Patents Examined by Harry Behm
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Patent number: 9941780Abstract: A power converting apparatus includes a rectifier converting alternating-current power from an alternating-current power supply into direct-current power; a short-circuit unit short-circuiting the alternating-current power supply via a reactor; and a controlling unit controlling the short-circuit unit in a half cycle of the alternating-current power supply. A correction amount using inductance of the reactor is set in the controlling unit, and the controlling unit changes, using at least a detection value of a power supply current and the correction amount, an ON time and an OFF time of a plurality of switching pulses, and controls, using changed switching pulses, an ON/OFF operation of the short-circuit unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2014Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Yuji Takayama, Takashi Yamakawa, Koichi Arisawa, Shigeo Umehara, Tomomi Higashikawa, Makoto Tanikawa
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Patent number: 9929649Abstract: A pulse width modulated power converter is presented with load-adaptive power transistor scaling scheme using analog-digital hybrid control. The coarse digital control generates an approximate duty cycle necessary for driving a given load and selects an appropriate width of power transistors to minimize redundant power dissipation. The fine analog control provides the final tuning of the duty cycle to compensate for the error from the coarse digital control. The mode switching between the analog and digital controls is accomplished by a mode arbiter which estimates the average duty cycle for the given load condition from limit cycle oscillations induced by the coarse adjustments.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2016Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: The Regents of The University of MichiganInventors: Euisik Yoon, Sung-Yun Park
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Patent number: 9923466Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a DC-DC converter having a first DC voltage gate, a second DC voltage gate and a storage choke. The storage choke is coupled between the first DC voltage gate and the second DC voltage gate by means of electric switching elements. The DC-DC converter is configured such that a direction of a current flow through the storage choke is inverted at least once during a switching period of the electric switching elements. Further, the DC-DC converter is configured to track or readjust a switching frequency of the electric switching elements in case of a change of operating parameters of the DC-DC converter such that a change of direction of the current flow through the storage choke during a switching period of the electric switching elements is ensured.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2016Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandlen Forschung E.V.Inventors: Zhe Yu, Klaus F. Hoffmann, Holger Kapels
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Patent number: 9923460Abstract: Circuits, devices and methods for achieving small duty cycles in switching regulators. In some embodiments, a method for generating a low duty cycle output voltage can include setting a ramp signal to a first level substantially with a first edge of a clock signal, and ramping the ramp signal from the first level towards a second level such that voltage level of the ramp signal crosses a compensation level, with the ramping beginning at a time before a second edge of the clock signal. The method can further include starting an output pulse substantially with the second edge of the clock signal, and ending the output pulse substantially with an edge of a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal that results from the ramp signal crossing the compensation level during the ramping.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2015Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Thomas Zoki Li, Ghader Razmafrouz
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Patent number: 9917521Abstract: A controller of a power converter is described that after switching-on a primary switch of a power converter, detects a voltage that is indicative of a primary current through the primary switch and responsive to determining that the voltage exceeds a direct-current (DC) voltage threshold, switches-off the primary switch. The controller stores a peak value of the voltage while switching-off the primary switch, and responsive to determining that the peak value is higher or lower than a range of target values associated with the peak value of the voltage, the controller adjusts at least one of the DC voltage threshold or the range of target values for a subsequent switching cycle of the primary switch.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2016Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AGInventor: Xiaowu Gong
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Patent number: 9917508Abstract: A charge pump circuit, and associated method and apparatuses, for providing a split-rail voltage supply, the circuit having a network of switches that is operable in a number of different states and a controller for operating the switches in a sequence of said states so as to generate positive and negative output voltages together spanning a voltage approximately equal to the input voltage and centered on the voltage at the common terminal.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2016Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventor: John P. Lesso
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Patent number: 9891642Abstract: A current source with hysteresis for an output circuit includes a tail current transistor, a resistor and a differential pair. The tail current transistor is used for supplying a current to the output circuit. The resistor is coupled to a drain terminal of the tail current transistor. The differential pair, coupled to the resistor, is used for controlling a magnitude of the current supplied to the output circuit. The differential pair includes a first transistor, of which a bulk terminal is coupled to a terminal of the resistor; and a second transistor, of which a bulk terminal is coupled to another terminal of the resistor.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2015Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: NOVATEK Microelectronics Corp.Inventor: Sheng-Wen Hsiao
