Patents Examined by Scott Bauer
  • Patent number: 11489479
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for detecting an open load condition for a load. The load is coupled to a power source at a high side and to a ground at a low side through at least one switch, the load has a first end and a second end, a first voltage at the first end is kept constant. A switch is controlled by a PWM signal. After the switch is turned off by the PWM signal, the voltage associated with the second end of the load is measured. In one embodiment, a change of the second voltage during a predefined delay is compared with a predefined voltage threshold. In another embodiment, the time it takes for the change of the second voltage to reach a predefined voltage threshold is compared with a predefined time threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Subramanya Bhat, Santosh Shankar Koli, Shashi Kanth Belde, Abu Musa
  • Patent number: 11476148
    Abstract: A wafer separating apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck, a separation structure and a control device. The electrostatic chuck electrostatically supports a wafer during wafer processing using a voltage having a polarity. The separation structure mechanically separate the wafer from the electrostatic chuck. The control device controls the electrostatic chuck to, after the wafer processing is completed, reduce a magnitude of the voltage with the polarity while the separation structure applies a force to the wafer to separate the wafer from the electrostatic chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NISSIN ION EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Adachi, Shinsuke Inoue
  • Patent number: 11469130
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a disk including a plurality of electrostatic chucks periodically disposed at a constant radius from a central axis; a disk support supporting the disk; a DC line electrically connected to the plurality of electrostatic chucks through the disk support; and a power supply configured to supply power to the DC line. The DC line includes: a first DC line penetrating through the disk support from the power supply; a power distribution unit configured to distribute the first DC line to connect the first DC line to each of the plurality of electrostatic chucks; and a plurality of second DC lines respectively connected to the plurality of electrostatic chucks in the power distribution unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ho Bin Yoon, Seung Chul Shin, Jin Hyuk Yoo
  • Patent number: 11469590
    Abstract: A protection circuit is disclosed. The protection circuit includes a direct current (DC) blocking component electrically connected between a neutral of the transformer and a ground, and an overvoltage protection device electrically connected in parallel with the DC blocking component. The overvoltage protection device is constructed to repeatably and reliably provide overvoltage protection in response to a voltage at the transformer neutral above a threshold. The DC blocking component has an impedance below a predetermined value, thereby effectively grounding the neutral of the transformer. The DC blocking component is persistently maintained in connection to the transformer neutral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Emprimus, LLC
    Inventors: David Anderson, Greg Fuchs, Frederick R. Faxvog, George Anderson, Wallace Jensen
  • Patent number: 11469752
    Abstract: The present application provides a power device driver including a detection module coupled to the power device and configured to detect the state of the power device; a driving module coupled to the detection module and the power device respectively and configured to detect the power of the detection module. As a result, the power device is regulated; wherein the detection module includes a fast detection sub-module configured to detect a state of the power device within a preset time period after the input signal of the driving device is invalid, and controlling the driving module to softly turn off the power device when there is overcurrent. The present application also provides a corresponding power device driving method and electric equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: LEN Technology Limited
    Inventors: Jingquan Chen, Chuan Ni, Wei Lu
  • Patent number: 11463080
    Abstract: A power switch circuit is disclosed. The power switch circuit includes an input terminal, an output terminal, a first switch, a second switch, a sensing switch and an adjusting circuit. The first switch is coupled to the input terminal. The second switch is coupled to the first switch and the output terminal. A first node between the first switch and the second switch has a first node voltage. A breakdown voltage of the second switch is higher than that of the first switch. The sensing switch is coupled to the input terminal and the first switch. The adjusting circuit is coupled to the first node and the sensing switch. A second node between the adjusting circuit and the sensing switch has a second node voltage. The adjusting circuit adjusts the second node voltage according to the first node voltage to make it equal to the first node voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: UPI SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
    Inventor: Chia-Lung Wu
  • Patent number: 11456138
    Abstract: In one embodiment, there is a fault interrupter device comprising at least one sensor comprising at least one first transformer having at least one outer region forming an outer periphery and at least one inner hollow region. There is also at least one second transformer that is disposed in the inner hollow region of the at least one first transformer. The transformers can be substantially circular in configuration, and more particularly, ring shaped. In another embodiment there is a rotatable latch which is used to selectively connect and disconnect a set of separable contacts to selectively disconnect power from the line side to the load side. The rotatable latch is in one embodiment coupled to a reset button. In at least one embodiment there is a slider which is configured to selectively prevent the manual tripping of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kamor, James Porter, Kurt Dykema
  • Patent number: 11456588
    Abstract: A protective circuit includes a first field-effect transistor having a first drain terminal, a first source terminal and a first gate terminal, a control device by which an electrical first voltage between the first drain terminal and the first source terminal can be determined, and a first temperature sensor by which a first temperature of the first field-effect transistor can be detected, wherein a first resistance of the first field effect transistor and an electrical first current conducted via the first field-effect transistor can be determined by the control device based on the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: GKN Automotive Ltd.
