Patents Examined by Kevin H Sprenger
  • Patent number: 10972011
    Abstract: The invention provides a series resonant LLC power converter unit to provide a plurality of power outputs. The power converter unit comprises a plurality of transformers arranged such that at least one primary winding of each transformer is connected in parallel and configured to provide a power output. An inductive element is positioned in parallel with a single primary winding selected from said plurality of transformers, wherein the inductive element and single primary winding restricts variation in inductance for said plurality of transformers and power outputs in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Excelsys Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Jonathan James Wilkinson, Diarmuid Hogan
  • Patent number: 10958067
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip having circuitry adapted to detect and unlatch a latched transistor, and methods for operating the same are provided. In one example, an IC chip includes a body, a power rail disposed in the body and coupled to at least one of a plurality of contact pads disposed on the body, and a first core circuit disposed in the body. The first core circuit includes a first current limiting circuit, a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) device having a first transistor, a second transistor, and a first latch sensing circuit. The first current limiting circuit is coupled to the power rail. First terminals of the first and second transistors are coupled to the first current limiting circuit. The first latch sensing circuit has a first input terminal coupled to second terminals of the first and second transistors. The first latch sensing circuit also has an output terminal coupled to the first current limiting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: XILINX, INC.
    Inventors: Pierre Maillard, Yanran Chen, Michael J. Hart
  • Patent number: 10950382
    Abstract: An electric power system is provided that includes a three-phase to two twelve-phase transformer. The transformer includes first and second primary winding groupings, secondary winding groupings, and third, fourth, and fifth windings. The groupings can include sub windings. First primary winding groupings are coupled to form a wye configuration and coupled to second primary winding groupings and the windings. The first of the two twelve-phase outputs at the same voltage as the input voltage while the second twelve-phase output is at a lower voltage. Diode pairs are connected to each other, each diode pair having an inner connection connected to one of the outputs of the transformer and first and second ends respectively connected to a positive dc bus and a negative dc bus. The diode pairs operatively rectify the transformer output voltage to form a DC voltage with a reduced common mode voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Jian Huang
  • Patent number: 10951020
    Abstract: A power supply control device prevents an electrical wire and a switch element from smoking. The power supply control device includes a switch element provided at a midpoint in an electrical wire that connects a power supply and a load. A current detection unit detects the current value of current flowing in the electrical wire. A temperature estimation unit estimates the wire temperature of the electrical wire based on the current value detected by the current detection unit. A control unit turns on or off the switch element based on the wire temperature estimated. The control unit estimates the smoking temperature of the switch element by changing the heat dissipation time constant of the electrical wire used in temperature calculation to a smaller value, and turns off the switch element if the wire temperature is greater than or equal to the estimated smoking temperature of the switch element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd., Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Sugisawa, Shunichi Sawano
  • Patent number: 10938313
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an active bridge section with input terminals that receive power from a constant current source where the active bridge section operates at a fixed switching frequency. The apparatus includes a resonant section with a resonant inductor, a transformer and a resonant capacitor. The inductor is connected in series with a primary winding and the capacitor is connected in parallel with a secondary winding of the transformer. The resonant section is connected to an output of the active bridge section. The apparatus includes an output rectifier section that receives power from the resonant section and includes output terminals for connection to a load, and includes a controller that regulates output voltage to the load where the controller regulates output voltage to the load by controlling switching of the active bridge section. The fixed switching frequency of the active bridge section matches a resonant frequency of the resonant section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Utah State University
    Inventors: Tarak Saha, Hongjie Wang, Anindya Chitta Bagchi, Regan A. Zane
  • Patent number: 10928846
    Abstract: A power detect circuit is disclosed. A power detect circuit includes a voltage multiplier that receives an external supply voltage and generates a second supply voltage that is greater than the former. A voltage regulator is coupled to receive the second supply voltage and outputs a regulated supply voltage. A bandgap circuit is coupled to receive the second supply voltage when a first switch is closed, and the regulated supply voltage when a second switch is closed. The bandgap circuit generates a reference voltage for the voltage regulator, as well as one or more output voltages. A comparator circuit is coupled to receive the one or more output voltages from the bandgap circuit, and may compare these one or more output voltages to the regulated supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Seyedeh Sedigheh Hashemi, Vahid Majidzadeh Bafar, Ali Mesgarani, Mansour Keramat
