Patents Examined by Peter M Novak
  • Patent number: 11444534
    Abstract: A power converter can include: first and second terminals; N A-type switching power stage circuits, each having a first energy storage element, where N is a positive integer, a first terminal of a first A-type switching power stage circuit in the N A-type switching power stage circuits is coupled to the first terminal of the power converter, and a second terminal of each of the N A-type switching power stage circuits is coupled to the second terminal of the power converter; one B-type switching power stage circuit; and N second energy storage elements, each being coupled to one of the N A-type switching power stage circuits, and the B-type switching power stage circuit is coupled between a terminal of one of the N second energy storage elements corresponding to the B-type switching power stage circuit and the second terminal of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Wang Zhang, Chen Zhao
  • Patent number: 11444547
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes: a converter that includes input terminals and switching elements corresponding to respective phases of a three-phase AC power supply and converts an AC voltage of the three-phase AC power supply into a DC voltage, and a capacitor that smooths the DC voltage converted by the converter. A single-phase AC power supply or a DC power supply is connected to two of the input terminals corresponding to any two of the three phases of the converter while a passive element is provided to connect the remaining one of the input terminals corresponding to the phase to which the single-phase AC power supply or the DC power supply is not connected, with one terminal of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wataru Kuroki
  • Patent number: 11437919
    Abstract: A power supply circuit has a push-pull portion having a transformer; first and second terminals of the primary winding, each connected to ground via first and second switches; an inductor connected between an input voltage and the primary winding centre tap via a third switch; an energy storage portion connected between the primary winding and ground, and to the inductor via a fourth switch; a controller arranged to monitor the input voltage and to apply partially overlapping first and second PWM signals to the first and second switches; when input voltage is between first and second thresholds, the controller closes the third switch and opens the fourth switch; above the second threshold, the controller applies a third PWM signal to the third switch and opens the fourth switch; and below the first threshold, the controller closes the third switch and applies a fourth PWM signal to the fourth switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Andrew Fitzroy McLean
  • Patent number: 11431259
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes a transformer circuit formed of a center-tapped isolation transformer, a rectifying circuit formed of a semiconductor switch element connected to the transformer circuit, a smoothing circuit formed of a capacitor connected to the rectifying circuit, a positive terminal and a negative terminal connected to a load, and a grounding surface to which the negative terminal is connected, wherein a current path along which only an AC current flows is shortened by a negative terminal of the isolation transformer and a negative terminal of the capacitor being connected before being connected to the grounding surface, or the negative terminal connected to the load and the negative terminal of the capacitor being connected before being connected to the grounding surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Naoya Yabuuchi
  • Patent number: 11431247
    Abstract: A power circuit is disclosed. The power circuit includes an input node, a plurality of inductors each connected to an output node, a plurality of phases each configured to provide current to one of the inductors, and a control circuit configured to trigger the phases. The phases are configured to provide current to one of the inductors in response to being triggered by the control circuit, the control circuit is configured to determine a variable time difference between a first phase being triggered and a second phase being triggered, and the time difference is based at least in part on a voltage difference between an input voltage at the input node and an output voltage at the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Empower Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: David Lidsky, Timothy Alan Phillips, Parag Oak, Shrinivasan Jaganathan
  • Patent number: 11424610
    Abstract: A conventional technique makes a configuration complicated. Provided is an apparatus including: a voltage measuring unit configured to measure each of instantaneous voltages of three-phase AC voltage; and a determination unit configured to determine a state of a power supply source of the three-phase AC voltage based on a result of comparison between a comparison target value corresponding to a sum of n-th powers (n is a positive even number) of the instantaneous voltages of the three-phase AC voltage and a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qichen Wang, Nobuyuki Tawada
  • Patent number: 11411508
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes: a voltage conversion circuit that converts an AC voltage input into a DC voltage by PWM control and outputs the DC voltage; an input voltage detection circuit that detects the AC voltage input to the voltage conversion circuit and outputs a detection signal; an input current detection circuit that detects an AC current input to the voltage conversion circuit and outputs a detection signal; an output voltage detection circuit that detects the DC voltage output from the voltage conversion circuit and outputs a detection signal; and a control circuit that corrects a phase of a PWM signal for the PWM control based on the detection signal from the input voltage detection circuit, the detection signal from the input current detection circuit, and the detection signal from the output voltage detection circuit, and outputs the PWM signal corrected to the voltage conversion circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuma Ohashi
