Patents Examined by James Evans
  • Patent number: 9925941
    Abstract: An energy supply unit for supplying a consumer, includes an energy store to supply electric when the consumer is decoupled from an energy supply network. The energy supply unit includes an energy supply controller having an input coupled to the energy store, via a diode, for receiving electric energy and an output for delivering electric energy, and a monitoring unit for outputting a monitoring signal, configured to set the monitoring signal to an active state when an output voltage between the output and a reference potential is lower/greater than a predefined activation threshold value, the monitoring unit configured, when an excessively low input voltage is identified between the input and reference potential of the controller, especially paired with an excessively low output voltage, the monitoring signal is switched to the inactive state when the input voltage is above a reset threshold and the output voltage is within the monitoring band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten List, Hartmut Schumacher, Falko Sievers
  • Patent number: 9923387
    Abstract: A resonator circuit includes: a first inductive element and a second inductive element that is connected to the first inductive element in series; a first capacitive element, connected to a first end of the first inductive element and a first output end of the resonator circuit; and a set of second capacitive elements connected in series, the set of second capacitive elements having one end connected between the first and second inductive elements and having another end connected between the second inductive element and a second output end of the resonator circuit. The intermediate end of the set of second capacitive elements is used as a third output end of the resonator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventors: Hung-Chih Lin, Yen-Hsun Hsu, Hao-Ping Hong
  • Patent number: 9912193
    Abstract: Telecontrol equipment for an MV/LV substation between a medium-voltage network and a low-voltage network. The telecontrol equipment including a first device configured to power the equipment from the low-voltage network and from an auxiliary source, a second device configured to communicate information gathered by the equipment to outside, a third device configured to monitor the medium-voltage network at the substation level, and a fourth device configured to monitor the low-voltage network at the substation level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
    Inventors: Peco Grujovski, Didier Leblond, Christophe Mollier, Stephane Sinistro, Yves Panuel
  • Patent number: 9912167
    Abstract: A system is provided for inductive power transmission. The system includes a primary unit having a primary coil and a secondary unit having a secondary coil. The primary coil generates a magnetic transmission field in a transmission area between the primary unit and the secondary unit. The system includes a metal detector, and the metal detector is suitable for the detection of a metallic object situated in the transmission area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Josef Krammer, Jens Berger
  • Patent number: 9899874
    Abstract: A power supply device for a wireless power transmitting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a power supply unit to supply DC power, an AC power generating unit to generate AC power by using the DC power, and a harmonic component reduction unit to reduce a magnitude of power for a harmonic frequency component in the generated AC power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Su Ho Bae
  • Patent number: 9897981
    Abstract: In a method performed by a PoE system, a PSE provides data and operating voltage over Ethernet wires to a PD. Before the full PoE voltage is supplied, the PSE generates a low current signal received by the PD. A circuit in the PD, connected across its input terminals, has a characteristic analog response to the PSE signal corresponding to the PD's PoE requirements, such as whether the PD is a Type 1 or Type 2 PD. The circuit may be a certain value capacitor, zener diode, resistor, or other circuit. The PSE may generate a fixed current, fixed voltage, or time varying signal. Upon the PSE sensing the magnitude of the analog signal response at a particular time, the PSE associates the response with the PoE requirements of the PD. The PSE then applies the full PoE voltage in accordance with the PD's PoE requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Linear Technology Corporation
    Inventors: David Dwelley, Jeffrey Heath, Kirk Su, Ryan Huff
  • Patent number: 9893534
    Abstract: A relay antenna includes a power relay coil. An automatic tuning assist circuit is coupled with the relay antenna. The automatic tuning assist circuit has first and second terminals coupled with the relay antenna. Multiple switches are arranged together with N (N represents an integer) auxiliary capacitors between the first terminal and the second terminal. A controller is configured to switch on and off each of the multiple switches in synchronization with an electric power signal transmitted from a wireless power supply apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Endo, Yasuo Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9892846
    Abstract: Disclosed is a wireless power transmitter. A wireless power transmitter includes a transmission coil for generating a magnetic field by receiving power from a power source, a transmission resonant coil for transmitting power to a receiving coil by using the magnetic field generated from the transmission coil by using resonance, a detection unit for detecting an approach of the receiving coil and a power regulator for adjusting an output of the power source, which supplies the power, based on the approach of the receiving coil detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Su Ho Bae
  • Patent number: 9893566
    Abstract: Provided is a power supply system which can reduce a decrease in transmission efficiency caused by displacement of a power supply side coil with respect to a power reception side coil and which can supply power from a power supply unit to a power reception unit with high efficiency. A power supply part includes a power supply side helical coil (33) to which power is supplied. A power reception part includes a power reception side helical coil (51) which electromagnetically-resonates with the power supply side helical coil (33) and receives power from the power supply side helical coil (33). Impedances of the power supply part and the power reception part are matched at position where center axes (Z1, Z2) of the power supply side helical coil (33) and the power reception side helical coil (51) are displaced with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Masamitsu Ookawa, Shingo Tanaka, Noritaka Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9882550
    Abstract: A wireless power transmitting apparatus transmits an electric power signal comprising any one from among an electric field, a magnetic field, and an electromagnetic field to a wireless power receiving apparatus. A reflector coil is arranged at a distance from a radiation coil. A driving power supply supplies a driving current to the radiation coil. A first phase control circuit controls the phase of the current that flows through the reflector coil so as to stabilize, to a predetermined value, the phase difference between the current that flows through the reflector coil and the current that flows through the radiation coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Endo, Yasuo Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9876365
