Patents Examined by Peter M Novak
  • Patent number: 11539304
    Abstract: An indirect matrix converter includes a rectifier module, an inverter module, and a control unit. The rectifier module includes three parallel-connected T-type bridge arms, and each T-type bridge arm includes a bidirectional switch and a power bridge arm. The power bridge arm includes a first switch and a second switch connected to the first switch in series. One end of the bidirectional switch is coupled to a first AC power source, and the other end thereof is coupled to a common contact between the first switch and the second switch. The control unit outputs a plurality of control signals to control the rectifier module and the inverter module, so that the first AC power source is converted into a second AC power source, or the second AC power source is converted into the first AC power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Kai-Wei Hu, Lei-Chung Hsing
  • Patent number: 11539293
    Abstract: A capacitor is discharged to a point where ring back in an output voltage across the capacitor is eliminated in response a transient event to high side and low side switching devices conductively coupled to an inductor and the capacitor before turning on the high side switch and varying an output voltage with a change in a load current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: ALPHA AND OMEGA SEMICONDUCTOR (CAYMAN) LTD.
    Inventor: Amir Babazadeh
  • Patent number: 11539284
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a DC conversion system and a control method thereof. The DC conversion system comprises: an upper power module group, a lower power module group, input terminals of the upper and lower power module group are connected in series, and output terminals of the upper and lower power module groups are connected in parallel; the controller configured to receive an input voltage of respective input terminal of each of the first and second power modules, a first output current of the output terminal of the upper power module group, a second output current of the output terminal of the lower power module group, and a total output signal of the output terminal of the DC conversion system, and generate a modulation signal according to them to control a power switch of the corresponding power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yi Zhang, Pian Zhou, Hongwei Xiao, Teng Liu
  • Patent number: 11532983
    Abstract: Controller and method for a power converter. For example, a controller for a power converter includes: a first terminal configured to receive a first terminal voltage; a second terminal configured to receive a second terminal voltage; a comparator configured to receive a first threshold voltage and the second terminal voltage and to generate a comparison signal based at least in part on the first threshold voltage and the second terminal voltage; and a switch configured to receive the first terminal voltage and the comparison signal, the switch being further configured to be closed to allow a current to flow out of the second terminal through the switch if the comparison signal is at a first logic level; wherein the comparator is further configured to: receive a first reference voltage as the first threshold voltage if the first terminal voltage is smaller than a second threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tuofu Liu, Xiangkun Zhai, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 11515778
    Abstract: Provided is a power conversion device capable of continuing the transmission of power even in the event of failure of a DC-to-DC converter cell. The power conversion device according to the present invention includes: a unit having a plurality of DC-to-DC converter cells; a short-circuit device that short-circuits a failed cell; and a control circuit that controls the plurality of DC-to-DC converter cells. The control circuit controls the voltage of a second cell terminal of a healthy cell included in a unit that includes the failed cell, based on a failed cell count m, so that the power of a first cell terminal and the power of the second cell terminal are matched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takaharu Ishibashi, Takushi Jimichi, Takuya Kajiyama
  • Patent number: 11509220
    Abstract: An electronic device comprises a switching regulator. Here, the switching regulator has a first wiring portion (including a parasitic inductance) coupling the high-side element and the low-side element, and a second wiring portion (including a parasitic inductance) coupled with the low-side element. Also, the switching regulator has a first region in where the first wiring portion and the second wiring portion are lined up with each other. As a result, the performance of the electronic device can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuaki Tsukuda
  • Patent number: 11502607
    Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to providing an integrated circuit package having (a) a bypass circuit in parallel with an inductor and (b) a logic circuit configured to control the bypass circuit for conductivity modulation. In an illustrative example, in response to a corresponding load transient, the logic circuit may include a state machine configured to generate different control signals for the bypass circuit to control the timing and/or quantity of energy transfer from the inductor to a load. The bypass circuit may include a first semiconductor switch and a second semiconductor switch connected in anti-series. In some implementations, the power stage and the bypass circuit may be operated, for example, in numerous operational modes to dynamically modulate conductivity across the terminals of the inductor in a power supply to advantageously result in a smaller undershoot and overshoot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (Cayman) Limited
    Inventors: Amir Babazadeh, Demetri Giannopoulos, Chris Young
  • Patent number: 11502610