  • Patent number: 11411491
    Abstract: Voltage dividing circuitry is provided for use in a voltage converter for converting at least one input Direct Current, DC voltage to a plurality of output DC voltages. The voltage dividing circuitry including a voltage input port to receive an input DC voltage and an inductor having an input-side switch node and an output-side switch node. The output side switch node is connectable to one of a plurality of voltage output ports to supply a converted value of the input DC voltage as an output DC voltage. The flying capacitor interface has a plurality of switching elements and at least one flying capacitor, the flying capacitor interface to divide the input DC voltage to provide a predetermined fixed ratio of the input DC voltage at the input-side switch node of the inductor. A voltage converter and a power management integrated circuit having the voltage dividing circuitry are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Vivek De, Krishnan Ravichandran, Harish Krishnamurthy, Khondker Ahmed, Sriram Vangal, Vaibhav Vaidya, Turbo Majumder, Christopher Schaef, Suhwan Kim, Xiaosen Liu, Nachiket Desai
  • Patent number: 11411511
    Abstract: A switchable longitudinal voltage source has a first feed connection for feeding in a first current, a first output connection for outputting the first current, a second feed connection for feeding in a second current, and a second output connection for outputting the second current. An electrical energy store has a first connection and a second connection coupled to the output connections. The switchable longitudinal voltage source further has a center terminal of a first series circuit which directly forms the first output connection or terminal and a center terminal of a second series circuit which directly forms the second output connection or terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Mark-Matthias Bakran, Viktor Hofmann, Andre Schoen
  • Patent number: 11411488
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a neutral point clamped inverter circuit, and a neutral point clamped inverter. It is detected that whether the inverter circuit operates in an abnormal state. In a case that the inverter circuit operates in the abnormal state, a control mode of the inverter circuit is changed to a specified control mode in which a transistor that may be damaged is in an off state. In this way, there is not current flowing through the transistor, avoiding damage of the transistor and thereby improving safety of the inverter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SUNGROW POWER SUPPLY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Peng Chen, Jinhu Cao, Wei Bie, Leiming Lin
  • Patent number: 11404961
    Abstract: A power converter includes a switch, an ON-time controller, and a compensator. Over multiple control cycles, the ON-time controller controls an ON-time duration of a control signal driving the switch. Activation of the switch generates an output voltage that powers a dynamic load. The ON-time controller controls attributes such as a switching frequency and/or an ON-time duration of the control signal driving the switch to regulate the output voltage. A phase-locked loop in the compensator supplies the ON-time controller with adjustment signals that adjust the ON-time duration of activating the switch to maintain the switching frequency at a desired setpoint. Thus, if a transient load condition causes the ON-time controller to temporarily operate the switch to at a value other than the desired setpoint frequency, the phase-locked loop of the compensator causes the switching frequency to align with the desired switching frequency again over one or more control cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Keng Chen, James R. Garrett
  • Patent number: 11404952
    Abstract: A first switch couples an input node receiving a main control signal for a main switching stage of a multi-phase converter to an output node delivering a secondary control signal for a secondary switching stage following actuation of the secondary switching stage. A second switch couples the output node to a capacitor during a time period of actuation/deactuation of the secondary switching stage. Current is sourced to the capacitor during the actuation time period or sunk from the capacitor during the deactuation time period. The sourced or sunk current may be generated proportional to the main control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Alberto Cattani
  • Patent number: 11394292
    Abstract: A power unit includes: a DC/DC conversion circuit; a bypass circuit, including a mechanical switch, an impedance network, and a semiconductor switch, wherein the semiconductor switch and the impedance network are connected in series to form a series branch, the series branch, the mechanic switch and the DC/DC conversion circuit are connected in parallel between a positive end and a negative end at one side of the power unit; a detecting unit, configured to detect a working signal of the DC/DC conversion circuit and generate a detection signal according to the working signal; and a controller, configured to, when the fault occurs in the DC/DC conversion circuit, output a first control signal to a control end of the mechanical switch and output a second control signal to a control end of the semiconductor switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Jianping Ying, Teng Liu, Dehai Lou, Xin Wang, Yun Cao
  • Patent number: 11387733
