Patents Examined by Kevin H Sprenger
  • Patent number: 10511227
    Abstract: The present disclosure is made in order to reduce inaccuracy of current sensors. A fuel cell system includes a converter configured to convert output voltage of the fuel cell, and a current sensor including a preliminarily magnetized magnetic core and configured to measure current flowing in the converter from the fuel cell. A controller operates in a first driving mode in which a maximum current value in a target circuit of current measurement by the current sensor is lower than a current value for preliminary magnetization of the magnetic core, and a second driving mode in which the maximum current value in the target circuit is higher than the maximum current value in the target circuit in the first driving mode. When an accumulated temperature value of the current sensor in the first driving mode exceeds a threshold, the second driving mode is executed, followed by the first driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Tano, Takahiro Umehara
  • Patent number: 10505453
    Abstract: An AC capable power amplifier arrangement is realized that includes a buck converter with a power inductor, two buck switches, and alternately a buck-boost converter using four switches, each driving an output polarity steering set of four switches. The polarity steering switches convey the converter output current to output terminals that connect to a load with a capacitor connected in parallel. A differential receiver is connected to the output terminals to provide negative feedback. A mixer receives an input voltage signal, an output of the differential receiver, and output from a triangle wave generator. A set of two comparators for buck amplifier conversion, or four comparators for buck-boost amplifier conversion, each receives an output of the mixer. Each of the comparators produces a respective output for driving the converter switches through simple steering logic interfaces between the comparators, the converter components and a polarity steering output stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Richard Dennis Fay, Jerry Alan Rathje
  • Patent number: 10491130
    Abstract: A power converter may comprise a magnetic core, a transformer primary winding configured to generate a magnetic field in the magnetic core, and a transformer secondary winding matrix. The transformer secondary winding matrix may comprise a plurality of secondary windings configurable between various electrical connections relative to one another (e.g., in series or in parallel) to adjust a voltage conversion ratio of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Futrell, Mustansir Kheraluwala, Christopher J Courtney, John Duward Sagona
  • Patent number: 10491132
    Abstract: A control circuit for converting an unbalanced grid voltage into a DC voltage is provided. The control circuit includes a controller having a voltage detection module, a first transformation module, a level shift module, and a second transformation module. The voltage detection module provides voltage component values indicating the voltage in each phase of a three-phase AC power supply. The first transformation module converts the voltage component values from a stationary reference frame into reference voltage signals in a rotating reference frame using a Clarke-Park transform. The level shift module compensates the reference voltage signals to simulate a balanced three-phase AC voltage. The second transformation module converts the compensated reference voltage signals from the rotating reference frame to the stationary reference frame using an inverse Clarke-Park transform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: HELLA GmbH & Co., KGaA
    Inventors: Philip Michael Johnson, Alan Wayne Brown
  • Patent number: 10483838
    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: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chao Yao, Yunchao Zhang, Yuan Lin, Zhiqiang Sun, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 10454365
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus and a method for controlling PWM switching frequency that employ a negate PWM scheme to thereby increase PWM switching frequency, improve control responsiveness, and reduce the size of the circuit. The apparatus includes: a power factor correction (PFC) converter configured to convert an AC voltage into a DC voltage, the converter comprising a transistor controlling an operation of the PFC converter and a current sensor for measuring an electric current flowing through the transistor; and a controller configured to receive an output from the current sensor and calculate a duty ratio of a switching signal applied to a gate terminal of the transistor. The controller applies the calculated duty ratio to the switching signal in an on-duty period of the switching signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Hyundai Autron Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Hwi Lim, Woo-Seok Shim, Hyun-Doo Hwang
  • Patent number: 10454374
    Abstract: A power supply includes: a power converter that converts an input voltage by switching at a switch and supplies an output voltage and an output current to an output terminal connected to a load; a current detector that detects the output current or a current that changes with the output current and outputs a current detection signal whose voltage value changes with the output current; a signal corrector that inputs and corrects the current detection signal and generates and outputs a corrected current detection signal whose voltage value corresponds to the value of the output current; a matching circuit that inputs the corrected current detection signal and outputs to a balanced terminal; and a controller that inputs the corrected current detection signal and a balanced voltage signal generated at the balanced terminal and controls switching operations of the switch to reduce a difference between the two signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Takegami, Tomokazu Ikarashi
