Patents Examined by Jye-June Lee
  • Patent number: 12362665
    Abstract: A power converter includes first to fourth switches, a flying capacitor, an inductor, an output capacitor and a control circuit. The first to fourth switches are sequentially coupled in cascode. The first switch receives an input voltage, and the fourth switch is further coupled to a ground terminal. The flying capacitor is coupled across the second switch and the third switch, the inductor is coupled to the second switch, the third switch and the output capacitor. The output capacitor is used to output an output voltage. In a non-regulated mode, the control circuit switches the first to fourth switches according to a resonant frequency. In a regulated mode, the control circuit switches the first to fourth switches according to a regulated frequency exceeding the resonant frequency. When the flying capacitor is coupled to the inductor, the flying capacitor and the inductor can form a resonant circuit having the resonant frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORP.
    Inventors: Kuo-Chi Liu, Ta-Yung Yang, Wei-Hsu Chang
  • Patent number: 12341441
    Abstract: Load bridges (2) of an inverter unit (1) include load branches having semiconductor switches (4, 5, 15, 16), that have a node point (6) which is connected to a load (7) and to two different potentials (P1, P2). Node points (6) are connected via a first resistance circuit (8) to potential (P1). Node points (6) are further connected via second resistance circuits (9) to tap-off points (11). The tap-off points (11) are connected via third resistance circuits (10) to the other potential (P2). At each of the tap-off points (11), a potential (U1, U2, U3) is tapped-off and is fed to a monitoring device (12). The monitoring device (12) determines the difference (U1?) between the tapped-off potentials and the second potential (P2). The control device (3) considers the signals (M1, M2, M3) for the actuation of the load bridges (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: SEMIKRON ELEKTRONIK GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Johannes Klier
  • Patent number: 12334809
    Abstract: A power supply control device includes: a power conversion device; a controller; a current detection device; a comparison device configured to output a shut-off start signal when a value of current detected by the current detection device is larger than a preset current threshold value; a shut-off device configured to shut off, based on a shut-off control signal, a conversion operation signal; a latch device configured to output the shut-off control signal based on the shut-off start signal output by the comparison device and to perform, until a latch release signal is input, a latch operation, in which the shut-off device is caused to maintain a state in which a conversion operation signal is shut off; and a delay device configured to output a latch release signal after a delay time elapses, the delay time being determined by components of the delay device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiki Asai, Akihiro Tsumura
  • Patent number: 12323071
    Abstract: A power electronics converter includes a substrate and a converter commutation cell including a power circuit. The power circuit includes at least one power semiconductor switching element and at least one capacitor. Each power semiconductor switching element is comprised in a power semiconductor prepackage. An electrical connection side of the respective power semiconductor prepackage is spaced apart in a z direction from the substrate so as to define a prepackage gap between the substrate and the electrical connection side. At least a portion of the prepackage gap is filled with an electrically insulating material having voids. A converter parameter ? defined as an insulation fill factor divided by a maximum void size is greater than or equal to 10/mm. The insulation fill factor is defined as a cumulated volume of the voids subtracted from a volume of the electrically insulating material divided by the volume of the electrically insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventors: Uwe Waltrich, Stanley Buchert, Marco Bohlländer, Claus Müller
  • Patent number: 12322950
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus including a sensing unit configured to output a short circuit sensing signal in response to sensing, in a turn-on period of a main switching device by a switching device for on control, of short circuit of the main switching device, a protection operation control unit configured to output an instruction signal of a short circuit protection operation at delayed timing relative to the short circuit sensing signal, and a protection unit configured to turn off the switching device for on control in response to the instruction signal, in which the protection operation control unit outputs the instruction signal in response to continuation of the short circuit sensing signal beyond a first reference time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takahiro Mori
  • Patent number: 12323057
    Abstract: In a switching regulator driver, a sense circuit has a transistor current input and a sense circuit output. A logic circuit has a logic circuit input and first and second outputs. The logic circuit input is coupled to the sense circuit output. A counter has a counter clock input, a counter control input and a counter output. The counter clock input is coupled to the first output. The counter control input is coupled to the second output. The counter is configured to provide a count value at the counter output. A programmable drive strength circuit has a drive strength circuit input and a transistor control output. The drive strength circuit input is coupled to the counter output. The programmable drive strength circuit is configured to adjust a drive current at the transistor control output based on the count value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rida Shawky Assaad, Angelo William Pereira, Gangqiang Zhang, Kae Ann Wong
  • Patent number: 12316208
