Patents Examined by Kyle J Moody
  • Patent number: 11750112
    Abstract: To achieve high density integration of components while securing an insulation distance between a bootstrap capacitor and an intelligent power module. In a printed wiring board, a region where a capacitor is mounted is located in a region where an intelligent power module is mounted. Therefore, the capacitor mounted on the printed wiring board is placed between the printed wiring board and the intelligent power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahide Fujiwara, Nobuyasu Hiraoka, Keito Kotera, Taku Itou, Masaki Kouno, Reiji Kawashima
  • Patent number: 11742777
    Abstract: A multi-level inverter having at least two banks, each bank containing a plurality of low voltage MOSFET transistors. A processor configured to switch the plurality of low voltage MOSFET transistors in each bank to switch at multiple times during each cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Ltd.
    Inventor: Ilan Yoscovich
  • Patent number: 11742743
    Abstract: A switching regulator clamping the power or ground of the power switch driver is introduced. In a buck regulator, the first power switch is coupled between the input terminal of the buck regulator and the first terminal of an inductor. The second terminal of the inductor is coupled to the output terminal of the buck regulator. The second power switch is coupled between the first terminal of the inductor and an internal ground of the buck regulator. There is a driver power clamp configured to clamp the power terminal of the driver of the second power switch when the first power switch is turned off. In a boost regulator, a driver power clamp is configured to clamp the ground terminal of the driver of the power switch that couples the input inductor to an output terminal of the boost regulator when another power switch is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Chien-Lung Lee, Jin-Yan Syu
  • Patent number: 11742769
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus and a synchronous rectification controller thereof are provided. At least one of a differentiation operation and an integration operation is performed on a drain voltage signal of a synchronous rectification transistor. According to at least one of a differential signal obtained by performing the differential operation and an integral signal obtained by performing the integral operation, it is determined whether to turn on the synchronous rectification transistor at the next time when the drain voltage signal is less than or equal to a turn-on threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Power Forest Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Chia-Hsien Liu
  • Patent number: 11742763
    Abstract: A power supply circuit generating an output voltage at a target level and applying the output voltage to a load. The power supply circuit includes a transformer including a primary coil, a secondary coil and an auxiliary coil, a transistor coupled to the primary coil, and a switching control circuit configured to control switching of the transistor based on a voltage from the auxiliary coil. The switching control circuit includes a determination circuit configured to determine whether to shift to a burst mode operation based on whether the load is a light load, and a burst control circuit. The burst control circuit has a clock circuit configured to measure a stop period during which the switching of the transistor is stopped in the burst mode operation, and a control circuit configured to, upon detecting that the stop period is longer than a first time period, perform control to decrease the stop period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11742742
    Abstract: A constant-current control device for a power supply including a primary side switch and a secondary winding includes a voltage waveform detector, configured to generate a discharging period signal within a time length when the secondary winding is discharging according to a first feedback voltage and a control voltage; and a constant-current controller, wherein an integrator of the constant-current controller is configured to receive one of a first current source and a second current source according to the discharging period signal and a current detecting voltage to generate an integrator result voltage, wherein the current detecting voltage is related to a secondary winding current value flowing through the secondary winding and the secondary winding current value is positively related to a secondary output current value of the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Ark Semiconductor Corp. Ltd.
