Patents Assigned to Power Systems, Inc.
  • Power supply with flexible control and the method thereof
    Patent number: 11374486
    Abstract: A power supply having at least one PMIC provides flexible control to the power manage systems. The PMIC has an enable pin configured to receive a control signal, and a clock pin configured to generate and/or receive a series of clock pulses, so as to facilitate the operation of the PMIC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Zhou, Ming Lu, Pengjie Lai, Jian Jiang
  • Powering electric vehicle accessory devices from back EMF generated by an electric motor
    Patent number: 11364811
    Abstract: A controller generates a target motor torque and target accessory power information during operation of an electric vehicle. The target motor torque and target accessory power information maintain a DC-link of the electric vehicle powertrain within a safe DC-link operating range. The DC-link has a DC-link voltage that is used to supply an accessory device and a motor. The accessory device is disposed on the electric vehicle and includes vehicle indictors, hydraulics, or any other accessory involved in the operation of the vehicle. The motor drives the vehicle. The controller receives the DC-link voltage, motor speed, desired output torque information, desired accessory power information, and the safe DC-link operating range and generates therefrom the target motor torque and the target accessory power information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Motiv Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Elias Stein, Tai-Sik Hwang, Justin Tomlin, James Michael Castelaz
  • Membrane electrode assembly with improved electrode
    Patent number: 11367878
    Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly comprises a polymer electrolyte interposed between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, the anode electrode comprising an anode catalyst layer adjacent at least a portion of a first major surface of the polymer electrolyte, the cathode electrode comprising a cathode catalyst layer adjacent at least a portion of a second major surface of the polymer electrolyte; at least one of the anode and cathode catalyst layers comprising: a first catalyst composition comprising a noble metal; and a second composition comprising a metal oxide; wherein the second composition has been treated with a fluoro-phosphonic acid compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: BALLARD POWER SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Rajesh Bashyam, Ping He, Siyu Ye
  • Apparatus and methods for soft grid interconnection of distributed generation assets
    Patent number: 11362519
    Abstract: A system includes a break-before-make automatic transfer switch (ATS) configured to selectively couple a utility grid and at least one distributed generator (e.g., a plurality of paralleled generators) to a load bus such that, in a state transition of the ATS, the utility grid and the at least one distributed generator are both disconnected from the load bus before the utility grid or the at least one distributed generator is connected to the load bus. The system further includes at least one converter configured to be coupled to the load bus and configured to provide power to the load bus during the state transition of the ATS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Flexgen Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Pasi Taimela, Robert William Johnson, Jr.
  • Membrane electrode assembly with improved cohesion
    Patent number: 11355759
    Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly comprises an anode electrode comprising an anode catalyst layer; a cathode electrode comprising a cathode catalyst layer; and a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode; wherein at least one of the anode and cathode catalyst layers comprises a block co-polymer comprising poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: BALLARD POWER SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Rajesh Bashyam, Alan Young
  • Central processing unit voltage rail that is independent of power state commands
    Patent number: 11347300
    Abstract: Voltage regulators generate voltage rails that power a central processing unit (CPU). The CPU communicates power management instructions to a power supply controller that drives the voltage regulators. The power supply controller sets a voltage level of a voltage rail generated by a voltage regulator in accordance with a power management instruction received from the CPU. The power supply controller enables the voltage regulator to operate in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) independent of power state commands from the CPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: I-Fan Chen
  • Power supplying device
    Patent number: 11349335
    Abstract: A power supplying device comprising a battery, a charging circuit and a DC-AC conversion circuit is provided. The charging circuit is electrically coupled to an AC power source and configured to charge the battery. The DC-AC conversion circuit is electrically coupled to the battery and configured to supply an AC output. When the power supplying device is powered on, both of the charging circuit and the DC-AC conversion circuit are enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: CYBER POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Lien-Hsun Ho, Shou-Ting Yeh, Jui-Hung Chou, Kai-Tsung Yang
  • NONLINEAR, DISCRETE TIME CONTROL OF POWER FACTOR CORRECTION POWER CONVERTER
    Publication number: 20220158546
