Patents Examined by Carlos O Rivera-Perez
  • Patent number: 11196342
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a multiphase regulator includes a plurality of output phases each of which is operable to deliver a phase current through a separate inductor to a load connected to the output phases via the inductors and an output capacitor. A controller is operable to regulate a voltage delivered to the load by adjusting the phase currents delivered to the load by the output phases, monitor the phase currents delivered to the load by the output phases, test the output phases in a predetermined sequence, and determine if the phase currents respond in a predetermined way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Benjamim Tang, Richard Pierson, Scott Southwell, Tim Ng, Yi-Yuan Liu, Brian Molloy, Kenneth Ostrom, Amir Babazadeh
  • Patent number: 11171568
    Abstract: Some embodiments may include a nanosecond pulser comprising a plurality of solid state switches; a transformer having a stray inductance, Ls, a stray capacitance, Cs, and a turn ratio n; and a resistor with a resistance, R, in series between the transformer and the switches. In some embodiments, the resonant circuit produces a Q factor according to Q = 1 R ? L s C s ; and the nanosecond pulser produces an output voltage Vout from an input voltage Vin, according to Vout=QnVin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Eagle Harbor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth E. Miller, James R. Prager, Timothy M. Ziemba, John G. Carscadden, Ilia Slobodov, Alex Patrick Henson
  • Patent number: 11165257
    Abstract: A first inverter has a set of first output phases coupled to a grid voltage source. A second inverter has a set of second output phases coupled to the grid voltage source. A phase measurement device is adapted to measure at least one reference phase of the grid voltage source at a reference phase point. An electronic data processor is configured to: determine an observed phase difference between the reference phase point and an observed position sample of a pulse-width-modulation carrier signal of the first inverter, the second inverter, or each parallel-coupled inverter; determine a target phase difference between the reference phase point and target position sample of the pulse-width-modulation carrier signal; determine a frequency adjustment to the pulse-width-modulation carrier signal of the first inverter, the second inverter, or all parallel-coupled inverters, based on a difference between the observed phase difference and the target phase difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Jacob R. DeCock, Robert B. Shaw, Tianjun Fu, Long Wu
  • Patent number: 11165328
    Abstract: A system for controlling a plurality of power converters in a power system so as to turn each of the plurality of power converters into an ON state or an OFF state as a function of a sensed input power and a sensed output power such that one or more of the plurality of power converters in the ON state are operating in an optimal power efficiency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Agility, LLC
    Inventor: Jason Young
  • Patent number: 11159102
    Abstract: A voltage converter (110, 210) having a first bidirectional voltage line (112, 212), a second bidirectional voltage line (114, 214), a power storage element (L1) arranged between the first bidirectional voltage line and the second bidirectional voltage line, a switch element electronically coupled to the power storage element, a controller (141) for controlling the switch, and the controller configured and arranged to adjust a current flow between the first voltage line and the second voltage line such that a voltage level on the second bidirectional voltage line is substantially maintained at a target DC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Moog Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Underhill, Danielle Reni, Raymond Druce
  • Patent number: 11128225
    Abstract: The invention relates to a DC-to-DC converter with reduced losses due to a reverse-recovery-effect. A transformer is provided on an input of the DC-to-DC converter. Due to said transformer, an electric current which is possibly still flowing can be compensated and thus suppressed to enable a current-less commutation by means of said transformer. This allows electric losses due to a reverse-recovery-effect, in particular in a continuous step-up converter, to be reduced or eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Emiliano Gudino Carrizales
  • Patent number: 11112810
    Abstract: A circuit for controlling current flow to an associated inductive load is provided. The circuit includes a switching element having an open state and a closed state that intermittently connects an associated power supply to the inductive load when the switching element is in the closed state, a switch driver that generates a switch drive signal provided to a control element of the switch that controls the state of the switch to be the open state or the close state based on a desired load current set point and a feedback signal, a current sensor that measures a current flowing through the switching element and the load and generates a sensed current signal, and a summing circuit that adds a representation of the sensed current signal and a supplemental signal comprising a representation of the switch drive signal to generate the feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Hoerbiger Wien GmbH
    Inventors: Joseph M. Lepley, Steven B. Pirko
  • Patent number: 11112812
