Patents Examined by Gustavo A Rosario-Benitez
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Patent number: 10103634Abstract: A power converter device, includes switching devices and a controller, to realize conversion between power supplies by controlling on and off the switching devices via the controller. The switching devices include: at least one normally-on type switching device and at least one normally-off type switching device both having an operation frequency greater than 1 kHz and connected in series. The controller outputs a first and second control signal to correspondingly control the normally-on type switching device and the normally-off type switching device to control the normally-off type switching device to be turned on after the normally-on type switching device to be turned off. The present disclosure uses the normally-off type switching device originally disposed in the circuit, having a voltage blocking ability, to realize directly usage of the normally-on type switching device to improve efficiency and power density of switching power supply.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2016Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Jianhong Zeng, Chao Yan, Haoyi Ye, Peiqing Hu
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Patent number: 10096423Abstract: There is provided an electronic direct current transformer circuit configuration for transferring power from a source to a load using magnetic storage coupling, the circuit comprising: an input node adapted to receive an input alternating current power source having an input direct voltage waveform; the magnetic storage coupling unit comprising: a first set of windings coupled to a first switch, a second set of windings located in series with the first set of windings with; a second switch connected at one end between the first and second set of windings and at another end to a common ground or common connection, the first and second switches having a switching frequency in a kilohertz range and switching between on and off in alternating modes; and an output node connected to the second set of windings.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2017Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Inventor: Vito Rinaldi
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Patent number: 10090675Abstract: A power loss protection integrated circuit includes a VIN terminal, a VOUT terminal, an STR terminal, a switch circuit (eFuse), a control circuit, and a prebiasing circuit. In a normal mode, current flows from a power source, into VIN, through the eFuse, out of VOUT, and to the output node. A switching converter of which the control circuit is a part is disabled. If a switch over condition then occurs, the eFuse is turned off and the switching converter starts operating. The switching converter receives energy from STR and drives the output node. Switch over is facilitated by prebiasing. Prior to switch over, the prebiasing circuit prebiases a control loop node as a function of eFuse current flow prior to switch over. When the switching converter begins operating, the node is already prebiased for the proper amount of current to be supplied by the switching converter onto the output node.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2017Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.Inventors: Thuc Huu Lam, Hue Khac Trinh, Hiroshi Watanabe
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Patent number: 10082812Abstract: A low dropout voltage regulator includes: a pass element connected between an input terminal and an output terminal of the low dropout voltage regulator; an error amplifier driving a control terminal of the pass element; a first compensation element connected to the output terminal of the low dropout voltage regulator; and a compensation circuit connected to a control terminal (of the first compensation element, wherein the compensation circuit is configured to control a trans-conductance of the first compensation element in accordance with a noise compensation criterion.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2017Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.Inventors: Bin Zhou, Vladimir Koifman
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Patent number: 10075083Abstract: A resonant power converter is disclosed with a driving circuit generating a switching signal connecting power to a resonant tank circuit, with a voltage monitoring circuit measuring a voltage output and a load current. A micro-controller is operable with a control circuit for multiple step sampling with the switching signal at a switching frequency to settle the resonant circuit determined from the voltage output and load current. A fast load transient response at a high frequency with the resonant circuit provides the multiple step sampling to ensure enough time for micro-controller to calculate. Optimal trajectory control facilitates a burst mode of high frequency with the resonant circuit using adaptive multiple step sampling for an on-time to extend the burst operation range. A soft start-up process uses the micro-controller processing in multiple stages.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2016Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.Inventors: Chao Fei, Fred C. Lee, Weiyi Feng, Qiang Li
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Patent number: 10069426Abstract: An active clamp flyback converter includes a low-side switch that serves as a power switch and a high-side switch that serves as a clamp switch. The high-side switch is operated in one of two active clamp switching modes, which is selected based on load condition. In a complementary active clamp mode, the switching frequency of the low-side switch is decreased as the load increases. In a modified active clamp mode, the high-side switch is turned on in a same switching cycle first by zero voltage switching (ZVS) and second by quasi-resonant switching (QRS), with a QRS blanking time being increased as the load decreases. A ZVS delay time and dead time between switching are adaptively set based on a duty cycle of the low-side switch. The output voltage of the active clamp flyback converter is sensed from an auxiliary voltage of an auxiliary winding of the transformer.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2017Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLCInventors: Dibyendu Rana, Gwanbon Koo
