Patents Examined by Gary L. Laxton
  • Patent number: 10819098
    Abstract: A method for detecting a voltage disturbance on an electrical line coupled to a utility that provides three-phase electrical AC power signals to a critical load that includes a transformer. The method includes reading instantaneous voltage measurements at a high sample rate of each of the three-phase power signals, and calculating a flux in the transformer at the sample rate for each of three-phase power signals by adding the instantaneous voltage measurements at the current sample point and at a previous sample point. The method includes calculating a flux error for each of the three-phase signals at the sample rate as a difference between the newly calculated flux and the oldest calculated flux. The method determines whether the flux error for any of the three-phase power signals is greater than a first predetermined percentage or less than a second predetermined percentage, and if so, identifies a voltage disturbance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: S&C Electric Company
    Inventor: David Glenn Porter
  • Patent number: 10811991
    Abstract: A high voltage rectifier includes: a power divider (2) dividing power of high-frequency wave RF to be rectified; a capacitor (3) cutting-off direct current flowing between the power divider (2) and a first rectifier (10): and a capacitor (4) cutting-off direct current flowing between the power divider (2) and a second rectifier (20). The first rectifier (10) generates a direct-current voltage DC1 by rectifying a high-frequency wave RF1 output from the power divider (2), and outputs the direct-current voltage DC1 to one end of a load (7). The second rectifier (20) generates a direct-current voltage DC2 having a different polarity from that of the direct-current voltage DC1 by rectifying high-frequency wave RF2 output from the power divider (2), and outputs the direct-current voltage DC2 to the other end of the load (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaomi Tsuru, Eiji Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 10811995
    Abstract: A device which, through its self-oscillation, generates a stable high voltage DC or AC output from a low voltage DC input. The device automatically maintains a desired voltage on an output capacitor, despite changes in output load or input voltage. The device is capable of dead-short operation, capacitor charging, high voltage step-up, high efficiency, and high power density. The capability to step up low voltage to high voltage in such a manner paves the way for advancement in battery-to-grid inverter technology, portable welding devices, portable medical devices, aircraft and spacecraft propulsion devices among many other areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Arcflash Labs, LLC
    Inventor: David Morgan Wirth
  • Patent number: 10811969
    Abstract: An improved power converter produces power through a power switch in response to an activation signal that has an on-time and a switching frequency. An on-time signal has a constant on-time and controls the on-time of the activation signal. An error signal indicates that the switching frequency is not equal to a reference frequency. A step up signal and a step down signal are based on the error signal. A count signal is increased in response to the step up signal and decreased in response to the step down signal. An on-time pulse has a duration that is related to a value of the count signal. The on-time pulse controls the constant on-time of the on-time signal and maintains the switching frequency at about the reference frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Silanna Asia Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Rawinder Dharmalinggam, Tiong Lim
  • Patent number: 10802517
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit includes a bias circuit having an input and an output. The input of the bias circuit is coupled to an input voltage supply rail. A Zener diode has a cathode coupled to the output of the bias circuit. A resistor network is coupled to the output of the bias circuit. The resistor network includes a first circuit path, which includes a first resistor, connected in parallel with the Zener diode and a second circuit path, which includes a second resistor, coupled between the output of the bias circuit and a node. A current control circuit is coupled to the bias circuit and the resistor network. An output stage has an input and an output. The input of the output stage is coupled to the node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rida Shawky Assaad, Angelo William Pereira, Terry Lee Mayhugh, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10802564
    Abstract: A system and method for compensating for voltage drops in a device having a remote node is disclosed. A power supply unit has an adjustable voltage output and a feedback circuit. A power path is coupled to the power supply unit to supply voltage to the remote node. A switch has an output coupled to the feedback circuit, a first input coupled to the power path, and a second input coupled to the remote node. A controller is coupled to the switch. The controller is operable to control the switch to switch between the inputs to cause the feedback circuit of the power supply unit to compensate the voltage output for a voltage drop on the power path or the remote node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: QUANTA COMPUTER INC.
