Patents Examined by Fred E Finch, III
  • Patent number: 12273018
    Abstract: A power supply circuit configured to generate an output voltage at a target level from an input voltage thereof. The power supply circuit includes a wiring configured to receive the input voltage, a variable resistor provided between the wiring and a predetermined node, a voltage generation circuit configured to apply a voltage at a predetermined level to the predetermined node based on a current from the variable resistor, an output circuit configured to output the output voltage at the target level, in response to the voltage at the predetermined level being applied to the predetermined node, and an adjustment circuit configured to increase a resistance value of the variable resistor in response to a predetermined time period having elapsed since starting of generation of the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masashi Akahane
  • Patent number: 12265408
    Abstract: A power circuit includes a plurality of regulators and a plurality of in-rush current controllers. The plurality of regulators is coupled to an external power voltage and configured to adjust a level of an input voltage to generate a plurality of internal power voltages. The plurality of in-rush current controllers is configured to provide the input voltage to the plurality of regulators, the input voltage corresponding to an increasement voltage. The increasement voltage has a level rising at a preset rate until the plurality of internal power voltages all reach a target level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Suk Hwan Choi, Chan Keun Kwon, Jin Yeop Kim, Chan Hui Jeong
  • Patent number: 12267001
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a high-voltage power supply device outputs a high voltage of both positive and negative polarities in a switchable manner and includes: a first voltage generation unit; a second voltage generation unit; a first discharging diode connected to the first voltage generation unit; a second discharging diode connected to a the second voltage generation; a first output circuit connected including a first switch and a protective resistor connected in series to each other; a second output circuit including a second switch and a protective resistor connected in series to each other; an output capacitor connected in parallel to a load; a controller controlling the voltage generation units and opening/closing operations of the switches; limitation units configured to limit a time rate of change of a voltage between ends of the a respective switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Haruki Osa
  • Patent number: 12261523
    Abstract: In a switching power supply, a rectifying circuit outputs a first voltage. A switching circuit switches the first voltage into a switching voltage. An output circuit generates a second voltage based on the switching voltage. A feedback circuit generates the feedback signal based on the first and second voltages, and includes a carrier wave generation circuit that generates a carrier wave. The carrier wave has a non-linear shape at its rising edge and/or falling edge. A PWM circuit generates a PWM signal based on a comparison between the first voltage and a voltage of the carrier wave. Due to the non-linear shape, as the first voltage is higher, a pulse width of the PWM signal is changeable more greatly based on a change in the first voltage. A low-pass filter generates the feedback signal based on the PWM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Noro, Yoshiro Miyake
  • Patent number: 12255530
    Abstract: A method for controlling an LLC resonance converter controls a converter through the steps of detecting parameter values related to operation of the converter, determining a switching duty of the converter on the basis of the detected parameter values, and controlling the converter with the determined switching duty to improve nonlinearity of a gain curve of the converter, thereby reducing output current ripples and achieving low-gain output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hui Sung Jang, Dong Gyun Woo, Chul Soon Kim, Jee Heon Kim, Sung Uk Park
  • Patent number: 12249827
    Abstract: The invention relates to a converter assembly comprising at least two converters (7, 7?) and a control unit (1) connected to the converters (7, 7?), wherein the control unit (1) is designed, continuously or at discrete time intervals, to transmit to the converters (7, 7?) their permissible electrical power range, in particular their minimum power value Pmin and/or their maximum power value Pmax, to determine the current power balance of the individual converters (7, 7?) or to receive it from same, and to adjust the permissible electrical power range of the converters (7, 7?) in such a way that the power balance of the entire converter assembly does not leave a predefined range. The invention also relates to a method for operating a converter assembly of this type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: AVL List GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Reisinger, Martin Schmidt
  • Patent number: 12249828
    Abstract: Provided is a power conversion device that can be realized with a small circuit and is capable of stably converting AC power inputted from a three-phase power source system into DC power. In a power conversion device: an output terminal of a common converter cell in a J-numbered stage is connected, together with output terminals of common converter cells of the other two phases, to common lines; an output terminal of an independent converter cell in a K-numbered stage is connected to independent lines independently of converter cells of the other two phases; and a plurality of switches comprise a common switch for switching the connection relationship between the common lines and DC buses, and an independent switch for switching the connection relationship between the independent lines and DC buses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kikuchi, Akihiko Kanouda
