Patents Examined by Afework Demisse
  • Patent number: 10126773
    Abstract: According one embodiment, a circuit is described comprising a first reference voltage generating circuit comprising an output to provide a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage generating circuit comprising an input receiving a value representative of the first reference voltage, the second reference voltage generating circuit being configured to generate a second reference voltage based on the received value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Maximilian Hofer, Albert Missoni
  • Patent number: 10122283
    Abstract: System and method for regulating a power converter. The system includes a first signal processing component configured to receive at least a sensed signal and generate a first signal. The sensed signal is associated with a primary current flowing through a primary winding coupled to a secondary winding for a power converter. Additionally, the system includes a second signal processing component configured to generate a second signal, an integrator component configured to receive the first signal and the second signal and generate a third signal, and a comparator configured to process information associated with the third signal and the sensed signal and generate a comparison signal based on at least information associated with the third signal and the sensed signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Guangzhou On-Bright Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lieyi Fang, Guo Wei Lin
  • Patent number: 10110037
    Abstract: A battery charging circuit receives an input current, and provides a system voltage and a charging current to charge a battery. A control circuit used to control the battery charging circuit has a charging current control loop providing a compensation signal, an inductor current control loop providing a first loop control signal, and a system voltage control loop providing a second loop control signal. The control circuit provides an inductor current reference signal based on the compensation signal and a designed maximum input current level. And the control circuit provides a control signal based on the first loop control signal the second loop control signal to control the battery charging circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Qian Ouyang
  • Patent number: 10103644
    Abstract: An AC-to-DC converter includes a multi-resonant switching circuit including an AC-AC stage soft-switched LC network that converts a low-frequency low-amplitude alternating input voltage into a higher-frequency higher-amplitude alternating voltage and an AC-DC stage rectifying the higher-frequency higher-amplitude alternating voltage into a DC output voltage via a soft-switched diode. An AC-to-DC converter system includes at least two multi-resonant switching circuits that include at least two AC-AC stages and an AC-DC stage. A control system for the AC-to-DC converter includes at least two resonant gate drivers that each includes: one MOSFET gate configured to transmit a gate voltage signal to an AC-to-DC converter; an on/off logic module electrically coupled to the MOSFET gate; a resonant tank LC circuit electrically coupled to the on/off logic module; and a voltage bias module electrically coupled to the resonant tank LC circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: University of Maryland, College Park
    Inventors: Alireza Khaligh, Yichao Tang
  • Patent number: 10097079
    Abstract: A dual constant time switching regulator includes: a power circuit including an inductor and at least a power switch for converting an input power to an output power, and a switching control circuit for generating a switch control signal to control the power switch, wherein the switching control circuit includes a comparison circuit for comparing an error amplified signal and a triangle wave signal to generate a comparison result, and a time determining circuit for generating the switch control signal according to the comparison result, wherein after the power switch turns ON, it keeps ON for at least a minimum ON time until the triangle wave signal is higher than the error amplified signal, and wherein after the power switch turns OFF, it keeps OFF for at least a minimum OFF time and until the triangle wave signal is lower than the error amplified signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hung-Yu Cheng, Kuo-Chun Wu
  • Patent number: 10097094
    Abstract: A power converter determines a feedback signal according to a voltage signal related to an output voltage of the power converter and a reference voltage, thereby regulating the output voltage. A control circuit and method for programming the output voltage of the power converter utilize an offset current generator to inject a current or sink a current for changing the voltage signal or the reference signal, thereby adjusting the output voltage. As a result, it gets rid of complicated circuitry but provides more steps adjustment, which reduces related costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isaac Y. Chen
  • Patent number: 10097110
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a modulation method for a three-phase multilevel converter. The modulation method comprises the following steps: generating first three-phase sinusoidal modulated wave signals by a control loop in the three-phase multilevel converter; generating second three-phase modulated wave signals by processing the first three-phase sinusoidal modulated wave signals, wherein in proximity to peak values of a line voltage of the second three-phase modulated wave signals, absolute values of any two phases are unequal; generating PWM pulse signals based on the second three-phase modulated wave signals; and generating driving signals for respective power units in the three-phase multilevel converter based on the PWM pulse signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kai Chen
  • Patent number: 10097091