    Inventors: Fong-Cheng Yang, Yi-Jung Tu
  • Patent number: 11736019
    Abstract: A signal generation circuit includes: a capacitor charged and discharged by a current proportional to an input voltage; a switch controlling charging and discharging of the capacitor based on an output signal of a comparator that compares a feedback voltage according to an output voltage and a predetermined first reference voltage; a reference voltage generation unit generating a second reference voltage that is generated by adding an offset voltage proportional to the input voltage to an output proportional voltage proportional to the output voltage; and a comparator comparing a terminal voltage of the capacitor and the second reference voltage, and generates an ON-time signal based on an output signal of the comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeki Otsuka, Naoto Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11735997
    Abstract: The upper arm drive circuit for controlling drive of the upper arm switching element of the power conversion device includes: a capacitor disposed between a gate of the upper switching element and the output terminal of the power conversion device; a reverse current prevention circuit that is disposed between a power supply of the power conversion device and the capacitor, and that makes a current flow from a first terminal side of the reverse current prevention circuit connected to the power supply side to a second terminal side of the reverse current prevention circuit connected to the capacitor side and prevents a reverse current from flowing from the second terminal side to the first terminal side; and a switching element for capacitor charging that is turned ON in synchronization with a command signal that turns the upper arm switching element ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Iesaka, Kenji Sakurai, Tomoya Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11735999
    Abstract: An inverter casing and a connection structure of an inverter and a junction box are provided. The inverter casing includes an upper casing with an inner side that is provided with a cavity for accommodating a circuit board, and an upper surface that is provided with a junction recess for accommodating a junction box that is fixedly installed in the junction recess. Moreover, a bottom part of the junction recess is provided with an elastic protrusion for connecting a high-voltage protection device, and two incoming terminals. The elastic protrusion cooperates with a knockout pin on the junction box for high-voltage power-off protection, and the two incoming terminals are connected with external cables via the junction box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: JING-JIN ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xiang Zhao, Hao Zhang, Gabriel Gallegos Lopez
  • Patent number: 11728736
    Abstract: A flyback converter includes a synchronous rectifier switch transistor controlled by a controller. The controller cycles the synchronous rectifier switch transistor to lower an output voltage by transferring energy from a secondary-side output capacitor to a primary-side input capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Pengju Kong, Tao Li, Jiaji Qi, Zhi Yang, Jianming Yao
  • Patent number: 11726510
    Abstract: Systems and methods as described herein may take a variety of forms. In an example, a circuit includes a first voltage stepdown module and a second voltage stepdown module. The first voltage stepdown module has a supply voltage and a first reference voltage as inputs, and an intermediate stepped down voltage as an output, the intermediate stepped down voltage being electrically coupled to a feedback input of the first voltage stepdown module. The second voltage stepdown module includes a low-dropout voltage regulator having the intermediate stepped down voltage and a second reference voltage as inputs and a target voltage as an output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Bindu Madhavi Kasina, Szu-Chun Tsao, Jaw-Juinn Horng
  • Patent number: 11722063
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device that includes a switch terminal; a ground terminal; an output switch connected between the switch terminal and the ground terminal and configured to be switchable between a first on-resistance value and a second on-resistance value higher than the first on-resistance value; a detection circuit configured to detect a short-circuit abnormality of the switch terminal by monitoring a switch voltage that appears at the switch terminal in a predetermined detection period; and a controller configured to perform a pulse-drive of the output switch by setting the output switch to the second on-resistance value in the detection period, continuously perform the pulse-drive of the output switch by setting the output switch to the first on-resistance value if the short-circuit abnormality of the switch terminal is not detected, and forcibly stop the pulse-drive of the output switch if the short-circuit abnormality of the switch terminal is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Nate
  • Patent number: 11720128
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a linear voltage regulator includes: an output transistor having a first current path terminal configured to be coupled to a load, and a second current path terminal coupled to a first supply terminal, where the output transistor is configured to provide, at the first current path terminal, a regulated output voltage; a voltage source circuit configured to provide, in an open loop manner, a first voltage to a control terminal of the output transistor; and a feedback loop coupled between the first current path terminal of the output transistor and the control terminal of the output transistor, the feedback loop including a sense transistor having a first current path terminal coupled to the first current path terminal of the output transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Enrico Mammei, Francesco Ravelli, Edoardo Contini, Paolo Pulici
  • Patent number: 11720136
    Abstract: A controllable temperature coefficient bias (CTCB) circuit is disclosed. The CTCB circuit can provide a bias to an amplifier. The CTCB circuit includes a variable with temperature (VWT) circuit having a reference circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit has a control output, a first current control element and a second current control element. Each current control element has a “controllable” resistance. One of the two current control elements may have a relatively high temperature coefficient and another a relatively low temperature coefficient. A controllable resistance of one of the current control elements increases when the controllable resistance of the other current control element decreases. However, the “total resistance” of the current control circuit remains constant with a constant temperature. The VWT circuit has an output with a temperature coefficient that is determined by the relative amount of current that flows through each current control element of the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Mark Englekirk, Keith Bargroff, Christopher C. Murphy, Tero Tapio Ranta
  • Patent number: 11722054
    Abstract: A power delivery system may include a power converter configured to electrically couple to a power source and further configured to supply electrical energy to one or more loads electrically coupled to an output of the power converter and control circuitry configured to control the power converter in accordance with a control variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic Inc.
