Patents Examined by Matthew V. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11496050
    Abstract: A device includes a first FET coupled between first and drive terminals, and is configured to turn on/off responsive to a PWM signal having a first/second state, respectively. A second FET is coupled between the first and drive terminals and is configured to turn on responsive to the PWM signal having the first state, and turn off responsive to expiration of a particular delay after the second FET turns on. A third FET is coupled between drive and second terminals, and is configured to turn on/off responsive to the PWM signal having the second/first state, respectively. A fourth FET is coupled between the drive and second terminals, and is configured to turn on responsive to the PWM signal having the second state if a switching terminal has a first voltage, and turn off responsive to the PWM signal having the first state or the switching terminal having a second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Xufeng Wu, Wei Zhao, Yueming Sun
  • Patent number: 11482932
    Abstract: Voltage regulator circuits and methods therefor provided. In some embodiments, a voltage regulator circuit comprises: a first switch coupled to a power input; a second switch coupled to the first switch; a switching node between the first switch and the second switch; an inductor coupled between the switching node and an output node; a capacitor coupled between the output node and ground; a driver configured to operate the first and second switches according to a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal; a PWM circuit configured to generate the PWM signal based on at least an error signal; and a phase detector configured to generate the error signal based on a phase difference between the PWM signal and a clock reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Kinetic Technologies International Holdings LP
    Inventors: Karl Richard Volk, Sofjan Goenawan
  • Patent number: 11482931
    Abstract: Circuits and methods for protecting the switches of charge pump-based power converters from damage if a VOUT short circuit event occurs and/or if VIN falls rapidly with respect to VX or VOUT. A general embodiment includes a VX Detection Block coupled to the core block of a power converter. The VX Detection Block is coupled to VX and to a control circuit that disables operations of an associated converter circuit upon detection of large, rapid falls in VX during the dead time between clock phase signals, thereby prevent damaging current spikes. Some embodiments include a VIN Detection Block configured to detect and prevent excessive in-rush current due to rapidly falling values of VIN to the power converter. The VIN Detection Block is coupled to VIN, and to VX or VOUT in some embodiments, and to a control circuit to that disables operation of an associated converter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventor: Antony Christopher Routledge
  • Patent number: 11482939
    Abstract: An LLC converter includes a resonant network including a resonant capacitance element, a resonant inductance element, and an excitation inductance circuit. The excitation inductance circuit includes a capacitance element and an inductance element connected in series. The minimum operating frequency of the LLC converter is higher than the resonant frequency of the capacitance element and the inductance element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chuipong Liu, Kwokchoi Lo
  • Patent number: 11482918
    Abstract: A gate drive circuit, which drives a gate of a first transistor, includes a first switch on a high potential side and a second switch on a low potential side connected in series at a second connection node between a high potential end and a low potential end of a series connection structure, constituted of a first voltage source and a second voltage source connected in series at a first connection node; and a third switch and an inductor connected in series between the first connection node and the second connection node. The gate of the first transistor can be electrically connected to the second connection node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuta Okawauchi, Yusuke Nakakohara, Ken Nakahara
  • Patent number: 11476760
    Abstract: In some examples, a system includes a voltage source terminal, a voltage reference terminal, a field effect transistor (FET), a current source, a comparator, and adjustment circuitry. The FET has a gate terminal and a non-gate terminal, the gate terminal coupled to the voltage source terminal. The current source is coupled to the non-gate terminal. The comparator has a comparator output and first and second comparator inputs, the first comparator input coupled to the non-gate terminal, and the second comparator input coupled to the voltage reference terminal. The adjustment circuitry has a circuitry input and a circuitry output, the circuitry input coupled to the comparator output, and the adjustment circuitry configured to adjust the circuitry output responsive to the circuitry input, in which the adjustment reduces a drive strength of the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Robert Allan Neidorff, Saurav Bandyopadhyay, Ramanathan Ramani
  • Patent number: 11476762
    Abstract: A power converter including switch components having different safe operating areas is provided. A first terminal of a first high-side switch is coupled to a common voltage. A first terminal of a first low-side switch is connected to a second terminal of the first high-side switch. A second terminal of the first low-side switch is grounded. A first terminal of a second low-side switch is connected to a node between the second terminal of the first high-side switch and the first terminal of the first low-side switch. A second terminal of the second low-side switch is grounded. A safe operating area of the second low-side switch is larger than a safe operating area of the first low-side switch. After the first low-side switch is turned off, the second low-side switch is turned off Before the first low-side switch is turned on, the second low-side switch is turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cheng-Han Wu, Fu-Chuan Chen
  • Patent number: 11469668
    Abstract: A control circuit and control method for controlling a step-up switching converter. The control circuit has an ultra-low voltage regulation module used to generate a control signal based on an output voltage feedback signal and an input voltage signal. When the input voltage signal is smaller than an ultra-low voltage threshold, the control signal controls a high side switch of the step-up switching converter off and controls a low side switch of the step-up switching converter to perform on and off switching. Meanwhile, a parasitic diode of the high side switch is on once the low side switch is off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Lei Li
  • Patent number: 11456668
    Abstract: A method of operating a hysteretic synthetic current-mode switching regulator is disclosed. In the switching regulator, PWM pulses (PWM) are generated by a PWM generator (20; FIG. 7) in dependence upon a ramp voltage (VR) which oscillates between upper and lower window voltages (VW+, VW?). The ramp voltage depends on a control voltage (VC) which depends on current (IL) through an inductor (6). The method comprise determining whether a period (T) equal to or greater than a given period (TREFRESH) has elapsed without a PWM pulse being generated, upon a positive determination, causing the ramp voltage to be pulled up to or above the upper window voltage (VW+) for a given duration (?T) and when said given duration has elapsed, causing the ramp voltage to decrease until a rising edge of a PWM pulse is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC.
