Patents Examined by Rafael O. De León Domenech
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Patent number: 11108326Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes current resonant converter units connected in parallel. The converter units include respective control devices each of which includes a control circuit, a gate-pulse generating circuit, and the like. Taking into account a relational characteristic of a switching frequency and an output voltage of each of the converter unit, a lowest frequency as a common switching frequency, from among switching frequencies with respect to a same output voltage, is shared by the control circuits. The converter units are operated with drive pulses each of which is at the common switching frequency.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2020Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.Inventor: Masakazu Gekinozu
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Patent number: 11101734Abstract: A multi-level buck converter includes an input power source, an input capacitor, first to fourth switches, a clamp capacitor, an output inductor, a clamp switch, a clamp diode, an output capacitor, an output load, a current detection circuit, a voltage detection circuit and a control circuit. The current detection circuit detects whether an inductor current of the output inductor exceeds a predetermined current value, and if so, the output clamp signal controls the clamp switch to be turned on. The voltage detection circuit generates a duty cycle control signal according to an error between an output voltage and a target output voltage. The control circuit controls the first to the fourth switches to sequentially enter a first mode, a second mode, a third mode, and a fourth mode in a first part of a duty cycle.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2020Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYInventors: Jing-Yuan Lin, Jun-Ru Wang, Pin-Hsien Liu, Huang-Jen Chiu
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Patent number: 11101634Abstract: A personal electronic device can include a main printed circuit board having disposed thereon a processing unit, one or more auxiliary circuits coupled to the main printed circuit board by one or more corresponding flexible printed circuits and one or more temperature sensors disposed on one of the flexible printed circuits. A processing unit of the portable electronic device can be configured to monitor the one or more temperature sensors, provide a warning in response to a monitored temperature exceeding a first threshold, and to cause a shutdown of at least a portion of the personal electronic device in response to the monitored temperature exceeding a second threshold. The temperature sensors can be negative temperature coefficient resistors.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2018Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Vishal Gupta, Timothy M. Johnson, Sivasankari Krishnanji
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Patent number: 11095112Abstract: A driving protection circuit is coupled to a load via an input/output pin. A signal generator circuit is configured to generate a driving signal. An input/output circuit transmits the driving signal to the input/output pin according to an enable signal. A counter circuit adjusts the count value when the enable signal is at a predetermined level. A detection circuit detects the voltage level of the input/output pin to generate a detection signal. When the count value is equal to a predetermined value, a control circuit determines whether the level of the detection signal is the same as the level of the driving signal. When the level of the detection signal is not the same as the level of the driving signal, the control circuit sends an error signal to turn off power to the load.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Cheng-Chih Wang, Chih-Ping Lu
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Patent number: 11094807Abstract: A power MOS stage includes a first power MOS device and a second power MOS devices connected in parallel between a first node and a second node, the first power MOS device having a first voltage rating and the second power MOS device having a second voltage rating that is lower than the first voltage rating. A driver circuit is configured to drive control nodes of the first and second power MOS devices in a sequential manner when actuating the power MOS stage by actuating the first power MOS device before actuating the second power MOS device. The control nodes of the first and second power MOS devices are further driven in a sequential manner when deactuating the power MOS stage by deactuating the second power MOS device before deactuating the first power MOS device.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Alberto Cattani, Alessandro Gasparini
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Patent number: 11088631Abstract: A three-level DC-DC converter can include: first and second switches successively coupled between a first terminal of an input port and a middle terminal; third and fourth switches successively coupled between the middle terminal and a second terminal of the input port; a flying capacitor coupled between a common node of the first and second switches and a common node of the third and fourth switches; and a voltage balancing circuit configured to adjust a charge amount or a discharge amount of the flying capacitor based on an error signal characterizing an error between a voltage across the flying capacitor and a predetermined value, in order to maintain the voltage across the flying capacitor within a predetermined range, where the predetermined value is within the predetermined range.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2019Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTDInventors: Wang Zhang, Chen Zhao
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Patent number: 11081307Abstract: An electrical power supply disconnector for establishing or severing the connection between current conductors and a power supply circuit. The electrical power supply disconnector includes a housing including a central passage, the walls of which bear contact strips that are located facing one another along a contact axis, and a slider sliding through the central passage in the direction of a centre axis, and bearing at least a first electrically conductive bar, oriented along the contact axis, for electrically connecting at least one first low contact strip and one high contact strip when the slider is in a first position. A protection module including such a power supply disconnector.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2018Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SASInventors: Frederic Brasme, Vivien Moliton, Bruno Lefevre