  • Patent number: 10454388
    Abstract: A power inverter comprises a plurality of high power switching modules that form an alternating current (AC) output; a plurality of terminals in communication with the high power switching modules for outputting the AC output; a capacitor bank that provides a conditioned voltage to the high power switching modules for producing the AC output in response to receiving and storing electrical energy related to a direct current (DC) supply; and a case positioned over the high power switching modules. The capacitor bank is mounted to the case, and the capacitor bank is positioned over the high power switching modules so that the high power switching terminals are proximal the capacitor bank for reducing inductance. A gate driver module at a top region of the high power switching modules includes a plurality of planar transformers for reducing a distance between the capacitor bank and the gate driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: ATSE, LLC
    Inventors: Franklin B. Jones, Andrew I. Nehring, Daniel T. Jones, Robert A. Hummel, Eric D. Donahue
  • Patent number: 10418910
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an isolated switch-mode power supply, a control circuit and a control method thereof. The main power transistor and the synchronous rectifier transistor are connected respectively to the primary-side winding and secondary-side winding of the isolated switch-mode power supply. The voltage of the control terminal of the main power transistor starts to increase, the main power transistor is turned on gradually, the current flowing through the main power transistor starts to increase until reaches the predetermined current-limiting value; the current of the main power transistor is maintained at the current-limiting value by controlling the voltage of the control terminal of the main power transistor; the secondary-side synchronous rectifier transistor is turned off, the current of the main power transistor decreases from the current-limiting value to the normal operation value, and the main power transistor is completely in an ON condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: JOULWATT TECHNOLOGY (HANGZHOU)CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Pitleong Wong, Xunwei Zhou
  • Patent number: 10411589
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes a main capacitor to store therein DC power, and an inverter circuit to convert the DC power stored in the main capacitor to AC power. The main capacitor and a power semiconductor element that constitutes the inverter circuit are connected to each other by a P-side common wire through which a switching current flows. A switching-current shunt component is connected in parallel to the P-side common wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio Nakashima, Takayoshi Miki
  • Patent number: 10411459
    Abstract: A photovoltaic power generation system includes a plurality of photovoltaic arrays, a plurality of shutdown units and an inverter. The shutdown unit is adjacent to the corresponding photovoltaic array, connected in parallel with the corresponding photovoltaic array, and electrically connected to the inverter via high voltage wires; the photovoltaic power generation system further includes a control unit configured to receive a detection signal indicating a state of the AC side of the inverter, monitor whether the AC side of the inverter is in a power-off state according to the detection signal, and generate a first power-off signal when the AC side of the inverter is in the power-off state; and the shutdown units are configured to receive the first power-off signal, and stop a power transmission from the photovoltaic arrays to the inverter according to the first power-off signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xuancai Zhu, Bingwen Weng, Jianming Chen, Yafeng Liao, Jinfa Zhang
  • Patent number: 10411590
    Abstract: Provided is a power consumption reduction type power converter. For example, such a power converter includes a regulator configured to convert a power voltage into an operation power of a main integrated circuit (IC), a mode detecting pin configured to detect a voltage level of the operation power, wherein the detected voltage level indicates a disable mode or an enable mode, a mode signal output circuit connected to the mode detecting pin, configured to output a mode converting signal, and a switching controller configured to block or connect a power route according to the mode converting signal to supply or block the operation power from being provided to the main IC, wherein the mode detecting pin is connected to a first switch and a first capacitor to perform a charging or a discharging operation of the first capacitor according to a switching operation of the first switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: MagnaChip Semiconductor, Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhi Yuan Cui, In Ho Hwang, Young Gi Ryu, Tae Young Park, Sang Hoon Jeong
  • Patent number: 10396651
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor module including a semiconductor device and a control circuit unit controlling the semiconductor module. The semiconductor module has main and subsidiary semiconductor devices connected in parallel. The control circuit unit performs control such that the subsidiary semiconductor device is turned on after the main semiconductor device is turned on, and the main semiconductor device is turned off after the subsidiary semiconductor device is turned off. The control circuit unit performs control such that, one of the turn-on and turn-off switching timings has a switching speed faster than that of the other of the switching timings. The semiconductor module is configured such that, at a high-speed switching timing, an induction current directed to turn off the subsidiary semiconductor device is generated in a control terminal of the subsidiary semiconductor device depending on temporal change of a main current flowing to the main semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kengo Mochiki, Mitsunori Kimura, Hiroshi Shimizu, Yasuyuki Ohkouchi, Yuu Yamahira, Tetsuya Matsuoka, Kazuma Fukushima
