Patents Examined by Matthew Grubb
  • Patent number: 8787047
    Abstract: A system for dissipating energy in a power supply includes a bidirectional switching power output stage coupled to a primary power supply side and a secondary power supply side, the bi-directional switching power output stage configured to provide a positive voltage and a positive current, the bi-directional switching power output stage also configured to provide a positive voltage and to receive a current. The system for dissipating energy in a power supply also includes a current sinking circuit coupled to the primary power supply side, the current sinking circuit configured to dissipate energy when the secondary power supply side of the switching power supply is receiving current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Benes
  • Patent number: 8780596
    Abstract: A voltage adjusting circuit is provided includes an inducing circuit configured to induce a voltage from electromagnetic waves, a first rectifying circuit configured to rectify an output voltage of the inducing circuit, a control circuit configured to control an output voltage of the first rectifying circuit in response to the output voltage of the first rectifying circuit, and a second rectifying circuit configured to simultaneously rectify and regulate the output voltage of the inducing circuit in response to the output voltage of the first rectifying circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Il Jong Song, Hang Seok Choi, Sang Hyo Lee
  • Patent number: 8780590
    Abstract: A fly-back power converter has a current-estimating control loop that senses the primary output current in a transformer to control the secondary output. A primary-side control circuit switches primary current through the transformer on and off. A discharge time when a secondary current through an auxiliary winding of the transformer is flowing is generated by sampling a voltage divider on an auxiliary loop for a knee-point. A normalized duty cycle is calculated by multiplying the discharge time by a current that is proportional to the switching frequency and comparing to a sawtooth signal having the switching frequency. The peak of a primary-side voltage is sensed from the primary current loop and converted to a current and multiplied by the normalized duty cycle to generate an estimated current. An error amp compares the estimated current to a reference to adjust the oscillator frequency and peak current to control primary switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science & Technology Research Institute Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wai Kit (Victor) So, Hing Kit Kwan, Chik Wai (David) Ng, Po Wah (Patrick) Chang
  • Patent number: 8780591
    Abstract: A frequency converter assembly including an input for supplying electric power having an input frequency into the frequency converter assembly from a supply network, a direct voltage intermediate circuit having capacitor component, and at least one controllable switch. The switch being electrically positioned between the input and the direct voltage intermediate circuit. The assembly also includes an output for supplying electric power having an output frequency from the frequency converter assembly, and control component arranged to control the at least one controllable switch. The control component provides a recovery function to recover the capacitor component by supplying restricted recovery current from the supply network to the capacitor component through the at least one controllable switch, the control means also prevents supply of electric power from the direct voltage intermediate circuit towards the output during the recovery function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Osmo Pasuri, Jukka Ylppö
  • Patent number: 8779734
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device has a digital device operating at an internal core voltage; a linear voltage regulator; and an internal switched mode voltage regulator controlled by the digital device and receiving an external supply voltage being higher than the internal core voltage through at least first and second external pins and generating the internal core voltage, wherein the internal switched mode voltage regulator is coupled with at least one external component through at least one further external pin of the plurality of external pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Bryan Kris, Joseph W. Triece, J. Clark Rogers, Pieter Schieke
  • Patent number: 8743575
    Abstract: A switch mode pulse width modulated DC-DC power converter having at least one first electronic circuit on an input side and a second electronic circuit on an output side. The first electronic circuit has terminals connecting to a source or load and at least one storage inductor, coupled in series with at least one power transformer winding. For each transformer, an arrangement of switches is adapted to switch the current through the first winding between first and second, ON- and OFF-states. At least one energy storage inductor is charged when all switches of the switching arrangements are conducting and the current through the first winding is in an OFF-state. The second electronic circuit has connecting terminals and a single arrangement of switches to switch the current through the second transformer winding, between the first and second ON- and OFF-states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Danmarks Tekniske Universitet
    Inventor: Morten Nymand
  • Patent number: 8736240