    Abstract: The three-level direct current converter includes: a flying capacitor, a plurality of switch groups, a drive circuit, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes at least an on-time generator. When a voltage on the flying capacitor deviates from a half of a power supply voltage, the on-time generator changes a charging current of a capacitor of the on-time generator to adjust an output on-time signal, and outputs the on-time signal to the drive circuit. The drive circuit generates a drive pulse signal based on the on-time signal to drive switch statuses of the plurality of switch groups, to adjust charging time and discharging time of the flying capacitor, where an absolute value of a difference between the voltage on the flying capacitor and the half of the power supply voltage is less than or equal to a preset threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Guolei Yu, Shuchao Song, Junliang Qin, Zhiqiang Xiang
  • Patent number: 12301112
    Abstract: A switching power supply includes a switching output stage configured to generate an output voltage by rectifying and smoothing a switching voltage that is pulse-driven as an output transistor is turned on and off. An oscillation circuit is configured to generate an on signal that alternates between an on period and an off period at a predetermined switching frequency, and a logic circuit is configured to set the on period of the on signal as a maximum on period of the output transistor. The oscillation circuit is configured to skip the off period of the on signal when, despite the output transistor being kept on for the maximum on period, the output voltage drops below a target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shidong Guan
  • Patent number: 12287660
    Abstract: Provided is a low-dropout regulator circuit with high loop stability based on a load-dependent zero mobile compensation and a method thereof. The LDO circuit with high loop stability comprises a LDO circuit body, the LDO circuit body includes a PMOS transistor; the LDO circuit with high loop stability comprises a dynamic-resistance-boosting-circuit adaptively connected with the PMOS transistor, a dynamically variable resistor in parallel with PMOS transistor is generated according to the state of the load by the dynamic-resistance-boosting-circuit; the dynamically variable resistor is connected in parallel with PMOS transistor following the load variations to form a load equivalent resistor, a value for the formed load equivalent resistor is less than an equivalent resistance maximum value for PMOS transistor in a stable loop state, so that a high frequency pole frequency of the LDO circuit body is greater than a unit gain frequency of the LDO circuit body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: BEIJING TONGXIN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Bingjie Chen
  • Patent number: 12273033
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a modular high power bi-directional half bridge buck/boost converter assembly and, in particular, to a system for converting power from one form of current (either AC or DC) to a differing level of voltage, either lower (buck) or higher (boost), to output a wave signal based on pulse wave modulation (PWM) switching control by means of an external digital controller and methods of operation. In particular, an inverter-converter system includes at least one half bridge module including a plurality of circuit components, at least one inductor which is connected to the at least one half bridge module and a power supply, and a controller which is configured to receive and send instructions to the at least one half bridge module for converting an input voltage to an output voltage and dynamically tune switching frequencies based on a load of the inverter-converter system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Pacific Energy Inc.
    Inventors: David M D Kim, Philip Edmund Schaefer, German Rafael Nielsen Lopez, Matthew Jordan Serrano
  • Patent number: 12261429
    Abstract: A short detection circuit includes a first transistor, a switched load circuit, a second transistor, a switched capacitor circuit, and a comparator. The first transistor is configured to conduct a load current. The switched load circuit is coupled to the first transistor. The switched load circuit is configured to switchably draw a test current. The second transistor is coupled to the first transistor. The second transistor is configured to conduct a sense current. The sense current includes first and second portions that are respectively representative of the load current and the test current. The switched capacitor circuit is coupled to the second transistor. The switched capacitor circuit is configured to generate a short detection voltage representative of the second portion. The comparator has a first comparator input coupled to the switched capacitor circuit. The comparator is configured to compare the short detection voltage to a short threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rampal Barjati, Akhila Gundavarapu, Lokesh Ghulyani
  • Patent number: 12261521
    Abstract: A load control device for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load may have a closed-loop gate drive circuit for controlling a semiconductor switch of a controllably conductive device. The controllably conductive device may be coupled in series between the source and the load. The gate drive circuit may generate a target signal in response to a control circuit. The gate drive circuit may shape the target signal over a period of time and may increase the target signal to a predetermined level after the period of time. The gate drive circuit may receive a feedback signal that indicates a magnitude of a load current conducted through the semiconductor switch. The gate drive circuit may generate a gate control signal in response to the target signal and the feedback signal, and render the semiconductor switch conductive and non-conductive in response to the gate control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Brian J. Bollinger, Venkatesh Chitta, Firozbabu Cholashari, Jonathan Waldron
  • Patent number: 12261549
    Abstract: A control device for a power conversion device includes a voltage recognizing unit configured to detect a voltage at a linkage point of the plurality of power converters, and a control unit configured to control an amplitude and a frequency of a voltage to be output by a power converter to be controlled on the basis of active power and reactive power output by the power converter to be controlled in a case that the power converter to be controlled is caused to perform autonomous operation as a voltage source, and controls active power and reactive power to be output by the power converter to be controlled so as to compensate for excess or deficiency of active power and reactive power at the linkage point on a basis of an amplitude and a frequency of the voltage detected by the voltage recognizing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: TMEIC Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinori Tsuruma