  • Patent number: 10389108
    Abstract: An LLC resonant converter controller comprising an overcurrent protection circuit coupled to receive a current sense signal representative of current in a primary winding, wherein the overcurrent protection circuit outputs an overcurrent signal when the perturbed current sense signal is above a low threshold for a number of consecutive switching cycles. The LLC resonant converter controller further includes a control circuit coupled to generate a high side drive signal and a low side drive signal in response to a feedback signal representative of an output of an LLC resonant converter is further coupled to receive the overcurrent signal and is operable to disable switching of the first power switch and second power switch in response to the overcurrent signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Rajko Duvnjak
  • Patent number: 10367415
    Abstract: A power management module comprises one or more power converter chips that are mounted on a power management package substrate. First and second electrical contacts are disposed on opposing first and second sides of the power management package substrate. The power management module can be mounted on a processor module to supply power to one or more processor chips in the processor module. In one example, the processor chip(s) are mounted on a first side of a processor package substrate and the power management module is mounted on an opposing second side of the processor package substrate. The power management module and the processor module can be centered and aligned with respect to each other or they can be offset laterally from each other. In another embodiment, the power management module and the processor chip(s) are mounted on the same side of the processor package substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Ferric Inc.
    Inventors: Noah Sturcken, Ehsan Kalami, Joseph Meyer, Michael Lekas
  • Patent number: 10367426
    Abstract: The effect of decreasing the inductance, which cancels the recovery current generated upon the switching operation of the switching element, is enhanced. Provided are a circuit body which has first and second switching elements constituting upper and lower arm circuits and a conductor portions, a metal member, and a relay conductor portion which is arranged to face the metal member with the circuit body interposed therebetween and electrically connected to a terminal connected to any one of conductor portions. An eddy current is induced at the metal member and the relay conductor portion by the recovery current flowing through the conductor portions according to the switching operation of the first and second switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Tokuyama, Akira Matsushita, Ryuuichi Saitou
  • Patent number: 10361623
    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: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chao Yao, Yunchao Zhang, Yuan Lin, Zhiqiang Sun, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 10355596
    Abstract: A buck-boost converter and a method are presented. The buck-boost converter comprises an inductor, a buck converter, and a boost converter. The buck converter controls switches according to a buck duty cycle, whereas the boost converter controls switches according to a boost duty cycle. The converter contains a voltage feedback loop for regulating an output voltage of the converter. A buck comparator generates the buck duty cycle signal by comparing the error voltage with a ramp voltage. A boost comparator generates the boost duty cycle signal by comparing a boost error voltage with the ramp voltage, wherein the boost error voltage is indicative of a sum of the error voltage and an offset voltage and the boost ramp voltage is indicative of a sum of the ramp voltage and the offset voltage. There is a duty cycle feedback loop for adjusting the buck and boost duty cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventor: Frederic Choquet
  • Patent number: 10348197
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter with transient control. The DC-DC converter includes a power switching circuit, a current to voltage converter, a PI circuit 403, a voltage to current converter 404 and a logic and control circuit 405. The DC-DC converter obtains the transient information of a current flowing through the power switching circuit, to slow down the variation of the output voltage, so as to eliminate the overshot issue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Chao Liu, Lijie Jiang, Qian Ouyang, Xiaokang Wu
  • Patent number: 10348208
    Abstract: Herein is disclosed a control method suitable for a switching mode power supply. A power switch is controlled according to a clock signal to transfer electrical energy from an input power source to an output power source. A feedback signal is provided in response to an output voltage of the output power source. A clock signal is generated in response to the feedback signal and an input voltage of the input power source. The clock signal has a clock frequency determining a switching frequency of the power switch. When the feedback signal exceeds a relatively-high level, the clock frequency increases in response to decrease to the input voltage. When the feedback signal is below a relatively low level, the clock frequency is independent from the input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: LEADTREND TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ming Chang Tsou, Meng Jen Tsai