    Inventor: Chih-Wei Yang
  • Patent number: 10797607
    Abstract: A power supply system comprises: a switched-capacitor converter, a transformer, and a voltage converter. The switched-capacitor converter includes multiple capacitors. The multiple capacitors are controllably switched in a circuit path including a primary winding of the transformer to convert the first voltage into a second voltage. The voltage converter converts the first voltage produced by the switched-capacitor converter into the second voltage that powers a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Christian Rainer, Roberto Rizzolatti, Otto Wiedenbauer
  • Patent number: 10798815
    Abstract: A protection circuit module includes an insulating substrate, a first surge withstand chip resistor mounted on a pair of first pads formed on one surface of the insulating substrate, a second surge withstand chip resistor mounted on a pair of second pads formed on the other surface of the insulating substrate, and arranged at a position on the other surface of the insulating substrate overlapping the first surge withstand chip resistor in a plan view, a first wiring coupled to one first pad, a second wiring coupled to one second pad, a third wiring coupling the other first pad and the other second pad to the same potential, and a shield wiring provided on an inner layer of the insulating substrate and arranged in a region in which at least the one first pad and the one second pad oppose each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignees: SHINKO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES CO., LTD., NIHON KOHDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuaki Denda, Norihito Konno, Minori Hosoi
  • Patent number: 10790079
    Abstract: A thin film inductor includes a first magnetic thin film and a second magnetic thin film that are adjacent, the first magnetic thin film is nested in the second magnetic thin film, and a relative magnetic permeability of the first magnetic thin film is less than a relative magnetic permeability of the second magnetic thin film, and a difference between the relative magnetic permeability of the first magnetic thin film and the relative magnetic permeability of the second magnetic thin film is greater than or equal to a first threshold, where when a magnetic induction intensity of the second magnetic thin film reaches a saturated magnetic induction intensity of the second magnetic thin film, a magnetic induction intensity of the first magnetic thin film is less than or equal to a saturated magnetic induction intensity of the first magnetic thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shijun Yang, Heqian Yang, Yongfa Zhu, Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 10784235
    Abstract: A power module includes a case, a first terminal, a second terminal, and a number of silicon carbide semiconductor die. The case has a footprint less than 30 cm2. The silicon carbide semiconductor die are inside the case and coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal. The power module and the silicon carbide semiconductor die are configured such that in a first operating state the silicon carbide semiconductor die are capable of continuously blocking voltages greater than 650V between the first terminal and the second terminal, and in a second operating state the silicon carbide semiconductor die are capable of continuously passing currents greater than 200 A between the first terminal and the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Cree Fayetteville, Inc.
    Inventors: Brice McPherson, Sayan Seal, Zachary Cole, Jennifer Stabach, Brandon Passmore, Ty McNutt, Alexander B. Lostetter
  • Patent number: 10784766
    Abstract: Adaptive slope compensation for current mode control in a switch mode power supply converter is computed for every switching cycle based upon the input voltage and duty-cycle whereby the quality factor is maintained at a constant value. A digital signal processing (DSP) capable microcontroller comprises a voltage loop compensator and generates a desired current reference for every switching cycle. Slope calculations are adapted for switching frequency, inductance value, current circuit gain, etc. The slope calculation result is applied to a pulse-digital-modulation (PDM) digital-to-analog converter (DAC) capable of changing its output levels at a very fast rate compared to the power supply switching frequency whereby the required current slope is provided within the switching period. Actual inductor current may be used to compare against the slope reference, thereby taking care of changes in the inductance values under load. The slope levels are automatically changed when the switching frequency is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Santosh Manjunath Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Patent number: 10778088
    Abstract: In some examples, a controller controls a switch of a power factor correction circuit, where the controller includes a first node configured to receive a first signal indicating an input voltage of the power factor correction circuit. The controller also include processing circuitry configured to determine, based on the first signal, a value for an electrical current through one or more capacitors of the PFC circuit. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine an on-time for the switch based on the value for the electrical current and to toggle the switch based on the on-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Shu Fan Lim
  • Patent number: 10778085
    Abstract: A power converter comprising a first capacitor, a flyback conversion module, a soft-start module, and a feedback control module. The flyback conversion module is coupled with the first capacitor and configured to receive a first control voltage across the first capacitor. The soft-start module is coupled with the first capacitor and is configured to charge the first capacitor during a startup stage, to increase the first control voltage to an expected voltage value at the end of the startup stage. The feedback control module is coupled with the flyback conversion module and is configured to control the flyback conversion module to output a substantially constant voltage or current after the startup stage. Wherein the expected voltage value is a value of the first control voltage when the flyback conversion module outputs a substantially constant voltage or current after the startup stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Hongbin Wei, Qian Ni, Longyu Chen, Aling Li
