Patents Examined by Bao Q. Vu
  • Patent number: 8599581
    Abstract: A switching mode power supply, and a primary-side controlled PFM converter using the primary-side regulated PFM controller are discussed. In present embodiment, the primary side cycle by cycle switch peak current is no longer a constant. The time detector is added to monitor the waveform of primary-side sample voltage and then generate the duty cycle. The transfer function should be selected to satisfy a specific relationship of switching frequency and switch peak current against with output loading current. The new design shows higher switching frequency but lower value of switch peak current at light load condition. This resolves the audible noise and poor transient response issue from the prior art PFM controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Fremont Micro Devices (SZ) Limited
    Inventors: Yuquan Huang, Matthew Man Ho Ku
  • Patent number: 8593835
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oscillator that is capable of realizing duty balancing. The oscillator determines a switching frequency of a converter converting an input voltage according to a switching operation of switches to generate an output voltage. The oscillator determines a first half cycle of a duty signal determining the switching frequency by using a reference current according to a feedback signal corresponding to the output voltage. The oscillator senses a first half cycle period by using an output of the frequency setting unit, and determines the same period as the first half cycle as a second half cycle of the duty signal after the first half cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun-Chul Eom, Sung-Yun Park
  • Patent number: 8593836
    Abstract: A power converter includes a main switch to which a capacitor is connected through a sub-diode. A series connection of a primary coil of a transformer and a sub-switch is connected parallel to the capacitor. A main diode is coupled in series with the main switch. A series connection of a sub-diode and a secondary coil of the transformer is parallel to the main diode. The rate of a rise in voltage across the main switch when turned off is suppressed by the rate of charging of the capacitor. Subsequently, by turning on the sub-switch, the current flowing through the main diode to be delivered to the transformer, thereby causing the current flowing through the main switch when turned on to be decreased by the sub-inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Umetani
  • Patent number: 8587282
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device for a switching regulator, includes: a controller configured to generate a digital duty signal for a current mode control of the switching regulator based on an output voltage to be supplied from the switching regulator to a load circuit; and a switching pulse generating section configured to set a time ratio of a switching pulse signal for controlling turning-on and turning-off of a switching circuit which is provided in the switching regulator, based on the digital duty signal. The controller is a digital circuit which operates based on a master clock of the same frequency as a switching frequency of the switching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ooba
  • Patent number: 8587971
    Abstract: An electronic current transformer (ECT) based on complete self-excitation power supply is provided. The ECT includes an energy-obtaining coil, a rapid voltage-stabilizing circuit and an Analog/Digital (A/D) converting circuit. The output of the energy-obtaining coil is connected with the input of the voltage-stabilizing circuit. The output of the voltage-stabilizing circuit is connected with the control end of the A/D converting circuit. The ECT uses two branch circuits to obtain energy directly from the magnetic field of a bus bar to be measured respectively, synthesizes two output waveforms to fill the wave trough of each other, and reduces the pulse of direct current. In this way, the trough voltage of the synthesized wave is higher than the required stabilizing value of direct voltage and it directly meets the input requirement of the stabilizing module of the voltage-stabilizing circuit. As a result, the ECT can activate the A/D converting circuit rapidly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Xi'an Hwell Optic-Electric Tech Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Zhongzhan Liu, Xun Wu, Yanting Song
  • Patent number: 8582322
    Abstract: A power supply unit includes a switching power converter responsive to a control signal to switch a power switch thereof to provide an output voltage and an output current for a load. To reduce light-load or no-load power consumption of the power supply unit, the power supply unit repeats a process of stopping switching the power switch and recovering switching the power switch for a period of time once the output voltage decreases to be lower than a reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Kuo-Chi Liu, Fu-Sheng Tsai, Chung-Cheng Chang, Kuang-Feng Li, Yen-Te Lee
  • Patent number: 8581560
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit comprises active and standby amplifiers, first and second transistors, and a capacitor. The active amplifier has a negative input connected to a first reference voltage, and the standby amplifier has a negative input connected to a second reference voltage. The first reference voltage is greater than the second reference voltage. The first transistor has a gate connected to an output of the active amplifier and a drain connected to a voltage regulated output, and the second transistor has a gate connected to an output of the standby amplifier and a drain connected to the voltage regulated output. The capacitor is connected between a chip enable signal and the voltage regulated output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Chung-Zen Chen
