Patents Examined by Kyle J Moody
  • 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: 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: 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: 11831245
    Abstract: A direct-current voltage is applied to a series circuit composed of a switching transistor, a sense resistor, and a coil. A control circuit is configured to be capable of performing current control in which the control circuit, after turning on the switching transistor, determines a turn-off time point of the switching transistor based on a sense voltage appearing across the sense resistor, and to turn off the switching transistor during the current control if, despite a predetermined time having passed after the switching transistor being turned on, the sense voltage does not reach a predetermined threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Hara
  • Patent number: 11817790
    Abstract: A flyback converter is provided that includes a high-side synchronous rectifier switch transistor. A secondary-side synchronous rectifier controller powered by a power supply voltage controls a cycling on and off of the high-side synchronous rectifier switch transistor. An active control of the charging of the power supply voltage uses an auxiliary capacitor that is charged from a charge source while a power switch transistor in a first switching state. When the power switch transistor is in a second switching state that is the complement of the first switching state, the active control coupes the auxiliary capacitor to a power supply capacitor that stores the power supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Guang Feng, Pengju Kong, Xiyuan Liu, Qingqing Zong
  • Patent number: 11817792
    Abstract: A switching-type regulation driver includes a transformer, a controller, a synchronous rectifier and a drive control module. The drive control module is connected to the synchronous rectifier and the non-dotted terminal of the secondary winding respectively, and is used to detect a target parameter of a voltage across both power ends of the synchronous rectifier when the synchronous rectifier disconnects the conductive path between the non-dotted terminal of the secondary winding and the reference ground. When it is detected that the target parameter of the voltage across both power ends of the synchronous rectifier meets a preset condition, the controller controls a switching action of the first transistor so that the primary winding transmits power to the secondary winding. According to the present disclosure, the pre-stage chip may be matched with to realize a function of dynamic acceleration, and the dependence on the output pin may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: JOULWATT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhiyong Su, Xiangyong Xu
  • Patent number: 11804770
    Abstract: An example a circuit for controlling a power converter comprises a first power domain circuit including a first control circuit and a first driver circuit, wherein the first control circuit controls the first driver circuit to drive a first semiconductor device, wherein a second power domain circuit includes a second control circuit and a second driver circuit. The first control circuit is configured to receive a control signal for controlling the second driver circuit to drive a second semiconductor device; and identify, based on the control signal, a future electrical characteristic of a second power domain output of the power converter. Additionally, the first control circuit is configured to determine, based on the future electrical characteristic of the second power domain output of the power converter, whether to adjust one or more control parameters for controlling the first driver circuit to drive the first semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Markus Winkler, Marco Bachhuber, Marcus Nuebling, Matthias Weinmann
  • Patent number: 11804778
    Abstract: A direct-current (DC)-DC converter includes a converting circuit including an inductor element. The converting circuit is configured to generate an output voltage from an input voltage based on a switching operation. An inductor current emulator is configured to adjust at least one parameter for changing a current peak value of the inductor element in response to a change in a level of the input voltage and is configured to generate an internal voltage based on the at least one parameter, which is adjusted. The inductor current emulator is configured to generate a control signal for controlling the switching operation such that current of the inductor element has a pattern corresponding to a pattern of the internal voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Korea University Research and Business Foundation
    Inventors: Sungmin Yoo, Taehwang Kong, Sangho Kim, Junhyeok Yang, Hyungmin Lee, Yunho Lee, Woojoong Jung
  • Patent number: 11804774
    Abstract: Voltage converter systems and methods are described. One aspect includes extracting energy from one or more data lines. A feedback voltage is derived from the extracted energy. Responsive to the value of the feedback voltage being less than a reference voltage value, a waveform modulation controller is switched to a pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) mode. Subsequent to switching the waveform modulation controller to the PFM mode, additional energy is extracted from the one or more digital data lines. Another feedback voltage is derived from the additional extracted energy. Responsive to the value of other feedback voltage being greater than the reference voltage value, the waveform modulation controller is further switched from the PFM mode to a pulse-skipping modulation (PSM) mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: WINGCOMM Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuang Sun, Yun Bai, Wei Mao, Zuodong Wang
  • Patent number: 11804784
    Abstract: A circuit for use in an LLC converter comprises a first primary side switch, a first secondary side switch assembly, and a controller. The controller is configured to measure, on the primary side of the LLC converter, a first voltage and determine, based on the first voltage, a delay due to the first voltage. The controller is also configured to apply a first gate voltage to the first primary side switch to transition the first primary side switch from an off state to an on state and apply a second gate voltage to the first secondary side switch assembly to transition the first secondary side switch assembly from an off state to an on state. The application of the first gate voltage and the application of the second gate voltage are separated by a synchronous rectifier delay based at least on the delay due to the first voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: AES Global Holdings PTE Ltd.
    Inventors: Jonathan Ross Bernardo Fauni, Jessica Magsino
  • 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 11791706
    Abstract: The present invention relates a low power control device using a sleep timer, and more particularly, to a low power control device using a controllable sleep timer which disables each component of a circuit while discharging an output voltage Vo using a control signal of a sleep timer in which a width of an OFF signal is larger than a width of an ON signal in a light load state and sequentially enables each component of the circuit while charging the output voltage in a predetermined order to minimize power consumption according to a loading level of a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: POWER LSI CO.LTD
    Inventors: Won Tae Lee, Won Ji Lee, Chang Sik Shin, Chuen Sik Jung, Gyu Won Lee
  • Patent number: 11791704
    Abstract: A control method of a switching circuit, a control circuit of the switching circuit and the switching circuit are provided. The control circuit includes a slope buffer and a first operational amplifier. The slope buffer receives a first voltage reference, and controls slopes of a rising edge and a falling edge to generate a second voltage reference. The first operational amplifier receives an output feedback voltage and a reference voltage, and performs an operational amplification to obtain a compensation voltage. When the first voltage reference has the falling edge, the reference voltage is coupled to the first voltage reference through a first switch, and the second voltage reference is coupled to an output voltage through a second switch. When the first voltage reference has the rising edge, the reference voltage is coupled to the second voltage reference through a third switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: JOULWATT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yin Zhou, Aimin Xu