  • Patent number: 12249900
    Abstract: A control circuit, a control chip and a power supply device are disclosed by the present invention. The control circuits are used for control of a constant-voltage closed-loop which causes a voltage of a voltage feedback signal obtained from an output voltage to approach a voltage of a reference voltage signal obtained from a base voltage and thereby achieves a constant-voltage output. In addition, when a sampled current obtained from an output current is higher than a predetermined current, or when output power is higher than a predetermined power, the control circuit increases the voltage feedback signal or decreases the reference voltage signal, causing the constant-voltage closed loop to decrease the output voltage and the output current and thereby achieving a limited output current and limited output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: SHANGHAI BRIGHT POWER SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yanmei Guo, Zhen Zhu, Yuehui Li, Yihui Chen, Xiaoru Gao, Haifeng Miao, Rulong Jiang
  • Patent number: 12244150
    Abstract: An electric power supply apparatus for a user device, in particular for steel industry applications, that includes means for connection to an electricity grid for supplying a mains voltage and a mains current, and at least one electric line for connecting the electricity grid to the user device, wherein the electric line includes one or more electric apparatuses located between the electricity grid and the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: DANIELI AUTOMATION S.P.A.
    Inventors: Antonello Mordeglia, Roberto Molteni
  • Patent number: 12242291
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to the use of an externally-supplied control current to control the adjustment of an internal supply voltage generated via voltage regulator circuitry, which may be identified with an integrated circuit (IC) chip. The configuration of the voltage regulator circuitry functions to establish a linear relationship between the control current and the internal voltage supply. This configuration enables setting the control current to a predetermined value, causing the supply voltage to deviate in a predictable and controllable manner, and thus facilitating verification of the IC chip's internal voltage supply test circuitry. Furthermore, because the control current used for this purpose is relatively small (e.g. on the order of microamps), existing on chip test architecture, which may accommodate such low level currents, may be re-used for the selective routing of the control current for such IC testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Veikko Summa, Manfred Bresch
  • Patent number: 12237666
    Abstract: System controller and method for a power converter. For example, a system controller for a power converter includes a logic controller configured to generate a modulation signal, and a driver configured to receive the modulation signal, generate a drive signal based at least in part on the modulation signal, and output the drive signal to a switch to affect a current flowing through an inductive winding for a power converter. Additionally, the system controller includes a voltage-to-voltage converter configured to receive a first voltage signal, the modulation signal, and a demagnetization signal, and to generate a second voltage signal based at least in part on the first voltage signal, the modulation signal, and the demagnetization signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhuoyan Li, Liqiang Zhu, Jiqing Yang, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 12212221
    Abstract: This application discloses a power electronic transformer wherein each phase includes a plurality of power conversion modules. Each power conversion module includes a rectifier AC/DC circuit, a direct current bus capacitor, and a direct current-direct current DC/DC circuit. In each power conversion module, an output end of the AC/DC circuit is connected to an input end of the DC/DC circuit; the direct current bus capacitor is connected in parallel to the output end of the AC/DC circuit; and input ends of all the AC/DC circuits are connected in series, and output ends of all the DC/DC circuits are connected in parallel. The power electronic transformer includes a relatively small quantity of power conversion modules, thereby reducing occupied space and costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhuyong Huang, Xiaofei Zhang, Peng Shuai
  • Patent number: 12212241
    Abstract: A system for generating a plurality of switch control signals of a multiphase power converter may include a plurality of inputs, each input of the plurality of inputs configured to receive a respective control signal for controlling a respective phase of the multiphase power converter, and a plurality of control paths comprising a control path for each respective control signal, each control path configured to, for its respective control signal, control a switching period of the respective control signal for such control path based on a measure of alignment among the respective control signal for such control path and the other respective control signals of the other control paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic Inc.
