Patents Examined by Lucy M. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11973335
    Abstract: A solid state circuit breaker has both solid state electronics and a physical switch. The solid state circuit breaker facilitates power measuring for end loads connected to a panel board circuit, e.g. receptacles, lighting, etc., over current protection, and disconnection all within one device. The solid state circuit breaker can be used at 100% of its rated capacity as opposed to 80% code-mandated limitation for thermal magnetic circuit breakers. The solid state circuit breaker also can provide power/current data (real-time) without the need of an additional device. The solid state circuit breaker further facilitates electronic, i.e. remote, opening, closing, and current limiting for demand response or load shedding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: RENU, INC.
    Inventors: Jumie Yuventi, Bahman Sharifipour, Liyang Zhang, Bruno Bambaren
  • Patent number: 11962140
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods to coordinate protective elements in an electric power system (EPS). In one embodiment, a system may include a Time vs Normalized Impedance Length subsystem to determine a first plurality of times of operation of a first protective element for a plurality of fault locations in the EPS and to determine a second plurality of times of operation of a second protective element for the plurality of fault locations in the EPS. A protective action subsystem may coordinate a response of the first protective element and the second protective element. The protective action subsystem may establish a pickup and a protective action for the second protective element. Upon detection of a fault in the EPS, one of the first protective action and the second protective action may be implemented based on one of the first pickup and the second pickup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jai Ganesh Subbarayan, Jeremy William Blair, Brett Mitchell Cockerham
  • Patent number: 11955320
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a ceramic susceptor. The ceramic susceptor of the present disclosure includes: an insulating plate on which a high-frequency electrode is disposed; a shaft connected to the insulating plate; a connection mount connected to a longitudinal end of the shaft; a first rod and a second rod, which are connected to the high-frequency electrode, pass through the longitudinal end of the shaft, and extend to the connection mount; and a connection member disposed in the connection mount, wherein the connection member connects the first rod to the second rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: MICO CERAMICS LTD.
    Inventors: Ju Sung Lee, Haneum Bae
  • Patent number: 11942776
    Abstract: A system for preventing ground fault in a three-phase electric transmission line system caused by a line break, includes: the transmission lines, a programmable relay protection system, including a plurality of existing low sensitivity (LS) relays and a corresponding set of high sensitivity (HS) relays in parallel with the is relays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Viking Protection Systems LLC
    Inventors: Robert B. Stuart, Ronald E. Smith
  • Patent number: 11936176
    Abstract: A contactor includes: a first and second power terminal; a sub-circuit connected between this first and second power terminal and comprising the following three elements connected in series: an electrical conductor portion, a primary switch, and a fuse. The primary switch has a movable part driven by an actuator. The contactor further has a magnetic sensor for measuring a primary current flowing through the electrical conductor portion, and a controller connected to the magnetic sensor and to the actuator. The controller has a communication port for receiving commands. The contactor can detect whether the primary switch is actually open. The controller is configured for: (i) receiving a command to open the switch; (ii) operating the actuator, (iii) detecting if the primary switch is actually open; and (iv) blowing the fuse if the switch is not open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES SA
    Inventors: Bruno Boury, Stephane Rauw
  • Patent number: 11923673
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a switching device including a main portion and a current sensing portion for detecting a current value of the main portion; a control IC including a gate drive unit that drives the switching device; a sensing resistor connected between an emitter of the main portion and an emitter of the current sensing portion and formed inside the control IC; a comparator comparing a sense voltage applied to the sensing resistor with a reference voltage; and a shut-down circuit shutting down an energization of the switching device when the sense voltage exceeds the reference voltage, wherein the sense voltage is more than or equal to 1 V when the energization of the switching device is shut down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Eguchi, Takamasa Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11916287
    Abstract: The present apparatus, system and method solves the problems of the prior art by enabling substantial dissipation of an electrical energy surge coming from communications antenna which has been struck by lightning. The apparatus is for mounting to an exterior of a building at or near communications antenna also located at the exterior of the building. The apparatus is connected with incoming coaxial cables extending from exterior mounted antenna and with outgoing coaxial cables which extend from the apparatus to communications equipment housed within a communications center. The lighting strike surge travels from antenna, along the incoming coaxial cable and is redirected within the apparatus by polyphasers which trip at capacity to redirect the surge to three separate grounding bars and prevent the surge from continuing along outgoing coaxial cables leading to communications equipment thus safely dissipating surge and shielding communications equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Red Cloud Inc.