    Abstract: The described embodiments include an apparatus that controls voltages for an integrated circuit chip having a set of circuits. The apparatus includes a switching voltage regulator separate from the integrated circuit chip and two or more low dropout (LDO) regulators fabricated on the integrated circuit chip. The switching voltage regulator provides an output voltage that is received as an input voltage by each of the two or more LDO regulators, and each of the two or more LDO regulators provides a local output voltage, each local output voltage received as a local input voltage by a different subset of the circuits in the set of circuits. During operation, a controller sets an operating point for each of the subsets of circuits based on a combined power efficiency for the subsets of the circuits and the LDO regulators, each operating point including a corresponding frequency and voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Wei Huang, Yasuko Eckert, Xudong An, Muhammad Shoaib Bin Altaf, Jieming Yin
  • Patent number: 10097100
    Abstract: A converter circuit is disclosed. The converter circuit includes a transformer and a primary circuit connected to the primary side of the transformer, where the primary circuit includes a first switch connected to a ground. The converter circuit also includes a second switch connected to the first switch, and a clamping capacitor connected to the second switch and to the input. The converter circuit also includes a secondary circuit connected to the secondary side of the transformer, where the secondary circuit includes a rectifying element, and an output capacitor connected to the rectifying element. In addition, the output capacitor has a substantial effect on resonance of the converter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Navitas Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Lingxiao Xue, Ju Zhang
  • Patent number: 10097092
    Abstract: A multi-phase switching regulator includes: a plurality of power stages, a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) controllers and a ramp signal setting circuit. The PWM controllers generate corresponding PWM signals for controlling corresponding power stages respectively according to an error signal related to an output voltage and a plurality of ramp signals corresponding to corresponding power stages respectively. The ramp signal setting circuit adjusts the ramp signal of the phase that is to be enabled or disabled according to the phase adjustment signal. Under a phase-cut operation, the ramp signal setting circuit causes a basis level of the ramp signal corresponding to the phase to be disabled to gradually change, thereby decreasing a duty ratio of the PWM signal corresponding to the phase to be disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jyun-Che Ho, Yu-Chang Chen, Jo-Yu Wang, Yi-Wei Lee, Isaac Y. Chen
  • Patent number: 10090774
    Abstract: A power electronic arrangement has a power converter module, and a first and a second DC voltage terminal element and a first and a second DC voltage connection element, connected to conductor tracks in an electrically conductive manner with the correct polarity. First and second DC voltage terminal element, and the first and second DC voltage connection element, form a stack with an insulation device therebetween. The first DC voltage terminal element has a first recess enclosed in a first main plane, the second DC voltage connection element has a second recess enclosed and aligned with the first in a third main plane, the second DC voltage terminal element and the first DC voltage connection element are in a second main plane between the first and third main plane, and are laterally spaced from each other proximate the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: SEMIKRON ELEKTRONIK GmbH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Peter Beckedahl, Ingo Bogen, Jürgen Steger, Alexander Wehner
  • Patent number: 10084393
    Abstract: A method of putting a converter module of a cascade converter system into operation, wherein the cascade converter system includes: n converter modules; n bypass switch modules; and a system controller, wherein the method includes: a module pre-plug-in step: m bypass switch modules of the n bypass switch modules being in a non-bypass state, and remaining n-m bypass switch modules being in a bypass state, the system controller communicating with the module controllers of the m converter modules, such that the m converter modules operate according to a first control signal, wherein 1?m<n; a module plug-in step: the system controller controls the (m+1)th bypass switch module to change from the bypass state to the non-bypass state; and a module post-plug-in step: the system controller communicating with the module controllers of the m+1 converter modules, such that the m+1 converter modules operate according to a second control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Tao Xia, Cheng Lu
  • Patent number: 10079541
    Abstract: A switching power conversion circuit includes a pre-regulator circuit that is operated in buck, boost, or bypass mode and that includes a first switching circuit that receives an input DC voltage and outputs a first DC voltage; a resonant circuit including a second switching circuit that receives the first DC voltage and outputs an output DC voltage; a resonant control circuit that regulates the output DC voltage by transmitting a link min set control signal and a link max set control signal and by controlling a switching frequency of the second switching circuit; and a pre-regulator control circuit that receives the link min set control signal and the link max set control signal and that controls the first switching circuit based on the link min set control signal and the link max set control signal to regulate the first DC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ion Taban
  • Patent number: 10079557
    Abstract: System and apparatus for power conversion. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprising a DC stage, comprising a resonant circuit, for generating a high-frequency resonant current; and an AC stage for converting a high-frequency current, generated from the high-frequency resonant current, to an AC output current, wherein the AC stage comprises: a pair of serially-connected switches for (i) passing, during a first half of a cycle of an AC line, a positive portion of the high-frequency current, and (ii) passing, during a second half of the cycle of the AC line, a negative portion of the high-frequency current; and an unfurling bridge for unfurling a current waveform, formed from the positive and the negative portions, to generate the AC output current, wherein the unfurling bridge is operated at a frequency on the order of three orders of magnitude lower than an operating frequency of the serially-connected switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Enphase Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald Richard Zimmanck
