Patents Examined by Alex Torres-Rivera
  • Patent number: 11973411
    Abstract: To provide a power supply unit configured to determine the boundary between the operation modes (continuous mode and discontinuous mode) of a converter with high accuracy. The power supply unit is a power supply unit wherein the controller controls a value of output current of the power supply by controlling a duty ratio by switching the second switch; wherein the controller detects the current value of the reactor acquired by the current sensor, at a frequency of at least n (n is an integer of 2 or more) times in a cycle of the switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiko Kaneko, Masayuki Ito, Takahiro Umehara
  • Patent number: 11973436
    Abstract: Systems and methods for multilevel hysteresis current control for a cascaded multi-level converter having a plurality of power cells connected in series with a positive integer number of output voltage levels, and to control any shape of AC/DC current in the load, transfer electrical power from energy storage elements of the power cells to that load and recover the energy back to the storage elements. Systems and methods for voltage balancing on energy storage elements of the power cells to determine whether to inject energy into or extract energy from a selected storage element, and for zero switching state rotation technique of switching elements in each power cell of cascaded multilevel converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TAE Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mikhail Slepchenkov
  • Patent number: 11967907
    Abstract: The invention proposed a space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) method for any level cascaded H-bridge inverter. The multilevel space vector diagram is re-divided, and the coordinates of the nearest three vectors (NTVs) are directly obtained by judging the position of the reference vector. The duty cycles of the NTVs is calculated through additional vector which is equivalent to the reference vector. Then, the switching states are obtained by zero-sequence component and coordinate transformation, and the desired reference vector is synthesized for the SVPWM modulation. The invention realizes multilevel modulation in Cartesian coordinates without any iterative calculation, and the calculation is independent of the level number. Furthermore, the locating of the reference vector and the calculation of the duty cycles are simplified, and the calculation complexity is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tingna Shi, Huan Yao, Yan Yan, Guozheng Zhang, Zhiqiang Wang, Changliang Xia
  • Patent number: 11955884
    Abstract: A resonant switching power converter circuit including: a switching converter, a control circuit and a pre-charging circuit; wherein the control circuit controls a first switch of the switching converter in a pre-charging mode, so as to control electrical connections between a first power and at least one of plural capacitors of the switching converter, and to control other switches of the switching converter, so as to control the pre-charging circuit to charge at least one capacitor to a predetermined voltage; wherein in a start-up mode, the plural switches control electrical connections of the capacitors according to first and second operation signals, such that after the pre-charging mode ends, the switching converter subsequently operates in the start-up mode; wherein in the start-up mode, the first and second operation signals have respective ON periods, and the time lengths of the ON periods increase gradually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Kuo-Chi Liu, Ta-Yung Yang, Chung-Lung Pai
  • Patent number: 11955887
    Abstract: A switch control circuit and a switch control method are provided. In this circuit, compositions that sense a drain voltage of a switch device are added in a QR Buck Converter switch control circuit. A first resistor, a second switch, a second resistor are electrically connected to a drain terminal of a switch device to sense the 0 A state of an inductor current. On the basis of a detection result, the switch control circuit turns on the switch device when an inductor current is 0 A, and a drain sensing voltage (ZCD) is less than a predetermined reference voltage (REF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: MagnaChip Semiconductor, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jang Hyuck Lee, Joo Han Yoon, Byoung Kwon An
  • Patent number: 11955893
    Abstract: A switching power supply, a power adapter and a charger are provided. The switching power supply comprises a current-mode PWM control unit, a transformer, and a DC power supply circuit connected in series to a power compensation auxiliary circuit. The current-mode PWM control unit comprises a current detection terminal. An input of the DC power supply circuit is connected to an auxiliary voltage output. The auxiliary voltage output outputs an auxiliary voltage related to output voltage of the switching power supply. The power compensation auxiliary circuit is used to compare the output voltage and a threshold voltage. When the current output voltage of the switching power supply is not greater than the threshold voltage, the power compensation auxiliary circuit generates a DC voltage, thus providing a compensation voltage to the current detection terminal, otherwise no compensation voltage is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: SHENZHEN HUNTKEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Minli Xiao
  • Patent number: 11955878
    Abstract: The upper arm drive circuit for controlling the drive of an upper arm switching element of the power conversion device includes: an upper arm gate voltage output wiring connected to a gate of the upper arm switching element; a first upper arm drive circuit reference potential wiring; an upper arm gate voltage reference potential wiring connected to an inverter output of the power conversion device; and a control circuit of upper arm drive circuit reference potential wiring potential for controlling the potential of the first upper arm drive circuit reference potential wiring to a potential lower than a reference potential when a potential of the inverter output is equal to a predefined potential that is lower than the reference potential or lower. The first upper arm drive circuit reference potential wiring is connected to the reference potential via the control circuit of upper arm drive circuit reference potential wiring potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Power Semiconductor Device, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Iesaka, Kenji Sakurai
