Patents Examined by Kyle J Moody
  • Patent number: 11632045
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a current loop controller configured to control a boost converter, including: an amplifier configured to scale a measured current; a subtractor configured to subtract the scaled measured current from a desired current and to output an error signal; a controller including an integral part and a proportional part configured to produce a control signal based upon the difference signal and a gain value, wherein the gain value is based upon a measured value tps, wherein tps is the on-time plus the secondary time of the boost converter; and a switch signal generator configured to produce a gate signal based upon the control signal, wherein the gate signal controls the boost converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilhelmus Hinderikus Maria Langeslag, Remco Twelkemeijer
  • Patent number: 11632033
    Abstract: A power supply circuit having a first capacitor, a transformer including a primary coil having a voltage of the first capacitor applied thereto, a secondary coil and an auxiliary coil, a second capacitor having a voltage from the auxiliary coil applied thereto, a transistor controlling an inductor current flowing through the primary coil, a control circuit outputting a first control signal when supply of the input voltage is unstopped, or is stopped yet a voltage of the second capacitor reaches a first level, and outputting a second control signal thereafter when the voltage of the second capacitor further reaches a second level, a first drive circuit outputting a first drive signal for switching control of the transistor in response to the first control signal, and a second drive circuit outputting a second drive signal for controlling on-resistance of the transistor to discharge the first capacitor, in response to the second control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takato Sugawara
  • Patent number: 11626808
    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: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Vicor Corporation
    Inventor: Patrizio Vinciarelli
  • Patent number: 11626802
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter of a synchronous rectification type includes a synchronous rectification transistor and a backflow detection circuit which detects a reverse current based on a voltage across the synchronous rectification transistor. The backflow detection circuit includes a first-stage differential input circuit including a first transistor, a first resistor, a second transistor, a second resistor and a fifth transistor, and a second-stage differential input circuit including a third transistor and a fourth transistor. The fifth transistor is of a same conductive type as the synchronous rectification transistor and contains a drain connected to the other end of the first resistor with respect to an end connected to the first transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: ABLIC Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshiomi Shiina
  • Patent number: 11626790
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes a circuit board on which wirings are formed and plural semiconductor switching elements are mounted; and a driver circuit which is mounted on the circuit board, and operates at least two of the plural semiconductor switching elements together; wherein the plural semiconductor switching elements are provided as packages having a same shape, and placed in such a positional relationship in which an inter-control-terminal distance that is a distance between their respective control terminals is shorter than a length of a terminal side that is a side of each of the packages at which the control terminal is placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kei Hayase
  • Patent number: 11626805
    Abstract: An example controller for a flyback power converter includes a secondary-side circuit comprising a secondary-side controller. The secondary-side controller is configured to sense an electrical characteristic of a secondary-side output of the flyback power converter, select, based on the sensed electrical characteristic, a power mode, and transmit, over a communication channel, a control message specifying the selected power mode. A primary-side circuit of the controller includes a primary-side controller. The primary-side controller is configured to receive, over the communication channel, the control message specifying the selected power mode and control primary-side flyback drive circuitry of the primary-side circuit to drive a primary-side output of the flyback power converter according to the selected power mode so as to control a value of the electrical characteristic of the secondary-side output of the flyback power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Markus Winkler, Tommaso Bacigalupo, Davide Giacomini
  • Patent number: 11625056
    Abstract: According to an aspect a low noise electronic voltage regulator comprises a regulating transistor operative to regulate an input DC voltage to provide a regulated DC output voltage, an error amplifier configured to generate an error signal based on a reference voltage and a feedback voltage, wherein the error amplifier receiving the feedback voltage through a feedback loop formed between the regulated DC output voltage and the feedback voltage, and a first amplifier in the feedback loop providing a gain of greater than unity from the regulated DC output voltage and the feedback voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Inventors: Alok Prakash Joshi, Gireesh Rajendran
  • Patent number: 11626793
    Abstract: An LED driver is described, the LED driver comprising: a back end module BE comprising a switch mode power converter SMPS configured to operate in a self-oscillating current control mode, the back end module BE further comprising: an input terminal configured to receive a DC bus voltage; an output terminal configured to output a supply current for powering an LED fixture; a control unit configured to control the back end module to operate the SMPS in a voltage control mode by: determining a switching frequency of the SMPS when operating in the self-oscillating current control mode; determining a minimal switching frequency of the SMPS and receiving an input signal representative of the supply current for powering the LED fixture; wherein the control unit is further configured to control the switch of the SMPS in the voltage control mode by: operating the switch of the SMPS at a substantially constant frequency based on the determined minimal switching frequency and modulating a duty cycle of the switc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: eldoLAB Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Marc Saes, Franciscus Bernardus Marie Van Horck
  • Patent number: 11626794
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a current loop controller configured to control a boost converter, including: an amplifier configured to scale a measured current; a subtractor configured to subtract the scaled measured current from a desired current and to output an error signal; a controller including an integral part and a proportional part configured to produce a control signal based upon the error signal; a measuring circuit configured to measure the actual switching period of the boost converter; and a switch signal generator configured to produce a switching signal based upon the control signal and the measured actual switching period, wherein the switch signal controls the boost converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Wilhelmus Hinderikus Maria Langeslag, Remco Twelkemeijer
  • Patent number: 11621641
    Abstract: The anti-windup circuit generally has a voltage clamping device in series with a current limiting device operatively connectable to the output current path of a feedback compensator; the feedback compensator being part of a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) having an input voltage source and a load and generating constrained control values required to generate control on-off actions for tight power regulation. The inclusion of the disclosed anti-windup circuit in an SMPS may lead to hardware based overvoltage protection, reduced overall size and faster response to load changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Appulse Power Inc.
