Patents Examined by Kyle J Moody
  • Patent number: 12015346
    Abstract: A DC-DC boost converter includes an inductor coupled between an input voltage and an input node, a diode coupled between the input node and an output node, and an output capacitor coupled between the output node and ground such that an output voltage is formed across the output capacitor. A switch selectively couples the input node to ground in response to a drive signal. Control loop circuitry includes an error amplifier to generate an analog error voltage based upon a comparison of a feedback voltage to a reference voltage, the feedback voltage being indicative of the output voltage, a quantizer to quantize the analog error voltage to produce a digital error signal, and a drive voltage generation circuit to generate the drive signal as having a duty cycle based upon the digital error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Andrea Barbieri, Aldo Vidoni, Marco Zamprogno
  • Patent number: 12009745
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a controller that monitors an error voltage indicating a difference between an output voltage and a setpoint voltage. Based on the monitored error voltage, the controller generates modulation adjustment signals including a frequency adjustment signal and an ON-time adjustment signal. The controller generates a pulse width modulation signal of a first power supply phase in accordance with both the frequency modulation adjustment signal and the ON-time adjustment signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Venkat Sreenivas, Bikiran Goswami, Benjamim Tang, Todd Bellefeuille, Kang Peng
  • Patent number: 12003181
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a buck DC/DC converter, a controller thereof and controlling method thereof, and an electronic device. A pulse modulator generates a pulse modulation signal such that an output of the buck DC/DC converter is pulse-modulated to approach a target state. An overcurrent detection circuit compares a low-side current flowing through a low-side transistor with a predetermined overcurrent threshold value to generate an overcurrent detection signal that is asserted when the low-side current is greater than the overcurrent threshold value. (i) In a first mode, the control pulse that is input to the driver circuit corresponds to the pulse modulation signal, and (ii) in a second mode, the control pulse takes a second level for a period during which the overcurrent detection signal is asserted and takes a first level during a fixed on time after the overcurrent detection signal is negated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Ishino
  • Patent number: 11996765
    Abstract: A current limit control circuit and a switched-mode power supply chip incorporating the current limit control circuit are disclosed. The current limit control circuit includes an output current sampling module, a first voltage comparator module, a hysteresis comparator module, a logic control module, a capacitor charging/discharging module and a current limit control module. The capacitor charging/discharging module is configured to charge/discharge a capacitor and thus change its output voltage, and the hysteresis comparator module is configured to produce a current limit control signal which allows the switched-mode power supply to output a high current for a specified period of time. Upon elapse of the period, the power transistor is controlled to cause a low current to be output. This ensures that the demand of a load for a transient current is satisfied while ensuring safe and stable operation of the chip for a long time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: SHANGHAI XINLONG SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Ruiping Li, Jinlong Xu, Bin Liu, Wei Chi
  • Patent number: 11996777
    Abstract: A control circuit for an electronic converter is generates a drive signal of the electronic converter by setting the drive signal to a first logic level in response to a switch-on signal, and to a second logic level in response to a switch-off signal. The control circuit comprises a valley detection circuit and a combinational logic circuit. The control circuit comprises a blanking circuit configured to generate the blanking signal by determining a blanking time, and asserting the blanking signal when the blanking time elapses since the start of the switch-on or the switch-off interval. The control circuit comprises a blanking time adaption circuit to adapt the blanking time as a function of a blanking time adaption signal based on the input voltage, and to increase the blanking time when the input voltage increases, and decrease the blanking time when the input voltage decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventor: Fabio Cacciotto
  • Patent number: 11990848
    Abstract: A power converter provides a low-voltage output using a full-bridge fault-tolerant rectification circuit. The output circuit uses controlled switches as rectifiers. A fault detection circuit monitors circuit conditions. Upon detection of a fault, the switches are disabled decoupling the power converter from the system. A common-source dual MOSFET device includes a plurality of elements arranged in alternating patterns on a semiconductor die. A common-source dual synchronous rectifier includes control circuitry powered from the drain to source voltage of the complementary switch. A DC-to-DC transformer converts power from an input source to a load using a fixed voltage transformation ratio. A clamp phase may be used to reduce power losses in the converter at light loads, control the effective output resistance of the converter, effectively regulate the voltage transformation ratio, provide narrow band output regulation, and control the rate of change of output voltage for example during start up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Vicor Corporation
    Inventor: Patrizio Vinciarelli
  • Patent number: 11979095