    Inventor: Roman Liebsch
  • Patent number: 11448671
    Abstract: Briefly, embodiments are directed to a system, method, and article for identifying power system event signatures. Input measurement data may be received from one or more data sources relating to a power grid system. The input measurement data may comprise normal system operation measurement data and power system event measurement data. A processor may perform operations during an online application phase. During the online application phase, a feature matrix may be generated for the power system event measurement data and the at least one trained auto-associative model. The feature matrix for the power system event measurement data may be processed to determine power system event residuals. Also during the online application phase, the power system event signatures may be identified based on residual statistics for normal system operation measurement data residuals and on the power system event residuals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Weizhong Yan, Honggang Wang
  • Patent number: 11442109
    Abstract: A method of determining if a circuit interrupter operating mechanism has an acceptable trip margin includes determining a model trip margin, providing a circuit interrupter, the circuit interrupter disposed in situ, the circuit interrupter including an operating mechanism, determining a circuit interrupter trip margin by: providing an internal sensor assembly, the internal trip margin sensor assembly structured to record trip margin data, providing a transfer function module, providing a computer structured to execute the transfer function module, executing the transfer function module on the computer, utilizing the trip margin sensor assembly to generate trip margin data, transmitting the trip margin data to the transfer function module, processing the trip margin data to generate a trip margin, and determining if the trip margin is acceptable relative to the model trip margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
    Inventors: Paul R. Rakus, Michael Slepian, Saudamini Joshi, Ravikumar S., Sachin Bhimrao Ahirrao, Kunal Teli
  • Patent number: 11437987
    Abstract: An electronic switch has a first, a second and a third connection and is configured to disconnect a current flow between the first and the second connection. An energy source is connected between the first and the third connection, and a regenerative load is connected between the second and the third connection. The electronic switch includes a semiconductor switch capable of switching currents of different polarity. A fuse is connected between the first connection and the semiconductor switch. A first short-circuiter is connected between the input of the semiconductor switch and the third connection, and a second short-circuiter is connected between the output of the semiconductor switch and the third connection. The fuse has a current trigger threshold between a permanently permitted current and a maximally permitted current of the semiconductor switch. An electrical network having such electronic switch and a method for operating an electronic switch are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Peter Köllensperger
  • Patent number: 11437810
    Abstract: A transient voltage suppressor (“TVS”) device includes a housing. Three prongs extend from the first end and are adapted for electrically connecting to an alternating current power source receptacle. Three recessed contacts extend into the second end of the housing for receiving three prongs from a power connector. The three prongs and three recessed contacts are adapted to pass electrical power along a ground wire, a neutral wire, and line wire, respectively. A protection circuit includes at least one silicon avalanche suppression diode (“SAS diode”) to limit high transient voltage imposed thereon to a lower level. A notification circuit is configured to communicate a status of the TVS device and configured to notify a user of one or more of: a correct connection of the vehicle wiring with respect to the power source, an incorrect connection of the vehicle wiring with respect to the power source, or a fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Inventors: Richard Odenberg, John Haynes
  • Patent number: 11430685
    Abstract: A wafer placement apparatus includes a disc-shaped ceramic plate having an upper surface as a wafer placement surface and in which an electrode is embedded; a disc-shaped cooling plate provided on a lower surface, opposite the wafer placement surface, of the ceramic plate; and a resin adhesive-sheet layer with which a bonding surface as the lower surface of the ceramic plate and a bonding surface as an upper surface of the cooling plate are bonded to each other, wherein at least one of the bonding surface of the ceramic plate and the bonding surface of the cooling plate has a surface roughness Ra that is higher in an outer part of the bonding surface than in an inner part of the bonding surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takanori Sonoda
  • Patent number: 11424613
    Abstract: The technology described herein is generally directed towards a system for power transmission system protection and fault location, such as implemented in a deployable device at one or more junction points of a power transmission system. Aspects of the described technology can be directed to analyzing a traveling wave corresponding to a fault on a power transmission system. Example aspects can comprise receiving data representing current and voltage components of a traveling wave, maintaining the data in storage for fault location determination of the fault, transforming the data via a wavelet transform, into wavelet transform results and using the wavelet transform results for protection of the power transmission system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventors: Hengxu Ha, Mitalkumar Kanabar, Adriano Oliveira Pires, Elias Bencz, Lucas Barcelos de Oliveira
