Patents Examined by Nguyen Tran
  • Patent number: 11656644
    Abstract: A control circuit of a power converter includes a first sensing circuit, a reference voltage generation circuit, an error amplifying circuit and a PWM circuit. The first sensing circuit, coupled to a first output circuit, provides a first current sensing signal. The reference voltage generation circuit, coupled to the first sensing circuit, provides a reference voltage according to the first current sensing signal. The error amplifying circuit, coupled to the reference voltage generation circuit, receives the reference voltage and an output feedback voltage of the power converter to provide an error amplifying signal. The PWM circuit, coupled between the error amplifying circuit and the first output circuit, receives the error amplifying signal and provides a control signal to control the first output circuit. The reference voltage generation circuit further receives the error amplifying signal and adjusts the reference voltage it generates according to the error amplifying signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: UPI SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
    Inventors: Wei-Hsiu Hung, Min-Rui Lai, Chih-Lien Chang
  • Patent number: 11658569
    Abstract: A method of implementing a load line in a power converter includes: adjusting a target voltage used to regulate an output voltage of the power converter, based on sensed load current information that has delay between updates; and responsive to detecting a load current transient and before the next update to the sensed load current information becomes available, adjusting the target voltage based on blind load current information. A corresponding controller, power converter and electronic system are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Inventors: Keng Chen, Charles Amirault, James Garret
  • Patent number: 11656642
    Abstract: An electronic circuit comprises an error amplifier and an overshoot and undershoot detection circuit. The error amplifier has an output stage including a differential input to single ended output amplifier that includes a frequency compensation resistor. A switch circuit is connected across the frequency compensation resistor that shunts the frequency compensation resistor when activated. The overshoot and undershoot detection circuit compares differential input nodes of the output amplifier to a baseline voltage signal and activates the switch circuit when detecting an overshoot condition or an undershoot condition using the baseline voltage signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Murat Sekerli, Matthew Winslow Oesting
  • Patent number: 11652346
    Abstract: A system and method of protecting the input components of a power supply. An input overcurrent protection module is provided, which may be implemented in firmware, which monitors the input current through an input interface of the power supply. When the input current exceeds a threshold current (i.e., a current above the maximum rating of an input component, such as an input cable), the input current protection module determines whether an input overcurrent event is occurring. When it is determined that an input overcurrent event has occurred, the input current protection module disables the output circuitry of the power supply and triggers a few timers. The input overcurrent protection module continues to monitor the input and, if the input current continues to exceed the threshold current, is configured to shut down the power supply. In this way, input components may be protected from overcurrent issues in high-power systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Rama Prasad Atluri, Stewart Gavin Goodson, II, Mark A Lawrence
  • Patent number: 11652403
    Abstract: A switching power source device includes a plurality of power source circuits including a first power source circuit corresponding to a first phase of an external power source, and a second power source circuit corresponding to a second phase of the external power source that is different from the first phase; a first switching circuit capable of switching between a plurality of connection modes including a first mode of connecting the second power source circuit to the first phase in parallel with the first power source circuit, and a second mode of connecting the second power source circuit to the second phase; a memory; and a hardware processor coupled to the memory, the hardware processor being configured to open and close a switching element included in the first power source circuit and a switching element included in the second power source circuit, in different phases in the first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shuhei Chizuwa
  • Patent number: 11632065
    Abstract: A method for providing grid-forming control of an inverter-based resource includes monitoring the electrical grid for one or more grid events. The method also includes controlling, via a power regulator of a controller, an active power of the inverter-based resource based on whether the one or more grid events is indicative of a severe grid event. In particular, when the one or more grid events are below a severe grid event threshold, thereby indicating the one or more grid events is not a severe grid event, the method includes controlling, via the power regulator, the active power according to a normal operating mode. Further, when the one or more grid events exceed the severe grid event threshold, thereby indicating the one or more grid events is a severe grid event, the method includes controlling, via the power regulator, the active power according to a modified operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dustin Howard, Einar Vaughn Larsen
  • Patent number: 11631972
