Patents Examined by Bart Iliya
  • Patent number: 9837919
    Abstract: Some embodiments include an electric power conversion apparatus, which may include a transformer, a first converter connected to a primary side of the transformer, a second converter connected to a secondary side of the transformer, a first capacitor connected to the first converter, a second capacitor connected to the second converter, and a control unit for controlling the first converter and the second converter, wherein the control unit may determine operation ranges with respect to a plurality of modulation methods, may determine a modulation method including an output electric power value of the electric power conversion apparatus among the operation ranges of the plurality of modulation methods, and may output control signals of the first converter and the second converter based on the determined modulation method, wherein the control signals correspond to an instruction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Anno Yoo, Young-Hoon Cho, Byeng-Joo Byen
  • Patent number: 9825556
    Abstract: An inverter includes a three-winding transformer, a DC-AC inverter electrically coupled to the first winding of the transformer, a cycloconverter electrically coupled to the second winding of the transformer, and an active filter electrically coupled to the third winding of the transformer. The DC-AC inverter is adapted to convert the input DC waveform to an AC waveform delivered to the transformer at the first winding. The cycloconverter is adapted to convert an AC waveform received at the second winding of the transformer to the output AC waveform having a grid frequency of the AC grid. The active filter is adapted to sink and source power with one or more energy storage devices based on a mismatch in power between the DC source and the AC grid. At least two of the DC-AC inverter, the cycloconverter, or the active filter are electrically coupled via a common reference electrical interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventor: Fernando Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9819266
    Abstract: Generally, this disclosure describes an apparatus. The apparatus includes switch controller circuitry and zero crossing logic circuitry. The switch controller circuitry is to control a conduction state of a high side switch and a low side switch in a DC to DC converter. The zero crossing logic circuitry includes phase comparator circuitry, a first clocking circuitry and a second clocking circuitry. Each clocking circuitry includes one or more delay elements. The zero crossing logic circuitry is to monitor a switch node voltage, Vsw, and to determine whether Vsw is greater than a reference, Vref. The switch controller circuitry is to turn off a low side switch if Vsw is greater than Vref while the low side switch is turned on, Vsw greater than Vref corresponding to a negative inductor current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vaibhav Vaidya, Vivek K. De, Krishnan Ravichandran
  • Patent number: 9819271
    Abstract: A power converter for converting input power to output power includes a first transformer circuit, a second transformer circuit, and balance circuitry. The first transformer circuit includes a first primary winding for receiving a first part of the input power and a first secondary winding for generating a first part of the output power. The second transformer circuit includes a second primary winding for receiving a second part of the input power and a second secondary winding for generating a second part of the output power. The balance circuitry is coupled to a first terminal of the first secondary winding and a second terminal of the second secondary winding, and operable for balancing the first and second parts of the output power by passing a signal between the first and second terminals. The first and second terminals have the same polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: O2Micro, Inc.
    Inventors: Catalin Popovici, Alin Gherghescu, Laszlo Lipcsei
  • Patent number: 9816737
    Abstract: A DC power-supply device that suppresses an excessive inrush current, can prevent breakage of elements and burnout of circuits, and converts alternating current from a three-phase AC power supply into direct current to supply it to a load, includes a rectifier circuit having a reactor connected to input or output side thereof and rectifying the alternating current from the three-phase AC power supply; first and second capacitors and connected in series between output terminals to the load; a charging unit selectively charges one or both of the first and second capacitors; and a control unit controlling the charging unit. When charging of the first and second capacitors is started, the control unit reduces the on-duty ratio, and then, until the on-duty ratio during a normal operation is reached, the control unit executes control such that the on-duty ratio is gradually increased as a predetermined time period is passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shota Kamiya, Kazunori Hatakeyama, Norikazu Ito, Kenta Yuasa, Shoji Isoda
  • Patent number: 9819285
    Abstract: A power conversion system comprising a plurality of modules each having an input and an output and being connected in series. Each module is connected to at least one DC power source that supplies power to the module. Voltage control circuitry provided within each of the modules to vary the voltage supplied between the input and the output between a maximum module voltage and a minimum module voltage. A control unit in communication with the voltage control circuitry of each of the modules varies the voltage supplied across the input and output of each of the modules such that the total voltage across the series connected modules forms an AC signal or a rectified version of an AC signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Inventor: Kevin Stephen Davies
  • Patent number: 9812983
    Abstract: A first variable voltage source VS1 generates a first threshold voltage VZC1 which is variable. A first zero current detection comparator ZC_CMP1 compares a first voltage VAC1 at a first input node AC1 with the first threshold voltage VZC1, and generates a ZC_DET1 signal which indicates a comparison result. A first adjustment comparator ADJ_CMP1 compares the first voltage VAC1 with a first reference voltage VTH1. A first adjustment unit adjusts the first threshold voltage VZC1 generated by the first variable voltage source VS1, based on the output VF_DET1 of the first adjustment comparator ADJ_CMP1. A control logic switches the state of a bridge circuit according to at least the first detection signal ZC_DET1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LLTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Inoue
  • Patent number: 9812951
    Abstract: A power factor correction voltage controller is disclosed. In one embodiment, the controller has a linear PI compensator, a moving average filter, a non-linear error circuit, a hysteretic peak control, and an output power feedforward. The power factor correction voltage controller provides regulation of maximum and minimum voltage values but without allowing large periodic fluctuations in the input power/current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Pacific Power Source, Inc.