  • Patent number: 11955895
    Abstract: A flyback converter control architecture is provided in which primary-only feedback techniques are used to ensure smooth startup and detection of fault conditions. During steady-state operation, secondary-side regulation is employed. In addition, current limits are monitored during steady-state operation using primary-only feedback techniques to obviate the need for a secondary-side current sense resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: DIALOG SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventors: Yong Li, Cong Zheng, Xiaoyan Wang, Wenduo Liu
  • Patent number: 11949333
    Abstract: A controller for a voltage converter, such as a buck converter, includes: a switching regulator circuit having high side and low side switches; comparators configured to compare a voltage of an output circuit to reference voltages; and a control circuit coupled to the current comparators, configured to receive outputs from the comparators, and configured to generate a control signal for alternatingly switching the high side and low side switches off and on, such that the low side switch is off when the high side switch is on, and the high side switch is off when the low side switch is on, and wherein the control circuit includes a latching circuit configured to latch a signal corresponding to at least one of the outputs from the comparators. A method of operating a buck converter in connection with a fixed high-frequency automotive radar system, with reliable over-current detection, is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Janne Matias Pahkala, Jussi Matti Aleksi Särkkä, Juha Olavi Hauru
  • Patent number: 11949320
    Abstract: A device includes a current mirror, a switch, first and second current paths, first and second buffers, a variable resistor, a temperature-sensing circuit, and a controller. The first current path is coupled between the current mirror's input and the switch. The switch switches between ground and a transistor based on a control signal. The second current path is coupled between a first current mirror output and ground. The first buffer is coupled to a second current mirror output. The second buffer is coupled to the variable resistor, which is coupled to the first buffer. The temperature-sensing circuit provides a device temperature to the controller, which is coupled to a first buffer output and determines a first adjustment to the first and second current paths and a second adjustment to the variable resistor based on the device temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Vishnuvardhan Reddy Jaladanki, Preetam Charan Anand Tadeparthy, Scott Ragona, Rengang Chen, Evan Michael Reutzel, Bhaskar Ramachandran
  • Patent number: 11949334
    Abstract: A power converter is disclosed. The power converter includes a switching circuit configured to source current to a switch node that is coupled, via an inductor, to a regulated power supply node. A DC resistance sensing circuit includes a first filter and a second filters. The first filter circuit is configured to filter a voltage level of a first terminal of the inductor to generate a first filtered signal, while the second filter circuit is configured to filter a voltage level of a second terminal of the inductor to generate a second filtered signal. A control circuit is configured to adjust the operation of the switching circuit using a voltage level of the regulated power supply node, the first filtered signal, and the second filtered signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan F. Bolus, Alberto Alessandro Angelo Puggelli, Fabio Gozzini, Hao Zhou
  • Patent number: 11949328
    Abstract: A power factor correction converter that outputs a DC output voltage from an AC input voltage, includes two channels each including a high-side switch and a low-side switch connected in cascade between a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal of the power factor correction converter and with a node between the high-side switch and the low-side switch; an inductor connected to a first terminal of the AC input voltage and the first node; a gate driver connected to the second high-side switch and the second low-side switch; a bootstrap circuit connected to the second node and the gate driver; wherein the second node is connected to a second terminal of the AC input voltage; and the bootstrap circuit is pre-charged at beginnings of negative half-cycles of the AC input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Rubinic Jaksa, Anil Yaramasu, Bing Gong
  • Patent number: 11936284
    Abstract: A ripple voltage detector circuit comprises a pulse generator, a direct current-to-direct current (DC-DC) converter coupled to the pulse generator, and a first control loop coupled to the pulse generator and the DC-DC converter. The first control loop is configured to measure an output voltage of the DC-DC converter, determine an output ripple voltage of the output voltage, determine a ripple coefficient based on the output ripple voltage, determine a reference peak inductor current based on the ripple coefficient, and determine a peak value of an inductor current during a switching cycle, and transition a switching state of the DC-DC converter based on the reference peak inductor current and the peak value of the inductor current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Asif Qaiyum, Ruediger Kuhn, Martin Schneider
  • Patent number: 11936296