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a power converter operable to receive a cyclically varying input signal includes a discrete-time, on-time generator coupled to the power converter and configured to regulate an output voltage of the power converter and a controller configured to compare the output voltage of the power converter against a first predetermined range to: obtain a comparison result at a zero-crossing of the cyclically varying input signal and select one of a plurality of operation levels of the discrete-time, on-time generator in response to the comparison result. The plurality of operation levels includes a linear, discrete-time operation level and a nonlinear, discrete-time operation level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: NexGen Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Anders Lind
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OVER-CURRENT PROTECTION AND CRCM CONTROL IN POWER CONVERTERS
    Publication number: 20220158561
    Abstract: A power converter includes an input coupled to an inductor, a first switch coupled to a first comparator, and a second switch coupled to a second comparator. The power converter also includes a pulse comparison counter coupled to the first comparator and the second comparator and a synchronous rectifier (SR) calculator coupled to the pulse comparison counter. The synchronous rectifier calculator is operable to modify a conduction time of the first switch during a first AC half-cycle and modify a conduction time of the second switch during a second AC half-cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: NexGen Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Anders Lind
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE POWER FACTOR OF A POWER CONVERTER
    Publication number: 20220158547
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a power converter includes a controller configured to detect an error in an output voltage of the power converter at a zero-crossing of a cyclically varying input signal and a compensator coupled to the controller and the power converter and configured to regulate the output voltage of the power converter in response to the error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: NexGen Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Anders Lind
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIGITAL, CLOSED-LOOP CONTROL OF CRCM SWITCH-MODE POWER CONVERTERS
    Publication number: 20220158560
    Abstract: A method of setting a synchronous rectifier on-time value includes determining that a time interval has occurred, receiving a number of triangular current mode (TCM) pulses measured during the time interval, and determining a pulse comparison value equal to a number of switching period pulses during the time interval minus the number of TCM pulses during the time interval. The method also includes increasing the synchronous rectifier on-time if the pulse comparison value is greater than or equal to a threshold and decreasing the synchronous rectifier on-time if the pulse comparison value is less than the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: NexGen Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Anders Lind
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENTERING AND EXITING A FREQUENCY CLAMP MODE FOR VARIABLE FREQUENCY, OFFLINE SWITCH-MODE POWER CONVERTERS
    Publication number: 20220158559
    Abstract: A controller for controlling a switching power converter having an input for receiving a periodic input signal and an output for providing a substantially constant output voltage to a load includes a monitor device configured to compare a switching time interval or a switching frequency with a predetermined threshold value to obtain a comparison result and a parameter recorder configured to record an entry criteria in response to the comparison result, wherein the entry criteria indicates a transition of the switching power converter from a variable switching frequency state to a constant switching frequency state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: NexGen Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Anders Lind
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SENSING THE INPUT VOLTAGE OF A POWER CONVERTER
    Publication number: 20220158539
    Abstract: A method of measuring an AC input voltage at an input of a power converter includes measuring a DC bus voltage corresponding to the power converter. During a positive half-cycle of the AC input voltage, the method includes measuring a first voltage at the input of the power converter. During a negative half-cycle of the AC input voltage, the method includes turning on a high-side switch, measuring a second voltage at the input of the power converter, and computing a third voltage equal to the second voltage minus the DC bus voltage. The method further includes providing the AC input voltage as the first voltage during the positive AC half-cycle and the third voltage during the negative AC half-cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: NexGen Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Anders Lind
  • Back-up generator and associated electric power systems
    Patent number: 11336113
    Abstract: An electric power system is disclosed herein. The electric power system may manage and store electric power and provide uninterrupted electric power, derived from a plurality of electric power sources, to an electric load. The electric power system may contain an energy storage unit and generator assembly. The electric power system may connect to a power grid and renewable energy sources, and may charge the energy storage unit using the power grid, renewable energy sources, and/or generator assembly. The electric power system may be configured to determine load power usage and environmental factors to automatically and continuously modify a charging protocol to, for example, provide high efficiency and/or self-sufficiency from the power grid. The electric power system may operate entirely off-grid and may provide electricity to the load without interruption to power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Blue Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramon A. Caamano, Gregory P. Miller