  • Patent number: 10770978
    Abstract: A power supply includes an active bridge section with input terminals that receive power from a constant current source where the active bridge section operates at a fixed switching frequency. The power supply includes a resonant section with a resonant inductor and a resonant capacitor. The resonant section is connected to an output of the active bridge section. The power supply includes an output rectifier that receives power from the resonant section and includes output terminals for connection to a load and a controller that regulates output current to the load where the controller regulates output current to the load by controlling switching of the active bridge section. The fixed switching frequency of the active bridge section matches a resonant frequency of the resonant section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Utah State University
    Inventors: Hongjie Wang, Regan A Zane, Tarak Saha
  • Patent number: 10763761
    Abstract: A sub-module based hybrid converter is provided. By setting a half-controlled charging link of changing full bridge sub-modules from a blocked state to a half-blocked state one by one in a charging process, and raising the voltages of half bridge sub-modules to reach the starting point of a half bridge sub-module based self-powered supply in an uncontrolled stage of the half bridge sub-modules, the starting point of the sub-module based self-powered supply is increased, and the design difficulty of the sub-module based self- powered supply is reduced. The present invention also includes another charging method for a sub-module based hybrid converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignees: NR ELECTRIC CO., LTD., NR ENGINEERING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Jiudong Ding, Yu Lu, Yunlong Dong, Haiying Li, Jie Tian, Defeng Qiu, Tiangui Jiang, Jianyang Lian
  • Patent number: 10763742
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a fault blocking voltage source converter apparatus which is, in use, connected to an AC system and a DC system for power transmission, in the event of a DC side interruption operating the voltage source converter apparatus after identification of a need for a DC side interruption based on a voltage order, so as to extract at least some electrical energy stored in the connected DC system to the voltage source converter apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Robin Gupta, Carl Barker, Robert Whitehouse, Andrzej Adamczyk
  • Patent number: 10749424
    Abstract: A switching power supply includes: a transformer; a switching device, which is connected to a primary coil of the transformer; a switching controller; a voltage generation circuit, which rectifies and smooths an AC voltage induced in an auxiliary coil provided on the primary side of the transformer, and output the rectified and smoothed AC voltage as a first DC voltage; and an overvoltage protection circuit, wherein the auxiliary coil and the switching controller are connected via a capacitor, and the switching controller stops the switching control depending on a change in at least one of a current and a voltage between electrodes of the capacitor, the change being caused by a voltage rise of the AC voltage induced in the auxiliary coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shiro Ueno, Hiroyuki Naganawa
  • Patent number: 10747247
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes an output transistor which adjusts an input voltage and generates an output voltage, an error amplifier which generates a control voltage for the output transistor according to a difference between a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage and a reference voltage, an overcurrent protection circuit which controls the error amplifier according to a result of monitoring the control voltage and controls the control voltage so as to drop the output voltage, and an undershoot detection circuit Which detects an undershoot of the output voltage and controls the control voltage for the output transistor so as to suppress the output voltage from dropping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: NEW JAPAN RADIO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi Saga, Toshiyuki Nagai, Akinori Ohmae
  • Patent number: 10746000
    Abstract: A power supply can regulate the power from a wide-input power source. The power supply can provide regulated voltage and current and can work in either a constant-current mode or a constant-voltage mode. The power supply includes a switchable charging path and a switchable discharging path, each coupled to the output in series with a current sensor and in parallel with a voltage sensor, wherein the current sensor and voltage sensor provide signals to a control circuit for controlling the switchable charging path and the switchable discharging path. The power supply can rapidly and dynamically switch between a charging state, a freewheeling state, and a discharging state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Jianying Chu
  • Patent number: 10747251
    Abstract: A low-dropout voltage regulator is arranged to convert an input voltage to an output voltage. The low-dropout voltage regulator comprises: an error amplifier circuit portion arranged to produce an error signal proportional to a difference between a sense voltage (Vsense) and a reference voltage (Vref), wherein the sense voltage is derived from the output voltage; a pass field-effect-transistor (MP) connected to the input voltage; and a rail-to-rail buffer circuit portion connected between the input voltage (VDD) and ground. The rail-to-rail buffer circuit portion comprises: a buffer input arranged to receive the error signal; a buffer output arranged to apply a buffer signal to the gate terminal of the pass field-effect-transistor, wherein the buffer signal is a buffered version of the error signal; and a resistive bypass arrangement (Rbypass) connected between the buffer input and the buffer output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
    Inventors: Malihe Zarre Dooghabadi, Samuli Hallikainen