    Abstract: A contactless power supply system for transferring power without contact between a primary side coil and a secondary side coil is provided. In the contactless power supply system, a manipulation unit manipulates a secondary side converter so that power outputted to a load is controlled to be a command value. The manipulation unit manipulates an input voltage of a primary side resonance circuit so that a current flowing in the primary side resonance circuit equals a product of a current flowing in the secondary side resonance circuit and a current coefficient. The current coefficient is defined as a square root of a specific value and the specific value is an equivalent resistance of the secondary side resonance circuit divided by an equivalent resistance of the primary side resonance circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouji Mazaki, Nobuhisa Yamaguchi, Keisuke Tani, Eisuke Takahashi, Kazuyoshi Obayashi
  • Patent number: 9864418
    Abstract: A riser card includes a main body and an inserting portion. The main body includes a lower portion and defines a power supply interface. The inserting portion is coupled to the lower portion of the main body. The inserting portion can be inserted in and coupled to different expansion slots. The power supply interface can be coupled to an external power source to supply power to the riser card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignees: HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (WuHan) CO., LTD., HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dao-Wei Li, Chun-Sheng Chen
  • Patent number: 9866139
    Abstract: A bidirectional inductive power transfer (IPT) power converter comprising a cycloconverter, coupled to an AC port, and a resonant circuit, coupled to the cycloconverter, for storing energy and coupling energy to an IPT port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Enphase Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Harrison
  • Patent number: 9859812
    Abstract: Techniques for supplying auxiliary power to lighting driver circuitry are disclosed. An auxiliary power supply can be used, for example, to provide auxiliary power to a current source that drives an LED string. In some embodiments, the LED string is effectively used as a series resistor to charge a capacitor that provides the auxiliary voltage Vaux. As soon as the capacitor is charged to a given threshold, the LED string can be disconnected from the capacitor and the current through the LED string bypasses the auxiliary supply circuit. Thus, the current source provides a current through the LED string, which in turn may be selectively fed to the auxiliary power supply to provide auxiliary power back to the current source or to provide auxiliary power to other circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: OSRAM SYLVANIA Inc.
    Inventors: Bernhard Siessegger, Colin Coleman
  • Patent number: 9859951
    Abstract: A PoDL system includes a PSE connected via a wire pair to a PD, where differential data and DC power are transmitted over the same wire pair. Typically, low voltage/current detection and classification routines are required upon every powering up of the system to allow the PD to convey its PoDL requirements to the PSE. Various techniques are described that simplify or obviate such start-up routines or enable increased flexibility for the PoDL system. Such techniques include: ways to specify a particular PD operating voltage; ways to disable the PD's UVLO circuit during such routines; using opposite polarity voltages for the two routines; using voltage limiters or surge protectors to convey the PoDL information; detecting loop resistance; using a PSE memory to store previous results of the routines; and powering the PD communication circuit using the wire pair while the PD load is powered by an alternate power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Linear Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Heath, David Dwelley
  • Patent number: 9837861
    Abstract: A resonance power transmission system for controlling a supply voltage of a power converter based on power transmission efficiency is provided. According to an aspect, a resonance power transmitter configured to transmit resonance power to one or more resonance power receivers may include: a voltage controller configured to receive an input signal and to output voltage of a predetermined level; a source controller configured to control a signal level of the DC voltage based the number of resonance power receivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Sung Choi, Sang Wook Kwon, Yun Kwon Park, Eun Seok Park, Young Tack Hong, Young Ho Ryu, Nam Yun Kim, Dong Zo Kim
  • Patent number: 9837204
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus including a magnetic flux device configured to transmit or receive magnetic flux. In certain configurations, the magnetic flux device can include a first coil with a first layer and second layer, a second coil with a third layer and fourth layer, and a magnetically permeable material with the first coil extending over a first edge of the magnetically permeable material and the second coil extending over a second edge of the magnetically permeable material. In certain other configurations, the magnetic flux device can include a first conductive structure including a first coil and a second coil enclosing a first area and a second area, respectively. The magnetic flux device can further include a second conductive structure with at least a first planar portion of the first conductive structure being substantially coplanar with a second planar portion of the second conductive structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Hans Peter Widmer, Nicholas A. Keeling, Jonathan Beaver
  • Patent number: 9831710
    Abstract: An electric power transmitting apparatus and a method for controlling electric power transmission that switches a connection state of a coupling electrode in accordance with the shape and the size of an electric power receiving apparatus, and a position where the electric power receiving apparatus is placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sinji Goma, Tsuyoshi Suesada, Akihiko Shibata
  • Patent number: 9825473
    Abstract: A power supply ECU controls a converter to have a first control region in which a voltage is raised as a coupling coefficient is larger, and a second control region in which the voltage is maintained at a rating irrespective of a coupling coefficient. An ECU controls a converter such that an input impedance of the converter attains a prescribed value in the first control region and controls the converter such that received electric power becomes close to a target by changing the input impedance in the second control region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Hayashi, Hiroaki Yuasa
  • Patent number: 9824813
    Abstract: A reactor includes an annular iron core and four coils separately wound around the iron core. The four coils have first electrodes connected to output terminals of four choppers, respectively, and second electrodes each connected to a load. Therefore, the four choppers can be connected in parallel to the load by one reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masahiro Kinoshita