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a power conversion device capable of specifying a failure location of an inverter in detail when an attempt of active discharge fails. There are provided an arithmetic operation circuit 102 that outputs a discharge instruction to control a discharge operation based on a voltage between both ends of a discharge circuit, and an output circuit 203 that outputs a drive signal based on the control signal. The arithmetic operation circuit 102 monitors an amount of the decreased voltage between both the ends of the discharge circuit, an LV read back signal being an output of the arithmetic operation circuit 102, and an HV read back signal being an output of the output circuit 203, and specifies a failure location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Murayama, Takeshi Yoshida, Takahiro Nishida, Itsuro Nomura
  • Patent number: 11979088
    Abstract: A power conversion system comprises a power converter configured to convert an input voltage to an output voltage. The power converter comprises an inductor, at least one power switch coupled to the inductor, a feedback circuit, and a controller. The power converter is configured to generate a sensed output voltage based on the output voltage, provide a feedback signal based on a relationship of the sensed output voltage with a reference voltage, and adjust the reference voltage from a first value to a second value after the sensed output voltage has exceeded the first value. The controller is coupled to the at least one power switch and to the feedback circuit and configured to control the at least one power switch to generate the output voltage based on the feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Corpuz
  • Patent number: 11976376
    Abstract: Systems, methods and power converters are disclosed to provide regulated individual DC output signals to anode structures using a PWM inverter to generate a first AC signal, a sinewave filter to provide a filtered AC signal, a multiphase isolation transformer to provide a plurality of isolated AC signals, a multi-pulse diode bridge rectifier to provide a DC rectifier output signal, an output filter to provide a filtered DC rectifier output signal, and a blocking diode to provide the filtered DC rectifier output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolay N. Guskov, Gary L. Skibinski, Zhijun Liu, William John Sarver
  • Patent number: 11973439
    Abstract: Between positive and negative electrode ends of battery 50, fuse 51, main contactor 52 and electrolytic capacitor C21 are connected in series. Between positive and negative electrode ends of electrolytic capacitor C21, inverter 54 in which upper phase side EFT (54U, 54V, 54W) and lower phase side FET (54X, 54Y, 54Z) are bridge-connected is connected. Resistor R1 for precharging electrolytic capacitor C21 is connected to main contactor 52 in parallel. The resistance value of resistor R1 is set so that in a precharging period until a key switch is turned on after battery 50 is connected, when the upper phase side FET is OFF-controlled and the lower phase side EFT is ON-controlled, the charge voltage value of electrolytic capacitor C21 is set to be able to limit a gate-source voltage of the upper phase side FET to a voltage at which the upper phase side FET is not turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: MEIDENSHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuji Suzuki, Yoshihito Kumamoto, Takanori Wakamatsu
  • Patent number: 11973424
    Abstract: Described herein is a spur-free technique for a switching regulator. The switching regulator may self-adaptively reduce the spur of the output voltage without affecting performance of the switching frequency, The switching regulator may track a coil current and may use an active feedback loop to adaptively generate an artificial coil current, which tracks an amplitude of the coil current but having opposite phase. The artificial coil current may then be injected into an output node to cancel the coil current ripple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Jingwen Mao, Zhijie Zhu
  • Patent number: 11967905
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first circuit path including a series combination of a primary winding of a transformer and a first secondary winding of the transformer and a second circuit path including a second secondary winding of the transformer. The primary winding of the transformer is magnetically coupled to the first and second secondary windings of the transformer and the primary winding of the transformer is detachably coupled to each of the first and second secondary windings of the transformer. The primary winding of the transformer is operative to generate a portion of an output current based on energy received from the primary winding of the transformer, and the second secondary winding of the transformer is operative to generate a remaining portion of the output current based on energy received from the second secondary winding of the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Flex Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikael H Appelberg
  • Patent number: 11967889
    Abstract: A bootstrap circuit unit of a DC-DC converter applies, to a drive unit, a voltage that is higher than that at a first connection point between switching elements in a first conversion operation, and applies, to the drive unit, a voltage that is higher than that at a second connection point between switching elements in a second conversion operation. A charge-pump circuit unit steps up an input voltage and applies the resulting voltage to the drive unit. The drive unit sets the voltage of a first drive signal and a second drive signal according to a voltage applied by the bootstrap circuit unit or a voltage applied by the charge-pump circuit unit. The charge-pump circuit unit determines the operation timing at which the charge-pump circuit unit is to apply the output voltage, based on the first and second voltage, and the first and second power supply unit charging signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd., Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Aizawa
  • Patent number: 11966349
