Patents Examined by Kyle J Moody
  • Patent number: 12093064
    Abstract: A low-dropout linear regulator regulates a supply voltage and includes a voltage-to-frequency circuit producing a pulse chain with a frequency based on an error voltage. A charge pump circuit receives the pulse chain and switching one or more charge pumps based on the pulse chain. A current mirror circuit is connected to the charge pump circuit and includes a first diode-connected metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor, and a second MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the supply voltage, a second terminal providing an output, and a gate connected to the gate of the first MOS transistor. The output is fed back to the voltage-to-frequency circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Alexander Heubi
  • Patent number: 12095374
    Abstract: A system for controlling a skip mode of a switching power supply and a PWM controller are provided. The system includes a feedback signal detection circuit configured to detect an output voltage of the switching power supply and generate a feedback signal related to the output voltage; a primary winding sampling circuit coupled with a primary winding of the switching power supply and configured to sample a sampling voltage of the primary winding; a skip mode soft control circuit configured to receive the feedback signal and output an electrical signal; and a comparison circuit configured to determine a threshold for the sampling voltage, where the skip mode is activated when the feedback signal is greater than a soft activation voltage threshold, and the skip mode is pre-exited when the feedback signal is less than a predetermined voltage threshold and greater than a soft exit voltage threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: BCD SHANGHAI MICRO-ELECTRONICS COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Andong Zhao, Bo Chen, Guanghui He, Cong Zou, Sen Dou, Zheng Ying, Yizhong Xie
  • Patent number: 12088202
    Abstract: A buck-boost converter includes a voltage input terminal, a voltage output terminal, a first switch, a second switch, an inductor, a third switch, and an auxiliary capacitor. The first switch includes a first terminal coupled to the voltage input terminal, and a second terminal. The second switch includes a first terminal coupled to the voltage output terminal, and a second terminal. The inductor is coupled between the second terminal of the first switch and the second terminal of the second switch. The third switch includes a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second switch, and a second terminal. The auxiliary capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the third switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Stefan Alexander Reithmaier, Johann Erich Bayer, Rüdiger Ganz
  • Patent number: 12088183
    Abstract: An electrical system may include an electronic control unit (ECU), a load driver connected to the ECU and configured to selectively provide a first electrical connection between a power source and a load, and/or a secondary power circuit connected to the ECU and configured to selectively provide a second electrical connection between said power source and said load. The secondary power circuit may include a wake-up circuit including a wake-up circuit switch, a trigger circuit including a trigger circuit switch, a sensing circuit including a sensing circuit switch; a switching circuit including a switching circuit switch; and/or a disable circuit connected to the ECU. The ECU may be configured to control the disable circuit to selectively open the switching circuit switch. The disable circuit may include a first disable circuit switch connected to ground and a second disable circuit switch connected to the switching circuit switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Lorenzo Blasco Gonzalez, Fernando Gallego
  • Patent number: 12088196
    Abstract: A power expanding apparatus for three-phase LLC circuit is disclosed, which includes full-bridge switching networks, resonant networks, transformer networks, and rectifying networks. A primary side of a first transformer network is connected with an input voltage sequentially through a first resonant network and a first full-bridge switching network, a secondary side of the first transformer network is connected with a load through a first rectifying network; a primary side of a second transformer network is connected with the input voltage sequentially through a second resonant network and a second full-bridge switching network, and a secondary side of the second transformer network is connected with the load through a second rectifying network. Secondary sides of two transformer units in the first transformer network are in star-type connection with a secondary side of one transformer unit in the second transformer network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: SHENZHEN UUGREENPOWER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaoliang Guo, Jianguo Bai, Zhenghai Wan, Likuan Deng
  • Patent number: 12081109