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Patent number: 9887618Abstract: There is provided a power supply device sensing an AC-off state. The power supply device includes a rectifier configured to rectify AC power into DC power, a transformer configured to supply output voltage by converting voltage of the DC power rectified by the rectifier, and a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control module configured to output voltage by switching a power switching device connected to the transformer, configured to drive the power supply device by connecting power of an HV pin to a VCC pin, and configured to determine an AC-off state by sensing voltage rectified by the rectifier.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2014Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignee: Magnachip Semiconductor, Ltd.Inventors: Zhi Yuan Cui, James Jung, Hae Wook Kim, Young Gi Ryu, Julie Jang
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Patent number: 9882504Abstract: An HVDC power increase controller includes a command output unit for outputting a current command value according to a disturbance signal to a main controller; a voltage drop determiner receiving an alternating current (AC) voltage and comparing a level of the AC voltage to a lowest level of a voltage causing a rectification failure; and a power tracking determiner receiving a direct current (DC) power and comparing a level of the DC power to an estimated power level corresponding to the current command value. The command output unit adjusts the current command value according to a comparison result of the voltage drop determiner and the power tracking determiner.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2016Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Korea Electric Power CorporationInventors: Seong Doo Lee, Soon Ho Choi, Chan Ki Kim
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Patent number: 9876422Abstract: A switching mode power supply generating reduced high frequency noise. The power supply includes a solid state switch, a modulator for driving the solid state switch with a periodic pulse drive signal, an output filter at the output of the solid state switch, where the output filter includes an inductor and a catch diode. A damping element is included for damping current spikes through the catch diode when said solid state switch turns on and thus reduce noise pulses that would otherwise be introduced by the current spikes.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2014Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: TRW Automotive U.S. LLCInventor: Mark Emerson Grandy
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Patent number: 9876435Abstract: A method comprises providing a resonant converter comprising a switching network comprising a first high-side switch, a second high-side switch, a first low-side switch and a second low-side switch, a resonant tank coupled between the switching network and a transformer and a rectifier coupled to a secondary side of the transformer, coupling a driver to the switching network and the rectifier, wherein the driver includes a first winding coupled to the rectifier, a second winding coupled to the first high-side switch and a third winding coupled to the second high-side switch, detecting a signal indicating a soft switching process of the driver and adjusting a resonant frequency of the driver until the resonant frequency of the driver approximately matches a switch frequency of the resonant converter.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2016Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Daoshen Chen, Heping Dai, Xujun Liu, Liming Ye, Dianbo Fu
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Patent number: 9874888Abstract: In one example, a circuit includes a voltage source, a pass module, a differential amplifier module, and a control module. The pass module is configured to electronically couple, using a channel having a resistance, the voltage source and a load and to modify the resistance of the channel based on a control signal. The differential amplifier module is configured to generate a differential signal based on a comparison of a voltage reference and a representation of a voltage at the load. The control signal is based on the differential signal. The control module is configured to generate the representation of the voltage at the load according to a transfer function. The transfer function includes a zero positioned substantially at a crossover frequency of the transfer function.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2016Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventor: Derek Bernardon
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Patent number: 9866113Abstract: Methods and apparatus for flying capacitor balancing in multilevel converters are disclosed. Example flying capacitor balancing circuitry can include voltage difference sense and control circuitry and duty cycle timing adjustment circuitry. The voltage difference sense and control circuitry can generate a compensation control signal for the duty cycle timing adjustment circuitry.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2016Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATEDInventors: Rida Shawky Assaad, David Wayne Evans
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Patent number: 9866119Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes an inductor, a switch module, a pull-up circuit and a pull-down circuit. The inductor has a first node and a second node, and the second node is coupled to an output node of the DC-DC converter. The switch module is arranged for selectively connecting an input voltage or a ground voltage to the first node of the inductor according to a driving signal. The pull-up circuit is arranged for selectively providing a first current to the output node of the DC-DC converter. The pull-down circuit is arranged for selectively sinking a second current from the output node of the DC-DC converter. In addition, at least one of the first current provided by the pull-up circuit and the second current sunk by the pull-down circuit is determined based on an inductor current flowing through the inductor.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2016Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.Inventors: Shih-Mei Lin, Chien-Wei Kuan, Chien-Lung Lee, Che-Hao Meng