  • Patent number: 11418028
    Abstract: An appliance having a heater connectable to a power source to create a heater circuit is disclosed. The appliance includes a controller and a heater switch configured to be selectively closed in response to a control signal from the controller to complete the heater circuit and enable current to flow from the power source to the electric heater. The appliance further includes a heater feedback circuit comprising a plurality of resistors and configured to be connected to the power source and further configured to generate an output signal to the controller having a first state indicative of no current leakage from the heater circuit, a second state indicative of current leakage from the heater circuit where the polarity of the power source is normal, and a third state indicative of current leakage from the heater circuit where the polarity of the power source is reversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Emanuela Antognoli, Wojciech A. Barczyk, Michal Pasiecznik, Marco Quintini, Waldemar Romanowski
  • Patent number: 11418182
    Abstract: Switch circuitry comprise a boosting circuit, a first switch, and a second switch. The boosting circuit boosts an input voltage. The first switch includes an input part to which the input voltage is applied, an output part which outputs an output voltage based on a voltage applied to the input part, and a driving part to which a driving voltage is applied, the first switch in which a voltage which the boosting circuit outputs is applied to the driving part and which outputs the output voltage based on the input voltage when the input voltage is higher than the output voltage. The second switch short-circuits the driving part of the first switch and the input part of the first switch when a value obtained by subtracting the input voltage from a voltage applied to the driving part exceeds a driving threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsuneyuki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11410867
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electrostatic chuck includes a ceramic dielectric, a base plate, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer. The ceramic dielectric substrate has a first major surface and a second major surface. The first electrode layer is provided between the first major surface and the second major surface. The second electrode layer is provided between the first electrode layer and the first major surface. The first electrode layer has a first surface and a second surface. A distance between the first surface and the first major surface is constant. A distance between the second surface and the first surface at an end portion of the first electrode layer is shorter than a distance between the second surface and the first surface at a central portion of the first electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Momiyama, Hitoshi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11411389
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for identifying a fault using systems and methods for a controlled dynamic MHO characteristic. Particularly, the systems and methods described herein may automatically control the dynamic expansion of the MHO characteristic based on the estimation of uncontrolled dynamic MHO expansion estimation and maximum allowable expansion set by a user. This may provide flexibility in that, the MHO can be allowed to expand to a maximum level, when the estimated MHO expansion value is below the user defined maximum allowable expansion level, but also provides a controlled dynamic MHO when the estimated values are above the maximum allowable level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Venkatesh Chakrapani, Ilia Voloh
  • Patent number: 11408922
    Abstract: A system for detecting miswiring in an AC power supply for an appliance may comprise a phase sensor sensing the phase difference between the first and a second hot line powering heavy electrical loads therebetween, and a control module coupling to the phase and voltage sensors. The control module may identify a fault condition and may disconnect different electrical loads from the power supply in the fault condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Alessandro Gigante, Erik P. Oosterwal
  • Patent number: 11410868
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes: an electrically-conductive base plate including a first part, a second part at an outer circumference of the first part, and a gas inlet path for introducing a cooling gas; a first electrostatic chuck part configured to clamp a wafer on the first part, including a ceramic dielectric substrate that includes an embedded first clamping electrode and at least one through-hole communicating with the gas inlet path; and a second electrostatic chuck part configured to clamp a focus ring on the second part, including a ceramic layer that includes at least one through-hole for introducing a cooling gas and that includes at least a first layer contacting the focus ring when the second electrostatic chuck part clamps the focus ring, in which the first layer is less dense than the ceramic dielectric substrate. Thereby, the electrostatic chuck can increase the device yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Sato, Ikuo Itakura, Shuichiro Saigan, Jun Shiraishi, Yutaka Momiyama, Kouta Kobayashi