Patents Examined by Rajnikant Patel
  • Conversion system for converting direct current into alternating current
    Patent number: 9331594
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting direct current into alternating current. An initial voltage level of an input voltage source is changed using a dual converter to form a plurality of voltage sources. Each of the plurality of voltage sources has voltage levels different from the initial voltage level. An inverter is supplied direct current from the plurality of voltage sources formed by the dual converter. The direct current is converted into a number of alternating currents using the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Dazhong Gu, Qingquan Tang, Dariusz Czarkowski, Francisco de Leon, Kamiar J. Karimi, Shengyi Liu
  • Voltage adjustment method, and voltage pre-regulator power supply circuit and system
    Patent number: 9325238
    Abstract: A voltage adjustment method, and a voltage pre-regulator power supply circuit and system, that implements highly-efficient output of a power supply in a quasi straight-through state and increases voltage output precision of a circuit. The voltage adjustment method includes receiving a to-be-adjusted voltage through a positive wire input end and a negative wire input end; changing, in a control mode in which a connection time is fixed and a disconnection time is adjusted, a duty cycle for the to-be-adjusted voltage to obtain a primary adjusted voltage; and changing, in a control mode in which a disconnection time is fixed and a connection time is adjusted, a duty cycle for the primary adjusted voltage to obtain an output voltage. The present disclosure is applied to a non-isolated direct-current quasi straight-through pre-regulator power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Pinhua Zhu, Hengbiao Wang, Wenzong Cao
  • DC-DC converter
    Patent number: 9312763
    Abstract: The present invention is applicable to the field of direct current conversion, and provides a DC-DC converter. In the present invention, a DC-DC converter including a triangular wave generation module and a switch control module is adopted. The triangular wave generation module generates a triangular wave signal according to voltages at both ends of an energy storage inductor L1, and the switch control module outputs a control level according to its internally generated clock signal and the triangular wave signal to control a switching operation of a PMOS power tube and an NMOS power tube according to a preset switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qiang Xie, Liang Chen
  • Optimal ripple injection for a boost regulator
    Patent number: 9306454
    Abstract: A boost switching regulator incorporates a ripple injection circuit to generate a voltage ripple signal for feedback control that mimics the actual ripple signal of the regulated output voltage. In this manner, the ripple injection circuit achieves optimal ripple injection for stable and enhanced feedback control. In one embodiment, the injected ripple signal is generated from a current injection signal that mimics the difference between the inductor current that flows through the synchronous rectifier and the load current when the synchronous rectifier is on. The injected voltage ripple signal is generated when the current injection signal is integrated by a feedforward capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Micrel, Inc.
    Inventors: Vinit Jayaraj, Jayant Rao
  • Micro-inverter with improved control
    Patent number: 9306467
    Abstract: The invention concerns an electrical module for adapting a first signal of a first system to a second signal of a second system, including: an input arranged so that a power source can be connected thereto, said power source delivering a first signal, said first signal being a direct signal, a converter module arranged to convert the supply voltage into an intermediate rectified signal formed of a direct component and a sinusoidal component; an inverter module arranged to output a signal compatible with a second signal of a second system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Belenos Clean Power Holding AG
    Inventors: Antoine Toth, Yvan Leuppi
  • Semiconductor integrated circuit
    Patent number: 9306592
    Abstract: A feedback loop, which feedbacks information of an output voltage or a load current, is provided. The feedback loop has a first mode, which digitalizes and feedbacks the information of the current voltage or the load current, and a second mode, which feedbacks the information as an analog value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Chen Kong Teh
  • Rectifier and electrical power facility
    Patent number: 9306469
    Abstract: A rectifier and an electrical power facility in which the rectifier is disposed are provided that relate to the field of electromechanical technologies. The rectifier includes a rectifier circuit, a relay, and a controller. The rectifier further includes a detection resistor and a detection circuit, where the detection resistor is connected in series to a winding in the relay, a detection point of the detection circuit is set between the detection resistor and the winding, and an output end of the detection circuit is connected to the controller. When a voltage detected at the detection point of the detection circuit is abnormal, the detection circuit outputs an alarm signal to the controller, and after receiving the alarm signal, the controller stops outputting a driving signal to the driving end of the rectifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weihong Xia, Chao Liu, Haiqing Jiao
  • Zero current detector and DC-DC converter using same
    Patent number: 9300213