  • Patent number: 8582324
    Abstract: A pulse width modulation controller and method for output ripple reduction of a jittering frequency switching power supply detect the current of a power switch of the switching power supply to generate a current sense signal, and adjust the gain or the level of the current sense signal according to the switching frequency of the power switch to adjust the on time of the power switch, to reduce the output ripple of the switching power supply caused by the jittering frequency of the switching power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Richpower Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kun-Yu Lin, Tzu-Chen Lin, Pei-Lun Huang
  • Patent number: 8575905
    Abstract: A voltage regulator includes a regulator input connected to a reference voltage; a regulator output that outputs a regulated voltage to an electrical load; a first loop, the first loop configured to receive the reference voltage, the first loop outputting a bias voltage; a second loop, the second loop configured to receive the bias voltage as an input; and a bias voltage capacitor connected to a node between the first loop and the second loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Bulzacchelli, Paul D. Muench, Michael A. Sperling, Zeynep Toprak-Deniz
  • Patent number: 8570006
    Abstract: A circuit, device, and method for controlling a buck-boost circuit includes a bootstrap capacitor voltage regulator circuit and a comparator circuit. The bootstrap capacitor voltage regulator circuit is electrically coupled to a buck-mode bootstrap capacitor of the buck-boost converter and to a boost-mode bootstrap capacitor of the buck-boost converter. The comparator circuit is configured to control the bootstrap capacitor voltage regulator circuit to maintain a voltage of the bootstrap capacitors above a reference threshold voltage by transferring an amount energy from one of the bootstrap capacitors to the other bootstrap capacitors based on the particular mode of operation of the buck-boost converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Zaki Moussaoui, Jun Liu
  • Patent number: 8570777
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) chip, a number of phase circuits, a voltage output end, and a spike suppression circuit. The spike suppression circuit is connected to each of the phase circuits and the voltage output end. The PWM chip controls all of the phase circuits to alternately output power supply voltages according to a predetermined sequence. The spike suppression circuit receives the power supply voltages, and filters out voltage spikes in the power supply voltages, thereby outputting steady voltages to the voltage output end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qi-Yan Luo, Song-Lin Tong, Peng Chen
  • Patent number: 8570771
    Abstract: System and method for regulating an output voltage of a power conversion system. The system includes an error amplifier coupled to a capacitor. The error amplifier is configured to receive a reference voltage, a first voltage, and an adjustment current and to generate a compensation voltage with the capacitor. The first voltage is associated with a feedback voltage. Additionally, the system includes a current generator configured to receive the compensation voltage and generate the adjustment current and a first current, and a signal generator configured to receive the first current and a second current. The signal generator is further configured to receive a sensing voltage and to generate a modulation signal. Moreover, the system includes the gate driver directly or indirectly coupled to the signal generator and configured to generate a drive signal based on at least information associated with the modulation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiaomin Huang, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 8564982
    Abstract: A power supply circuit to detect whether or not abnormal current is generated in a power factor compensation circuit and forcibly stop an operation of an interleaved power factor compensation circuit controller if abnormal current is generated. The power supply circuit includes a rectifier, a power factor compensation circuit including a plurality of reactors, a plurality of switches and a plurality of current detectors, a power factor compensation circuit controller to control switching of the switches and to control a power factor compensation operation, and a power factor compensation circuit protection circuit to receive the voltages output from the plurality of current detectors and to stop the operation of the power factor compensation circuit controller if at least one of the voltages output from the plurality of current detectors is abnormal. Thus, it is possible to prevent failure of the switches and the current detectors due to abnormal current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ho Gul Song, Kyoung Hoe Kim, Jong Hun Ha, Dae Hee Han, Yong Wook Kim
  • Patent number: 8564269
    Abstract: Systems and methods for scaling a current signal in a power factor correction circuit are disclosed. An exemplary method may include providing a power factor correction circuit for a power supply, the power factor correction circuit having a first current sensing resistor connected on a return path to a rectified AC line. The method may also include measuring current across the first current sensing resistor. The method may also include switching on at least a second current sensing resistor in parallel with the first current sensing resistor if the measured current increases above a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David Paul Mohr, Zachary J. Garbozy, Mohamed Amin Bemat
