Patents Examined by Lorena Bruner
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Patent number: 10411604Abstract: System and method for regulating a power conversion system. A system controller for regulating a power conversion system includes a first controller terminal and a second controller terminal. Additionally, the system controller is configured to receive an input signal at the first controller terminal, and generate a drive signal at the second controller terminal based at least in part on the input signal to turn on or off a transistor in order to affect a current associated with a secondary winding of the power conversion system. Moreover, the system controller is further configured to determine whether the input signal is larger than a first threshold at a first time, in response to the input signal being determined to be larger than the first threshold at the first time, determine whether the input signal is smaller than a second threshold at a second time.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2016Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yaming Cao, Zhenglan Xia, Yuan Lin, Qiang Luo, Lieyi Fang
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Patent number: 10394259Abstract: A power transistor generates an output current and a sense transistor generates a proportional sense current. A differential amplifier generates a gate voltage applied to the power and sense transistors in response to first and second input signals. A comparator circuit compares the gate voltage to a switching reference to detect whether the power and sense transistors are operating in a triode mode of operation or in a saturation mode of operation. At least one of the first and second input signals is modified in response to the detection made by the comparator circuit. In one instance, different reference voltages are applied to an input of the amplifier depending on the detected mode of operation. In another instance, different resistances are used to convert the sense current to a voltage for application to an input of the amplifier in response to the detected mode of operation.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2015Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.Inventor: Marco Martini
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Patent number: 10333424Abstract: According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a power supply system comprising an input line configured to receive input AC power, a rectifier having an input coupled to the input line and an output, a switch having a first end coupled to the output of the rectifier and a second end selectively coupled to an inductor, a capacitor coupled to the inductor, and control circuitry coupled to the inductor and the capacitor, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the switch to selectively couple the output of the rectifier to the inductor to generate a first DC power level, operate in a first mode of operation while receiving the first DC power level, detect a phase angle of the rectified AC power, and transition into a second mode of operation in response to detection of the phase angle.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2012Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATIONInventor: Gary R. Ware
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Patent number: 10271389Abstract: Converters (1) comprise switches (14) for in response to control signals controlling amplitudes of converter output signals and comprise control loops for in response to detections of the amplitudes of the converter output signals producing the control signals. The control loops comprise circuits (21-23) for in response to simple detections of the amplitudes counting a first number of first time-intervals for which the amplitudes are above or below reference amplitudes, for transforming counting results into the control signals having control values, and for in response to the first number of first time-intervals being equal to/larger than a reference number overruling the control values and producing control signals having first or second limit values. Complex detections of the amplitudes are no longer necessary.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2015Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V.Inventor: Andrew Ulrich Rutgers
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Patent number: 10256714Abstract: The present disclosure provides a snubber circuit, wherein the snubber circuit is used to an electronic equipment including a pulse signal generator, a driving power source and a load, and the snubber circuit includes a current detection module, a control module and a snubber module. The current detection module is connected to the driving power source and detects the driving current of the driving power source. The control module is connected to the current detection module and the snubber module and adjusts a center frequency of the snubber module according to the driving current detected by the current detection module. The snubber module is connected to an output terminal of the pulse signal generator and filters the noise of the pulse signal. Therefore, the present disclosure may dynamically adjust a center frequency of a filtering, so as to increase a filtering performance and increase an efficiency of suppressing EMI.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2015Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., LtdInventor: Dan Cao
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Patent number: 10241322Abstract: A control device for controlling a switching converter includes a switch controller that generates a control signal with a switching period for controlling switching of a switch of the switching converter and setting a first interval in which a current flows in the switch, a second interval in which energy is transferred onto a storage element of the switching converter, and a third, wait, interval, at the end of the second interval. The duration of the first interval is determined based on a control voltage indicating the output voltage. A pre-distortion stage receives the control voltage and generates a pre-distorted control voltage as a function of the control voltage and a relationship between one of the first and third time intervals and the switching period, wherein the switch controller is configured to control a duration of the first interval based on the pre-distorted control voltage.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2016Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Giovanni Gritti, Claudio Adragna