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a zero current detector. The DC-DC converter includes a high-side switch and a low-side switch. When the DC-DC converter works in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). The zero current detector detects a zero current a detection node which is arranged between the high-side switch and the low-side switch generates the zero current, the zero current detector outputs the control signal to a driver. The driver switches the high-side switch and the low-side switch off simultaneously according to the control signal. The zero current detector includes a temperature compensation unit to control a responsivity of the zero current detector which not influenced by temperature change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Fitipower Integrated Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chio-Yi Ho, Wen-Yen Lee, Yi-sheng Liu
  • Bidirectional converter with preferential direction and reactive power-capable inverter having said converter
    Patent number: 9300209
    Abstract: A half-bridge of a bidirectional converter is divided into a first and a second conduction path connected in parallel. In each of the conduction paths a switching element and a freewheeling diode are connected in series, and the center points of the conduction paths are connected via a second inductor. The second inductor is connected in series with a first inductor which is connected to the center point of the second conduction path. The half-bridge has two operating modes. In each of the two operating modes the switching element in one of the two conduction paths is clocked at a high frequency to cause a flow of energy in one of two directions between a pair of high voltage-side connections and a pair of low voltage-side connections to the half-bridge. The two switching elements are of different types, the switching element in the first conduction path causing higher switching losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: SMA SOLAR TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Burkard Mueller, Jens Friebe, Torsten Leifert
  • Electrolytic capacitor-less AC/DC converter and controlling method thereof
    Patent number: 9300217
    Abstract: An AC/DC converter is disclosed. The proposed AC/DC converter generates an output voltage and includes a current ripple eliminator having an input terminal, an energy storage capacitor and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal has an input voltage, the output terminal generates a pure AC component of a voltage feedback signal based on the output voltage, when the input voltage is larger than a first reference voltage, the energy storage capacitor stores a difference between the input voltage and the first reference voltage as an electric energy, otherwise, the energy storage capacitor releases the electric energy to the input voltage, and an operational amplifier operating the AC component and a second reference voltage to determine when the storage capacitor should store or release the electric energy to minimize a ripple of an output power thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: NATIONAL CHENG KUNG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tsorng-Juu Liang, Kuan-Wen Lee, Yi-Hsun Hsieh, Jiann-Fuh Chen, Yi-Chien Shen
  • Power supply control circuit, power supply device, electronic apparatus, and power supply control method
    Patent number: 9301278
    Abstract: A control circuit includes a detection circuit configured to detect a load current flowing into a load, and a setting circuit configured to set switching operations on first and second switch circuits according to the load current. The setting circuit is configured to cause both the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit to be in an off state, when a power supply stop signal is input from an outside, if the load current is in a first range, and to cause the first switch circuit to perform an on-off operation on the basis of the output voltage while causing the second switch circuit to be in the off state, if the load current is higher than a first reference value that is an upper limit of the first range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Socionext Inc.
    Inventor: Morihito Hasegawa
  • Apparatus and method for age-compensating control for a power converter
    Patent number: 9293991
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, an apparatus for providing age-compensation control for a power converter is provided. The apparatus comprises a controller for being coupled to a power converter including a plurality of phases for converting a first input signal into a first output signal. The controller is configured to activate at least one first switch for a first phase from the plurality of phases for converting the first input signal into the first output signal. The controller is further configured to determine an aging condition for the at least one first switch for the first phase based on an equivalent time, Teq of the at least one first switch, wherein Teq corresponds to an amount of time the at least one first switch is active and on an operating temperature of the at least one first switch while the at least one first switch is active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Antoni Ferre Fabregas, David Gamez Alari, Federico Giordano
  • Switching regulator and electronic apparatus
    Patent number: 9293990
    Abstract: A switching regulator is provided which can prevent overshooting in an output voltage even when a source voltage is returned to a normal voltage from a voltage lower than a desired output voltage of the switching regulator. The switching regulator includes a 100% duty detector circuit that detects that a PWM comparator is in a 100%-duty state and a discharge accelerator circuit that detects that the output of an error amplifier discharges the voltage of a phase compensating capacitor and that accelerates the discharge, and activates the discharge accelerator circuit when the 100% duty detector circuit detects the 100%-duty state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Kosuke Takada, Michiyasu Deguchi, Hiroyuki Masuko
  • Switching power supply
    Patent number: 9293982
