Patents Examined by Ivan Laboy
  • Patent number: 10686387
    Abstract: An LLC converter includes a resonant circuit connected to a DC input voltage, a switching circuit connected to the DC input voltage, transformers each including primary windings and secondary windings, and synchronous rectifiers each connected to one secondary winding and to ground. The primary windings of the transformers include a first primary winding and a second primary winding. The first primary windings of the transformers are connected in series, and the second primary windings of each of the plurality of transformers are connected in series. The series-connected first primary windings and the series-connected second primary windings are directly connected in parallel with the resonant circuit. A first current from a first switch flows into the series-connected first primary windings, and a second current from a second switch flows into the series-connected second primary windings. Currents from each of the secondary windings are equal or substantially equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nana Kakalashvili
  • Patent number: 10673268
    Abstract: A multiphase charging circuit includes a first phase having a first switch and a second phase having a second switch to provide a system voltage for a system load, a control method of the multiphase charging circuit includes: generating a plurality of feedback control signals with generating each of feedback control signal based on a corresponding feedback signal, a ramp signal, a corresponding reference signal and a current flowing through the first phase; selecting one of the plurality of feedback control signals as a first enable signal; generating a first control signal of the first switch based on the first enable signal and a first time period control signal; generating a second enable signal by shifting a pre-determined phase difference to the first control signal; and generating a second control signal of the second switch based on the second enable signal and a second time period control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Min Xu
  • Patent number: 10673230
    Abstract: A bipolar DC power transmission scheme comprises: DC poles, each including a respective power transmission medium extending between two ends; a plurality of converters, wherein each end of the power transmission medium of the first pole is respectively operatively connected to a converter, and each end of the power transmission medium of the second pole is respectively operatively connected to a converters; a controller programmed to block one or more of the converters in response to a fault occurring on either of the first and second poles; and a monitoring device configured to identify the faulty poles on which the fault has occurred, wherein the controller is further programmed to deblock the or each blocked converter connected to the other of the poles after the monitoring device has identified the faulty one of the poles on which the fault has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Robin Gupta, Robert Stephen Whitehouse
  • Patent number: 10630200
    Abstract: A control circuit reduces switching loss by periodically stopping switching elements, and reduces the difference between the time for which positive switching elements are in on state and the time for which negative switching elements are in on state. The control circuit includes a command value signal generator generating command value signals Xu1, Xv1, and Xw1 from line voltage command value signals Xuv, Xvw, and Xwu, and includes a PWM signal generator generating PWM signals by the command value signals Xu1, Xv1, and Xw1. The command value signals Xu1, Xv1, and Xw1 are continuously at “0” for a predetermined period, and are continuously at “2” for another period. This enables reducing the difference between the period for which the PWM signals are low and the period for which they are high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hattori, Akihiro Ohori, Hiroki Munechika
  • Patent number: 10630203
    Abstract: This bidirectional power conversion system for a single-phase electric load is intended to be connected to a continuous supply bus delivering a single supply voltage and deliver to the load an alternating output voltage substantially in a cradle form. It includes a set of intertwined converters able to jointly deliver a control voltage whose phase shift of its fundamental component with respect to the output voltage is intended to control the transfer of power between converters and the load, said converters being controlled in such a way that the amplitude of the average value of the control voltage corresponds to the amplitude of the alternating output voltage and in such a way that said control voltage has amplitudes capable of reducing the fluctuations of a current flowing between the voltage converters and the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventor: Nicolas Lapassat
  • Patent number: 10608551
    Abstract: A rectifying element includes a MOS transistor series-connected with a Schottky diode. A bias voltage is applied between the control terminal of the MOS transistor and the terminal of the Schottky diode opposite to the transistor. A pair of the rectifying elements are substituted for diodes of a rectifying bridge circuit. Alternatively, the control terminal bias is supplied from a cross-coupling against the Schottky diodes. In another implementation, the Schottky diodes are omitted and the bias voltage applied to control terminals of the MOS transistors is switched in response to cross-coupled divided source-drain voltages of the MOS transistors. The circuits form components of a power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Tours) SAS
    Inventor: Frederic Gautier
  • Patent number: 10581342