    Inventors: Ajit Sharma, Jason W. Lawrence, Graeme G. Mackay
  • Patent number: 11722049
    Abstract: In the parallel operation of power supply units, a high line ripple current may be observed in output when the power supply units (PSUs) are supplied with different inputs. For example, a high line ripple current may be observed when PSUs were supplied with different line frequency inputs and/or when PSUs were supplied with different phase angle input lines. A low pass filter is in a control loop which is capable of filtering the line frequency to get an average current reference signal. The average current reference signal is compared with the real time output current to generate an error signal. This error signal is fed back to a voltage control loop to adjust the output in order to compensate the line ripple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: AES Global Holdings PTE Ltd.
    Inventor: Brendan Barry
  • Patent number: 11716030
    Abstract: Described is a hybrid electronic and magnetic structure that enables a transformer with fractional and reconfigurable effective turns ratios (e.g. 12:0.5, 12:?, 12:1, and 12:2) and hereinafter referred to as a Variable-Inverter-Rectifier-Transformer (VIRT). A VIRT is valuable in converters having wide operating voltage ranges and high step-up/down, as it offers a means to reduce turns count and copper loss within a transformer while facilitating voltage doubling and quadrupling. Such characteristics are beneficial for reducing the size of a transformer stage in many power electronics applications, such as USB wall chargers. In embodiments, a VIRT comprises a plurality of switching cells distributed around a magnetic core and coupled to half-turns wound through that core. By controlling operating modes of the switching cells, it is possible to gain control over flux paths and current paths in the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: David J. Perreault, Mike Kavian Ranjram, Intae Moon
  • Patent number: 11716031
    Abstract: A neutral point clamped inverter with an upper half-bridge and a lower half-bridge, wherein each half-bridge has an inner transistor and an outer transistor, where the inner transistor of the upper half-bridge is configured to interact with the outer transistor of the upper half-bridge such that a signal that reproduces the switch state of the inner transistor is coupled into an actuation circuit for switching the outer transistor and influences the switch state of the outer transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Benno Weis
  • Patent number: 11711010
    Abstract: A drive circuit includes a first driver to control on/off of an upper arm, a second driver to control on/off of a lower arm, a first switching device including a first terminal connected with a power supply for the first driver, a second terminal connected with a power supply for the second driver and a control terminal, a booster circuit to turn on the first switching device by boosting a control signal which is at a high level when the lower arm is in an on state, a second switching device to cause continuity between the control terminal and the booster circuit when the control signal is at the high level, and first switch unit to short-circuit the control terminal and the terminal for grounding when the control signal is at the low level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shohei Sano, Akihisa Yamamoto, Mitsutaka Hano
  • Patent number: 11711007
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for harvesting ringing energy. In an example aspect, the apparatus includes a bootstrap circuit. The bootstrap circuit includes a bootstrap capacitor and a bootstrap switch. The bootstrap switch includes a first terminal configured to accept an input voltage. The bootstrap switch also includes a second terminal coupled to the bootstrap capacitor. The bootstrap switch additionally includes a body diode comprising an anode coupled to the first terminal and a cathode coupled to the second terminal. The bootstrap switch is configured to be in an open state to charge the bootstrap capacitor via the body diode. The bootstrap switch is also configured to provide a voltage at the second terminal of the bootstrap switch. The voltage is greater than an average of the input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Troy Lynn Stockstad, Yi-Cheng Wan, Marko Koski, Ajay Kumar Kosaraju