    Abstract: A power system has a power converter adapted for converting a first input voltage at an input thereof to a first output voltage at an output thereof, and a hold-up time extension circuit comprising a step-up stage and a step-down stage coupled to each other via a first energy-storage capacitor, where an input of the step-up stage is coupled to the input of the power converter, an output of the step-up stage is coupled to an input of the step-down stage, and an output of the step-down stage is coupled to the input of the power converter. The step-up stage is adapted for converting the first input voltage of the power converter to a second output voltage, and the step-down stage is adapted for converting the second output voltage of the step-up stage to the input voltage of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gang Liu, Liang He
  • Patent number: 8730695
    Abstract: A system and a method are provided that allow load sharing between two or more DC output power supplies that are connected in parallel to scale the output power. As the temperature of the critical components in a power supply rises, the output voltage from that power supply will be lowered, so that the coolest supply will have the highest voltage and thus the highest current to the load. The systems and methods can operate without any additional wires connecting the supplies other than those supplying the power to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Ocean Server Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Ludlam, Jonathan C. Crowell
  • Patent number: 8730687
    Abstract: The present invention provides a controller for a power converter. The controller comprises a PWM circuit, a detection circuit, a signal generator, an oscillation circuit, a valley-lock circuit, a timing circuit and a burst circuit. The PWM circuit generates a switching signal coupled to switch a transformer of the power converter. A feedback signal is coupled to control and disable the switching signal. The detection circuit is coupled to the transformer via a resistor for generating a valley signal in response to a waveform obtained from the transformer. The signal generator is coupled to receive the feedback signal and the valley signal for generating an enabling signal. The oscillation circuit generates a maximum frequency signal. The maximum frequency signal associates with the enabling signal to generate a turning-on signal. The turning-on signal is coupled to enable the switching signal. A maximum frequency of the turning-on signal is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: System General Corporation
    Inventors: Ta-Yung Yang, Chao-Chih Lin
  • Patent number: 8723485
    Abstract: A power supply system includes an output node, an internal power supply unit, a boost storage unit, a charging path unit, and a discharging path unit. The output node is coupled to a load device. The internal power supply unit includes a gold capacitor unit for storing an internal storage voltage. The charging path unit is turned on in a charging period to store a boost supply voltage in the boost storage unit. The discharging path is turned on in a discharging period to provide a power signal for drive the load device according to the internal storage voltage and the boost supply voltage. The charging and discharging periods are non-overlapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Quanta Computer Inc.
    Inventor: Chien-Hung Liu
  • Patent number: 8723500
    Abstract: A voltage regulator generates a regulated output voltage responsive to an input voltage and drive control signals. An error amplifier generates an error voltage signal responsive to the regulated output voltage and a reference voltage. A PWM modulator generates a PWM control signal responsive to the error voltage signal, a ramp voltage and an inverse of the reference voltage. Control circuitry within the PWM modulator maintains the error voltage signal applied to the PWM modulator at substantially a same DC voltage level over the reference voltage operating range and maintains the error voltage signal above a minimum value of the ramp voltage. Driver circuitry generates the drive control signals responsive to the PWM control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Jason Houston, Weihong Qiu, Emil Chen
  • Patent number: 8705253
    Abstract: A system includes a load and a single-ended primary-inductance converter (SEPIC) power converter configured to provide power to the load. The SEPIC power converter includes a primary side and a secondary side that are electrically isolated by a transformer. The transformer includes a primary coil and a secondary coil. The primary side includes (i) a capacitor coupled to a first end of the primary coil and (ii) an inductor and a switch coupled to a second end of the primary coil. The primary side of the SEPIC power converter could also include a diode coupled between the inductor and the switch, where the diode is coupled to the second end of the primary coil. The capacitor could be configured to transfer energy to the secondary side of the SEPIC power converter through the transformer during valleys associated with a rectified input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Jon R. Roman
  • Patent number: 8704498
    Abstract: A voltage source converter (10) for use in three-phase high voltage DC power transmission and reactive power compensation. The voltage source converter (10) comprises three converter limbs (12,14,16) connected in a bridge circuit arrangement wherein each of first and second converter limbs (12,14) includes a multilevel converter (18) and a third converter limb (16) includes a capacitor (20) on each side of a series AC phase connection (22). The multilevel converters (18) are controllable to synthesize waveforms at series AC phase connections (24,26) of the first and second converter limbs (12,14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: David Trainer, Ruchira Withanage, Robert S. Whitehouse