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Patent number: 11070142Abstract: A power conversion device includes a single-phase full-wave rectifying unit, an electrolytic capacitor, a plurality of chopper circuits that are arranged between the single-phase full-wave rectifying unit and the electrolytic capacitor, each of the chopper circuits including a reactor, a first MOSFET connected in parallel with the single-phase full-wave rectifying unit, and a second MOSFET connected to a positive terminal of the electrolytic capacitor at one end and to the reactor and the first MOSFET at the other end, a first current detecting unit to bidirectionally detect a current flowing through the reactor, and a control unit to control an operation of the first MOSFET by using the detection result from the first current detecting unit.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2017Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Satoru Ichiki, Akito Tanaka, Shunsuke Kubota
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Patent number: 11070126Abstract: Provided is a power supply circuit in which a first end of a first inductor is connected to a path linking a first input terminal to a first connection point, a second end of the first inductor is connected to a first end of a bypass capacitor, a first end of a second inductor is connected to a path linking the first input terminal to a second connection point, a second end of the second inductor is connected to a first end of the bypass capacitor, a second end of the bypass capacitor is connected to a second output terminal, a first reactor and the first inductor are magnetically coupled to each other, a second reactor and the second inductor are magnetically coupled to each other, and a control circuit performs switching control over a first switching element and a second switching element, using an interleaving method.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2018Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Taiki Nishimoto, Noriaki Takeda
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Patent number: 11063508Abstract: A fault detection method for a multi-phase converter is: sampling currents flowing through a plurality of switching circuits to generate a plurality of current sampling signals; generating a plurality of digital current signals based on a plurality of current sampling signals; generating a plurality of on-time adjustment signals based on differences between each of the plurality of digital current signals and a reference current signal; averaging the plurality of on-time adjustment signals to generate an average adjustment signal; subtracting each of the plurality of on-time adjustment signals from the average adjustment signal to generate corresponding plurality of adjustment error signals; comparing each of the plurality of adjustment error signals with a threshold signal to generate a plurality of fault signals; and adjusting control signals of the plurality of switching circuits based on the plurality of fault signals.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2020Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.Inventors: Wenbin Lu, Wangmiao Hu, Lijie Jiang
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Patent number: 11056970Abstract: A bridgeless step-up and step-down AC-to-DC converter is used to convert an AC input power source into a DC output power source. The converter includes a first circuit, a second circuit, a third circuit, a third diode, and a fourth diode. The first circuit has a first end, a second send, and a third end; the first end is coupled to the AC input power source, the second end is coupled to a ground end, and the third end is coupled to the DC output power source. The second circuit has a first end, a second end, and a third end; the first end is coupled to the AC input power source, the second end is coupled to the ground end, and the third end is coupled to the DC output power source.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2020Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: ASIAN POWER DEVICES INC.Inventors: Yeu-Torng Yau, Tsung-Liang Hung
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Patent number: 11056975Abstract: There is provided a voltage conversion device that is configured to perform zero point adjustment of a high voltage-system voltage detected by a high voltage-system voltage detector, when a relay is off. The voltage conversion device is also configured to estimate a forward voltage of an upper arm diode and to perform output adjustment of the high voltage-system voltage detected by the high voltage-system voltage detector, based on a voltage calculated by subtracting the forward voltage from a power storage voltage detected by a power storage voltage detector, when the relay is on, a low voltage-system power line has no electric power consumption, and a voltage conversion circuit does not perform voltage conversion. The voltage conversion device is further configured to create a high voltage-system voltage correction map, based on results of the zero point adjustment and the output adjustment of the high voltage-system voltage.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2020Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Keisuke Hata
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Patent number: 11050342Abstract: A power converter with over temperature protection compensation includes a main conversion unit, a primary-side control unit, a secondary-side control unit, a secondary detection circuit, and an over temperature adjustment circuit. The secondary-side control unit obtains a secondary voltage change value through the secondary detection circuit, and the secondary-side control unit correspondingly provides a current change value to the over temperature adjustment circuit according to the secondary voltage change value. The over temperature adjustment circuit provides a temperature control voltage according to the current change value so that the secondary-side control unit determines whether an over temperature protection is activated according to the temperature control voltage.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2020Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: CHICONY POWER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.Inventors: Tso-Jen Peng, Ssu-Hao Wang
