Patents Examined by Matthew Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10164544
    Abstract: An Input-Series-Output-Parallel (ISOP)-type partial power converter circuit comprises: an isolated, unregulated DC-to-DC converter configured to generate a first output voltage at a first output voltage node; and a regulated DC-to-DC converter coupled with the unregulated DC-to-DC converter and configured to generate a second output voltage at a second output voltage node, the regulated DC-to-DC converter comprising a resonant forward-flyback converter configuration; wherein the first output voltage node is coupled in parallel with the second output voltage node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Liming Ye, Heping Dai, Dianbo Fu
  • Patent number: 10156296
    Abstract: A controller according to the present disclosure includes a target current controller, a dither controlling unit, an output-duty generating unit, and a Pulse-Width-Modulation-pulse (PWM-pulse) converting unit. The dither controlling unit generates a dither duty for providing, to a target current duty of a load, a dither having predetermined dither period. The target current controller calculates, for each predetermined feedback period, an average value of a feedback current from the load and generates the target current duty based on the average value. The output-duty generating unit generates an output duty obtained by adding the dither duty generated by the dither controlling unit to the target current duty generated by the target current controller. The PWM-pulse converting unit converts the output duty generated by the output-duty generating unit to PWM pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomohito Kato, Takeshi Dowa, Shingo Matsuda, Tomoyuki Kato
  • Patent number: 10148180
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter operating in pulse frequency modulation (PFM) and pulse width modulation (PWM) modes includes a plurality of PWM signal generators. The PWM signal generators generate PWM signals with different duty cycles. PWM signals with larger duty cycles may be selected for use in undervoltage situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Chaoyang Semiconductor Jiangyin Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hassan Ihs
  • Patent number: 10148194
    Abstract: A pulse-controlled inverter with a circuit providing a DC voltage between high-side and low-side inputs. In one example, the circuit includes a first high-side stray capacitance and inductance and a first low-side stray capacitance and inductance. A busbar arrangement is configured to connect the high-side input to a high-side connection and the low-side input to a low-side connection. The busbar arrangement includes a second high-side stray capacitance and inductance and a second low-side stray capacitance and inductance. An inverter module is coupled to the high-side connection and the low-side connection and configured to convert the DC voltage into an AC voltage. The inverter module has a third high-side stray capacitance and inductance and a third low-side stray capacitance and inductance. The sum of the first, second, and third high-side stray capacitance and inductance is substantially equal to the sum of the first, second, and third low-side stray capacitance and inductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Dennis Burger
  • Patent number: 10148181
    Abstract: In one form, a switched mode power supply controller with frequency foldback includes a pulse width modulator responsive to a clock signal to generate a drive signal having a pulse width that varies in response to a feedback signal, and a variable frequency oscillator having a first input for receiving the feedback signal, a control input for receiving a programmable control signal defining a foldback starting frequency, a foldback ending frequency, a foldback starting voltage, and a foldback ending voltage, and an output for providing the clock signal having a variable frequency that varies over a range between the foldback starting frequency and the foldback ending frequency as the feedback signal varies between the foldback starting voltage and the foldback ending voltage, respectively. In another form, a switched mode power converter uses such a switched mode power supply controller with an inductive element, switch, and feedback circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ajay Karthik Hari, Bryan Wayne McCoy, Thomas Ciccone
  • Patent number: 10141831
    Abstract: An electric power converter is provided, at low costs and in high efficiency, which also enables voltage conversion to be capable of dealing with sharp load variation, even when input voltage and output current ranges are wide. The converter includes a non-isolated buck-boost converter circuit for outputting a DC voltage by increasing or decreasing a voltage being inputted into the circuit, an isolated converter circuit for outputting a DC voltage to a load by inputting a DC voltage outputted from the non-isolated buck-boost converter circuit, and a control unit for controlling the non-isolated buck-boost converter circuit and the isolated converter circuit, whereby the control unit adjusts using only the non-isolated buck-boost converter circuit, by performing the control of a buck-boost voltage ratio between the voltage inputted thereinto and an output voltage of the isolated converter circuit, so as to make the output voltage coincident with its target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Yuya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10135363