    Inventor: William E Rogers
  • Patent number: 11908605
    Abstract: Integrated magnetics techniques for incorporating inductor, coupled inductor, and/or transformer functions of power electronics and high frequency circuits onto small, integrated structures, while maintaining a high quality factor and a high inductance density. The integrated magnetics techniques include incorporating magnetic vias into the inductive elements to form closed magnetic loops for reducing the reluctance to magnetic flux, while increasing the inductance of the inductive elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SG MICRO (SUZHOU) LIMITED
    Inventor: Jerry Zhijun Zhai
  • Patent number: 11908667
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a ceramic susceptor. The ceramic susceptor of the present disclosure includes: an insulating plate on which a high-frequency electrode is disposed; a shaft connected to the insulating plate; a connection mount connected to a longitudinal end of the shaft; a first rod and a second rod, which are connected to the high-frequency electrode, pass through the longitudinal end of the shaft, and extend to the connection mount; and a connection member disposed in the connection mount, wherein the connection member connects the first rod to the second rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: MICO CERAMICS LTD.
    Inventors: Ju Sung Lee, Haneum Bae
  • Patent number: 11894669
    Abstract: A power source control device that includes: a make-and-break relay configured to either make or break conduction between a first terminal of a load and a first electrode of a direct current power source; a dark current generation circuit configured to generate a dark current by lowering a voltage of the direct current power source, in a state in which a first terminal is connected to the first electrode of the direct current power source and a second terminal is connected to the first terminal of the load so as to be parallel to the make-and-break relay; and a bypass circuit configured to dissipate some of power supplied from an external charger by making conduction between a second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load in response to the direct current power source being charged by the external charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Yuichi Ota, Kazuki Yamamoto, Junya Takano
  • Patent number: 11887763
    Abstract: A system for degaussing a magnetized structure can include a given circuit that provides a differential alternating current (AC) signal that decays from an upper level to a lower level over a predetermined amount of time. The system also includes a given electrical coil coupled to the given circuit. The electrical coil circumscribes the magnetized structure. The electrical coil induces a decaying magnetic field on the magnetized structure in response to the differential AC signal to convert the magnetized structure into a degaussed structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Victor M. Cubias
  • Patent number: 11879908
    Abstract: A control method for determining an operational status of an electrical load of a heavy-duty vehicle includes measuring a global current consumption of the electrical network when the electrical load is not activated, detecting an activation of the electrical load, measuring the global current consumption of the electrical network after the electrical load has been activated, determining an electrical current consumption of the electrical load, determining a reference current consumption of the electrical load, if the difference between the determined electrical current consumption of the electrical load and the determined reference current consumption is higher than a first predetermined threshold and lower than a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold being higher than the first predetermined threshold, set the operational status of the electrical load to a first status called “nominal operation”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Julien Maitre, Maxime Valero, Benjamin Foras
  • Patent number: 11876508
    Abstract: A switch device includes a switching element that connects/disconnects a current path from a power supply terminal to a ground terminal via a load, and an overcurrent protection circuit that limits output current flowing in the switching element to be an overcurrent limit value or less. When an output short circuit of the load is detected, the overcurrent protection circuit decreases the overcurrent limit value to be lower as a power supply voltage is higher. In addition, the switch device preferably includes a switching element that connects/disconnects a current path from a power supply terminal to a ground terminal via a load, an intermittent control unit that intermittently drives the switching element when an abnormality is detected, and an output voltage monitoring portion that disables the intermittent control unit until an output voltage applied to the load reaches its target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Takuma
  • Patent number: 11862959
    Abstract: A system includes a first USB Type-C Power Delivery (USB-C/PD) port and a control circuit operatively coupled to the first USB-C/PD port. The control circuit is configured to determine whether a short circuit condition has occurred based on a first threshold voltage. The control circuit is also configured to turn off a ground isolation switch when short circuit condition occurs. The control circuit is further configured to determine a whether a voltage on a ground line is less than a second threshold voltage. The control circuit is further configured to turn on the ground isolation switch when the voltage on the ground line is less than the second threshold voltage. The control circuit may perform one or more error recovery operations after turning on the ground isolation switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Arun Khamesra, Hariom Rai, Pulkit Shah