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Patent number: 11050341Abstract: A power converter with over temperature protection compensation includes a main conversion unit, a primary-side control unit, a primary detection circuit, and an over temperature adjustment circuit. The primary-side control unit obtains a primary voltage change value through the primary detection circuit, and the primary-side control unit correspondingly provides a current change value to the over temperature adjustment circuit according to the primary voltage change value. The over temperature adjustment circuit provides a temperature control voltage according to the current change value so that the primary-side control unit determines whether an over temperature protection is activated according to the temperature control voltage.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2020Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: CHICONY POWER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.Inventors: Tso-Jen Peng, Ssu-Hao Wang
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Patent number: 11050347Abstract: A method for dynamic enhancement of loop response upon recovery from fault conditions includes detecting a fault condition in response to a programmed output voltage of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) converter decreasing below an input voltage of the PWM converter. A peak voltage is sampled at the end of at least one of a plurality of clock cycles of the PWM converter in response to detecting the fault condition, wherein the peak voltage is proportional to a sensed current conducted through a transistor. An error output of an error amplifier is preset to an error value determined by the peak voltage. A PWM driver is controlled with the error value to drive the transistor. An output load is charged to the programmed output voltage with the transistor in response to the input voltage increasing above the programmed output voltage.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.Inventors: Percy Edgard Neyra, John Ryan Goodfellow, Ondrej Pauk
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Patent number: 11050344Abstract: Example power factor correction circuits to correct the power factor of power converters are disclosed. An example power factor correction controller circuit includes a phase locked loop phase angle determiner to determine a first phase angle of an input voltage of the power converter and further includes a compensating current determiner to determine, based on the phase angle, a compensating current to compensate for a capacitive current introduced by at least one filter capacitor of the power converter. The power factor correction controller circuit further includes a switch controller to cause a controlled current drawn by a power stage of the power converter to be adjusted by the compensating current to reduce a phase offset between the first phase angle of the input voltage and a second phase angle of the an input current drawn at an input of the power converter.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2020Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATEDInventor: Manish Bhardwaj
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Patent number: 11043805Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an internal circuit in a core region, a first protection circuit in a peripheral region surrounding the core region, the first protection circuit including first and second protection sections and a first fuse, and a first pad receiving a first signal. The first pad is electrically connected to the first protection section via the first fuse, and the first pad is electrically connected to the second protection section. The internal circuit is electrically connected to the first pad through the second protection section. When a surge voltage having a magnitude equal to or larger than a predetermined voltage is input to the first pad, each of the first and second protection sections prevent the surge voltage from being applied into the internal circuit.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2019Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Jang Hoo Kim
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Patent number: 11038343Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a drive circuit and a method for correcting internal overcurrent setting value thereof. The first current signal output from the first chip is converted into the second current signal which is configured to adjust the internal overcurrent setting value of the second chip by the timing controller.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2018Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignees: CHONGQING HKC OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., HKC CORPORATION LIMITEDInventor: Mingliang Wang
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Patent number: 11036246Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a differential amplifier, an output stage and a control circuit. The differential produces a signal proportional to a difference between a reference voltage and a voltage that is proportional to the output signal. The output stage includes multiple switchable circuits coupled between a voltage source and the output terminal such that the switching of the circuits changes impedance between the voltage source and the output terminal. The control circuit receives a feedback indicative of the voltage of the output signal and controls the impedance of the multiple switchable circuits such that current flowing out of the voltage source rises piecewise smoothly from power-on to steady state operation of the electronic circuit.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2018Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLCInventor: Amirpouya Kavousian
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Patent number: 11038418Abstract: Various embodiments of charge adjustment techniques for a switched capacitor power converter are described. In one example embodiment, briefly, charge adjustment techniques may include a technique to control operation of a charge pump for a switched capacitor power converter so that the charge pump is able to adjust the charge of a selected one or more of the two or more charge pump capacitors along a charge transfer path, independent of the charge of other charge pump capacitors of the two or more charge pump capacitors. Likewise, in some instances, a charge may be adjusted in a manner that is to include at least one of the following: a current source, a voltage regulator, an adjustment of switching frequency of a charge pump, a time-based charge operation, a bypass switch with respect to at least one charge pump capacitor, on-resistance modulation for one or more switches of the charge pump, or any combination thereof.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2020Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventors: Aichen Low, David M. Giuliano, Gregory Szczeszynski, Jeff Summit, Oscar Blyde