    Inventor: Maximiliano O. Sonnaillon
  • Patent number: 9806609
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a converter including a switching unit, an energy storage unit for storing energy from a direct current (DC) input voltage and then generating an output voltage according to a switching operation of the switching unit, and a switching controller for controlling the switching unit to selectively execute a first operation mode for turning on the switching unit at a fixed frequency or a second operation mode for turning on the switching unit when a voltage between one end and the other end of the switching unit reaches a zero point of a resonance waveform, wherein the switching controller includes an operation mode selection unit for selectively executing the first operation mode or the second operation mode according to whether the voltage between one end and the other end of the switching unit resonates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Solum Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Bo Hyun Hwang, Jin Soo Lee, Min Young Ahn, Dae Hoon Han, Jung Eui Park
  • Patent number: 9800177
    Abstract: A conversion device includes: a DC bus provided between a DC power supply and an AC power supply; a first converter provided between the DC power supply and the DC bus to perform DC/DC conversion; a second converter provided between the DC bus and the AC power supply to perform DC/AC or AC/DC conversion; and a control unit configured to selectively cause the first converter and the second converter to operate within one cycle of the AC power supply, to alternately generate a part of an absolute value of an AC waveform, and a DC waveform, as voltage of the DC bus, wherein the control unit adds a compensation value in a positive direction, to a voltage target value for the DC bus, at a timing that should have corresponded to a discontinuity point where the AC waveform and the DC waveform are connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Ayai, Takashi Fumino, Yoshiharu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9793819
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention relates to a method for controlling operation of a parallel converter system. The parallel converter system includes multiple parallel power converters, and each of the parallel power converters is coupleable to a corresponding controller. The method includes: generating, via each of the controllers, a channel reference signal, transmitting each of the generated channel reference signals to a corresponding one of the parallel power converters, and adjusting an output current of each of the parallel converters responsive to the corresponding channel reference signals received, the adjusting controlling a combined output current of the parallel converter system. The channel reference signals of these parallel power converters are generated in response to the participation factors of each of the parallel power converters, and a net converter output reference current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Shyam Sunder Ramamurthy, Luke Anthony Solomon, Brian Babes Venus, Christopher Joseph Lee
  • Patent number: 9785162
    Abstract: An LDO with high efficiency receives an input voltage from an input power line and outputs an output voltage at an output power line. The LDO includes a first active device, a second active device, an operational amplifier and a protection circuit. The first and second active devices are connected in series between the input and output power lines via a connecting node. The operational amplifier controls the second active device according to the output voltage and a core power voltage of a core power line to cause the output voltage to stabilize at a target voltage value. The protection circuit is connected to the input and output power lines, the connecting node and a control node of the first active device, and controls a voltage of the connecting node and the control node of the first active device according to the input and output voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Chun-Chia Chen, Chao-An Chen, Jian-Feng Shiu, Kai-Fei Chang
  • Patent number: 9787198
    Abstract: System controller and method for regulating a power converter. For example, the system controller includes a first controller terminal and a second controller terminal. The system controller is configured to receive, at the first controller terminal, an input signal, generate a drive signal based at least in part on the input signal, and output, at the second controller terminal, the drive signal to a switch to affect a current associated with a secondary winding of the power converter. The system controller is further configured to detect a first duration of a demagnetization period associated with the secondary winding based at least in part on the input signal, determine a second duration of a time period for the drive signal based at least in part on the first duration, and keep the drive signal at a first logic level during the entire time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yaming Cao, Qiang Luo, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 9780648