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for protecting against and mitigating the effects of over-excitation of elements in electric power systems. In one embodiment, a system consistent with the present disclosure may comprise a point pair subsystem to receive a plurality of point pairs that define an over-excitation curve for a piece of monitored equipment. The system may receive a plurality of measurements corresponding to electrical conditions associated with the piece of monitored equipment. A logarithmic interpolation subsystem may determine a logarithmic interpolation corresponding to one of the plurality of measurements based on the plurality of point pairs. An over-excitation detection subsystem may detect an over-excitation condition based on the logarithmic interpolation, and a protective action subsystem may implement a protective action based on the over-excitation condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ritwik Chowdhury, Dale S. Finney, Normann Fischer, Matchyaraju Alla
  • Patent number: 11621639
    Abstract: A switching regulator generates an output voltage from an input voltage and includes; a charge sharing circuit that selectively forms one of a first charge sharing path between a first flying capacitor and a second bootstrap capacitor and a second charge sharing path between a second flying capacitor and a first bootstrap capacitor based on first and second conversion modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyosang Youn, Minwoo Kim, Hyungju Park, Deokgi Lee, Changseok Chae
  • Patent number: 11611277
    Abstract: A soft-start method for a switching regulator is provided. In the soft-start method, a first gate drive signal for limiting an inrush current is provided, by a control circuit, to a switching circuit in a first soft-start stage. After the control circuit determines that a mode switching condition is satisfied according to an output voltage and an output current, a second drive signal for increasing a rise rate of an output voltage is provided to the switching circuit so that the output voltage increases with a faster rise rate and reaches a predetermined voltage at a second soft-start stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: AIROHA TECHNOLOGY CORP.
    Inventor: Kuei-Ju Chiang
  • Patent number: 11601051
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a connection terminal pattern and layout for a three-level buck regulator. One example electronic module generally includes a substrate, an integrated circuit (IC) package disposed on the substrate and comprising transistors of a three-level buck regulator, a capacitive element of the three-level buck regulator disposed on the substrate, and an inductive element of the three-level buck regulator disposed on the substrate. In certain aspects, the capacitive element and the inductive element may be disposed adjacent to different sides of the IC package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Chengyue Yu, Zhen Ning Low, Guoyong Guo, Jiwei Chen
  • Patent number: 11599133
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power supply that automatically switches between a voltage regulation mode and an over current protection mode, as needed. The power supply includes a voltage regulator that generates a first control voltage for applying to the control terminal of a pass transistor during a voltage regulation mode to maintain an output voltage at a desired voltage level. The power supply includes a current limiter that generates a second control voltage for applying to the control terminal of the pass transistor during an over current protection mode to prevent an output current from rising above a maximum output current limit. The power supply includes additional circuitry that detects when over current protection is required and automatically switches the control voltage applied to the control terminal from the first control voltage to the second control voltage or vice versa, as necessary. Also disclosed is an associated power supply method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries U.S. Inc.
    Inventor: Shatabda Saha
  • Patent number: 11601068
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes a power conversion circuit and a power conversion control circuit. The power conversion control circuit is configured to calculate a positive-phase sequence current command signal based on a positive-phase sequence voltage of the three-phase AC output voltage and a positive-phase sequence current of the three-phase AC output current, calculate a negative-phase sequence current command signal based on the first axis negative-phase sequence current command value, the second axis negative-phase sequence current command value, the first axis negative-phase sequence current value, and the second axis negative-phase sequence current value, and generate the switching control signal based on the positive-phase sequence current command signal and the negative-phase sequence current command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mohammad Bani Shamseh, Issei Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 11594950
    Abstract: An AC-DC power supply receives input AC power and outputs DC power. The converter includes a high power factor bridge rectifier, a barrier circuit with resistor(s) and capacitor(s), and a step-down switching DC-DC converter to step-down a first DC voltage to a second, lower, DC voltage for output. Additionally, fault-protection is provided by redundancy in diodes on diode legs of a bridge rectifier and capacitor(s) of a filter circuit thereof, and a fault-protection circuit to sense current from a step-down switching DC-DC converter, a first voltage from the step-down switching DC-DC converter, and/or a second voltage at an output of the step-down switching DC-DC converter, and open the circuit on a fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: LEVITON MANUFACTURING CO., INC.