    Abstract: In some aspects of the invention, a switching power supply can include a control circuit that conducts feedback control of a pulse width of a driving signal for switching the switching element according to an output voltage and settle the output voltage to a specified voltage level; a frequency reducing circuit that is disposed in the control circuit and reduces a frequency of the driving signal for switching the switching element upon detection of an overload state and limits an output current; and an initial state setting circuit that sets the control circuit to an overload detecting state for a predetermined period of time in a startup period of the control circuit. The initial state setting circuit can pull down a control voltage for a soft start signal for soft starting to the ground potential to inhibit generation of the driving signal and pulls up a feedback voltage signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Maruyama
  • Soft start circuits and techniques
    Patent number: 9285812
    Abstract: A regulator control circuit includes a switch control signal generator to generate a switch control signal and a soft start circuit to generate a soft start signal for use by the switch control signal generator. The soft start circuit includes a soft start controller and a decreasing circuit to decrease the soft start signal in response to the soft start controller. The soft start controller may comprise a non-regulation detector to detect a non-regulation condition. Embodiments include decreasing the soft start signal in response to a non-regulation condition lasting a predetermined time, detecting the non-regulation condition in response to a maximum duty cycle of the regulator switch, generating a soft start level indicator to control decreasing the soft start signal, and maintaining the soft start signal at a predetermined relationship with respect to a feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Allegro Microsystems, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua Wibben, Robert Stoddard
  • Electric power converting device and electric power converting method
    Patent number: 9287797
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an electric power converting device includes a converter which converts a three-phase AC voltage output from a three-phase AC power source, into a DC voltage of each phase of a three-phase AC load, and an inverter which converts the DC voltage converted by the converter, into a single-phase AC voltage of each phase of the three-phase AC load. The converter includes for each phase of an electric power system a circuit which consists of a plurality of switching elements connected in series. The electric power converting device controls on/off of a switching element corresponding to one of phases of the electric power system in the converter such that a voltage which reduces fluctuation of a DC voltage applied between the converter and the inverter and corresponding to each phase of the three-phase AC load is output from the converter for each phase of the electric power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Ryuta Hasegawa, Yosuke Nakazawa, Kentaro Suzuki, Katsuhisa Inagaki, Teruyuki Ishizuki
  • Switching regulator cycle-by-cycle current estimation
    Patent number: 9285399
    Abstract: A switching regulator includes an output phase having a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor operable to switch on and off at different periods responsive to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal applied to the output phase, each cycle of the PWM signal having an on-portion and an off-portion. The switching regulator further includes a current sense circuit operable to sense the current of the low-side transistor, an analog-to-digital converter operable to sample the sensed low-side transistor current during the off-portion for each PWM cycle and a current estimator operable to estimate a cycle average current for the present PWM cycle based on the low-side transistor current sampled during the off-portion for the immediately preceding PWM cycle and a pulse width estimate for the on-portion for the present PWM cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Amir Babazadeh, Benjamim Tang, Giuseppe Bernacchia
  • Power conversion apparatus
    Patent number: 9281740
    Abstract: When a snubber capacitor is charged to a level greater than or equal to a predetermined voltage, a protection circuit renders a clamp diode conductive to complete charging of the snubber capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignees: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, OSAKA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Toshifumi Ise, Shinsuke Kadoi
  • Power converter with primary-side feedback control and voltage control method thereof
    Patent number: 9281751
    Abstract: A voltage control method for a power converter includes: acquiring a current of a first primary side winding of a transformer circuit of the power converter; integrating the acquired current to obtain an average voltage; comparing the average voltage with a reflected voltage associated with a current of a secondary side winding of the transformer circuit; and adjusting a duty cycle of a switch of the power converter based on an obtained comparison result for adjustment of an output voltage of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chien-Yu Lin, Wei-Lieh Lai, Ya-Jhe Liu, Yu-Kang Lo, Huang-Jen Chiu, Cheng-Ting Lin
  • Control circuit and terminal for cable compensation and wake-up of primary-side regulated power converter
    Patent number: 9270184
    Abstract: A control circuit of a power converter is provided. It comprises a signal generation circuit generating an oscillation signal in accordance with an output load. A PWM circuit generates a switching signal according to a voltage-loop signal, a current-loop signal and the oscillation signal for regulating an output of the power converter. A regulation circuit receives a compensation signal for an output cable compensation and a wake-up. The compensation signal is coupled to increase a switching frequency of the switching signal once the output of the power converter is lower than a low-voltage threshold. The control circuit reduces the voltage drop of the output when the output load is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: System General Corp.
    Inventor: Ta-Yung Yang