    Abstract: A sense resistor is placed in series with an output capacitor of a buck converter. The buck converter operates in a discontinuous mode such that there is a dead time in each switching cycle. A control circuit senses a voltage across the sense resistor and thereby generates a first signal ICS. The control circuit detects an offset voltage in ICS, where the offset voltage is the voltage of ICS during the dead time in a first switching cycle. The control circuit level shifts the entire ICS by the offset voltage, thereby generating a second signal ICLS. ICLS has the same waveform as the waveform of the inductor current. In a second cycle, ICLS is used to determine when to turn off the main switch and when the start of the dead time occurs. ICLS and the offset voltage are used together to determine when to turn the main switch on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: IXYS Corporation
    Inventor: Anatoliy V. Tsyrganovich
  • Patent number: 9768687
    Abstract: A bootstrap power supply circuit generates a constant voltage VCCBST for charging a bootstrap capacitor. An output transistor is configured as an N-channel MOSFET arranged such that its drain is connected to an input line and such that its source is connected to an output line. A constant voltage circuit connected to the gate of the output transistor stabilizes the gate voltage VG to a constant value. A variable impedance circuit is arranged between the input line and the gate of the output transistor, in order to provide a variable impedance. An impedance controller controls the impedance of the variable impedance circuit according to the state of a step-down DC/DC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeru Matsuki, Koichi Miyanaga
  • Patent number: 9762125
    Abstract: A differential difference amplifier Type-III compensator of a voltage-mode switching converter can be designed to help regulate an input voltage from a power source. A voltage-mode switching converter can comprise a power stage and a voltage-mode controller. A voltage-mode controller can comprise a compensator, which comprises a differential difference amplifier. The design of the differential difference amplifier Type-III compensator can reduce production costs and enhance power transfer efficiencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Lin Cheng, Wing Hung Ki, Tak Sang Yim
  • Patent number: 9742291
    Abstract: A control circuit can include: a power supply circuit having a bias capacitor coupled between a power terminal and a common node, where the power supply circuit supplies power to the control circuit via the bias capacitor; a detection circuit coupled between the common node and a current output terminal of a main power switch of a power stage circuit, to detect current flowing through the main power switch; a current feedback circuit that generates a feedback signal according to a difference value between a sense value obtained from a voltage at the power terminal during an off state of the main power switch and a present voltage at the power terminal, where the feedback signal represents an inductor current of the power stage circuit; and a control signal generator that generates a control signal according to the feedback signal to control the main power switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Qiukai Huang, Xiaoru Xu
  • Patent number: 9740232
    Abstract: A current mirror circuit includes a current source for generating a reference current, a mirror circuit having a first node for passing a first mirroring current and a second node for passing a second mirroring current, a feedback circuit coupled to the mirror circuit for equalizing voltages on the first and second nodes, and a tunable element coupled to the mirror circuit and driven by an output of the feedback circuit for providing a target output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hsien Hung Wu
  • Patent number: 9742288
    Abstract: A control circuit for use in an isolated power converter includes an output-side first controller having a switch control signal generator and an extremum locator. The switch control signal generator communicates a control signal to a second controller on the input side of the power converter via an isolated interface to initiate a transition of a switch from an OFF state to an ON state. The extremum locator enables the switch control signal generator to communicate the control signal in response to an oscillating voltage signal at an output terminal of the energy transfer element. The extremum locator enables the switch control signal generator such that the transition of the switch from the OFF state to the ON state occurs substantially at a time that the oscillating voltage signal reaches an extremum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Balu Balakrishnan, David Michael Hugh Matthews, Vikram Balakrishnan, Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre, Zhao-Jun Wang, Giao Minh Pham, Qing McIntosh
  • Patent number: 9696738
    Abstract: A circuit that operates as a low-power ideal diode is disclosed, as well as an IC chip that contains the ideal diode circuit. The circuit includes a first P-channel transistor connected to receive an input voltage on a first terminal and to provide an output voltage on a second terminal, a first amplifier connected to receive the input voltage and the output voltage and to provide a first signal that dynamically biases a gate of the first P-channel transistor as a function of the voltage across the first P-channel transistor, and a second amplifier connected to receive the input voltage and the output voltage and to provide a second signal that acts to turn off the gate of the first P-channel transistor responsive to the input voltage being less than the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Timothy Bryan Merkin, Hassan Pooya Forghani-Zadeh