Patents Examined by Jye-June Lee
  • Patent number: 11869959
    Abstract: A device includes a controllable current source connected between a first node and a first terminal coupled to a cathode of a controllable diode. A capacitor is connected between the first node and a second terminal coupled to an anode of the controllable diode. A first switch is connected between the first node and a third terminal coupled to a gate of the controllable diode. A second switch is connected between the second and third terminals. A first diode is connected between the third terminal and the second terminal, an anode of the first diode being preferably coupled to the third terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Tours) SAS
    Inventor: Frederic Gautier
  • Patent number: 11870432
    Abstract: Electronic circuitry includes a control circuit controlling a drive circuit for a semiconductor device; and a delay circuit receiving a first signal instructing the drive circuit to drive the semiconductor device with first driving force and output the first signal to the control circuit. The delay circuit receives a second signal at an interval of a first time or “n” times of the first time after the first signal is received, “n” being an integer greater than or equal to 2, and the second signal instructing the drive circuit to drive the semiconductor device with second driving force, delays outputting of the second signal for a delay time shorter than the first time, and outputs the second signal to the control circuit after the first signal is outputted and further after the first time or “n” times of the first time and the delay time elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Shusuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 11855533
    Abstract: A power supply device communicable with a system and a method for supplying power to a system through a switch thereof are disclosed. The power supply device includes a switch, a microcontroller unit and a control circuit, and supplies power to the system through the switch. The microcontroller unit provides a first operating voltage to the switch through a first pin, and performs a firmware update procedure when the power supply device communicates with the system. The control circuit is coupled to the switch, and transmits a second operating voltage to the switch. When the microcontroller unit performs the firmware update procedure, the control circuit turns on the switch at least according to the second operating voltage, so that the power supply device does not stop supplying power to the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: ATEMITECH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shih-Hung Yang
  • Patent number: 11848615
    Abstract: This power supply IC is a semiconductor integrated circuit device serving as a main part for controlling a switching power supply and is formed by integrating a feedback resistor and an output feedback control unit on a single semiconductor substrate, said feedback resistor generating a feedback voltage by dividing the output voltage of the switching power supply (or the induced voltage appearing across an auxiliary winding provided on the primary side of a transformer included in an insulation-type switching power supply), said output feedback control unit performing output feedback control of the switching power supply in accordance with the feedback voltage. The feedback resistor is a polysilicon resistor having a withstand voltage of 100 V or more. A high-voltage region having higher withstand voltage in the substrate thickness direction than the other region is formed in the semiconductor substrate, and the feedback resistor is formed on the high-voltage region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Nate, Yoshinori Sato
  • Patent number: 11839044
    Abstract: A power electronics unit (1) for an electric drive unit, having an electrically conductive carrier element (2) and a power semiconductor module (3) arranged on the carrier element (2). The power semiconductor module (3) is designed to convert a direct current into a three-phase alternating current, and a current sensor (4) used to determine the alternating current is integrated such that it forms a main module (5) with the carrier element (2) and the power semiconductor module (3). A drive train for a motor vehicle having such a power electronics unit (1) is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Linbo Tang, Marco Bender, Matthias Kästle, Jan-Ulrich Biskup
  • Patent number: 11838009
    Abstract: A power converter having a mechanism of dynamically controlling a minimum off time is provided. A high-side overcurrent protecting circuit determines whether or not a current flows from a high-side switch through a node between a second terminal of the high-side switch and a first terminal of a low-side switch toward an inductor, and determines whether or not the current is larger than a threshold to output a high-side overcurrent detected signal and a high-side overcurrent protecting signal. An off time adjusting circuit outputs a minimum off time signal to a driver circuit according to the high-side overcurrent protecting signal. The driver circuit determines that an overcurrent event occurs when the high-side switch is turned on according to the high-side overcurrent detected signal, and accordingly the driver circuit at least continually turns on the low-side switch during a longer minimum off time of the minimum off time signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shih-Chung Wei
  • Patent number: 11837956
    Abstract: A method for determining if an inductor coupled to a switching network has been electrically shorted may include applying a voltage across the inductor for a predetermined period of time, controlling an impedance in an electrical path of a voltage source generating the voltage and the inductor, sensing an inductor current through the inductor, comparing the inductor current with a predetermined current threshold, and determining whether the inductor has been electrically shorted based on the inductor current, the predetermined current threshold, and the predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic Inc.