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapid discharge of power rails is disclosed. A circuit includes a power converter circuit includes an inductor coupled between a switch node and regulated power supply node. A first device is coupled between an input power supply node and the switch node, while a second device is coupled between the switch node and a ground node. The power converter is configured to generate a particular voltage level on the regulated power supply node by controlling the first and second devices. The circuit also includes a control circuit which, in response to receiving a discharge comment, repeatedly activates and deactivates the second device to discharge, via the switch node and the inductor, the regulated power supply node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shawn Searles, Fabio Gozzini
  • Patent number: 11387794
    Abstract: In each E-class inverter, an internal voltage detection circuit detects an internal voltage of a resonant type power supply circuit or a matching circuit and adjusts a phase of a driving signal of a MOSFET based on a detected voltage. It is thus possible to match a phase of a current voltage of a sine waveform of each inverter and combine power highly efficiently. Since power combining is performed highly efficiently without using a variable capacitor and variable inductor, it is possible to suppress upsizing of elements and achieve downsizing of a power amplifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, National University Corporation Toyohashi University of Technology
    Inventors: Takanari Sasaya, Tetsuo Hirano, Takashi Ohira, Naoki Sakai, Takaaki Masaki
  • Patent number: 11385667
    Abstract: An LDO regulator is provided that includes a bias circuit that generates a bias current having a non-linear relationship to an output current for the LDO regulator. The LDO regulator is also configured to clamp the output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kuan Chuang Koay, Hua Guan, YuFei Pan
  • Patent number: 11374405
    Abstract: A communication-based permissive protection method for protecting an electrical power distribution network from a fault. The network includes a power source, an electrical line and a plurality of fault interrupters, where the fault interrupters are operable to prevent current flow in response to the fault. The method includes detecting the fault by each fault interrupter that is between the fault and the power source, and sending a drop of voltage message from each fault interrupter that doesn't detect the fault, but does detect a drop of voltage as a result of the fault to its immediate upstream fault interrupter. The method opens the fault interrupter that both detects the fault and receives a drop of voltage message from all of the fault interrupters immediately downstream of that fault interrupter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: S&C Electric Company
    Inventors: Qing Guo, Yoav Sharon, Michael Meisinger
  • Patent number: 11368086
    Abstract: A single integrated circuit DC-to-DC conversion solution that can be used in conjunction with product designs requiring at least two different DC-to-DC conversion ratios, and in particular both divide-by-2 and divide-by-3 DC-to-DC buck conversion ratios or both multiply-by-2 and multiply-by-3 DC-to-DC boost conversion ratios. Embodiments are reconfigurable between a first Dickson converter configuration that includes at least two non-parallel capacitors (any of which may be off-chip) and associated controlled multi-phase switching to achieve a first conversion ratio, and a second Dickson converter configuration that includes a lesser equivalent number of capacitors than the first circuit configuration (which may be accomplished by parallelizing at least two non-parallel capacitors of the first configuration) and associated controlled multi-phase switching to achieve a second conversion ratio different from the first conversion ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventor: Walid Fouad Mohamed Aboueldahab
  • Patent number: 11362585
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first power converter and a second power converter. The first power converter converts an input voltage into a first output voltage; the second power converter converts the first output voltage into a second output voltage that powers a load. The second power converter includes a switched-capacitor converter combined with a magnetic device. The switched-capacitor converter provides capacitive energy transfer; the magnetic device provides magnetic energy transfer. Additionally, the second power converter provides unregulated conversion of the first output voltage into the second output voltage via the capacitive energy transfer and the magnetic energy transfer. To maintain the magnitude of the second output voltage within a desired range or setpoint value, the first power converter regulates a magnitude of the first output voltage based on comparison of a magnitude of the second output voltage with respect to a desired setpoint reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Roberto Rizzolatti, Christian Rainer
  • Patent number: 11349482
    Abstract: The integrated circuit (IC) described herein lowers the start-up voltage to, for example, 50 mV, compatible for starting a DC-DC converter from a thermoelectric generator (TEG), even with a small temperature gradient. The IC further improves end-to-end efficiency of the energy harvester by improving power efficiency of the DC-DC converter while ensuring maximum power transfer from the TEG at low voltages. The IC uses a low voltage integrated charge pump that can boost sub-100 mV input voltage. A startup clock is generated by a ring-oscillator that begins operation with low supply (e.g., 50 mV or less), and which allows for one inductor to be used for DC-DC converter and for startup of the converter. The IC can be configured between the TEG and any downstream sensor or communication circuits to provide an acceptable (e.g., greater than 1 V) voltage for powering the downstream circuits from a low-voltage (e.g., less than 200 mV) TEG energy source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Oregon State University
    Inventors: Soumya Bose, Matthew Johnston, Tejasvi Anand