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Patent number: 10218280Abstract: The present invention discloses a power converter, a switch control circuit, and a short circuit detection method for current sensing resistor of the power converter. The power converter includes: a transformer, a power switch, a current sensing resistor and a switch control unit. The current sensing resistor has one end coupled to the power switch and another end coupled to ground. The switch control unit generates the operation signal to control the power switch. The switch control unit generates a first sample-and-hold voltage at a first time point and a second sample-and-hold voltage at a second time point according to a voltage across the current sensing resistor. When a voltage difference between the first sample-and-hold voltage and the second sample-and-hold voltage is smaller than a reference voltage, it is determined that a short circuit occurs in the current sensing resistor.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2016Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Kuang-Fu Chang, Tzu-Chen Lin
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Patent number: 10211750Abstract: According to one aspect, embodiments herein provide a DC-AC inverter comprising a DC-DC converter portion, an inverter portion, a clamp circuit, a controller configured to operate, in a first mode, the DC-DC converter portion to convert input DC power into DC power having a desired voltage level at a first polarity and the inverter portion to provide output power having the desired voltage level at the first polarity to the output, operate, in a second mode, the DC-DC converter portion to convert the input DC power into DC power having a desired voltage level at a second polarity and the inverter portion to provide output power having the desired voltage level at the second polarity to the output; and operate, in a third mode, the clamp circuit to drive voltage at the output to zero and to store energy discharged by a load capacitance in an energy storage device.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2016Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATIONInventors: Hui-Jung Chen, Chaocheng Yen, Yen-Chih Hu
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Patent number: 10193454Abstract: An overvoltage detection circuit for a power converter a current augmentation circuit coupled to receive a sense signal representative of an output voltage of the power converter only during a portion of an off time of a power switch of the power converter. The current augmentation circuit is further coupled to output an augmented signal. A detection circuit is coupled to receive the augmented signal from the augmentation circuit and a power signal representative of a rectified version of the sense signal at a same input terminal. The detection circuit is operable to output an overvoltage detection signal based at least in part on the augmented signal, the overvoltage detection signal being representative of an overvoltage condition in the output voltage of the power converter.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.Inventor: Marvin Cruz Espino
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Patent number: 10164534Abstract: A converter can include: (i) a first switch having a first terminal for receiving an input voltage, and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of a second switch; (ii) an inductor having a first terminal coupled to a common node of the first and second switches, and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of a third switch, where second terminals of the second and third switches are coupled to ground; and (iii) a plurality of output channels coupled to a common node of the inductor and the third switch, where the converter operates in a buck-boost mode, a buck mode, or a boost mode based on the relationship between the input voltage and output voltages of the plurality of output channels.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2016Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTDInventors: Kailang Hang, Liangwei Sun
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Patent number: 10153689Abstract: A controller for use in a power factor correction converter includes a power factor enhancer that includes a zero-crossing detector coupled to receive an ac line input voltage signal and is coupled to output a zero-crossing signal. A peak detector is coupled to receive the ac line input voltage signal and the zero-crossing signal and is coupled to output a peak signal. A peak modulator is coupled to receive the zero-crossing signal and is coupled to generate a peak modulation function. A line feed forward function generator is coupled to generate a line feed forward function. A multiplier is coupled to receive the peak modulation function and the line feed forward function, and is coupled to output a pre-distortion signal each half line cycle.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2016Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.Inventor: Roger Colbeck
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Patent number: 10103622Abstract: A switching module comprising at least one power switching device arranged to output from an output node thereof a load current for the switching module, and at least one current sense component arranged to generate at least one sense current representative of the load current. The at least one current sense component comprises at least one temperature coefficient compensation resistance within the path of the at least one sense current and arranged to cause the at least one sense current to be at least partly compensated for a temperature coefficient caused by at least one parasitic routing resistance of a load current path for the at least one power switching device.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2014Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.Inventor: Vasily Alekseyevich Syngaevskiy