    Inventors: Hasnain Akram, Graeme G. Mackay, Lingli Zhang, Ruoxin Jiang, Sakkarapani Balagopal, Theodore M. Burk
  • Patent number: 11837957
    Abstract: A control circuit applied to a power adapter includes a voltage conversion unit and a switch control unit. The voltage conversion unit is configured to: receive a first direct current voltage, and generate a second direct current voltage based on the first direct current voltage, where when the first direct current voltage is lower than a working voltage of the switch control unit, the voltage conversion unit is configured to boost the first direct current voltage, to obtain the second direct current voltage. The switch control unit is configured to: receive the second direct current voltage from the voltage conversion unit, and use the second direct current voltage as a power supply voltage of the switch control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: HUAWEI DIGITAL POWER TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jie Ren, Yanjun Hu, Xue Zhang
  • Patent number: 11831232
    Abstract: A power converter apparatus comprises a set of switching elements communicatively coupled with a set of gate drive circuits. Each gate drive circuit is configured to provide a respective drive signal to a corresponding switching element, each switching element being switchably responsive to the respective drive signal. The apparatus includes a controller module configured to control an output state of the power converter, and selectively change one of a respective gate resistance and a respective gate current of a corresponding subset of the gate drive circuits based on the output state of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Di Pan, Yichao Zhang, Yuntao Xu, Yukai Wang
  • Patent number: 11791611
    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 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Xin Zhou, Joe W. Kirstein, William Michael Crooks
  • Patent number: 11791707
    Abstract: In a power converter having a regulator and charge pump, both of which operate in plural modes, a controller receives information indicative of the power converter's operation and, based at least in part on said information, causes transitions between regulator modes and transitions between charge-pump modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventors: Aichen Low, Gregory Szczeszynski, David M. Giuliano
  • Patent number: 11791746
    Abstract: A power converter is provided that includes a reactor that is improved in effect of cooling a core and a winding. The power converter includes: a cooling member having a first cooling surface; and a reactor including a core portion and a winding portion. The core portion is a rectangular parallelepiped and disposed on the first cooling surface that is larger in area than the core portion in a plan view. The winding is wound around the core portion and the cooling member. The power converter further includes a power conversion module connected to one end of the winding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushige Mukunoki, Takeshi Horiguchi, Kimiyuki Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 11791729
    Abstract: The technology described herein is directed to a DC input power supply unit with an auxiliary boost control circuit (or controller) that facilitates continuous supply of power to a standby output load of the power supply unit in a bootloader mode. More specifically, the auxiliary boost circuit (or controller) is configured to assume control of a primary power boost stage from a primary controller in a bootloader mode so that the power supply unit can continue to supply power to the standby output with a protection function regardless of the state of the power supply unit or primary controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Chih-hao Hsu, Chang-Chieh Yu, Carl Walker, Chun-Wei Chang, Po-Tso Chen
  • Patent number: 11791723
    Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion includes a transformation stage for transforming a first voltage into a second voltage. The transformation stage includes a switching network, a filter, and a controller. The filter is configured to connect the transformation stage to a regulator. The controller controls the switching network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventor: David Giuliano
  • Patent number: 11791708
    Abstract: A power converter includes a switch control circuit for driving a high side switch of the power converter comprising the high side switch and a low side switch connected in series. The switch control circuit may have a first terminal for receiving a low side switch driving signal of the low side switch, a second terminal used as a reference ground terminal of the switch control circuit, and a third terminal used as an output terminal to provide a high side switch driving signal, the switch control circuit can draw power from the low side switch driving signal and may not require internal regulators that should sustain high voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Yan-Cun Li
  • Patent number: 11777407
    Abstract: A method for converting voltage is disclosed, including implementing a first DC-DC converter in a power management unit; implementing a second DC-DC converter in the power management unit; implementing a controller communicatively coupled to a first output line of the first DC-DC converter and communicatively coupled to a second output line of the second DC-DC converter; coupling the power management unit to a supply voltage; and providing one or more output voltages on the first output line and the second output line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: David Steven Ripley
  • Patent number: 11777401
    Abstract: A converter including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal configured for connection to a first network, the second terminal configured for connection to a second network; at least one switching module arranged to interconnect the first terminal and the second terminal, the switching module including at least one module switching element and at least one energy storage device, the module switching element and the energy storage device arranged to be combinable to selectively provide a voltage source, the switching module switchable to control a transfer of power between the first and second networks; the switching module including a discharge circuit, the discharge circuit including a discharge switching element and a discharge resistor, the discharge switching element switchable to switch the corresponding discharge resistor into and out of the corresponding switching module; and a controller configured to selectively control the switching of the discharge switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Chandra Mohan Sonnathi, Radnya Anant Mukhedkar, Rajaseker Reddy Ginnareddy
  • Patent number: 11757366
    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: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yaming Cao, Wuping Lin, Chunsheng Zhao, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 11757347
    Abstract: Provided is a voltage generation circuit for improving the characteristics of a high-side switching element by applying an appropriate control power supply voltage to the high-side drive circuit. The voltage generation circuit includes a bootstrap circuit and a step-down circuit. The bootstrap circuit includes a diode and a current limiting resistor. The step-down circuit is connected to a high potential side of the high-side switching element and an input side of the bootstrap circuit. The step-down circuit outputs a compensated power supply voltage generated by stepping down a power supply voltage applied to the high potential side of the high-side switching element to the bootstrap circuit. The step-down circuit generates the compensated power supply voltage obtained by adding a compensation voltage corresponding to a voltage drop due to the diode and the current limiting resistor to a control power supply voltage for a low-side drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Narumi Matsushita
  • Patent number: 11757351
    Abstract: Described embodiments include a voltage regulator circuit comprising a first comparator having a first comparator input coupled to a waveform input source, a second comparator input coupled to an output voltage terminal and a first comparator output. There is a second comparator having third and fourth comparator inputs and a second comparator output, the third comparator input coupled to a voltage source configured to provide a voltage representing a current limit, and the fourth comparator input coupled to the output voltage terminal. There is also a state machine having a first state machine input coupled to the first comparator output, a second state machine input coupled to the second comparator output and a state machine output, wherein a state of the state machine is determined by the first and second comparator outputs, and the state machine output provides a PWM signal responsive to the state of the state machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Ammineni Balaji, Preetam Charan Anand Tadeparthy, Naman Bafna, Sreelakshmi Suresh, Cheng Wei Chen