    Abstract: A control circuit for a switching converter having a main power switch and an auxiliary power switch, where the control circuit is configured to: charge and discharge a junction capacitor of the main power switch during a turn-off period of the main power switch; and adjust a conduction time of the auxiliary power switch according to a difference between the charged and discharged charge levels across the junction capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Hongbin Lai, Jianxin Wang
  • Patent number: 12081122
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a switching converter includes: a switching stage configured to receive a direct current input voltage, receive a driving signal for driving the switching stage, and provide a direct current output voltage according to the input voltage and the driving signal; a driving stage configured to provide the driving signal to the switching stage; a current sensing circuit configure to sense an output current provided by the switching stage; and a voltage generation circuit configured to generate at least one supply voltage for powering the driving stage, and adjust the at least one supply voltage according to the output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Niccolo′ Brambilla, Sandro Rossi, Valeria Bottarel, Alessandro Nicolosi
  • Patent number: 12074528
    Abstract: A secondary-side-controller for a QR flyback converter and method for operating the same are provided. Generally, the secondary-side-controller includes a driver configured to control a power-switch (PS) on a primary side of converter to turn on the PS when a sinusoidal input voltage to the converter is at one of a plurality of valleys, an analog-to-digital-converter (ADC) to read the input voltage, output voltage, and load current, and generate digital signals based thereon. A valley-controller coupled to the driver, ADC, a look-up-table and a pulse width modulator (PWM) receives the signals from the ADC and using the look-up-table determines at which valley of the plurality of valleys to couple a PWM signal from the PWM to the driver. The valley-controller is operable for each switching cycle of the PS to increment, decrement or leave unchanged the valley at which the PWM signal is coupled from the PWM to the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Pulkit Shah, Arun Khamesra, Hariom Rai, Aniket Shashikant Mathad, Kailas Narayana Iyer
  • Patent number: 12074209
    Abstract: An overcurrent fault detector using a High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) operated by a gate driver is disclosed. The overcurrent fault detector includes a band-pass filter and a control circuit. The band-pass filter is configured to receive gate-to-source voltage (VGS) signals of the HEMT and filter the VGS signals to generate a band-limited version of the VGS signals. The control circuit is configured to measure a value of the band-limited version of the VGS signals, determine if the value is greater than a threshold value, and generate a fault signal that disables the gate driver and terminates an overcurrent fault condition in response to determining that the value is greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Xiaoqing Song, Utkarsh Raheja, Pietro Cairoli, Jing Xu
  • Patent number: 12074534
    Abstract: There is provided methods and apparatus configured to provide electrical converter control parameters, the apparatus comprising: a Structured H-infinity tuning module configured to determine one or more control parameters, for a model of an electrical converter control system and grid, based on variation of one or more grid parameters; and an output module configured to provide the one or more control parameters for implementation in the electrical converter control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Power Nova Technology Limited
    Inventors: Masoud Bazargan, Sajjad Fekriasl, Sean Kelly, Andre Paulo Canelhas
  • Patent number: 12074538
    Abstract: A power converter includes a connection path electrically connecting a negative side of a first rechargeable battery, a positive side of a second rechargeable battery electrically connected in series with the first rechargeable battery, and a neutral point of windings of a rotating electric machine. The power converter further includes a control unit configured to perform switching control of an upper-arm switch and a lower-arm switch for each phase in order to transfer energy between the first and second rechargeable batteries by conducting current between the first and second rechargeable batteries via an inverter, the windings, and the connection path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Iyasu, Syusei Nishimura, Atsushi Fukaya
  • Patent number: 12068696
    Abstract: Operation of a switching power converter, such as to reduce voltage spikes on the secondary side of switching power converters. One example is a method of operating a switching power converter, the method comprising: sensing, by a controller of a switching power converter, a strength-selection signal; and driving, by the controller within a plurality of switching cycles, a control input of a primary electrically-controlled switch, the driving in each switching cycle at a drive strength based on the strength-selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ajay Karthik Hari, Alan David Finkel