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Patent number: 10063160Abstract: A power adapter, a cable, and a charger, where the power adapter includes an output port, a comparator circuit, and a voltage control and shaping circuit. The output port includes a voltage output terminal, a signal feedback terminal, a first ground terminal, and a second ground terminal. The comparator circuit is electrically connected to the signal feedback terminal, and is configured to compare a reference voltage with a charging input voltage of a to-be-charged device that is fed back by the signal feedback terminal to obtain a comparison voltage and output the comparison voltage to the voltage control and shaping circuit.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2014Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.Inventors: Chunjiang Zhao, Feng Xie
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Patent number: 10050543Abstract: A switching power supply device that switches setting of an output voltage based on an external signal according to one or more embodiments includes: a transformer including a primary winding and n secondary windings; n synchronous rectification elements provided, corresponding to the n secondary windings; and n?1 switch elements that switch the secondary windings. Each of the n?1 switch elements is kept on or off according to a high or low voltage value out of set voltages of the output voltage, and all or any of the n synchronous rectification elements are selected to synchronously rectify pulse voltage of the secondary windings, and when operation with a high set value of the output voltage stops, a synchronous rectification element used to output the high set value performs switching operation until the output voltage goes down to the low voltage value of the set voltages of the output voltage.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2015Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: SANKEN ELECTRIC CO., LTD.Inventors: Masao Ueno, Mitsutomo Yoshinaga, Mitsugu Furuya, Takashi Matsumoto
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Patent number: 10050521Abstract: A voltage converter includes at least one charge pump voltage converter circuit. The voltage converter generates three voltages (e.g., 1.2 volts, 2.5 volts, and 1.8 volts) for an electronic system, which can be a smartphone or electronic tablet or other device. The charge pump voltage converter circuit provides an output voltage that is an average of its input voltages. Compared to a low dropout regulator, charge pump voltage converter circuit has high efficiency. This voltage converter will save power compared to converters using a low dropout regulator. An implementation of the voltage converter can includes at least two charge pump voltage converter circuits to generate to different output voltages.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2016Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: IML InternationalInventors: Alberto Giovanni Viviani, Dimitry Goder
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Patent number: 10042373Abstract: An integrated circuit voltage regulator includes a transconductor first stage; and a negative impedance cancellation stage, where the negative impedance cancellation stage comprises cross-coupled transistors at outputs of said transconductor first stage, and resistors in the transconductor first stage and the negative impedance cancellation stage introduce zeros in a transfer function, compensating for parasitic poles. The resistors may compensate for parasitic capacitance inherent in transistors. Load transistors may be coupled to outputs of the transconductance first stage. The voltage regulator may be implemented in a Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) structure, which may be a system-on-chip integrated circuit. The voltage regulator may provide immunity to power supply noise. The negative impedance cancellation stage may include differential input transistors coupled to the cross-coupled transistors.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2017Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Entropic Communications, LLC.Inventor: Raed Moughabghab
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Patent number: 10044276Abstract: A power supply includes a phase-cut pre-regulator. The phase-cut pre-regulator comprises a switching device connected between a line voltage and an input voltage of a bulk capacitor and a comparator receiving the line voltage and a reference voltage, comparing the line voltage with hysteresis reference voltages based on the reference voltage, and switching the switching device according to the compared result.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2017Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLCInventors: Charlie Wang, Sang Cheol Moon, Young-Bae Park
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Patent number: 10044282Abstract: Using two converters placed in a primary-side and a secondary-side and each configured as a single-phase full-bridge, and one single-phase transformer TR, a power conversion device converts DC power of a primary-side capacitor to which a primary-side DC voltage is applied, to DC power of a secondary-side capacitor to which a secondary-side DC voltage is applied, through a transformer. A control device sets a dead time Td1 for the converter serving as a power-transferring side converter, to be equal to or less than a current-polarity reversal time Tcmtt, to thereby surely achieve zero-voltage switching.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2016Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takushi Jimichi, Tatsuya Okuda, Osamu Mori, Takaharu Ishibashi
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Patent number: 10038370Abstract: A capacitor input circuit for a mobile power supply includes a bulk capacitor and a switch. The switch connects the bulk capacitor to receive a rectified AC voltage from a rectifier when an AC line voltage input to the mobile power supply is lower than a threshold voltage. When the AC line voltage is greater than the threshold voltage, the switch electrically floats the bulk capacitor.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2017Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATIONInventor: Richard Nicholson
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Patent number: 10038434Abstract: Circuitry for soft shutdown of a power switch and a power converters that includes circuitry for soft shutdown are described. In one aspect, circuitry for soft shutdown of a power switch includes a sense input to be coupled to a power switch receive a signal representative of current passing through the power switch, a comparator to compare the signal with an overcurrent threshold indicative of an overcurrent condition of the power switch and to output a triggering signal in response to the comparison indicating the overcurrent condition, and a gating transistor to be coupled to a control terminal of the power switch, the gating transistor configured to divert a portion of a drive signal away from the control terminal of the power switch in response to the triggering signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2017Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: Power Integrations Switzerland GmbHInventors: Andreas Volke, Karsten Fink