    Inventors: Vinod Aravindakshan Lalithambika, Allan Warrington, Vipul Raithatha
  • Patent number: 11451146
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter according to an embodiment is a DC-DC converter for generating an output voltage VOUT according to a reference voltage VREF, and includes a fully differential amplifier that outputs a first differential output signal and a second differential output signal according to a differential input using the reference voltage VREF and the output voltage VOUT, a pulse width modulation signal generation circuit that generates a pulse width modulation signal based on the first differential output signal Vout1 and the second differential output signal Vout2, and a driver that outputs a driving signal obtained by waveform-shaping the pulse width modulation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenichi Wakasugi
  • Patent number: 11450475
    Abstract: A coil component includes: a first magnetic resin layer in a lower area; a second magnetic resin layer in an inner diameter area surrounded by a coil pattern, an outer peripheral area that surrounds the coil pattern, and an upper area; and an insulating gap layer between the first and second magnetic resin layers. A part of the insulating gap layer positioned between the first magnetic resin layer and a part of the second magnetic resin layer positioned in the inner diameter area is curved in the axial direction. A magnetic substrate need not be used. The insulating gap layer is provided, allowing the insulating gap layer to function as a magnetic gap. The insulating gap layer is curved in the axial direction, so that a contact area between the insulating gap layer and the first and second magnetic resin layers are increased to enhance adhesion therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanori Suzuki, Yuuichi Kawaguchi, Naoaki Fujii, Tomonaga Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 11444536
    Abstract: A controller of a power supply system includes a memory configured to store a self-inductance and a mutual inductance of two reactors included in a boost converter; and a processor configured to determine a present operating state of the boost converter, based on a ratio of an input voltage into the boost converter to an output voltage therefrom, a duty ratio applied to switching elements of the boost converter, the self-inductance, and the mutual inductance, the present operating state being one of operating states among which the waveform of a reactor current differs; and measure an average of the reactor current in a predetermined switching period of the switching elements, based on the input voltage, the output voltage, and the duty ratio, in accordance with the waveform of the reactor current corresponding to the present operating state of the boost converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11437920
    Abstract: A system includes a braking resistor and a controllable switch connected in series, the controllable switch adapted to connect to a terminal on a direct-voltage side of an AC/DC converter; an evaluation unit adapted to generate a control signal to control the controllable switch and including a determination device adapted to determine electric power supplied to the braking resistor; a voltage-acquisition device adapted to supply an output signal to the evaluation unit; and a controller adapted to regulate a set value toward an output signal of the determination device, the controller adapted to supply, directly and/or via a limiter, to a parameterizable filter adapted to convey an output signal to a switching element, the switching element adapted to generate an output signal to open and/or close the controllable switch as a function of exceeding and/or undershooting of a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: SEW-EURODRIVE GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Marcel Stark
  • Patent number: 11430716
    Abstract: An object is to suppress a decrease in reliability due to peeling of an insulating layer and another member of a power semiconductor device. A power semiconductor device according to the present invention includes: a power semiconductor element; a conductor portion that transmits a current to the power semiconductor element; an insulating layer in contact with a surface of the conductor portion on a side opposite to a side on which the power semiconductor element is arranged; a metallic heat dissipating portion that opposes the conductor portion while sandwiching the insulating layer; and an output terminal that is connected to the conductor layer and outputs a different signal depending on a contact state of the insulating portion, the insulating layer having an insulating portion and a conductor layer sandwiched between the conductor portion and the metallic heat dissipating portion via the insulating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Junpei Kusukawa, Tadahiko Chida
  • Patent number: 11418115