    Abstract: An apparatus for DC voltage—DC voltage conversion comprises connected in series a high DC voltage source, a transformer, a rectifier, and a control voltage driver. Also connected in series are a primary winding of the transformer, a controllable switch, an electronically controlled resistor (ECR), and a limiting resistor. The ECR is controlled by the control voltage driver. The controllable switch is controlled by a controllable square wave generator. The controllable square wave generator and the controlled voltage driver are fed from a low DC voltage source. The controllable square wave generator is controlled by another control voltage driver fed from the high DC voltage source. The apparatus allows for obtaining variable value of high pulse voltage across the ECR and lowers the level of electromagnetic noise radiated by the apparatus to environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Drive CJSC
    Inventors: Yuriy I. Romanov, Stanislav V. Maletskiy
  • Patent number: 11502597
    Abstract: A power supply system comprises: a switched-capacitor converter, a monitor, and a controller. The switched-capacitor converter includes an input node to receive an input voltage and an output voltage to output an output voltage. Switching of multiple switches in the switched-capacitor converter converts the input voltage into the output voltage. As its name suggests, the monitor monitors a magnitude of the output voltage. The controller receives input indicating the magnitude of the output voltage. Depending on the magnitude of the output voltage, the controller controls states of the multiple switches during startup of the switched-capacitor converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Christian Rainer, Roberto Rizzolatti
  • Patent number: 11502506
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed that in one embodiment includes a circuit configured to selectively activate a transistor. The circuit is further configured to assert a signal when the circuit detects an electrical short between terminals of the transistor or when the circuit detects the transistor does not conduct current while the transistor is activated by the circuit. The circuit is further configured to output another signal, which is set to a first state or a second state. The other signal is set to the first state when the circuit detects the electrical short. The other signal is set to the second state when the circuit detects the transistor does not conduct current while activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Christophe Patrick Rince, Jean-Philippe Meunier, Erik Santiago, Antoine Fabien Dubois, Maxime Clairet
  • Patent number: 11496059
    Abstract: A variable voltage generator circuit is described for generating, from a substantially constant supply voltage VS, a variable high-voltage control voltage VC for a variable power capacitor (1) having a variable-permittivity dielectric. The control voltage generator circuit comprises a top-up circuit (10) for maintaining the voltage VCin on an input capacitor (12) at least at supply voltage VS, and a bidirectional DC-DC converter circuit (20) having a variable voltage conversion factor G controlled by control input signal (27). The bidirectional DC-DC converter (20) is arranged to convert voltage, at the voltage conversion factor G, between the input capacitor voltage VCin and the output voltage VC. When VC<G×VCin, the DC-DC converter circuit (20) uses charge stored in the input capacitor (12) to charge the capacitive load (1). When VC>G×VCin, the DC-DC converter circuit (20) uses charge stored in the load capacitance (1) to charge the input capacitor (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: COMET AG
    Inventors: Thomas Fink, Ralf Negele
  • Patent number: 11496044
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a control method of a DC/DC converter and a related DC/DC converter. The control method allows for: detecting a difference between a first voltage and a second voltage; if an absolute value of the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is greater than or equal to a preset value, reselecting desired operating states of respective switches in a 1-level state according to the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage and a direction of an average current from a fourth node to a first passive network in the 1-level state; and thus outputting a control signal to enable the voltage difference between the first capacitor and the second capacitor to be reduced, thereby effectively adjusting the neutral-point voltage balance of the DC/DC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng Lu, Wenfei Hu
  • Patent number: 11489433
    Abstract: A method for driving an electronic switch in a power converter and a power converter are disclosed. The method includes: driving an electronic switch (1) coupled to an inductor (2) in the power converter, wherein driving the electronic switch (1) includes driving the electronic switch (1) in a plurality of drive cycles by a drive signal (SDRV), Driving the electronic switch (1) in at least one of the plurality of drive cycles includes: determining a desired duration (TON_DES) of a current (I1) through the switch (1); and adjusting a duration (TDRV) of an on-level of the drive signal (SDRV) dependent on the desired duration (TON_DES) and a delay time (TDEL) obtained in a preceding drive cycle. The delay time (TDEL) is a time duration, in the preceding drive cycle, between a first time instance (t1) when the drive signal (SDRV) changes from the on-level to an off-level and a second time instance (t2) when a current through the electronic switch (1) falls below a predefined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Martin Feldtkeller
  • Patent number: 11477213