    Abstract: A communication device for a field device for transferring output information to a controller, including a passive digital output with a first connection point and a second connection point, a circuit arrangement connected between the first connection point and the second connection point, and a control device configured to selectively put the circuit arrangement into one of a plurality of switching states according to the output information to be transferred. The communication device is configured, in a state in which the passive digital output is connected to the controller, to provide an electric output signal with a first signal value according to a first communication protocol at the connection points in a first switching state of the circuit arrangement and to provide the electric output signal with a second signal value according to the first communication protocol at the connection points in a second switching state of the circuit arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: FESTO AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Martin Wiesner, Steffen Wunderlich
  • Patent number: 10133218
    Abstract: A phase control device includes: at least one switching element connected to an AC power source, the switching element being capable of: turning on and off at specified timings; delivering AC power to a load upon turn-on and cutting it off upon turn-off; and keeping an on-time from the start to the end of turn-on and an off-time from the start to the end of turn-off, the on-time and off-time being variable; a timing setting portion that sets a turn-on and turn-off timing for turning on and off the switching element; a judgment portion that judges whether or not the turn-on and turn-off timing are on at a phase within a first or second phase range; and a processor that starts turning on and off the switching element at the turn-on and turn-off timing, the processor being capable of adjusting the on-time and off-time depending on the judgment result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Masuda, Mikiyuki Aoki, Toru Kasamatsu, Masahiro Nonoyama, Akimasa Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 10135347
    Abstract: A switching power supply device includes a switching transistor, a sense resistor connected to the switching transistor in series and on which a sense voltage generates when the switching transistor is turned on, a transformer including a first winding to which an input voltage is applied when the switching transistor is turned on and a second winding connected to a load, an optocoupler in which an optocoupler current is generated based on an output voltage on the second winding side, a load power detection circuit that generates a load power signal in accordance with a turn-on period of the switching transistor, a turn-on period control circuit, a turn-off period control circuit, and an SRFF circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: NEW JAPAN RADIO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kimiyoshi Mizoe, Toru Konno, Akinobu Aikawa
  • Patent number: 10135338
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an inductor coupled to a load circuit, a control circuit, and a driver circuit. The control circuit may be configured to select a first operating mode in response to a determination that a value of current flowing through the inductor is greater than a threshold, and to otherwise select a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, the driver circuit may be configured to source current to the load circuit through the inductor for a first duration, based on a comparison of a supply voltage level to a voltage level across the load circuit. In the second operating mode, the driver circuit may be configured to source current to the load circuit through the inductor at a number of time points. At each time point the current may be sourced for a second duration that is based on an allowable peak current flowing through the inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan F. Bolus, Jitendra K. Agrawal
  • Patent number: 10135332
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a DC-DC converter includes a signal generator configured to output a first PWM signal having arbitrary amplitude and a duty cycle established based on an input voltage and an output voltage, a driver configured to output a second PWM signal being in phase with the first PWM signal and having amplitude of the input voltage based on the first PWM signal, a filter configured to extract a DC component from the second PWM signal, and a switch configured to supply an output of the filter to the signal generator in response to a first control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Ryo Tanifuji
  • Patent number: 10127970
    Abstract: A voltage boost circuit for eDram using thin oxide field effect transistors (FETs) is disclosed. The voltage boost circuit includes a boost capacitor which is precharged with a precharge voltage in a precharge stage and which provides a boosted supply voltage to a thin oxide FET during a pump phase. The voltage boost circuit further include a drive capacitor which provides a turn on voltage to the thin oxide FET so that the boosted supply voltage can pass to an output node in the pump phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: John A. Fifield, Dale E. Pontius
  • Patent number: 10128748
    Abstract: In a switching power-supply apparatus that controls magnitudes of output voltages of respective converters connected in parallel to be equal to a target voltage value, only a selected one of the converters is made to operate. In this state, correction values generated by the respective converters are received and stored in memory. Droop characteristics generated for the respective converters are corrected using the correction values. Accordingly, a switching power-supply apparatus and a droop characteristic correction method capable of correcting variations in droop characteristics generated for respective power converters are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Uno, Hajime Shiji
  • Patent number: 10121584