  • Patent number: 11843238
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a current monitoring circuit includes a signal shaping unit configured to receive a current sense signal and provide a modified current signal; a filter configured to receive the modified current signal and to provide a respective filtered signal; a comparator configured to receive the filtered signal and a threshold value and to indicate when the filtered signal exceeds the threshold value. The signal shaping unit is configured to calculate a level of the modified current signal from a corresponding level of the current sense signal in accordance with non-linear function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Michael Asam, Mirko Bernardoni, David Jacquinod, Louis Janinet, Andre Mourrier
  • Patent number: 11843243
    Abstract: A wireless sensor network gateway includes safe side circuitry, hazardous side circuitry and isolation circuitry, which are supported by a housing. The safe side circuitry includes a safe side power circuit, and a safe side data input/output (I/O) circuit. The hazardous side circuitry includes a hazardous side power circuit, and a hazardous side data I/O circuit. The isolation circuitry divides the safe side circuitry from the hazardous side circuitry. The isolation circuitry includes a power isolation circuit that couples the safe side power circuit to the hazardous side power circuit and forms an intrinsic safety barrier between the safe side power circuit and the hazardous side power circuit, and a data isolation circuit that couples the safe side data I/O circuit to the hazardous side data I/O circuit and forms an intrinsic safety barrier between the safe side data I/O circuit and the hazardous side data I/O circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: ROSEMOUNT INC.
    Inventors: Scott T. Hofmeister, Cody J. Skow, Allen J. Kempke, Nicholas A. Wienhold, Theodore H. Schnaare
  • Patent number: 11843239
    Abstract: A field device includes: a current controller configured to operate with a first power supply voltage and output a control signal for controlling a current to be output to a transmission line; a current output unit configured to operate with a second power supply voltage different from the first power supply voltage, the current output unit being capable of outputting a current of a magnitude corresponding to the control signal output from the current controller to the transmission line; and an abnormality notification unit configured to output, to the current output unit, a first signal for causing the current output unit to output a burnout current indicating that an abnormality has occurred in a case in which an abnormality occurs in the first power supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fumihiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11837862
    Abstract: An arc-flash sensor may provide flexibilities for supporting both surface mounting and peek-through mounting on a panel (e.g., a wall panel or an electrical panel). The arc-flash sensor includes a translucent optical lens, a fiber-optic cable, and a skirt around the back side of the optical lens. The translucent optical lens diffuses the light produced in an arc flash to enhance the detectability of light signals picked by the fiber-optic cable. The fiber-optic cable enters parallel to the panel and perpendicular to principal axis of the optical lens. The parallel fiber-optic cable configuration reduces sensor installation space occupied and potential damage to the sensor. The skirt is used to prevent false tripping caused by unexpected events on the fiber-optic cable side such as camera flashes, lightning, sunlight, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua E. Hughes, Gerald K. Hein, Aaron B. Burton
  • Patent number: 11831109
    Abstract: In one embodiment, and apparatus includes an electrical socket for connection with an electrical plug, a sensor for identifying a secure connection between the electrical socket and the electrical plug, and an electronic controller electrically coupled to the electrical socket and comprising a power input for receiving power. The electronic controller is operable to transmit power to the electrical socket upon receiving a signal from the sensor identifying the secure connection between the electrical socket and the electrical plug and shut off or turn on power to the electrical socket upon receiving an external input to the electronic controller. A method is also disclosed herein. The apparatus and method provide an electronic controlled power switch or circuit breaker safety device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Douglas Paul Arduini, Sung Kee Baek, Joel Richard Goergen
  • Patent number: 11831142
    Abstract: In one aspect, the application provides an electrical system including a conductor, a ground, an arrester electrically connected to the conductor, and a disconnector assembly electrically connected between the arrester and the ground. The disconnector assembly includes an isolator configured to perform an operating function in response to the occurrence of an event and a housing configured to surround the isolator. The isolator includes a first terminal electrically connected to the arrester by a first wire and a second terminal electrically connected to the ground by a second wire. The housing includes a first opening through which the first terminal extends, a second opening through which the second terminal extends, and a retention mechanism configured to hold the isolator in place relative to the arrester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Justin Lee Dye, Bastiaan Hubertus van Besouw, Sidharth Suresh Iyer, Xingniu Huo