    Abstract: A low-dropout voltage regulation device includes a power stage having an output terminal coupled to a load circuit, the load circuit being operable in a plurality of operating modes. The load circuit is configured to receive a different respective output current when in each of the plurality of operating modes. An error amplifier has an output coupled to an input terminal of the power stage. A compensation circuit is coupled to the input terminal of the power stage and is operable in a plurality of selectable configurations that are respectively tailored to the plurality of operating modes. The plurality of selectable configurations are selectable in response to a control signal representative of a current operating mode of the load circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Lionel Vogt, Eoin Padraig O Hannaidh
  • Patent number: 11108327
    Abstract: A selected-parameter adaptively switched power conversion system, for example, includes a counter for determining a period of an output oscillation a power supply switch, where the output oscillation starts when an output current generated by stored power of the power supply coil decays substantially to zero. An event generator for generating a switching delay event in response to the determined output oscillation period and generates a switching delay event in response to a determination of a phase of the output oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Subrahmanya Bharathi Akondy, Hrishikesh Nene
  • Patent number: 11108321
    Abstract: A pulse-width-modulated switching power converter is provided in which a comparator has a boosted speed to determine a trip point at which a ramp signal equals an error signal. In a linear comparator embodiment, a one-shot bias boosting circuit triggers an increased bias current to the linear comparator to boost the speed to determine the trip point. In a sense-amplifier-based comparator embodiment, a clock generator enables the sense-amplifier-based comparator prior to the trip point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: DIALOG SEMICONDUCTOR (UK) LIMITED
    Inventors: Kevin Yi Cheng Chang, Kelly Consoer
  • Patent number: 11107719
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck device includes: a base having one principal surface which is a placing surface on which a plate-shaped sample is placed, wherein the base is made from a sintered compact of ceramic particles, which include silicon carbide particles and aluminum oxide particles, as a forming material; and an electrostatic attraction electrode which is provided on a surface of the base on the side opposite to the placing surface of the base, or in the interior of the base, in which the volume resistivity value of the sintered compact is 0.5×1015 ?cm or more in the entire range from 24° C. to 300° C., a graph which shows the relationship of the volume resistivity value of the sintered compact to a temperature at which the volume resistivity value of the sintered compact is measured has a maximum value in the range from 24° C. to 300° C., and the amount of metal impurities in the sintered compact other than aluminum and silicon in the sintered compact is 100 ppm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO OSAKA CEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Hidaka, Hironori Kugimoto, Mamoru Kosakai
  • Patent number: 11097940
    Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to ensure grounding between vehicles during a vehicle-to-vehicle refueling operation are described herein. An example vehicle described herein is to receive fuel from a refueling vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle refueling operation. The example vehicle includes a fuel tank having a vent passageway, a valve coupled to the vent passageway, and a controller to close the valve if the vehicle and the refueling vehicle are not electrically coupled during the vehicle-to-vehicle refueling operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Aed M. Dudar, Dennis Seung-Man Yang, Heather L. Knechtges
  • Patent number: 11070047
    Abstract: Disclosed are an overcurrent protection driving circuit and a display apparatus. The overcurrent protection driving circuit includes a power supply circuit, a current feedback circuit, a current detection circuit, a level output circuit and a switching circuit, the power supply circuit outputs a direct current voltage to a display panel via the switching circuit, the current feedback circuit converts a voltage signal transmitted by the power supply circuit to the display panel to a current signal and feeds the current signal back to the current detection circuit, and when a current value corresponding to the current signal is smaller than an overcurrent protection current threshold value, the current detection circuit outputs a first level signal to control the switching-off of the switching circuit to cut off the supply of power from the power supply circuit to the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: Chongqing HKC Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., HKC Corporation Limited
    Inventor: Xiaoyu Huang
  • Patent number: 11063519
    Abstract: An efficient high voltage power supply suitable for capacitor discharge applications is provided by eliminating the need for complex timing controls and the addition of parts required for capacitor discharge applications. The use of three steps in the inverter section, a charge, discharge and revert steps, generally eliminates the complex timing requirements typically associated with high voltage power supplies while still achieving high efficiency. The addition of a high voltage relay, resistor, and appropriately specified diodes in the rectifier section makes the power supply more applicable for use in capacitor discharge applications than existing commercial off-the-shelf high voltage power supplies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Inventor: Howard Sanders
