Patents Examined by Hal I. Kaplan
  • Patent number: 7821157
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for injecting current during a mains supply voltage dip. The inventive method consists in permanently monitoring the magnitude and phase of the mains supply voltage and, upon detection of a voltage dip, injecting reactive current in the affected main supply phase(s) in a manner that can vary over the duration of the voltage dip, at very short intervals, proportionally to the magnitude of the dip, thereby absorbing the necessary active current. The device comprises a voltage measurement switch, a transformer (low voltage/medium voltage), a DC/AC inverter, a capacitor, a voltage dip detection circuit, and a control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Gamesa Innovation and Technology S.L.
    Inventors: Jose Ignacio Llorente Gonzelez, Manuel Visiers Guixot
  • Patent number: 7808127
    Abstract: The disclosed apparatus and systems are adapted to implement dynamic power control in order to condition and store, and/or immediately utilize, energy from one or more available power inputs, whether the inputs are constantly, regularly, or intermittently available, singly or in various combinations. Power control circuits according to the invention provide means for dynamically responding to input availability and output requirements in order to prioritize input energy selection, input signal conditioning, and output power delivery adapted to the application and operating environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Triune IP LLC
    Inventors: Ross E. Teggatz, Wayne T. Chen, Brett E. Smith
  • Patent number: 7804197
    Abstract: A power transmission control device provided in a power transmission device of a non-contact power transmission system includes a drive clock signal generation circuit that generates a drive clock signal, a driver control circuit that generates a driver control signal based on the drive clock signal, a waveform detection circuit, and a control circuit. The waveform detection circuit includes a pulse width detection circuit that measures a first pulse width period to detect first pulse width information, the first pulse width period being a period between a first edge timing of the drive clock signal and a first timing, the first timing being a timing when a first induced voltage signal that has changed from a low-potential-side power supply voltage exceeds a first threshold voltage. The control circuit detects the power-reception-side load state based on the first pulse width information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Iisaka, Mikimoto Jin
  • Patent number: 7800247
    Abstract: An electrical energy storage system for maximizing the utilization of renewable energy. In the system an inverter connected to at least one battery module is integrated with a grid power source and home or office electrical devices. Additionally, a renewable energy source can be included in the system. A controller is used to control the components for reducing demands on the grid power source during peak demand periods and for maximizing the utilization of the renewable energy source connected to the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Inventors: Chun-Chieh Chang, Olivia Pei-Hua Lee
  • Patent number: 7795758
    Abstract: The production and emission of high-energy microwave pulses are made possible by means of a device with a particularly compact design if the capacitor column (12-12) of the Marx generator (11) whose series circuit conventionally itself feeds a microwave generator with a matched antenna geometry, is now itself used—dispensing with the microwave generator and its antenna—directly as a resonator and Hertzian antenna dipole (24). Its oscillation response can be optimized by triggered spark gaps (14) for the switching of capacitors (12), and by means of plates (19) connected at the ends, in order to increase the stray capacitances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Diehl BGT Defence GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Geoffrey Staines
  • Patent number: 7791221
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment, a circuit device is disclosed that includes a power sourcing equipment (PSE) circuit having a plurality of high-voltage line circuits adapted to communicate with a respective plurality of powered devices via network cables. The PSE circuit includes a serial interface circuit and includes a common controller coupled to the serial interface circuit and to the plurality of high-voltage line circuits. The circuit device also includes a low-voltage circuit having a programmable controller adapted to transmit control signals to the common controller via the serial interface circuit to control operation of the plurality of high-voltage line circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Russell Apfel
  • Patent number: 7791225
    Abstract: An exemplary LCD (2) includes a control signal input terminal (210) configured for receiving a control signal; an output terminal (220) configured to be connected to a load circuit; a first direct current (DC) power supply (230); a first switching transistor (250) including a control electrode “b” connected to the control signal input terminal, a first current conducting electrode “c” connected to the DC power supply via a first bias resistor, and a second current conducting electrode “e” connected to ground; a second switching transistor (250) including a control electrode “G” connected to the first current conducting electrode of the first switching transistor, a first current conducting electrode “S” connected to the DC power supply, and a second current conducting electrode “D” connected to the output terminal; and a discharging resistor (225) configured to be connected between the output terminal and ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignees: Innocom Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Chimei Innolux Corporation