  • Patent number: 10924004
    Abstract: A converter circuit arrangement and a method for operating a converter circuit arrangement are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITÄT FREIBURG
    Inventors: Lucas Spohn, Daniel Schillinger, Yiannos Manoli
  • Patent number: 10910943
    Abstract: A bidirectional power factor correction (PFC) module is coupled to an AC power source, an energy storage unit, and a DC bus. The bidirectional PFC module includes a bridge arm assembly and a control unit. The bridge arm assembly includes a first bridge arm, a first inductor, a second inductor, and a second bridge arm. The control unit provides a plurality of control signals to control the first bridge arm and the second bridge arm to make the bidirectional PFC module operate in an AC power supply mode, a DC power supply mode, or a power feed mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Hung-Chieh Lin, Chao-Li Kao, Yi-Ping Hsieh, Jin-Zhong Huang, Chao-Lung Kuo
  • Patent number: 10910182
    Abstract: The present application discloses a contactor coil control circuit, including a switch control circuit, a drive circuit, a fast turn-off circuit, a diode D1, a first MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistor TR1 and a contactor coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: MORNSUN GUANGZHOU SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiangyang Yin, Shengbin Tang, Junxi Su
  • Patent number: 10908663
    Abstract: A power switch multiplexer with configurable overlap is disclosed. An integrated circuit (IC) includes a first functional circuit block coupled to receive a supply voltage from a first supply voltage node. The IC further includes an input circuit and an output circuit. Responsive to receiving an input signal, the input circuit asserts an activation signal to cause one of a second supply voltage node and a third supply voltage node to be electrically coupled to the first supply voltage node. Subsequently the input circuit asserts a deactivation signal to cause the other one of the second and third supply voltage nodes to be electrically decoupled from the first supply voltage node. The output circuit is coupled to receive the activation signal and the deactivation signal, and configured to assert a first output signal subsequent to receiving the activation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Zyuban, Greg M. Hess, Hemangi U. Gajjewar
  • Patent number: 10892685
    Abstract: A power supply device is provided. The power supply device includes an AC/DC converter configured to convert an input AC power into a first DC power having a predetermined size, and to output the first DC power, a DC/DC converter configured to convert the first DC power into a second DC power according to an enable signal, and a switch including a soft switch connected to the first DC power at one end, and configured to, in response to the soft switch being turned on, voltage-distribute the first DC power, and to provide the voltage-distributed first DC power to the DC/DC converter as an enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: An-sik Jeong, Hong-ki Jung
  • Patent number: 10886910
    Abstract: A semiconductor device, including a main switching element having a gate terminal and an emitter terminal, a sense switching element connected to the main switching element for detecting a current flowing through the main switching element, and a voltage division circuit connected between the gate terminal and the emitter terminal of the main switching element. The voltage division circuit includes a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series. A connection point of the first resistor and the second resistor is connected to the sense switching element, so that a voltage applied to the gate terminal of the main switching element is divided by the voltage division circuit, and a portion of the voltage is applied to the sense switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiro Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10886848
    Abstract: A DC-to-DC converter, comprising a first, second, and third DC voltage network, and a first, second, and third DC-DC regulator, wherein the first, second, and third regulator each having a DC voltage main connection that is supplied with a DC voltage network voltage related to a common reference potential, a respective DC voltage network current flowing through each connection, the DC-DC regulators being coupled via a first DC-link capacitor connected between a first DC-link potential and a second DC-link potential, and the DC-DC regulators are each coupled with a DC-link regulator, via which the first DC-link potential or the second DC-link potential can be set independently of the DC voltage network voltages and the DC voltage network currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Johannes Kolb, Juergen Remmlinger, Mario Gommeringer, Alexander Schmitt
  • Patent number: 10879810