  • Patent number: 11056976
    Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for controlling switching regulator switching operations. The techniques include selecting a given one of a plurality of clock signals based on a control signal. The techniques further include generating, by the switching regulator, an output voltage from an input voltage by controlling one or more switches according to a switching frequency that corresponds to the selected given one of the plurality of clock signals. The techniques further include varying the switching frequency of the switching regulator by changing a value of the control signal, used to select the given one of the plurality of clock signals, according to a given one of a plurality of refresh rate control signals that corresponds to the selected given one of the plurality of clock signals having respective values that correspond to respective ones of the plurality of refresh rate control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Danzhu Lu, Langyuan Wang, Jie He
  • Patent number: 11049754
    Abstract: A method of controlling a semiconductor process includes performing a semiconductor process using plasma in a chamber including an electrostatic chuck (ESC) on which a wafer is seated, obtaining an ESC voltage supplied to the ESC, an ESC current detected from the ESC, and bias power supplied to a bias electrode in the chamber, while the semiconductor process is being performed in the chamber, and determining whether a discharge has occurred between the ESC and the wafer using at least one of the ESC voltage, the ESC current, and the bias power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seul Ha Myung, Min Joon Park, Hyo Sung Kim, Kyung Hoon Lee, Jae Hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 11025170
    Abstract: Power converter and method thereof according to certain embodiments. For example, the power converter includes a primary winding, and a secondary winding coupled to the primary winding. Additionally, the power converter includes a first switch including a first switch terminal, a second switch terminal, and a third switch terminal. The first switch is configured to affect a first current associated with the primary winding. The first switch terminal corresponds to a first voltage, and the second switch terminal corresponds to a second voltage. The first voltage minus the second voltage is equal to a voltage difference. Moreover, the power converter includes a second switch including a fourth switch terminal, a fifth switch terminal, and a sixth switch terminal and configured to affect a second current associated with the secondary winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qian Fang, Huawei Lv, Zhiliang Chen
  • Patent number: 11018571
    Abstract: An electric module for adapting a first signal of a first system to a second signal of a second system, including: a power supply source supplying a first signal; a converter module configured to convert the first signal into an intermediate signal; a microcontroller controlling and regulating the converter module; and an inverter module configured to output a signal compatible with a second signal of a second system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: BELENOS CLEAN POWER HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Antoine Toth, Yvan Leuppi
  • Patent number: 11018598
    Abstract: A system for controlling a switching network of a power regulation circuit arranged to regulate power transfer between a first and second circuit connected with the power regulation circuit includes one or more controllers receiving one or more first signals indicative of power characteristics of the first circuit and one or more second signals indicative of power characteristics of the second circuit. The controllers determine, based on the received signals and reference signals, a required power output for regulating power transfer between the first and second circuit, and then select, dynamically, a switching scheme, from predetermined switching schemes, based on the determination result. The predetermined switching schemes represent unique switching schemea for controlling switching of respective switches of the switching network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Shu Hung Henry Chung, Wing To John Fan, Shun Cheung Ryan Yeung
  • Patent number: 11005374
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing peak current mode control (PCMC) for power converters. Noise immunity is improved by enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio of an inductor (or switch) current to achieve minimum duty cycle resolution and eliminate subharmonic operation that causes high input and output ripples. Current is sensed and translated to a voltage by a current sense resistor for peak current mode control scheme. A direct current (DC) offset voltage is added only during an on-time of the main switch to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. A leading-edge spike caused by turn-on of the main switch is removed by resetting a filter capacitor of a current sense circuit to zero volts after each switching cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Crane Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Cuon Lam, Sovann Song, Leslie Khauv, Mikel Thomas