  • Patent number: 12068682
    Abstract: Uncompensated upper and lower reference-currents are generated for first and second branches of a high-frequency half-bridge within an interleaved-totem-pole PFC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Sebastiano Messina, Marco Torrisi
  • Patent number: 12068689
    Abstract: A power converter device is provided. A feedback circuit outputs a comparison output signal. A phase-locked loop circuit provides a phase-locked signal according to a reference clock signal and an inductor voltage in a power converter circuit. An on-time circuit provides an on-time comparing signal according to the phase-locked signal, an input voltage, the inductor voltage and an output voltage of the power converter circuit. A first input terminal of an SR flip-flop receives the on-time comparing signal from the on-time circuit. A second input terminal of the SR flip-flop receives the comparison output signal from the feedback circuit. A frequency control circuit, according to changes in the input voltage and the output voltage of the power converter circuit, instantaneously adjusts the on-time of the on-time signal such that an output terminal of the SR flip-flop outputs the adjusted on-time signal to the power converter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jen-Chien Hsieh, Tsung-Yu Wu
  • Patent number: 12062977
    Abstract: An electrical conversion apparatus for use in current shaping comprising at least two capacitors connected in series between first and second lines, a first diode connected in parallel across the first capacitor, a second diode connected in parallel across the second capacitor, and a constant current device connected in series with the first and second capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Pulsiv Limited
    Inventor: Mohammed Ahmed
  • Patent number: 12061493
    Abstract: A low power hybrid reverse (LPHR) bandgap reference (BGR) and digital temperature sensor (DTS) or a digital thermometer, which utilizes subthreshold metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor and the PNP parasitic Bi-polar Junction Transistor (BJT) device to form a reverse BGR that serves as the base for configurable BGR or DTS operating modes. The LPHR architecture uses low-cost MOS transistors and the standard parasitic PNP device. Based on a reverse bandgap voltage, the LPHR can work as a configurable BGR. By comparing the configurable BGR with the scaled base-emitter voltage, the circuit can also perform as a DTS with a linear transfer function with single-temperature trim for high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: You Li, David Duarte, Yongping Fan
  • Patent number: 12062973
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) for controlling a power converter. The IC includes a controller that, in a first sensing period, enables a sensing circuit of the power converter and electrically connects an output node of an op amp of the sensing circuit and a first node of a capacitor of the sensing circuit, creating a first voltage across the capacitor; in a period between the first sensing period and a second sensing period, disables the sensing circuit and disconnects the output node of the op amp and the first node of the capacitor to maintain the first voltage across the capacitor; and in the second sensing period, enables the sensing circuit and connects the output node of the op amp and the first node of the capacitor, the maintained first voltage across the capacitor reducing a settling time for the enabled sensing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventors: Tim Wen Hui Yu, Gregory Szczeszynski
  • Patent number: 12062995
    Abstract: Described embodiments include a rectifier circuit comprising a first resistor with first and second resistor terminals, and a second resistor with third and fourth resistor terminals. The first and third resistor terminals are coupled to an auxiliary power terminal. A current source is coupled between the second resistor terminal and a ground terminal. An amplifier has a first amplifier input coupled to the second resistor terminal, and a second amplifier input coupled to the fourth resistor terminal. A first transistor is coupled between the fourth resistor terminal and a damping terminal, and has a first control terminal coupled to the first amplifier output. A gate drive circuit has an input coupled to the damping terminal. A second transistor is coupled between the damping terminal and a bootstrap supply terminal, and has a second control terminal coupled to an output of the gate drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Michael Lueders, Cetin Kaya, Johan Strydom, Paul Brohlin
  • Patent number: 12062983
    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 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Pacific Energy Inc.
    Inventors: David Md Kim, Philip Edmund Schaefer, German Rafael Nielsen Lopez, Matthew Jordan Serrano
  • Patent number: 12057784
    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 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventors: Stanley Buchert, Uwe Waltrich