Patents by Inventor Thomas Scheel

Thomas Scheel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20100027306
    Abstract: A primary circuit (1) for feeding a secondary circuit (2) comprises a switch circuit (10) with switches (11-14) controlled by a control circuit (40) for bringing the primary circuit (1) into first or second modes and comprises a resonance circuit (20) for, in the first mode, increasing an energy supply from a source (4) to the secondary circuit (2) via in-phase resonance circuit voltages and currents and for, in the second mode, not increasing the energy supply to the secondary circuit (2) via not-in-phase resonance circuit voltages and currents and comprises (basic idea) a converter circuit (30) for converting a primary circuit signal into a control signal for the control circuit (40) for bringing the primary circuit (10) into the first mode or into the second mode in dependence of the control signal, according to a zero current switching strategy for reducing losses and electromagnetic interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N V
    Inventors: Christoph Loef, Thomas Scheel, Christian Hattrup
  • Publication number: 20100008558
    Abstract: The invention relates to an X-ray imaging device (100), particularly a Spectral-CT scanner, that comprises an X-ray source (10) for generating X-radiation with an energy spectrum (P(E,t)) which varies continuously during an observation period (T). In a preferred embodiment, the radiation (X) is attenuated in an object (1) according to an energy-dependent attenuation coefficient ?(E,r), the transmitted radiation is measured by sensor units (22) of a detector (20, 30), and the resulting measurement signal (i(t)) is sampled and A/D converted. This is preferably done by an oversampling A/D converter, for example a ??-ADC. The tube voltage (U(t)) that drives the X-ray source is sampled with high frequency. In an evaluation system (50), these sampled measurement values can be associated with corresponding effective energy spectra (?(E)) to determine the energy dependent attenuation coefficient ?(E,r).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
    Inventors: Christian Baeumer, Roger Steadman Booker, Gereon Vogtmeier, Thomas Scheel, Christoph Loef
  • Publication number: 20100007540
    Abstract: A controller is described, which is particularly suited for a power supply with switching elements (S1, S2), such as a switching mode power supply. The controller comprises a logical unit (18) which calculates a binary state value Zk by a first logical operation from a binary input value I and a prior binary state value Zk?1. The logical unit further calculates a binary output value Y by a second logical operation from the binary input value I and the binary state value Zk. In this way, fast and efficient fully digital control may be realized especially for a switching mode power supply, where the binary input value I is a comparator value and the binary output value Y is used to drive the switch elements (S1, S2). An adaptation unit (20), which may be a signal processor, determines the logical operations and delivers them to the logical unit (18) during operation of the controller unit (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Peter Lurkens, Thomas Scheel, Christian Hattrup
  • Publication number: 20090309573
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining an output voltage or output current in an SMPS circuit 10 are described. The SMPS circuit comprises a switching element 18 which in operation is switched according to consecutive switching cycles. An electrical value IL within the SMPS circuit 10 is compared to a reference value Iref. The electrical value IL varies within the switching cycle such that is equal to the reference value at least once during each cycle. The comparator signal comp is evaluated to determine timing information t of an instant of change in the signal. The timing information t is used for determining the output voltage Vout,Av or output current Iout,Av.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Peter Lurkens, Christian Hattrup, Thomas Scheel
  • Publication number: 20090179671
    Abstract: Current switching point determination devices use two comparators with fixed threshold values. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a power inverter control device for switching point determination is provided which comprises a filter circuit and a subsequent single comparator. By this arrangement, the time event is independent of the amplitude and for sufficiently small frequencies also of the frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas Scheel, Christian Hattrup, Peter Lürkens
  • Publication number: 20080275575
    Abstract: Determining estimations of states of a physical system (2) by using an observer (4), which comprises a mathematical model (6) of the physical system. The observer (4) is supplied with a value of at least one entity (Y1, Y2, Y3, . . . ) of the physical system and values of input entities (IN) supplied to the system also, to provide estimated values of entities (Y1b, Y2b, Y3b, . . . ) of the model. At least one estimated value (Y1b) is compared with a related given reference value (Y1ref) to provide an error value (e1). The given reference value (Y1ref) is compared with the related monitored entity (Y1) and when (ttrig) becoming equal the error value (e1) is used for correction of the estimated values (Y1b, Y2b, Y3b, . . . ).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Scheel, Peter Luerkens
  • Publication number: 20080198634
    Abstract: A resonant DC/DC converter for supplying an output power comprises a switching device (18) for supplying a switched voltage (UWR) to a resonant circuit (20) having a transformer (T). The switched voltage (UWR) is derived from an intermediate circuit voltage (Uz) having a fixed pulse width and frequency so that the zero crossings of the resonant current (Ires) generated in the resonant current are defined. The switching configuration of an inverter circuit (18) is selected by a control device (31) to either increase, decrease or maintain at a substantially constant level the resonant current according to the polarity of the switched voltage, so as to control the output power as required.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
    Inventors: Thomas Scheel, Peter Luerkens, Christoph Loef
  • Patent number: 7167381