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Patent number: 10038380Abstract: An apparatus is adapted to drive an insulating gate-type semiconductor element by a first control voltage and a second control voltage, that are supplied to a first insulating gate and a second insulating gate, respectively, and includes a first noise filter inputting a signal about current that passes through the insulating gate-type semiconductor element, a first comparator making a comparison between an output signal of the first noise filter and a first reference signal and outputting a first comparison result, a first control voltage output circuit, and a second control voltage output circuit, the second control voltage output circuit being adapted to reduce the second control voltage when it is determined from the first comparison result that overcurrent passes through the insulating gate-type semiconductor element, the first control voltage output circuit being adapted to reduce the first control voltage after the second control voltage is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2017Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.Inventors: Takayuki Hashimoto, Mutsuhiro Mori
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Patent number: 10037075Abstract: Voltage regulation techniques for electronic devices are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise an electronic element comprising one or more integrated circuits, a voltage regulator to regulate an input voltage of the electronic element, the voltage regulator to source an output current comprising at least a portion of an input current of the electronic element, the voltage regulator to operate in a current-limiting mode to limit the output current when the input current exceeds a threshold current, and a capacitor bank comprising one or more capacitors, the capacitor bank to source a supplemental current to supplement the output current of the voltage regulator when the voltage regulator operates in the current-limiting mode. Other embodiments are described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2016Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: INTEL CORPORATIONInventors: Brian J. Griffith, Viktor D. Vogman
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Patent number: 10014785Abstract: A power source apparatus comprises: a transformer that insulates a primary system and a secondary system and uses primary/secondary windings to transform an input voltage into an output voltage; a switching control device that is disposed in the primary system to drive the primary winding, and an output monitor device that is disposed in the secondary system to monitor the output voltage. The transformer includes a first auxiliary winding disposed in the primary system and a second auxiliary winding disposed in the secondary system. The output monitor device drives the second auxiliary winding to generate an induced voltage in the first auxiliary winding when the output voltage becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold voltage. The switching control device temporarily stops driving of the first winding upon detecting a light load state and resumes the driving of the first winding upon detecting the induced voltage in the first auxiliary winding.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2016Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.Inventor: Satoru Nate
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Patent number: 10003252Abstract: A power converter circuit can be operated in a constant-current mode when a monitored output current exceeds a specified over-current threshold. A value representing an output voltage of the power converter circuit can be compared to a soft-start voltage reference value. The soft-start voltage reference value can be set (or reset) to a value representing the output voltage of the power converter when the difference between the soft-start voltage reference value and the value representing the output voltage of the power converter is greater than a specified threshold. The output voltage of the power converter can be regulated using the soft-start voltage reference value as a target voltage including ramping the soft-start voltage reference value at specified rate to maintain the soft-start voltage reference value within a specified range of a specified regulated output voltage value, such as to constrain a slew rate of the regulated output voltage.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2016Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.Inventor: Michael Daly
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Patent number: 10003269Abstract: A switching power converter is provided that cycles a power switch during a group pulse mode of operation to produce a train of pulses within a group period responsive to a control voltage being within a group mode control voltage range. Depending upon the control voltage, the number of pulses in each train of pulses is varied to provide a linear power delivery to the load.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2017Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: DIALOG SEMICONDUCTOR INC.Inventors: Fuqiang Shi, Kai-Wen Chin, Cong Zheng, Jianming Yao, Yong Li
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Patent number: 9997991Abstract: A switched-mode power converter with current limit circuits for limiting the input current into the power converter and/or the output current is presented. The power converter contains a feedback loop for controlling the output voltage of the converter. A first voltage comparison unit within the feedback loop compares an output voltage with a reference voltage and outputs an error voltage based on the comparison. The power converter also contains a current control unit for limiting the input/output current. The current control unit contains a current comparison unit and a connection unit. The current comparison unit compares the input/output current with a current threshold and outputs an intermediate voltage based on the comparison. The connection unit connects the output of the current comparison unit and the output of the current comparison unit to the output of the first voltage comparison unit if the input/output current exceeds the current threshold.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2016Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) LimitedInventor: Marcus Weis