    Inventors: Jason W. Lawrence, Graeme G. Mackay
  • Patent number: 12206248
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to the field of power electronics technologies, and provides a grid-connected control method and system for a grid-forming converter without a grid-side voltage sensor. The grid-connected control method includes: performing coordinate transformation on a phase of a three-phase capacitor voltage sampled by a phase-locked loop (PLL) to obtain a first phase; in response to control of a first pulse width modulation (PWM) pulse signal, introducing a reference phase, and performing negative feedback regulation on a difference between the reference phase and the first phase to obtain a second phase; and in response to control of a second PWM pulse signal, performing a modulo operation on a difference between the reference phase and the second phase to obtain a third phase, where the third phase is used to replace a phase of the PLL to perform coordinate transformation of a system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Shandong University
    Inventors: Jingyang Fang, Wenrui Li, Wenjia Si, Tao Xu, Feng Gao
  • Patent number: 12199519
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus. The method includes detecting an operating state of a current source converter that comprises a current source rectifier (1), a current source inverter (2), and an inductor circuit (3) connected between an output (p, n) of the current source rectifier (1) and an input (q, r) of the current source inverter (2); and dependent on the detected operating state, operating the current source converter in a first operating mode or a second operating mode. Operating the current source converter in the first operating mode comprises operating the current source rectifier (1) in a 2/3 mode and operating the current source inverter in a 3/3 mode, and operating the current source converter in the second operating mode comprises operating the current source inverter (2) in the 2/3 mode and operating the current source rectifier in the 3/3 mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Daifei Zhang, Jonas Emanuel Huber, Johann Walter Kolar, Neha Nain
  • Patent number: 12191757
    Abstract: A control circuit for a power converter is applicable to a system that includes a power supply, a power converter, an interruption switch, a smoothing capacitor, and a series-connection body made of a discharge resistor and a discharge switch. In the control circuit, a discharge command unit outputs a discharge command for the smoothing capacitor. A discharge drive command unit outputs a drive command for the discharge switch based on the discharge command outputted from the discharge command unit. A drive circuit is connected to a gate of the discharge switch and performs drive control of the discharge switch based on the drive command outputted from the discharge drive command unit. An operation detecting unit detects a signal related to driving of the drive switch. A discharge determining unit determines whether the discharge drive command unit is normal based on a detected signal of the operation detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouichi Nishibata, Masanori Yamamura
  • Patent number: 12176805
    Abstract: A control architecture that overcomes limitations of conventional ac-dc converters and enables bidirectional active and reactive power processing is provided. In one implementation, for example, this may be achieved through the use of unrectified sensed ac signals in the generation of the control commands for the converter. This control architecture, in this example implementation, eliminates or at least reduces zero crossing distortions in the ac current of the converter even with relatively low bandwidth controllers. The concept can be applied to different power stage topologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, A BODY CORPORATE
    Inventors: Khurram K. Afridi, Usama Anwar, Dragan Maksimovic, Robert W. Erickson
  • Patent number: 12176814
    Abstract: A multiphase switching converter includes: a plurality of phases, each phase including a current detection device, a set of switching devices, an output capacitor coupled to each phase of the plurality of phases, and a control circuit. The current detection device of each phase of the plurality of phases is configured to receive an error current from the control circuit and generate a corresponding signal to control a duty cycle of a set of corresponding switching devices such that each phase delivers a substantially equal quantity of charge to the corresponding output capacitor to maintain a charge balance on the corresponding output capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Empower Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Narendra Nath Gaddam, Trey Roessig
  • Patent number: 12176815
    Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion comprises a voltage transformation element, a regulating element, and a controller; wherein, a period of the voltage transformation element is equal to a product of a coefficient and a period of the regulating circuit, and wherein the coefficient is selected from a group consisting of a positive integer and a reciprocal of said integer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventor: David Giuliano
  • Patent number: 12170486
    Abstract: A method for controlling a switching mode power supply is disclosed. An auxiliary winding feedback voltage of the switching mode power supply is sampled and held to obtain an auxiliary winding sample hold voltage. The auxiliary winding feedback voltage is sampled and held at an inflection point time to obtain an auxiliary winding inflection point voltage when the switching mode power supply operates in DCM or CRM. A secondary rectifier forward voltage signal is generated based on the auxiliary winding sample hold voltage and the auxiliary winding inflection point voltage before the switching mode power supply operates in CCM. A correction voltage is provided based on the secondary rectifier forward voltage signal when the switching power supply operates in CCM. An error amplifier signal is generated based on the correction voltage. The output power of the switching mode power supply is adjusted based on the error amplifier signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hui Li, Siran Wang