    Abstract: A description is given of a power supply unit, an X-ray device having a power supply unit, and a method of controlling a power supply unit. In order also to control non-linear control paths, such as of a power supply unit operated with mixed-mode modulation, it is proposed that the control device be designed as a digital control device which calculates at least one correcting variable. The control device processes at least a first actual value Uout, which depends on the output voltage. A time difference value is calculated from two sample values of the first actual value Uout and is multiplied by a first controller coefficient Kout. The value of the first controller coefficient can in this case change as a function of the operating point of the power supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Scheel, Christian Hattrup
  • Publication number: 20060050538
    Abstract: A description is given of a power supply unit, an X-ray device having a power supply unit, and a method of controlling a power supply unit. In order also to control non-linear control paths, such as of a power supply unit operated with mixed-mode modulation, it is proposed that the control device be designed as a digital control device which calculates at least one correcting variable. The control device processes at least a first actual value Uout, which depends on the output voltage. A time difference value is calculated from two sample values of the first actual value Uout and is multiplied by a first controller coefficient Kout. The value of the first controller coefficient can in this case change as a function of the operating point of the power supply unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Scheel, Christian Hattrup
  • Patent number: 6917531
    Abstract: Two proposals are made for power supply systems comprising at least one resonant inverter and one control unit. According to the first proposal the power supply system comprises two inverters and produces two output voltages, the control circuit processing as an actual value on the one hand the sum of and on the other hand the difference between the two output voltages. According to the second proposal a control circuit does not directly process the controlled variables for a power supply system comprising at least one inverter, but difference units for controlled variables determine the deviations from a preceding sampling instant and these difference values are processed. Also the correcting variable calculated in this way is a difference value which is converted into a correcting variable value by a correcting variable summing unit. The two proposals can be advantageously combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Scheel, Christian Hattrup, Olaf Maertens, Thorsten Gercke
  • Publication number: 20040125624
    Abstract: Two proposals are made for power supply systems comprising at least one resonant inverter and one control unit. According to the first proposal the power supply system comprises two inverters and produces two output voltages, the control circuit processing as an actual value on the one hand the sum of and on the other hand the difference between the two output voltages. According to the second proposal a control circuit does not directly process the controlled variables for a power supply system comprising at least one inverter, but difference units for controlled variables determine the deviations from a preceding sampling instant and these difference values are processed. Also the correcting variable calculated in this way is a difference value which is converted into a correcting variable value by a correcting variable summing unit. The two proposals can be advantageously combined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Thomas Scheel, Christian Hattrup, Olaf Maertens, Thorsten Gercke
  • Patent number: 6683800
    Abstract: In order to determine the necessary operating parameters of a power supply system with a converter for supplying a resonant arrangement having a transformer, a system having a measuring device is proposed, which activates the converter so that with components of the power supply system initially unenergized a predetermined output voltage is generated, one or more parameters characteristic of the resonant arrangement being determined from the measurement of the resonant current appearing on the primary side of the transformer. In this, after a preferably brief excitation interval, the resonant frequency, the impedance of the resonant arrangement, the capacitance value of the resonant capacitance and the leakage inductance are determined on the basis of the current path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Christoph Loef, Christian Hattrup, Thomas Scheel, Olaf Maertens, Martin Ossmann
  • Publication number: 20030021127
    Abstract: In order to determine the necessary operating parameters of a power supply system with a converter for supplying a resonant arrangement having a transformer, a system having a measuring device is proposed, which activates the converter so that with components of the power supply system initially unenergized a predetermined output voltage is generated, one or more parameters characteristic of the resonant arrangement being determined from the measurement of the resonant current appearing on the primary side of the transformer. In this, after a preferably brief excitation interval, the resonant frequency, the impedance of the resonant arrangement, the capacitance value of the resonant capacitance and the leakage inductance are determined on the basis of the current path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: Christoph Loef, Christian Hattrup, Thomas Scheel, Olaf Maertens, Martin Ossmann
  • Patent number: 6351401
    Abstract: The invention relates to a series resonant converter (1) comprising a control circuit (8) for controlling the output voltage of the converter. To improve the behavior of the converter, it is proposed that the control circuit (8) is provided for processing a first actual value (Uout), which depends on the respective converter output voltage (uout(t)) and for processing a second actual value (UC), which depends on the respective current (ires(t)) flowing through the series resonant circuit elements (C, L, R) of the converter (1), and that the control circuit (8) is provided for delivering a correcting variable (u) determining the scanning ratio of a pulse-width modulated voltage (upwm(t)) delivered to the series resonant circuit of the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Scheel, Christian Hattrup, Olaf Märtens