    Abstract: A mixed-signal controller for controlling a multiphase average-current-mode voltage regulator having an output connected to a load, which comprises a digital voltage-sampling ADC for converting the output voltage signal from analog to digital representation; a digital current-sampling ADC, for converting the inductor current from analog to digital representation; a digital compensator for generating a current reference signal, based on a digital voltage error signal and for generating a duty-ratio command signal, based on a digital current error signal; a multiphase Digital Pulse Width Modulator (DPWM), for generating a pulse-width-modulated signal (per-phase), to thereby control the per-phase currents and output voltage supplied to the load; an analog front-end, in which single-ended signals are used for steady-state control via ADC measurement and the single-ended output voltage is used for transient detection and output voltage extremum detection during transient; a Transient Suppression Unit (TSU), for ge
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: B.G. NEGEV TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS LTD., AT BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Mor Mordechai Peretz
  • Patent number: 11929679
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a controller a current mode controller that produces an output voltage by supplying output current from at least one power supply phase of a power supply to power a load. The controller produces an error current signal based on a difference between a magnitude of the output current supplied from the power supply to a load and a phase current setpoint. Based on a magnitude of the error current signal, control a pulse width setting of a pulse width modulation signal controlling the at least one power supply phase. The controller varies a leading edge and a falling edge of a pulse width ON-time of the pulse width modulation signal over each of multiple control cycles depending on variations in the magnitude of the pulse width setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Venkat Sreenivas, Bikiran Goswami, Benjamim Tang, Todd Bellefeuille, Kang Peng
  • Patent number: 11916475
    Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to semiconductor devices, and may more particularly relate to power semiconductor packages, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: PSEMI CORPORATION
    Inventor: David Giuliano
  • Patent number: 11916484
    Abstract: Each of a plurality of power conversion units includes an inductor, a switching circuit, and an individual analog controller. An MPU is capable of performing programmable arithmetic processing and outputs oscillation control signals to the plurality of power conversion circuits. Output parts of the plurality of power conversion units are connected to a common output terminal in a parallel manner, and the common output terminal is connected to a load. The individual analog controller is formed of an analog electronic circuit and includes a feedback signal generating part and a driving part. The feedback signal generating part detects the state of the output part of the power conversion unit and generates a feedback signal to be fed back to the power conversion unit. The driving part drives a switching element of the switching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Hosotani
  • Patent number: 11916470
    Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for driving transistor gates of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) circuit. One example power supply circuit generally includes a switching converter having a switching transistor and a gate driver having an output coupled to a gate of the switching transistor. The gate driver includes a first switching device coupled between the output of the gate driver and a first voltage rail; a second switching device coupled between the output of the gate driver and a voltage node of the gate driver; a third switching device coupled between the voltage node of the gate driver and a second voltage rail; and a voltage clamp coupled in series with a fourth switching device, the voltage clamp and the fourth switching device being coupled between a third voltage rail and the voltage node (or the output of the gate driver).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Taewoo Kwak, Joseph Dale Rutkowski, Sugato Mukherjee
  • Patent number: 11909310
    Abstract: A switching power supply device includes a power conversion circuit that is provided at a multilayer printed board and includes a plurality of switching circuits and a controller controlling the switching circuits, windings configuring an inductor at the multilayer printed board, and a magnetic sheet on one or both of upper and lower faces of the multilayer printed board. First ends of the windings are connected to the switching circuits, and second ends of the windings are connected to a common output. The controller controls the plurality of switching circuits to periodically vary a position and a time at which magnetic flux generated by current flowing to the windings reaches the maximum magnetic flux density. Thus, the switching power supply device is thin, achieves dispersion of heat generation, handles variations in the magnitude of electric power by varying the area of the board, and effectively reduces unwanted radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Hosotani
  • Patent number: 11909317
    Abstract: A system may include a power converter having a maximum allowable input power drawn from a power source, an energy storage element coupled to an output of the power converter at a top plate of the energy storage element, wherein the energy storage element is configured to store excess energy, and control circuitry configured to, when an input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power, cause excess energy stored in the energy storage element to be consumed by circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, and in order to maintain positive voltage headroom for the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, selectively couple a bottom plate of the energy storage element to the power source such that excess energy stored by the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter is consumed from the energy storage device when the input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. King, Ajit Sharma, Lingli Zhang, Christian Larsen, Graeme G. Mackay