    Abstract: A system includes a voltage converter and a controller for controlling the operation of the voltage converter. The voltage converter includes a plurality of legs, wherein each leg includes a first and a second set of silicon (Si)-based power devices. The first set of Si-based power devices includes a first and second Si-based power devices connected to each other at a first interconnection node and the second set of Si-based power devices includes a third and fourth Si-based power devices connected to each other at a second interconnection node. The first and second set of Si-based power devices are coupled across a first and second DC voltage sources respectively. A first set of Silicon-Carbide (SiC) based power devices is coupled across the first and second interconnection nodes. The system also includes a snubber capacitor connected across the first and the second interconnection nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Di Zhang, Jiangbiao He, Sachin Madhusoodhanan
  • Patent number: 10574058
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes a power converter, a target command controller, a feedback controller, and a gain adjustor. The power converter is configured to convert first power supplied from a power generation source into second power. The target command controller is configured to increase or decrease a target command so as to cause the first power to follow maximum suppliable power of the power generation source. The feedback controller is configured to control the power converter by feedback control that is based on a deviation between the target command and at least one of a supplied voltage and a supplied current supplied from the power generation source to the power converter. The gain adjustor is configured to adjust a gain of the feedback control based on at least one of the supplied voltage, the supplied current, and the target command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Hirotaka Toujinbara, Takashi Kuboyama, Daishi Ueno
  • Patent number: 10574149
    Abstract: A converter circuit, comprising: a supply node and an output node of the converter circuit, a half-bridge arrangement coupled to the supply node and including a pair of electronic switches alternatively switchable between conductive and non-conductive states with a drive node therebetween, a transformer with a primary winding driven by the drive node and a secondary winding including two portions with a center tap node coupled to the output node of the converter circuit and an inductive component. The inductive component including two magnetically coupled winding halves with a respective center tap node, the inductive component being coupled to the ends of the secondary winding of the transformer with the respective center tap node coupled to the output node of the converter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: OSRAM GMBH
    Inventor: Francesco Angelin
  • Patent number: 10560030
    Abstract: A cable compensation circuit compensates a voltage drop in a cable coupled between a power supply and a load. The cable compensation circuit includes: a node where a voltage that depends on an input voltage of the power supply during a turn-on period of a power switch of the power supply and depends on an output voltage of the power supply during a turn-off period of the power switch is generated; a sensing RC filter generating a sense voltage that depends on a diode current by filtering the voltage of the node; and an averaging RC filter generating an average voltage by averaging the sense voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Gwanbon Koo, Taesung Kim
  • Patent number: 10554129
    Abstract: A buck converter includes a power switch having one end to which an input voltage is transferred, a synchronous switch connected between the other end of the power switch and the ground, an inductor having an end connected to the other end of the power switch, and a switch control circuit configured to calculate a zero voltage delay time based on at least an ON time of the power switch and a delay time. The delay time is determined based on the inductor and parasitic capacitors of the power switch and the synchronous switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: SangCheol Moon, Gwanbon Koo, Chenghao Jin, Bonggeun Chung
  • Patent number: 10554138
    Abstract: A method of controlling an isolated DC-DC converter includes switching the primary side switching devices of the converter at a fixed first switching period and variable duty cycle during non-transient load conditions so as to transfer energy across the transformer of the converter during first energy transfer intervals separated by energy circulation intervals, such that the ratio of each first energy transfer interval to the first switching period is less than unity. The method also includes switching the primary side switching devices at a second switching period different than the first switching period during a transient load condition so as to transfer energy across the transformer during second energy transfer intervals of a duration determined so as to avoid saturation of the transformer core, and such that any energy circulation interval separating the second energy transfer intervals is shorter than the energy circulation intervals separating the first energy transfer intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Darryl Tschirhart, Amir Babazadeh
  • Patent number: 10554145
    Abstract: An electrical power conversion apparatus includes a high-voltage bus bar, a low-voltage bus bar, and a relay bus bar which are integrated together in the form of a bus bar assembly. The high-voltage bus bar includes semiconductor-side high-voltage terminals and capacitor-side high-voltage terminals. The low-voltage bus bar includes semiconductor-side low-voltage terminals and capacitor-side low-voltage terminals. The relay bus bar includes a reactor-side relay terminal and a capacitor-side relay terminal 532. The capacitor-side high-voltage terminals, the capacitor-side low-voltage terminals, and the capacitor-side relay terminal are arranged in the form of a terminal array. The capacitor-side high-voltage terminals and the capacitor-side low-voltage terminals are arranged adjacent each other. The capacitor-side relay terminal is located at an end of an array of the capacitor-side high-voltage terminals and the capacitor-side low-voltage terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Hirasawa, Ryota Tanabe, Taijiro Momose
  • Patent number: 10530263
