: A mixed mode compensation circuit for a power converter generate a digital signal according to a reference signal and a feedback signal which is related to the output voltage of the power converter, convert the digital signal into a first analog signal, offset the first analog signal with a variable offset value to generate a second analog signal, and filter out high-frequency components of the second analog signal to generate a third analog signal for stable output voltage of the power converter. The mixed mode compensation does not require large capacitors, and thus the circuit can be integrated into an integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chien-Fu Tang, Jiun-Hung Pan, Isaac Y. Chen
  • Patent number: 9705402
    Abstract: A power loss protection integrated circuit includes a current switch circuit (eFuse), a VIN terminal, a VOUT terminal, a buck/boost controller, and a storage capacitor terminal STR. The controller is adapted to work: 1) as a boost to take a low voltage from the VOUT terminal and to output a larger charging voltage onto the STR terminal, or 2) as a buck to take a higher voltage from the STR terminal and to buck it down to a lower voltage required on the VOUT terminal. The current switch circuit outputs a digital undervoltage signal (UV) and a digital high current signal (HC). These signals are communicated on-chip to the controller. Asserting UV causes the converter to begin operating in the buck mode. Asserting HC prevents the converter from operating in the boost mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.
    Inventors: John H. Carpenter, Jr., Brett E. Smith, Hiroshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9696746
    Abstract: A band gap reference circuit is provided that includes a first resistor (R1), a second resistor (R2), a third resistor (R3), a fourth resistor (Ra), a fifth resistor (Rb), a capacitor (Ca), an operational amplifier A, a first field effect transistor (FET) (P1), a second FET (P2), a third FET (P3), a fourth FET (Pa), a first bipolar junction transistor (BJT) (Q1), a second BJT (Q2), and a third BJT (Q3). P3 and Rb are used to control Pa, which is configured to control current flow to a reference node, and thus a reference voltage (Vref) output by the band gap reference circuit. The band gap reference circuit is configured to output a substantially constant reference voltage and is less sensitive or susceptible to noise from a power supply. Additionally, the band gap reference circuit prevents Vref from overshooting when the band gap circuit is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventor: Yuan-Long Siao
  • Patent number: 9698691
    Abstract: A switching DC-to-DC converter has an adaptive duty cycle limiting circuit with an inductor current sensor to generate a sense signal indicative of magnitude of the inductor current. A replica signal is generated from the sense signal and transferred through a replica parasitic resistance circuit. A differential voltage is developed across the replica parasitic resistances and compared with a maximum limit voltage level. The maximum limit voltage level is indicates that a gain level of the switching DC-to-DC converter has decreased even though the duty cycle has increased. A duty cycle limit signal is generated and transferred to disable a switch in a switching circuit for limiting the duty cycle of the switching DC-to-DC converter, when the gain level has decreased such that the switching DC-to-DC converter does not enter a region where the gain of the switching DC-to-DC converter has a negative slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Kemal Ozanoglu, Selcuk Talay, Pier Cavallini, Naoyuki Unno, Louis deMarco
  • Patent number: 9698700
    Abstract: A power converter can be controlled to generate a target output power. The control process may include obtaining a target current reference for the power converter, sensing an output current of the power converter, and determining a difference between the target current reference and the sensed output current. The next switching duty cycle for the next switching period of the switching circuits in the power converter can be derived based on at least the present switching duty cycle of the present switching period, and the difference between the target current reference and the sensed output current. The switching circuits of the power converter can then be switched according to the derived next switching duty cycle in the next switching period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignees: DRS Consolidated Controls, Inc., University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Scott Ramsay, Michael Kelley, Matthew Tarca, John Thompson, David Gellis, Thomas Parsons, Sung Yeul Park, Sungmin Park
  • Patent number: 9698680
    Abstract: A switching power device includes: a main circuit having a switching element and a coil that adjusts a current flowing through the coil and outputs a voltage; an output voltage detection circuit that outputs a first voltage; an error amplification circuit that outputs an error signal in response to a difference between the first voltage of the output voltage detection circuit and a second voltage; an oscillation circuit that outputs an oscillation signal; a driving circuit that outputs the driving signal to the switching element in response to a comparison result by comparing the oscillation signal of the oscillation circuit and the error signal of the error amplification circuit; and a soft-start control unit that controls the second voltage in response to the first voltage of the output voltage detection circuit when the first voltage reaches a soft-start threshold voltage between a standard detection voltage and a start detection voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Satake, Yoshihiro Kizaki
  • Patent number: 9698667
    Abstract: A semiconductor device that has a level shift circuit, an anterior stage circuit, and a posterior stage circuit. The level shift circuit transmits an input signal from a primary potential system to a secondary potential system different from the primary potential system. The anterior stage circuit including a first transistor receives a gate driving signal delivered by the level shift circuit. The posterior stage circuit including a second transistor with the same channel type as that of the first transistor drives a switching element according to the output signal from the first transistor. The threshold voltage of the first transistor is set at a lower value than the threshold voltage of the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kanno, Hitoshi Sumida
  • Patent number: 9692318
    Abstract: A synchronous rectifier, which rectifies an alternating voltage signal as an input signal and/or forwards a dc voltage signal as an input signal for use as an output signal. Included is a rectifying unit composed of at least one controllable switch element; a smoothing unit, which is connected to the rectifying unit and smooths the signal rectified or forwarded by the rectifying unit, in order to provide a smoothed signal for use as output signal; a control logic, which controls the rectifying unit based on the input signal and the output signal coming from the smoothing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Paul, Niels Donkers, Juan Angel Alonso-Schonlau, Klaus Ruf
  • Patent number: 9692296
    Abstract: Single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) DC-DC converters and SIMO DC-DC converter control circuits are disclosed. An example DC-DC converter control circuit includes a switch controller to control respective switches of a SIMO DC-DC voltage converter that has multiple output circuits. The example control circuit also includes an arbitration circuit that determines a first one of the output circuits to have priority over other ones of the output circuits based on a priority signal, and selects a first output circuit to be charged during a first time slot based on the priority signal and based on first kick signals indicating that the at least two output circuits are to be charged. The control circuit also includes a next kick detector that determines a second one of the output circuits to be charged during a second time slot after the first time slot based on the priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Ranjit Kumar Dash, Keith Edmund Kunz
  • Patent number: 9692288
    Abstract: Disclosed are bias voltage generating circuits and methods for a switching power supply. In one embodiment, a switching power supply can include: (i) a driver circuit configured to receive a bias voltage, and to drive a switch in a power stage of the switching power supply; (ii) where a ratio of an output voltage of the switching power supply to an expected bias voltage of the driver circuit is configured as a proportionality coefficient; (iii) a bias voltage generating circuit configured to generate the bias voltage for the driver circuit based on a first voltage; and (iv) an H-shaped inductor coupled to an input of the bias voltage generating circuit, where the first voltage is configured to be generated based on a number of turns of the H-shaped inductor and the proportionality coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventor: Hsu Hung Kuo