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods of manufacture relating to PCB embedded inductors are described in the present disclosure. Namely, an example device includes a substrate having an upper surface and an opposing lower surface. The device also includes a plurality of upper conductors disposed along the upper surface and a plurality of lower conductors disposed along the lower surface. The upper conductors and the lower conductors are radially disposed about a central axis. Each of the upper conductors and the lower conductors includes a petal shape. A distance between adjacent upper conductors is less than a width of each upper conductor and a distance between adjacent lower conductors is less than a width of each lower conductor. The device also includes a plurality of through-substrate conductors connecting respective upper conductors to respective lower conductors so as to form a series electrical connection. The series electrical connection includes a toroid configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Inventors: Mehrdad Biglarbegian, Neel Mayur Shah, Babak Parkhideh
  • Patent number: 10122257
    Abstract: A method of suppressing ripple can include: (i) coupling a switching converter and a load in series between output terminals of a signal source; and (ii) controlling a difference voltage between an input voltage signal and an output voltage signal of the switching converter to vary with a voltage signal generated by the signal source to maintain a load current signal flowing through the load as a DC signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Qiukai Huang, Jian Deng
  • Patent number: 10122253
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a power conversion apparatus and an initial charging method of the same to control a closing phase angle at the time of switching on a power source, to suppress an overvoltage of a DC voltage, and to prevent overcharge and breakage of parts caused by the overvoltage. A peak voltage value of an input voltage, a total secondary side converted winding resistance of a primary side and a secondary side of an input transformer, a total leakage inductance of the primary side and the secondary side of the input transformer, a capacitor, and a power source frequency are substituted in a mathematical expression, and a closing phase angle is varied at predetermined intervals to obtain first half-wave peak voltage values of the capacitor voltage at the closing phase angles to close a circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Shingo Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 10116217
    Abstract: A digital average-input current-mode control loop for a DC/DC power converter. The power converter may be, for example, a buck converter, boost converter, or cascaded buck-boost converter. The purpose of the proposed control loop is to set the average converter input current to the requested current. Controlling the average input current can be relevant for various applications such as power factor correction (PFC), photovoltaic converters, and more. The method is based on predicting the inductor current based on measuring the input voltage, the output voltage, and the inductor current. A fast cycle-by-cycle control loop may be implemented. The conversion method is described for three different modes. For each mode a different control loop is used to control the average input current, and the control loop for each of the different modes is described. Finally, the algorithm for switching between the modes is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Amir Fishelov, Meir Gazit, Nikolay Radimov
  • Patent number: 10110113
    Abstract: An active filter is connected in parallel to a rectifier circuit between a set of AC input lines and a pair of DC buses. The active filter includes a capacitor, a pair of current limiting elements and an inverter. One in the current limiting elements is disposed between one end of the capacitor and one in the DC buses. Other in the current limiting elements is disposed between other end of the capacitor and other in the DC buses. At least one of the current limiting elements is disposed in an orientation to be forward with respect to a DC voltage outputted by the rectifier circuit. The inverter includes: a set of AC-side terminals connected to the set of AC input lines; and a pair of DC-side terminals connected to both ends of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Reiji Kawashima, Takayuki Fujita
  • Patent number: 10108210
    Abstract: A digital high voltage power having a plurality of filters, a high voltage divider, and a processor with memory. The memory contains operating set points. The processor is configured to receive scaled voltage feedback signals from the high voltage divider, compare the scaled voltage feedback signals to the plurality of operating set points in memory, compute and store revised operating set points using the compared scaled voltage feedback signal, use the revised operating set points to simultaneously and automatically regulate output voltage to be within all operating set points, and generate an alert when output conditions exceed any operating set points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Dean Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Sean Dean, Lynn Edward Roszel, Scott Richard Wilson, Erik Steven Haugarth, Jan Simon Reuning
  • Patent number: 10103631
    Abstract: A power converter circuit and an associated method of converting an AC power supply. The power converter circuit comprises: a supply rectifier circuit (2) for rectifying an AC supply power to generate a rectified supply power; an inverter circuit (3) for receiving the rectified supply power to generate an inverted supply power; a load rectifier circuit (4) for rectifying the inverted supply power to generate a rectified load power for supplying a load current to a load (5); and a boost circuit (6) driven by the load current to provide a boosted voltage to the rectified supply power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Inventors: Russell Jacques, David Coulson