  • Patent number: 12261541
    Abstract: System and method for synchronous rectification of a power converter. For example, the system for synchronous rectification includes: a first system terminal configured to receive an input voltage; and a second system terminal configured to output a drive signal to a first transistor terminal of a transistor, the transistor further including a second transistor terminal and a third transistor terminal, the second transistor terminal being connected to a secondary winding of the power converter, the power converter further including a primary winding coupled to the secondary winding; wherein the system is configured to: determine whether the input voltage becomes lower than a predetermined voltage threshold; and if the input voltage becomes lower than the predetermined voltage threshold, determine whether a time when the input voltage becomes lower than the predetermined voltage threshold is during or not during a demagnetization process of the secondary winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yaming Cao, Wuping Lin, Chunsheng Zhao, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 12261517
    Abstract: A bootstrap gate driver charging circuit arranged to drive the gate of an upper switch (QU) and a lower switch (QL) connected in series to provide an AC output voltage (400) voltage by alternatively turning on and off according to a predetermined duty cycle of alternate upper switch turn-on and lower switch turn-on phases, the bootstrap gate driver charging circuit comprising: an input terminal; an output terminal; an H-bridge inverter with an inverter input and an inverter output; a charging path; and a bootstrap capacitor. The input inverter is electrically connected to the input terminal, the inverter output is electrically connected to a first end of the bootstrap capacitor, the charging path is electrically connected between a second end of the bootstrap capacitor and a gate driver supply voltage; wherein in response to the lower switch being turned ON and providing a path to ground with respect to the supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ponggorn Kulsangcharoen, Rodrigo Fernandez-Mattos, Jonathan Roadley-Battin
  • Patent number: 12261520
    Abstract: A switch-mode power supply and a zero current detector for use therein. A zero current detector includes an input stage and an output stage. The output stage is coupled to the input stage. The output stage includes a detector output terminal, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The first transistor includes an input terminal and a control terminal. The input terminal is coupled to the detector output terminal. The control terminal is coupled to the input stage. The second transistor includes an input terminal, a control terminal, and an output terminal. The input terminal is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor. The control terminal is coupled to the input terminal of the second transistor. The output terminal is coupled to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Srinivas Venkata Veeramreddi, Subhash Sahni
  • Patent number: 12255524
    Abstract: A system for driving four-quadrant (4Q) switches of a power converter is provided herein and comprises a transformer driver module, a first gate driver module and a second gate driver module coupled to the transformer driver module via a first isolation transformer and a second isolation transformer, respectively, for receiving both switch signal information and power, and a first bidirectional switch and a second bidirectional switch coupled to the first gate driver module and the second gate driver module and to one another for driving the first bidirectional switch and the second bidirectional switch based on the switch signal information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Enphase Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomasz Janusz Kotula, Patrick Lyle Chapman, Martin Fornage
  • Patent number: 12249902
    Abstract: A module includes: an electrically insulative housing; a driver circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to drive a control terminal of a power switch; a wireless communication circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, wireless control information transmitted to the module; and a wireless energy receiver enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, energy wirelessly transmitted to the module, and to supply power to the driver circuit. The driver circuit is configured to drive the control terminal of the power switch based on the wireless control information received by the wireless communication circuit. A power electronic assembly that incorporates one or more of the modules and a corresponding power conversion control circuit are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Jens Barrenscheen
  • Patent number: 12244122
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing (e.g., a housing having a form factor of a molded case circuit breaker) and at least two phase terminals supported by the housing and configured to be connected to respective ones of at least two phase buses in an electrical panelboard. The apparatus further includes at least one fault generation device supported by the housing and including an arc containment chamber and first and second spaced-apart electrodes in the arc containment chamber and electrically coupled to respective ones of the at least two phase terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Xin Zhou, Joe W. Kirstein, William Michael Crooks
  • Patent number: 12244227
    Abstract: A power converter including an inductor, a first power switch, a second power switch, a third power switch, a fourth power switch, a sixth power switch, a first flying capacitor, a third flying capacitor, a seventh power switch, an eighth power switch, a ninth power switch, a tenth power switch, a twelfth power switch, a second flying capacitor, and a fourth flying capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Renesas Design (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Sorin Laurentiu Negru, Sabin Eftimie