  • Patent number: 10079537
    Abstract: A resonant converter includes: a rectifier bridge; a first capacitor coupled across output terminals of the rectifier bridge; a diode with its anode coupled to a first terminal of the first capacitor; a second capacitor with a first terminal coupled to the cathode of the diode, and a second terminal coupled to a second terminal of the first capacitor; a first transistor having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the second capacitor; a second transistor having a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the first transistor, and a second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor; a resonant tank having a first input terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first capacitor, and a second input terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor and the first terminal of the second transistor; and a rectifying and filtering circuit coupled across output terminals of the resonant tank, and configured to provide an output signal to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Hangzhou MPS Semiconductor Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Naixing Kuang
  • Patent number: 10075095
    Abstract: Various systems, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed herein, which provide a new power conversion topology for isolated systems that does not include a transformer. Embodiments of the inventive systems comprise: a switching system utilizing high voltage, low leakage switches, e.g., Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOS-FETs; a power source; an inductor and a capacitor operating as a link stage resonant LC circuit; and a load. The switching system may be configured to be controlled in a synchronized ‘four phase’ control loop process, wherein the input switches are prevented from being closed at the same time as the output switches, thereby providing electrical isolation between the input power source and the load—without the use of a transformer. The techniques disclosed herein are applicable to any number of isolated systems that supply power to electronic systems such as: digital cameras, mobile phones, watches, personal data assistants (PDAs), portable music players, displays, and computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Asif Hussain, Behzad Mohtashemi, Manisha P. Pandya, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi
  • Patent number: 10069421
    Abstract: A multi-phase switching voltage regulator includes a controller and a plurality of power stages each configured to deliver output current to a load through an inductor. At least one of the inductors has a higher open circuit inductance than the other inductors so that at least one of the power stages has a different output inductance compared to the other power stages. The controller is configured to control switching of the power stages so as to regulate an output voltage of the multi-phase switching voltage regulator, including allowing all of the power stages to provide current to the load through the respective inductors during a full power event at the load and preventing all of the power stages except for the at least one power stage having the higher open circuit inductance from providing current to the load during a low power event at the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Emil Todorov, Benjamim Tang
  • Patent number: 10063143
    Abstract: In a power converter system, circuitry generates first and second PWM signals during a PWM cycle for controlling application of power to an inductor. Circuitry generates error signals having AC- and DC-components, the error signals being generated in response to indications of the power applied to or developed by the inductor. Circuitry generates a feedback control signal in response to the error signals. The first and second PWM signals are controlled in response to the feedback control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jiwei Fan, Mingyue Zhao, Huy Le Nhat Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10063155
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are disclosed herein, which provide isolated systems with an auxiliary, multi-signal digital feedback loop for reporting a plurality of different potential fault conditions in an output system (e.g., output short circuit, output over-voltage, output under-voltage, output over temperature, etc.) to a Primary Controller in an input system. The signals may be sent according to any desired standardized (or proprietary) data transmission protocols. Use of a digital feedback loop allows the signals to be passed to the Primary Controller more quickly than is allowed by traditional analog feedback paths—and while using only a single optocoupler device for the transmission of all fault conditions. The techniques disclosed herein are applicable to any number of isolated systems that supply power to electronic systems such as: digital cameras, mobile phones, watches, personal data assistants (PDAs), portable music players, monitors, as well as desktop, laptop, and tablet computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Behzad Mohtashemi, Asif Hussain, Manisha P. Pandya, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Nileshbhai J. Shah
  • Patent number: 10061334
    Abstract: A voltage regulator includes an output transistor controlled by an error amplifier, first and second resistors connected in series between an output terminal and a ground terminal via a first node, third and fourth resistors connected in series between a load voltage monitoring terminal and the ground terminal via a second node, and a fifth resistor and a switching transistor connected in series between the first node and the ground terminal. When a voltage which is supplied to a load connected to the output terminal drops due to a parasitic resistance, a voltage at the second node falls below that of the first node. The switching transistor, then, turns on to connect the fifth resistor in parallel to the second resistor to lower the voltage at the first node. Feedback of this voltage to the error amplifier raises the voltage at the output terminal to a desired value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventor: Teruo Suzuki