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Patent number: 9851739Abstract: Circuits for generating a PTAT voltage as a base-emitter voltage difference between a pair of bipolar transistors. The circuits may form unit cells in a cascading voltage reference circuit that increases the PTAT voltage with each subsequent stage. The bipolar transistors are controlled using a biasing arrangement that includes an MOS transistor connected to a current mirror that provides the base current for the bipolar transistors. A voltage reference is formed by combining a PTAT voltage and a CTAT voltage at the last stage. The voltage reference may be obtained from the voltage at an emitter of one of the bipolar transistors in the last stage.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.Inventor: Stefan Marinca
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Patent number: 9853554Abstract: The present invention provides a power converter, and a control circuit and a standby power saving method thereof. The power converter provides an output voltage from an output terminal through an enable switch circuit to a power receiver. A detection signal shows whether a voltage at a signal transmission pin of the power converter is in a predetermined range, if not, the enable switch circuit is turned OFF. The power converter adjusts a feedback signal according to the detection signal or according to the detection signal and the output voltage, so as to adjust the output voltage to be lower than a normal operation level in a normal operation mode, to save power in a standby mode.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2016Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventor: Kuang-Fu Chang
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Patent number: 9837931Abstract: A steady state control method for a three-phase double-mode inverter. Off-grid steady state control is composed of outer loop power droop control, voltage feed-forward quasi-resonant control, and inner current loop dead-beat control. Therefore, the response speed of the inverter is raised, and the influence caused by the load fluctuation of a micro-grid is inhibited. Based on the off-grid steady state control, grid-connected steady state control introduces phase lead control to the power droop control. Therefore, the output voltage of the inverter is always slightly ahead of the power grid voltage, which avoids the energy pour backward phenomenon of the inverter due to a phase error, and realizes stable and reliable running in the grid-connected mode.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2014Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignees: Hunan University, Changsha Boli Electric CorporationInventors: An Luo, Yandong Chen, Mingyue Wang, Qingchang Zhong, Leming Zhou, Yuan Huang, Zhiyong Chen, Xiaoping Zhou, Huimin Kuang, Mingshen Li
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Patent number: 9837927Abstract: A power supply device includes a main unit and a power switching module. The main unit includes a primary circuit board, a transformer including a primary and a secondary coil, a primary-side circuit and a secondary-side circuit. The power switching module includes a separate PCB formed with at least two connection pads and two conductive tracks, and at least one power switching element disposed on the PCB and having two terminals respectively connected to the two connection pads through the two conductive tracks. The power switching module is in the form of a separate PCB that is electrically connected to the primary- or secondary-side circuits through the two connection pads.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2015Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignees: Lite-On Electronics (Guangzhou) Limited, Lite-On Technology Corp.Inventors: Wei-Cheng Yu, Chi-Che Wu, Liang-Hong Wang
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Patent number: 9831865Abstract: A method for controlling a first and a second reverse-conducting insulated gate bipolar transistor (RC-IGBT), electrically connected in series, is disclosed. A collector of the first RC-IGBT is electrically connected to a positive pole of a direct current voltage source, and an emitter of the second RC-IGBT is electrically connected to a negative pole of the DC voltage source. Further, an emitter of the first RC-IGBT is electrically connected to a collector of the second RC-IGBT to form an alternating current terminal. A gate voltage is applied to respective gates of the first and second RC-IGBTs, wherein the gate voltage is controlled based on a magnitude and a direction of an output current on the AC terminal and on a command signal alternating between a first and a second value.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2013Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AGInventors: Annika Lokrantz, Kristoffer Nilsson, Ying Jiang-Häfner, Christer Sjöberg, Lars Döfnäs, Wim Van-Der-Merwe
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Patent number: 9831796Abstract: An energy harvesting device harvests energy from an energy source, and includes an inductor and a control switch coupled in series, and a control module. The series connection of the inductor and the control switch is adapted to be coupled to the energy source in parallel or in series. The control module controls the control switch such that the control switch starts to operate in an ON state for a predetermined time period from a transition time point during each predetermined cycle starting from a start time point, and such that a time difference between the transition time point and the start time point is variable. The control module obtains an output power of the energy source, and adjusts the time difference such that the output power of the energy source is increased.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2016Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: NATIONAL TSING HUA UNIVERSITYInventor: Ping-Hsuan Hsieh