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Patent number: 10033189Abstract: An operation control apparatus includes a criterion calculator that obtains an operation criterion for the power converter, based on the voltage detected by the above voltage detector on the side of the alternating-current power system, a direct-current voltage detector that detects a direct-current output voltage of the solar battery, and an operation determination device that compares the direct-current output voltage detected by the direct-current voltage detector with the operation criterion obtained by the criterion calculator, and supplies the power converter with an operation command if the direct-current output voltage is greater than the operation criterion.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2013Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems CorporationInventor: Yosuke Fujii
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Patent number: 9991808Abstract: A cross regulation circuit for multiple outputs, includes an input end and at least two output ends. A first output end of the at least two output ends is connected to a feedback circuit. The feedback circuit is connected to the input end and used for maintaining the output voltage of the first output end by adjusting the input end. A first resistor and a first inductor are sequentially connected in series on the upstream of each of other output ends than the first output end and are used for performing cross regulation. In the cross regulation method of the circuit, simultaneous equations are established through parasitic inductance on any output branch and load thereof as well as parasitic inductance on the first output branch so as to obtain the inductance of the first inductor and the capacitance of the first resistor.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2014Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Zhi Tong Lei, Yu Meng He, Feng Zhang
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Patent number: 9985537Abstract: A method for estimating an output voltage of a power converter comprises sensing a voltage waveform representative of the output voltage; and detecting a first gap and a second gap. The first gap is between a time when the sensed voltage waveform crosses a first voltage reference and a time when the sensed voltage waveform crosses a second voltage reference at a voltage offset below the first voltage reference. The second gap is between a time when the sensed voltage waveform crosses a third voltage reference and a time when the sensed voltage waveform crosses the second voltage reference, the third voltage referenced at a predetermined voltage above the second voltage reference. Responsive to the first gap exceeding a threshold, a tracking error is computed based on the first gap; and responsive to the first gap not exceeding the threshold, the tracking error is computed based on the second gap.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2014Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: Diaglo Semiconductor Inc.Inventors: Fuqiang Shi, Pengju Kong, Hien Huu Bui, Judy Sha, David Nguyen, Duc Doan
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Patent number: 9966851Abstract: A buck-boost converter automatically chooses work mode between buck mode, boost mode and buck-boost mode, in response to an input voltage and an output voltage. The buck-boost converter is with simple structure, convenient mode transition and lower output voltage ripple.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2016Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.Inventor: Qian Ouyang
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Patent number: 9946280Abstract: The invention relates to a current output stage (100) comprising an input (IN), an output (OUT) for connecting to an input of a unit (200) to be supplied with current, a control stage (T1, T2, Z1), which sets the output current (Iout), and an energy supply stage (Uv;Uv,?Uv), which can provide energy for the output current (Iout). The current output stage (100) comprises a first transistor (T1), which controls the output current in a closed-loop in the passive operating mode, and the current output stage (100) contains a second transistor (T2; T2, T3), which controls the output current (Iout) in a closed-loop in the active operating mode, wherein the first transistor (T1) and the second transistor (T2; T2, T3) is controlled by a control stage OP1) in an open loop, and wherein in the active operating mode the energy supply stage (Uv;Uv,?Uv) is controlled in an open loop such that same provides energy for the output current (Iout).Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2011Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: Phoenix Contact GMBH & Co. KGInventor: Heinz-Wilhelm Meier
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Patent number: 9831790Abstract: A DC-to-DC converter includes a voltage converter having: a capacitance; at least one inductor configured to store energy and exchange stored energy with the capacitance; and a switching element configured to switch on and off a current flowing through the inductor and change direction of the current at each switching. The inductor includes a variable inductor whose inductance decreases with increase in the current.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.Inventors: Takao Mizushima, Masahiro Iizuka, Yutaka Naito, Kinshiro Takadate, Kazuki Iwaya, Eiichi Takahashi
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Patent number: 9819279Abstract: An AC voltage regulator that regulates the output AC voltage level regardless of the varying AC input voltage utilizing high frequency series inductors that only process a proportion of the total output power and uses unipolar semiconductor low loss switches in series with one or more rectifiers.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2016Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: EDGE ELECTRONS LIMITEDInventors: Neal George Stewart, Wing Ling Cheng
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Patent number: 9780673Abstract: A control device for controlling a switching power supply adapted to convert an input voltage into an output voltage according to a switching rate of a switching element. The control device includes first control means for switching the switching element in a first working mode at a constant frequency and second control means for switching the switching element in a second working mode at a variable frequency, under a maximum frequency, in response to the detection of a predefined operative condition of the switching power supply. The control device further includes means for selecting the first working mode or the second working mode.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2014Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Giovanni Lombardo, Claudio Adragna, Salvatore Tumminaro