  • Patent number: 8693227
    Abstract: An inverter controller comprising a current regulator unit, a voltage regulator unit coupled to the current regulator unit, an inverter unit coupled to the voltage regulator unit, and a drive unit controlled by the inverter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: DRS Power & Control Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Gritter, James Ulrich
  • Patent number: 8692532
    Abstract: A power converter and method of controlling the same for selected modes of operation. In one embodiment, the power converter includes a first power switch coupled to a source of electrical power and a second power switch coupled to the first power switch and to an output terminal of the power converter. The power converter also includes a controller configured to control an operation of the first and second power switches during selected modes of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Enpirion, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Dean Lopata, Ashraf W. Lotfi
  • Patent number: 8687396
    Abstract: The method can be used for the regulation of power in an alternating current electrical network (ACNW; ACNW1, ACNW2), using a conversion system (PCS) having at least two terminals (1,2; 1,2,3; 1,2,3,N) for connection to the network, wherein each of said terminals has a corresponding electrical potential. Each of the potentials of these terminals has an upper and a lower envelope, the difference between which, or envelope voltage (VEP,EN), is a variable positive continuous quantity having a maximum value (VEA) called the envelope amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: ET99 S.r.L.
    Inventor: Antonino Fratta
  • Patent number: 8687391
    Abstract: A converter system is provided for the switching of at least three voltage levels and for the switching of two voltage levels. A method is also provided for the operation of a converter system for the switching of at least three voltage levels and for the operation of a converter system for the switching of two voltage levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Bjoern Oedegard, Christoph Schaub, Claes Hillberg, Steve Aubert
  • Patent number: 8680831
    Abstract: A constant frequency ON-time control system applied to a voltage regulator is disclosed. The voltage regulator determines a time length of an input voltage inputted thereto according to an ON-time and thereby regulates an output voltage. The constant frequency ON-time control system includes a constant frequency ON-time control circuit for computing the ON-time according to a system duty cycle of the voltage regulator and a frequency setting parameter and a frequency setting parameter adjusting circuit for generating a frequency setting parameter adjust value according to an OFF-time corresponding to the ON-time and taking a result of operation between the frequency setting parameter adjust value and a preset frequency setting parameter as the frequency setting parameter. The frequency setting parameter adjusting circuit uses the frequency setting parameter adjust value to change the result of operation for varying the frequency setting parameter when the OFF-time is shorter than a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp
    Inventors: An-Tung Chen, Ting-Jung Tai
  • Patent number: 8675374
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for an adjustment module that interacts with a parameter detection module to provide a threshold value for initiating switching of a switching module in a cyclical electronic system. Aspects of the present disclosure provide a switching module used in conjunction with an inductor that is coupled with the switching module. The threshold voltage for switching the switching module may be adjusted to provide switching at substantially zero volts while maintaining sufficient energy in the inductor to drive the voltage at a switching element in the switching module to zero volts. Such auto-adjustment circuits may allow for enhanced efficiency in cyclical electronic systems. The output of an up/down counter may be used to set another parameter that effects the performance of the cyclical electronic system in order to enhance the performance of the cyclical electronic system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Microsemi Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Coleman, Sam Seiichiro Ochi, Ernest H. Wittenbreder, Jr., Yeshoda Yedevelly
  • Patent number: 8670250
    Abstract: An embodiment common mode noise reduction apparatus comprises a common mode choke, a balance inductor, a first capacitor and a second capacitor. The common mode choke is placed between an input dc source and a primary side network of an isolated power converter. The balance inductor is coupled between an upper terminal of a primary winding of the isolated power converter and a negative terminal of the input dc source. The first capacitor is coupled between the upper terminal of a primary side of a transformer and an upper terminal of a secondary side of the transformer of the isolated power converter. The second capacitor is coupled between a lower terminal of the primary side of the transformer and a lower terminal of the secondary side of the transformer of the isolated power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dianbo Fu, Hengchun Mao, Bing Cai