    Abstract: A controller for an on-vehicle inverter includes an arm circuit and a driver. The driver includes a high-side drive circuit, a low-side drive circuit, and a bootstrap capacitor. The on-vehicle inverter includes a smoothing capacitor. The smoothing capacitor is supplied with leak current by an internal power supply via the bootstrap capacitor and a high-side semiconductor device. The controller further includes a voltage detector and an insertion-removal determination unit. The insertion-removal determination unit is configured to determine whether a connector has been inserted or removed from a change in voltage at ends of a smoothing capacitor detected by a voltage detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Motonobu Funato, Keiji Yashiro, Kazuhiro Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 11418105
    Abstract: A power converter controller includes a fractional valley controller configured to determine a target number of valleys of a resonant waveform at a drain node of a main switch, the target number of valleys corresponding to a desired off-time of the main switch, the fractional valley controller modulating an off-time of the main switch between two or more modulated off-times. The target number of valleys corresponds to a non-integer number of valleys of the resonant waveform at the drain node of the main switch. Each of the modulated off-times of the main switch corresponds to an integer number of valleys, and the two or more modulated off-times of the main switch has an average value that corresponds to the desired off-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Appulse Power Inc.
    Inventor: Aleksandar Radic
  • Patent number: 11411495
    Abstract: Some demonstrative embodiments include a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) transistor including a split-gate structure. For example, an Integrated Circuit (IC) may include a MOS including a body; a source; a drain; and a split-gate structure including a control gate and at least one voltage-controlled Field-Plate (FP), the control gate is between the source and the voltage-controlled FP, the voltage-controlled FP is between the control gate and the drain, the control gate configured to switch the MOS transistor between an on state and an off state according to a switching voltage; and a voltage controller configured to apply a variable control voltage to the voltage-controlled FP, the variable control voltage based on at least one control parameter, the at least one control parameter including at least one of a load current driven by the MOS transistor or a switching frequency of the switching voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TOWER SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
    Inventor: Erez Sarig
  • Patent number: 11402860
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes: an amplifier to compare a reference voltage to a feedback voltage and to output a comparison signal based on the comparison; a first loop circuit coupled to the amplifier to receive the comparison signal and output a first feedback voltage for the amplifier to use as the feedback voltage in a first mode of operation; and a second loop circuit coupled to the amplifier. The second loop circuit may be configured to receive the comparison signal and output a second feedback voltage for the amplifier to use as the feedback voltage in a second mode of operation. The second feedback voltage may be greater than the first feedback voltage, and the second loop circuit may output a regulated voltage based on the comparison signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Ricky Setiawan, Hua Beng Chan, Rex Tak Ying Wong
  • Patent number: 11404957
    Abstract: A mounting device shaped for contact with at least a part of a circumference formed by a configuration of three separately electric isolated one-phase power cables and at least one electrically isolated one-phase common mode return cable positioned together so that electrically conductive portions of the respective cables form a symmetrical cross sectional pattern, wherein the mounting device is arranged for fixation of all of said three power cables and the at least one common mode return cable to an associated structure. This mounting device allows effective fixation of power cables in electric power systems involving a three-phase PWM converter, where common mode return cables are necessary, e.g. in a wind turbine. The mounting device allows an effective practical handling and freedom to choose cables with custom fit cross sectional areas as well as compliance with the required maximum temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Luis Miguel Calhau Gonçalves, Kenneth G. Hansen
  • Patent number: 11398347
    Abstract: An inductor device includes a substrate, and a plurality of first trenches including a first metal on the substrate to form first metal layers. The first metal layers are arranged substantially parallel to the substrate. A plurality of second trenches including a second metal is over the first metal layers and includes first portions and second portions. The first portions are substantially parallel to and interdigitate the first metal layers. The second portions are substantially perpendicular to the first portions, extend from ends of the first portions, and are oriented in opposite directions such that the second portions extend over ends of adjacent first metal layers. A plurality of vias connects the first metal layers to the second metal layers. A plurality of magnetic trenches is over the first metal layers, under the second metal layers, and substantially parallel to the second portions of the plurality of second trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Juntao Li, Geng Wang, Qintao Zhang