  • Method and system for fabrication of a vertical fin-based field effect transistor
    Patent number: 11335810
    Abstract: A transistor includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a drift region having a doped region on the first surface of the substrate and a graded doping region on the doped region, a semiconductor fin protruding from the graded doping region and comprising a metal compound layer at an upper portion of the semiconductor fin, a source metal contact on the metal compound layer, a gate layer having a bottom portion directly contacting the graded doping region; and a drain metal contact on the second surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: NEXGEN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Clifford Drowley, Ray Milano, Subhash Srinivas Pidaparthi, Andrew P. Edwards, Hao Cui, Shahin Sharifzadeh
  • SELF-OSCILLATING HIGH FREQUENCY CONVERTER WITH POWER FACTOR CORRECTION
    Publication number: 20220149720
    Abstract: A self-oscillating converter includes a power transistor coupled to a primary winding for controlling current flow in the primary winding, and a turn-on circuit configured to turn on the power transistor for maintaining oscillation in the self-oscillating converter. The self-oscillating converter also includes a turn-off circuit configured to turn off the power transistor to maintain an on-time of the power transistor at a pre-set value for power factor correction, and modulate the on-time of the power transistor to regulate the output current in the load device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: NexGen Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles Coles
  • Multi-input single output power system and operating method thereof
    Patent number: 11329556
    Abstract: A multi-input single output power system for outputting an output voltage on an output node. It includes a first integrated circuit (IC) converter device and a second IC converter device. The first IC converter device has a first pin to receive a first input voltage, a second pin to output the output voltage, and a first power unit coupled between the first pin and the second pin. The second IC converter device has a first pin to receive a second input voltage, a second pin to output the output voltage, a second power unit coupled between the first pin of the second IC converter device and the second pin of the second IC converter device, and a third pin. The third pin receives an external phase shedding control signal to determine whether to stop the second power unit from providing power to the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Heng Yang, Yi Sun, Thomas Fenn
  • ALTERNATOR WITH ROTOR LAMINATION STACK
    Publication number: 20220140671
    Abstract: A rotor core lamination is provided. The rotor core lamination includes a plurality of salient poles. Each of the salient poles includes: a pole body having a central axis in a radial direction of the rotor core lamination; and a pole shoe extending radially outward from the pole body, wherein the pole shoe has a pole shoe arc, and a central point of the pole shoe arc is offset from the central axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Generac Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: David William Pollock
  • Power device and operating method thereof
    Patent number: 11322973
    Abstract: A power device and an operating method thereof are provided. The power device comprises a communication interface and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to connect a network through the communication interface, and to execute a web server program to provide a web-based user interface. The web-based user interface is configured to provide a plurality of web pages, and the web pages are configured to present a plurality of different related information of the power device. The web-based user interface is further configured to provide a virtual button. When the control circuit determines that the virtual button is clicked once, the control circuit collects the related information from different addresses corresponding to the related information in a memory space, and packages the collected related information as a single file, so as to perform a follow-up process on this single file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: CYBER POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Chien, Yung-Hao Peng, Yu-Chen Kuo, Shang-Hsiu Yang
  • Electric mower apparatus and method of use
    Patent number: 11317564
    Abstract: A battery-operated mower is provided that includes a chassis supporting a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, a battery pack, a first electric drive wheel motor interconnected to the first drive wheel and second electric drive wheel motor interconnected to the second drive wheel; one or more electric blade motors; an electric cooling fan in fluid communication with at least one of the first electric drive wheel motor and second electric drive wheel motor; one or more controllers for controlling the rotational speed of the first electric drive wheel motor, the second electric drive wheel motor, and the blade motors; and a left control actuator in communication with a first throttle sensor and a right control actuator in communication with a second throttle sensor, wherein the first throttle sensor and second throttle sensor are in communication with the one or more controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Generac Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph C. Conrad, Matthew C. Conrad