    Abstract: An electronic converter comprising an input comprising two terminals for receiving a first power signal, and an output comprising two terminals for providing a second power signal. On the primary side, the converter comprises a half-bridge, a transformer and a first capacitor. Specifically, the first capacitor and the primary winding of the transformer are connected in series between the intermediate point of the half-bridge and an input terminal. On the secondary side, the converter comprises a diode, a second capacitor and an inductor. The second capacitor and the secondary winding of the transformer are connected in series between the cathode and anode of the diode, and the inductor and the output are connected in series between the cathode and the anode of the diode. The electronic converter comprises a third capacitor and at least one electronic switch adapted to selectively connect the third capacitor in parallel with the second capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: OSRAM GMBH
    Inventors: Daniele Luccato, Enrico Raniero
  • Patent number: 10523112
    Abstract: A power converter and a method of controlling the power converter are provided. The power converter includes a PFC rectifier module and a DC-DC converter module. When the output voltage of the power converter is greater than or equal to a minimum limit value of the bus voltage output by the PFC rectifier module, the DC-DC converter module is operated in a constant-on mode in which the DC-DC converter module does not perform voltage conversion and the PFC rectifier module outputs the bus voltage which is adjusted according to the output voltage of the power converter. When the output voltage of the power converter is less than the minimum limit value, the DC-DC converter module is operated in a voltage-regulation mode in which the DC-DC converter module converts the bus voltage into the output voltage of the power converter, and the bus voltage is a constant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Chao Yan, Yiwen Lu, Liping Sun, Zhihui Ding, Qi Huang
  • Patent number: 10516343
    Abstract: A power semiconductor package includes a reference voltage terminal, a supply voltage terminal, a phase terminal, a first power transistor and a second power transistor. The first power transistor and the second power transistor are connected in series and form a low side switch and a high side switch of a half bridge circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Juergen Kositza, Herbert Gietler, Harald Huber, Michael Lenz
  • Patent number: 10425017
    Abstract: A space vector PWM technique includes defining a target voltage vector located in a sector defined by two switching voltage vectors, applying one switching voltage vector to each leg of a power conversion device for a first subperiod of a fixed switching period, applying the other switching voltage vector to each leg for a second subperiod of the switching period and applying some allocation of zero voltage vectors to each leg for a third subperiod of the switching period such that the device outputs approximately the voltage defined by the target voltage vector during the switching period. The zero voltage vectors are allocated, based on a minimum amount of time specified for the current sensors to accurately sense current, such that the zero voltage vector which causes current to flow through the current sensors is applied for a different length of the third subperiod than the other zero voltage vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Weizhe Qian
  • Patent number: 10389234
    Abstract: System and method are provided for regulating a power converter. The system includes a signal processing component configured to receive a first input signal and a second input signal, process information associated with the first input signal and the second input signal, and output a drive signal to a switch based on at least information associated with the first input signal and the second input signal. The first input signal is associated with at least a feedback signal related to an output voltage of the power converter. The second input signal is associated with at least a primary current flowing through a primary winding of the power converter. The signal processing component is further configured to change a peak value of the primary current within a first predetermined range, and change the switching frequency of the power converter within a second predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuan Lin, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 10389269
    Abstract: A control circuit reduces switching loss by periodically stopping switching elements, and reduces the difference between the time for which positive switching elements are in on state and the time for which negative switching elements are in on state. The control circuit includes a command value signal generator generating command value signals Xu1, Xv1, and Xw1 from line voltage command value signals Xuv, Xvw, and Xwu, and includes a PWM signal generator generating PWM signals by the command value signals Xu1, Xv1, and Xw1. The command value signals Xu1, Xv1, and Xw1 are continuously at “0” for a predetermined period, and are continuously at “2” for another period. This enables reducing the difference between the period for which the PWM signals are low and the period for which they are highl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hattori, Akihiro Ohori, Hiroki Munechika
  • Patent number: 10389254
    Abstract: A cable compensation circuit compensates a voltage drop in a cable coupled between a power supply and a load. The cable compensation circuit includes: a node where a voltage that depends on an input voltage of the power supply during a turn-on period of a power switch of the power supply and depends on an output voltage of the power supply during a turn-off period of the power switch is generated; a sensing RC filter generating a sense voltage that depends on a diode current by filtering the voltage of the node; and an averaging RC filter generating an average voltage by averaging the sense voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Gwanbon Koo, Taesung Kim