    Abstract: Technologies for providing secure emergency power control of a high voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) system include a controller. The controller includes circuitry configured to receive status data indicative of a present physical status of a power system. The circuitry is also configured to obtain an emergency power control command triggered by a remote source. The emergency power control command is to be executed by an HVDC transmission system of the power system. Further, the circuitry is configured to determine, as a function of the status data, whether the emergency power control command is consistent with the present physical status of the power system and block, in response to a determination that the emergency power control command is not consistent with the present physical status of the power system, execution of the emergency power control command by the HVDC transmission system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Jiuping Pan, Reynaldo Nuqui, Anil Kondabathini
  • Patent number: 11474546
    Abstract: A method is for operating an electronic device formed by a low dropout regulator (LDO) having an output coupled to a first conduction terminal of a transistor, with a second conduction terminal of the transistor being coupled to an output node. The electronic device is turned on by turning on the LDO, removing a DC bias from the second conduction terminal of the transistor by opening a first switch that selectively couples the second conduction terminal of the transistor to a supply node through a first diode coupled transistor and by opening a second switch that selectively couples the second conduction terminal of the transistor to a ground node through a second diode coupled transistor, and turning on the transistor. The electronic device is turned off by turning off the transistor, forming the DC bias at the second conduction terminal of the transistor, and turning off the LDO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Kapil Kumar Tyagi, Nitin Gupta
  • Patent number: 11476770
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter has a configuration in which a first full-bridge circuit and a second full-bridge circuit are connected via a transformer and an inductor. A control circuit performs soft switching of each switching element in the first full-bridge circuit and the second full-bridge circuit. An inductor current flowing through an equivalent inductor at a time of switching of turning on or off each switching element is greater than or equal to a threshold current, the equivalent inductor being equivalent to the transformer and the inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: DIAMOND & ZEBRA ELECTRIC MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shogo Nakahara, Hiroyoshi Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11476757
    Abstract: An output voltage of a plurality of chopper circuits is controlled by the average value of ON duties of their respective semiconductor switching elements so that there are provided a shunt controller which detects respective reactor currents of the plurality of chopper circuits and carries out shunt control based on the detected reactor currents and a voltage controller which carries out voltage control based on the detected output voltage, wherein a configuration is such that a control device controls the output voltage so that the reactor currents of the plurality of chopper circuits are equal to each other so as to prevent the average value of the ON duties of the semiconductor switching elements from changing due to the shunt control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuya Tanaka, Mai Nakada, Shingo Kato, Matahiko Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11462998
    Abstract: A structure for detecting feedback on a supply voltage when an electronic device supplies a power source to an external device connected to a connector and an operating method thereof are provided. The electronic device includes a power supply device, at least one connector for a connection with an external device, a power line wired between the power supply device and the connector, a feedback line brought into contact with the power line at a location adjacent to the connector between the power supply device and the connector, a voltage compensation circuit detecting feedback on a supply voltage supplied to an external device at the location adjacent to the connector using the feedback line, and a control circuit configured to control a compensation related to the supply voltage based on the detected feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myunghoon Kwak, Yongsang Yun
  • Patent number: 11463015
    Abstract: A submodule includes a bridge circuit including two main power semiconductors connected in series for performing power conversion by on/off control and an electric energy storage element connected in parallel with a path of the two main power semiconductors connected in series, a bypass unit including a bypass power semiconductor), a bypass unit drive device to drive the bypass unit, a first external terminal, and a second external terminal. The first external terminal is connected to a node between the two main power semiconductors. The power conversion apparatus further includes an optical power-feed system for feeding power to the bypass unit drive device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryoji Tsuruta, Takushi Jimichi, Kimiyuki Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 11456665
    Abstract: An electronic system device includes a semiconductor device and a power generating device for generating a power supply voltage. The semiconductor device includes a control circuit coupled with the power generating device via a power supply node, and a substrate-biased control circuit coupled with the control circuit. The electronic system device includes a DC-DC converter, and a switch arranged between the power supply nodes and the DC-DC converter. The control circuit sets the switch to an ON state after receiving the power supply voltage. The DC-DC converter receives the power supply voltage after the switch is controlled to the ON state. The substrate bias control circuit supplies a substrate bias voltage to the control circuit before the DC-DC converter receives the power supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuya Hashimoto, Kazuya Uejima