    Abstract: A synchronous rectifier OFF control module and a synchronous rectifying control circuit. The synchronous rectifier OFF control module may receive a zero-cross threshold signal and a drain-source voltage signal indicative of a drain to source voltage of a synchronous rectifier, and to compare the drain-source voltage signal with the zero-cross threshold signal to determine whether the rectifier current flowing through the synchronous rectifier is crossing zero. The synchronous rectifier OFF control module may further receive a peak current detection signal indicative of a peak value of the rectifier current, and to adjust the magnitude of the zero-cross threshold signal to vary in the same direction as the peak value of the rectifier current based on the peak current detection signal. The synchronous rectifier OFF control module may provide more accurate control to the turn OFF moment of the synchronous rectifier and thus can help to reduce power loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tianzhu Zhang
  • Patent number: 10879814
    Abstract: In a multilevel power converter (20), a power conversion circuit is formed of semiconductor modules (1 to 4), the multilevel power converter (20) includes: a capacitor (5) on the positive electrode side; a capacitor (6) on the negative electrode side; an AC bus (L1); a capacitor bus (L2); a positive electrode bus (L3); and a negative electrode bus (L4), and the semiconductor modules (1 to 4) are arranged such that the inductance in a communication loop is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yosuke Fujii
  • Patent number: 10879794
    Abstract: A dc-dc controller is provided. The dc-dc controller includes a current sensing pin, a zero-current comparator, a comparison circuit and a threshold adjustment circuit. The current sensing pin is coupled to an output stage to receive a current sensing signal related to the output current. The zero-current comparator is coupled to the current sensing pin, and receives the current sensing signal and a first preset value to provide a zero-current signal. The comparison circuit is coupled to the zero-current comparator and the current sensing pin, and compares the current sensing signal with a second preset value to provide an adjustment signal. The threshold adjustment circuit is coupled to the comparison circuit and the zero-current comparator, and generates the first preset value according to the adjustment signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: uPI Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Chih-Lien Chang, Min-Rui Lai
  • Patent number: 10848142
    Abstract: A protection device includes a dynamic gate bias circuit and an input pass switch. The dynamic gate bias circuit comprises an input pass switch configured to receive a first input and a first control signal; a voltage level shifter coupled to the input pass switch; a current mirror coupled to the voltage level shifter at a first node; a regulator coupled to the current mirror at a second node; and a transistor coupled to the first node, wherein the transistor is configured to receive a second control signal from the first node and to receive the first input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kemal Safak Demirci, Shanmuganand Chellamuthu
  • Patent number: 10838478
    Abstract: A power system includes a power controller, an input power module for receiving AC power from a wall mains, a power driver electrically connected to the input power module to receive the AC power from the input power module, convert the AC power to low and medium voltage DC power, and selectively output the low or medium DC power under the control of power controller, and an output power module for providing DC power to a charging track with exposed electrical contacts along an upper surface. The power controller includes a microcontroller unit having software embedded therein to implement a control application that includes a main function loop, including a state machine operable to cycle through dither task states and drive states to test conditions of the power system and the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Bretford Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Shankar Eswaran, Senthilkumar Vaiyapuri
  • Patent number: 10826405
    Abstract: According to an aspect of this disclosure, a circuit includes a voltage source and an output load, first and second resonant modules disposed between the voltage source and the output load, and first and second transformers. The circuit is further arranged such that the first transformer is disposed between the first resonant module and the output load, and the second transformer is disposed between the second resonant module and the output load. The circuit also includes a plurality of half-bridges coupled between the first and second resonant modules and the voltage source. The circuit further includes a voltage divider disposed between the voltage source and the plurality of half-bridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: ABB Power Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sandeep Bala, Liming Liu, Jing Xu
  • Patent number: 10811955
    Abstract: System and method for protecting a power converter. An example system controller for protecting a power converter includes a signal generator, a comparator, and a modulation and drive component. The signal generator is configured to generate a threshold signal. The comparator is configured to receive the threshold signal and a current sensing signal and generate a comparison signal based on at least information associated with the threshold signal and the current sensing signal, the current sensing signal indicating a magnitude of a primary current flowing through a primary winding of a power converter. The modulation and drive component is coupled to the signal generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chao Yao, Yunchao Zhang, Yuan Lin, Zhiqiang Sun, Lieyi Fang