    Inventors: Hua Xiao, Tong Zhou
  • Patent number: 7791222
    Abstract: A multi-output power supply device includes a first power switch, a first switch controller that controls the first power switch, a transformer that transforms a power supplied from the first power switch, first through Nth output circuits connected to a secondary side of the transformer, where N is a positive integer greater than 1, a second power switch that switches the power output from one of the first through Nth output circuits, a second switch controller that controls the second power switch, a feedback circuit that feeds back output voltages of the first through Nth output circuits, and a feedback compensation circuit that performs a switching operation complementarily with the second power switch to compensate for a resistance of the feedback circuit. Accordingly, when power output to one of the output circuits is blocked, the multi-output power supply device can stably control the power output to the other output circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jee-hoon Jung
  • Patent number: 7791224
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides a circuit. The circuit includes a switching unit configured to connect or disconnect a voltage domain to a supply voltage input. The switching unit includes a first switch, a second switch and a third switch. The circuit includes a control signal input configured to receive a switch control signal. The circuit includes a signal distribution unit that is configured to output the switch control signal to the first switch delayed by a first time interval and to output the switch control signal to the second switch and to the third switch delayed by a second time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Peter Hober, Knut Just
  • Patent number: 7777367
    Abstract: A current controller for a spacecraft comprises ripple regulators and a pulse width modulated regulator. Ripple regulators receive current from associated current sources and pass current to or shunts current away from the bus. The pulse width modulated regulator receives current from another current source and passes a portion of the current to the bus. This regulator varies its set point to float between ripple regulators passing current and the ripple regulators shunting current and adjusts a portion of current that is shunted away from the bus. The current shunted by the regulators form a total shunt current. The variable set point of the pulse width modulated regulator varies as the total shunt current varies. The ripple regulator set points do not vary in this manner. An error generation circuit generates an error that adjusts the ripple regulator and the pulse width modulated regulator to a desired bus voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Winnie W. Choy, Ich D. Ngo
  • Patent number: 7772722
    Abstract: A switching system. The switching system includes an optical component, an electromagnetic switch, an auxiliary adjustment structure, and a control circuit. The optical component reflects or refracts a light. The electromagnetic switch, on one side of the optical component, controls the optical component to rotate or move in a direction. The auxiliary adjustment structure, on the optical component, controls the optical component to rotate or move in other direction. The control circuit, coupled to the electromagnetic switch, adjusts an on-off signal of the electromagnetic switch by a native frequency of the switching system, wherein the native frequency is obtained from an initial signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jen-Chih Wang, Sean Chang
  • Patent number: 7772721
    Abstract: Energy stored in bypass capacitors in a portable device may be conserved when a power supply voltage is collapsed reducing the need to recharge the bypass capacitors and thereby saving power. A bypass charge saving circuit includes a bypass capacitor, a power source having an output supply voltage that is switchable, a load circuit of the portable device coupled to the output supply voltage, and the bypass capacitor operable to filter the output supply voltage. Also, a transistor switch is operable to decouple a discharge path of the bypass capacitor through the load circuit when the transistor switch is disabled. Further, a controller is operable to turn off the output supply voltage and the transistor switch in order to conserve energy stored in the bypass capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Gerald Paul Michalak
  • Patent number: 7772715
    Abstract: Power-generating units and compressor units are arranged in a compressed-air energy storage power station. According to one aspect of the invention, a common grid connection transformer is arranged, to which the power-generating units and the compressor units can selectively be connected. According to a further aspect of the invention, the power-station installation is subdivided into a power-generating area (I) in which the power-generating units are arranged, a switching and voltage-conversion area (II) in which a grid connection transformer is arranged, and a compressor area (III) in which the compressor units are arranged. The stated areas are arranged physically separately from one another. Power-station installations according to the invention can advantageously be combined to form modular power-station centers, which advantageously have common voltage rails and media rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Karl Wiederhold
  • Patent number: 7772726