    Abstract: An electromagnetic connector is disclosed that is configured to form a first magnetic circuit portion comprising a first core member and a first coil disposed of the first core member. The electromagnetic connector is configured to mate with a second electromagnetic connector, where the second electromagnetic connector is configured to form a second magnetic circuit portion comprising a second core member and a second coil disposed of the second core member. The first core member and the second core member are configured to couple the first coil to the second coil with a magnetic circuit formed from the first magnetic circuit portion and the second magnetic circuit portion when the electromagnetic connector is mated with the second electromagnetic connector. The magnetic circuit is configured to induce a signal in the first coil when the second coil is energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert Rooyakkers, James G. Calvin
  • Patent number: 11967839
    Abstract: An electromagnetic connector is disclosed that is configured to form a first magnetic circuit portion comprising multiple coils disposed about a first core member. The electromagnetic connector is configured to mate with a second electromagnetic connector that is configured to form a second magnetic circuit portion comprising a coil disposed about a second core member. When the electromagnetic connector is mated with the second electromagnetic connector, the first core member and the second core member are configured to couple the multiple coils of the electromagnetic connector to the coil of the second electromagnetic connector with a magnetic circuit formed from the first magnetic circuit portion and the second magnetic circuit portion. The magnetic circuit is configured to induce a signal in a first coil of the multiple coils and the coil of the second electromagnetic connector when a second coil of the multiple coils is energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: James G. Calvin, Albert Rooyakkers, Michael Koran
  • Patent number: 11962231
    Abstract: A control method and device of a voltage converter and a voltage control system are provided. In some embodiments, the control device includes a first control module configured to obtain a current reference value according to an output voltage of a voltage converter and a given voltage value; a current modulation module configured to reduce the current reference value when an output current of a voltage converter is greater than a first current threshold; and a second control module configured to control the output current of a voltage converter according to the reduced current reference value and an output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Jiangsu Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited
    Inventors: Weichen He, Jinfeng Gao, Zhimin Dan, Yizhen Hou
  • Patent number: 11962238
    Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable electronic control unit capable of improving responsiveness of an output current of a switching power supply to load current variation and suppressing power supply voltage variation accompanying the load current variation at low cost and with high power efficiency. Provided are: a calculation unit that performs signal processing; a first power supply circuit that supplies a first power supply voltage to the calculation unit; and a second power supply circuit that supplies a second power supply voltage to the first power supply circuit. The calculation unit has a function of outputting a control signal when a change in a consumed current of the calculation unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, and changes any one or both of a control scheme of the first power supply circuit and the second power supply voltage according to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigenobu Komatsu, Hideyuki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11955892
    Abstract: A system that includes a first transistor to provide a drive voltage to a coupled inductor is disclosed. The coupled inductor can receive the drive voltage and generate a voltage output. A second transistor can receive a switching voltage generated from the voltage output to isolate a load positionable downhole in a wellbore from a voltage source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Joachim Pihl, Rodrigo de Carvalho Mendez
  • Patent number: 11955890
    Abstract: A switching converter circuit for switching one end of an inductor therein between plural voltages according to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to convert an input voltage to an output voltage. The switching converter circuit has a driver circuit including a high side driver, a low side driver, a high side sensor circuit, and a low side sensor circuit. The high side sensor circuit is configured to sense a gate-source voltage of a high side metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), to generate a low side enable signal for enabling the low side driver to switch a low side MOSFET according to the PWM signal. The low side sensor circuit is configured to sense a gate-source voltage of a low side MOSFET, to generate a high side enable signal for enabling the high side driver to switch a high side MOSFET according to the PWM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ting-Wei Liao, Chien-Yu Chen, Kun-Huang Yu, Chien-Wei Chiu, Ta-Yung Yang
  • Patent number: 11955899
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for sensing resonant circuit signals to enhance control in a resonant converter are described herein. A buffer circuit coupled in parallel with or across a resonant component (e.g., a transformer) input port avails a buffered primary port signal for use in resonant conversion. The buffered primary port signal is a comprehensive signal including information relating to both input voltage and input power; and it may be used to advantageously enhance switching and power conversion in an inductor-inductor capacitor (LLC) converter. Additionally, the LLC converter uses a sense interface circuit to provide a scaled replica of the buffered primary port signal. In one example the scaled replica can advantageously be used with a secondary side controller to control output power based on the comprehensive information contained within the buffered primary port signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert J. Mayell, Hartley Fred Horwitz, Frank Joseph Schulz, Roger Colbeck