  • Patent number: 8564995
    Abstract: A method is for controlling a three-phase current converter. First, subtract a second reference current signal representing the predicted current of the three-phase terminals in the present switching cycle from a first reference current signal representing the predicted current of the three-phase terminals in the next switching cycle to obtain a predicted variation. Then, subtract a feedback current signal representing the feedback current of the three-phase terminals in the previous switching cycle from the second reference current signal delayed by one switching cycle to obtain a current error. Multiply the current error by an error coefficient then add the predicted variation to obtain a current variation. Finally, obtain duty ratios of a plurality of switches, according to the current variation and inductance of the first to the third inductor. The three-phase current converter converts electric power between a DC terminal and the three-phase terminals, according to the duty ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: National Chung Cheng University
    Inventors: Tsai-Fu Wu, Chih-Hao Chang, Li-Chiun Lin, Yu-Kai Chen
  • Patent number: 8552699
    Abstract: An EMI reduction network for a converter, the converter including upper and lower power switches provided between an input voltage node and a reference node. An inductance is coupled between the input voltage node and the upper switch at a first node, a capacitance and an auxiliary power switch are coupled in series between the first and reference nodes, and a controller is provided to control switching. The controller switches the upper switch based on a PWM signal. The controller keeps the lower switch turned on until the phase node goes positive while the upper switch is on. The controller turns the auxiliary switch on after the lower power switch is turned off and turns the auxiliary switch off after the upper power switch is turned off. The lower and auxiliary switches may be zero voltage switched, and the upper switch may be zero current switched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Zaki Moussaoui, Jifeng Qin, Colm Brazil
  • Patent number: 8547073
    Abstract: A DC power supply system delivers a DC output that has a neutral point and is higher than the input voltage of a single DC power supply, by a circuit with series-connected switching elements. The DC power supply system addresses the problem of imbalance between the voltage between a positive terminal and the neutral point and the voltage between a negative terminal and the neutral point. In operational control of the DC power supply system, a capacitor voltage between the neutral point and the positive terminal and a capacitor voltage between the neutral point and the negative terminal are compared, and four switching elements are operated to equalize the two capacitor voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kansuke Fujii
  • Patent number: 8547714
    Abstract: There are provided an output inverter for single phase which can detect a current with high precision through a smaller number of components, and an output current detecting method thereof. A first current detector (6) is disposed between a positive electrode P side of a DC power supply and a parallel connector (1) in a first arm (8), a second current detector (7) is disposed between a negative electrode N side of the DC power supply and a parallel connector (4) in a second arm (9), a current in a first convection mode is detected by the first current detector (6), a current in a second convection mode is detected by the second current detector (7), and an output current is detected from signals output from the first current detector (6) and the second current detector (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventor: Masato Higuchi
  • Patent number: 8541990
    Abstract: A power conversion controller having a novel power factor correction mechanism, including: a normalization unit, used to generate a normalized signal according to a line voltage by multiplying the line voltage with a normalizing gain, wherein the normalizing gain is proportional to the reciprocal of the amplitude of the line voltage; a reference current generation unit, coupled to the normalization unit to generate a reference current signal by performing an arithmetic operation, wherein the arithmetic operation involves the normalized signal; and a gate drive signal generation unit, used to generate a gate drive signal, wherein the duty of the gate drive signal is determined by a voltage comparison of the reference current signal and a current sensing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Immense Advance Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Ko-Yen Lee, Chia-Chieh Hung, Wei-Chuan Su
  • Patent number: 8541996
    Abstract: A power control device for performing switching control for an output voltage of a power supply device includes a signal generation circuit for comparing a difference between a value of the output voltage and a value of a first reference voltage with a value of a second reference voltage, and for stopping the switching control when a value of the difference is less than or equal to the value of the second reference voltage, and an adjuster circuit for adjusting the second reference voltage based on a ratio between a value of an input voltage and the value of the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Toshihiko Kasai, Hidenobu Ito