    Abstract: A modular irrigation controller includes a processor for executing a watering program and turning a plurality of irrigation valves ON and OFF in accordance with the watering program. The irrigation controller includes a plurality of receptacles for each receiving a station module including a station module circuit connectable to a corresponding one of the irrigation valves. A manually actuable mechanism locks the station module in the corresponding receptacle and applies power to the processor when the station module is locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Hunter Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: LaMonte D Porter, Peter J Woytowitz
  • Patent number: 7768149
    Abstract: Inverter circuits formed of a plurality of power semiconductor devices are stored in a casing of a power module. An output terminal provided at one end side of the casing is connected to one inverter circuit. An output terminal provided at the other end side of the casing is connected to another inverter circuit. An output terminal configured to allow electric connection with an output terminal located at the opposite side by a busbar is further provided at each one end side and the other end side. By disposing the busbar appropriately, output from both inverter circuits can be provided from any of the one end side and the other end side. An output terminal configuration can be realized that allows improvement in the degree of freedom for arrangement and versatility in circuit designing with respect to the position relationship with the electric load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Imai, Masaharu Matsui
  • Patent number: 7763994
    Abstract: A power source system (1) operable to supply a load circuit (10) with electrical power, including a power-supplying source (2) including a plurality of power source terminals (3) and (4) that differ in output voltage from one another, in which the power-supplying source is operable to supply the electrical power through the plurality of power source terminals (3) and (4), a power source terminal-selecting unit (5) operable to select either one of the plurality of power source terminals (3) and (4), a plurality of voltage converting units (6) and (7) connected to the power source terminal-selecting unit (5) and operable to convert electrical voltage, and a voltage converting unit-selecting unit (8) operable to select either one of the plurality of voltage converting units (6) and (7). The power source system provides the proper supply of the electrical power in accordance with a status of the load circuit (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Inomoto
  • Patent number: 7759819
    Abstract: An illumination control unit includes an automatic control function for automatically controlling the turning on and off of vehicle head lights depending on brightness of an environment around a vehicle. A sensitivity adjuster is installed on a lever extending from a steering column in a vehicle compartment. The sensitivity to the brightness of the environment around the vehicle at the time when the auto-on and auto-off state of the vehicle lights is changed can be adjusted with the sensitivity adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Katsunori Michiyama, Atsushi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7759827
    Abstract: A DC voltage converting device is on the output side connected to a DC voltage source and, on the output side, supplies a converted DC voltage to at least one electrical consumer via a cable connection. To improve such a DC voltage converting device in that also with high DC voltages on the input side, a conversion into another DC voltage is possible without any special constructional efforts and high costs while complicated cooling means or the like, are avoided at the same time, the Dc voltage converting device comprises a plurality of DC voltage converting units of which each is serially connected to the DC voltage source on the input side and connected in parallel with the cable connection on the output side for supplying the converted DC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Kunow, Klaus Biester
  • Patent number: 7755222
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention a method for switching an alternating current signal between at least two paths includes providing, in at least one of the paths, first and second field effect transistors in series. The method also includes providing a control voltage node operable to receive a control voltage and maintaining each of the first and second field effect transistors in pinch-off mode by offsetting a voltage on each gate of the field effect transistors with a DC voltage component other than the control voltage when it is desired for the alternating current not to flow through the at least one path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: David D. Heston, Jon E. Mooney
  • Patent number: 7755221
    Abstract: An exemplary electronic device includes a power module having an anode and a cathode; an audio module having an audio signal terminal and a ground terminal; an audio socket having an audio signal terminal and a ground terminal; a first relay-switch; a second relay-switch; and a power adapter having an audio plug, wherein the audio terminal of the audio socket is selectively connected to the anode of the power module and the audio signal terminal of the audio module via the first relay-switch, the ground terminal of the audio socket is selectively connected to the cathode of the power module and the ground terminal of the audio module via the second relay-switch, the audio terminal and the ground terminal of the audio socket are connected to the anode and cathode of the power module when the audio plug is plugged into the audio socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Chun Liu, Xiao-Lin Gan, Yu-Kuang Ho