    Inventor: Aleksandar Radic
  • Patent number: 11619958
    Abstract: A front-end module comprises a bias network including a current mirror, a junction temperature sensor, an n-bit analog-to-digital converter, an n-bit current source bank configured to automatically set reference current levels for one or more operating temperature regions, and a power amplifier. The bias network, junction temperature sensor, n-bit analog-to-digital converter, n-bit current source bank, and power amplifier are integrated on a first semiconductor die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Bang Li Liang
  • Patent number: 11621630
    Abstract: A switching converter controller includes: a control loop adapted to be coupled to an output terminal of a power stage; and a hybrid hysteretic control (HHC) circuit coupled to the control loop. The HHC circuit includes a resonant capacitor voltage (Vcr) node adapted to be coupled to a resonant capacitor (Cr) of the power stage, where the Vcr node sums a sense voltage for Cr with a frequency compensation ramp. The HHC circuit also includes a soft-start controller coupled to the Vcr node. The soft-start controller includes a clamp circuit coupled to the Vcr node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Salvatore Giombanco, Brent Alan McDonald
  • Patent number: 11621646
    Abstract: A flyback converter is provided that dynamically adjusts a drain threshold voltage for a current cycle of a synchronous rectifier switch transistor based upon operating conditions in a previous cycle of the synchronous rectifier switch transistor. A differential amplifier drives a gate voltage of the synchronous rectifier switch transistor during an on-time of the current cycle so that a drain voltage of the synchronous rectifier switch transistor equals the drain threshold voltage during a regulated portion of the current cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Qingqing Zong, Yimin Chen, Mengfei Liu, Pengju Kong
  • Patent number: 11614760
    Abstract: A front-end module comprises a low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulator, a reference current generator, and a power amplifier. The LDO voltage regulator, reference current generator, and power amplifier are integrated on a first semiconductor die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Bang Li Liang, Yasser Khairat Soliman, Adrian John Bergsma, Haoran Yu, Hassan Sarbishaei
  • Patent number: 11617280
    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: January 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Linbo Tang, Marco Bender, Matthias Kastle, Jan-Ulrich Biskup
  • Patent number: 11614764
    Abstract: A bandgap reference (BGR) circuit is provided. The BGR circuit includes a first node, a second node, and a third node. A first resistive element is connected between the second node and the third node. The BGR circuit is operative to provide a reference voltage as an output. The BGR circuit further includes a current shunt path connected between the first node and the third node, the current shunt path being operable to regulate a voltage drop across the first resistive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaw-Juinn Horng, Chin-Ho Chang, Yi-Wen Chen
  • Patent number: 11616443
    Abstract: A buck-boost converter including an inductor, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a voltage detection circuit, and a voltage control circuit is provided. The first transistor is coupled to a first terminal of the inductor and receives a first control signal. The second transistor is coupled to the first terminal of the inductor and receives a second control signal. The third transistor is coupled to a second terminal of the inductor and receives a third control signal. The fourth transistor is coupled to the second terminal of the inductor and receives a fourth control signal voltage. The detection circuit detects the third control signal to selectively provide a voltage drop indication signal. When a voltage conversion mode is a buck mode, the voltage control circuit switches a conduction state of the third control signal in response to the voltage drop indication signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: PEGATRON CORPORATION
    Inventor: En-Kai Lien
  • Patent number: 11616448
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power conversion device can prevent over temperature by suppressing a change in impedance of a capacitor included in a rectifier circuit. The power conversion device includes an AC wave generation circuit for generating an AC wave, and a rectifier circuit for rectifying the AC wave generated by the AC wave generation circuit with a configuration including a rectifier capacitor and a diode connected in parallel. The method for controlling the power conversion device regulates the AC wave input to the rectifier capacitor depending on a change in impedance of the rectifier capacitor so as to suppress the change in the impedance of the rectifier capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kousuke Saito, Toshihiro Kai, Shigeharu Yamagami, Keisuke Inoue
  • Patent number: 11606030
    Abstract: There is presented a driver and a corresponding method for driving a p-type power switch. The driver includes a capacitor coupled to a control terminal of the power switch. The driver is configured to apply a control voltage to the control terminal and to connect the control terminal to ground to reduce the control voltage down to a target value to switch the power switch on. When identifying that the control voltage has reached the target value, the driver disconnects the control terminal from ground. The driver may be used in various circuits including switching power converters, audio amplifiers and charge-pump circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor B.V.
    Inventor: Marinus Wilhelmus Kruiskamp
  • Patent number: 11606039
    Abstract: A method of controlling a synchronous rectifier circuit can include: adjusting a falling amplitude of a drive voltage of a synchronous rectifier switch in the synchronous rectifier circuit in a pull-down mode; adjusting a shielding time during which the synchronous rectifier switch is in a turn-off shielding mode and is not to be turned off; turning off the synchronous rectifier switch after a drain-source voltage of the synchronous rectifier switch reaches a turn-off threshold; and where the falling amplitude of the drive voltage in the pull-down mode and the shielding time for a current period are adjusted according to an operation state of the synchronous rectifier switch in a previous period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Chaojun Chen, Jian Deng, Jin Jin