    Inventor: Wen Shi
  • Patent number: 11579641
    Abstract: An industrial process field device includes first and second loop terminals configured to couple to a two-wire process control loop. Device circuitry is powered from the process control loop and monitors a process variable or controls a control device. A current regulator is in series with the loop terminals, and regulates a loop current. A first shunt voltage regulator regulates a voltage across the device circuitry. Supplemental circuitry is connected in series with the first shunt voltage regulator and the second loop terminal, and is powered by power from the two-wire process control loop shunted through the first shunt voltage regulator. A second shunt voltage regulator is connected in series with the first shunt voltage regulator and the second loop terminal, and in parallel with the supplemental circuitry, and regulates a voltage across the supplemental circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: ROSEMOUNT INC.
    Inventors: Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Matveyev, Pavel Pavlovich Schmidt, Nikolay Alekseevich Isaev, Sergey Valerievich Dubrovin, Valentin Gennadievich Varnak
  • Patent number: 11574902
    Abstract: A system includes a clamp network coupled between an input and an output and configured to clamp a voltage between the input and the output to a first clamp voltage based on the presence of a trigger signal and to a second clamp voltage based on the absence of the trigger signal. The second clamp voltage is greater than the first clamp voltage and the first clamp voltage is less than a breakdown voltage of the power transistor device. A detector circuit is coupled to the input and the output. A power transistor device may also be coupled between the input and the output. The detector circuit is configured to detect a pulse signal at the input or the output while the power transistor device is off and to generate the trigger signal for a time interval based on detecting the pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Eung Jung Kim, Kyle Clifton Schulmeyer, Sualp Aras, Md Abidur Rahman, Xiaochun Zhao
  • Patent number: 11569220
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device includes a first clamping circuit, a second clamping circuit, and a diode circuit. The first clamping circuit is coupled between a first power rail and a second power rail. The second clamping circuit is coupled between a third power rail and the second power rail. The diode circuit is configured to steer an ESD current from an input/output pad to at least one of the first clamping circuit or the third power rail. The first power rail receives a first voltage, the second power rail receives a second voltage, the third power rail receives a third voltage, the third voltage is higher than the first voltage, and the first voltage is higher than the second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignees: GLOBAL UNICHIP CORPORATION, TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wen-Tai Wang
  • Patent number: 11566495
    Abstract: A downhole tool may include a high-voltage power supply disposed within a housing to transform input power to the downhole tool from a first voltage to a second voltage greater than the first voltage. The high-voltage power supply may include an array of capacitors, which may include multiple rows of capacitors. The rows of capacitors may be parallel with a symmetric cross section as viewed from an end of the array of capacitors. The high-voltage power supply may also include diodes electrically coupled to the array of capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jani Reijonen, Giovana Stefan, Austin Jones, Matthieu Simon, Anthony Durkowski, Marc-Andre de Looz, Justin Mlcak
  • Patent number: 11569742
    Abstract: The power supply control device includes a logic circuit for generating a pseudo switch voltage simulating a behavior of a switch voltage generated in the switch output stage, a filter unit that receives input of the pseudo switch voltage and the output voltage or a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage and generates a current sense signal simulating a behavior of the inductor current, and a feedback control unit that performs output feedback control of the switch output stage by using the current sense signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tadashi Akaho
  • Patent number: 11569741
    Abstract: In some examples, a circuit comprises a first field effect transistor (FET) having a first gate adapted to couple to a reference voltage source, a first source coupled to a first current source, and a first drain coupled to a second current source. The circuit comprises a second FET having a second gate coupled to the first drain, a second drain coupled to the first current source, and a second source coupled to a first resistor. The circuit comprises a third FET having a third gate adapted to couple to a feedback loop of a voltage converter, a third source coupled to a third current source, and a third drain coupled to a fourth current source. The circuit comprises a fourth FET having a fourth gate coupled to the third drain, a fourth drain coupled to the third current source, and a fourth source coupled to a second resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Neil Gibson, Stefan Herzer
  • Patent number: 11563377
    Abstract: Hybrid power converters are presented. The power converters can receive an input voltage at an input node and generate an output voltage at an output node. The power converters can have an inductor coupled between an inductor node and the output node. The power converters can have a first flying capacitor coupled between a first capacitor node and a second capacitor node. The power converters can have a second flying capacitor coupled between a third capacitor node and the inductor node. A first switching element may be coupled between the input node and the first capacitor node, and a fifth switching element may be coupled between the first capacitor node and the third capacitor node. Additionally, a sixth switching element may be coupled between the second capacitor node and the inductor node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventor: Marco Ruggeri