Patents Examined by Trinh Q Dang
  • Patent number: 11296493
    Abstract: An example apparatus is for use with an electronic circuit breaker having a plurality of current paths connected between a connection terminal to a power source and a load terminal. The apparatus includes power access circuitry and control circuitry. The power access circuitry monitors circuit access of power via the power source by modulating use of the plurality of current paths of the electronic circuit breaker while assessing actual usage of the power source via a power-related parameter relative to expected usage of the power source. The control circuitry responds to the assessment by generating a signal indicative of a diagnostic result associated with operation of the electronic circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Ivan Lovas
  • Patent number: 11290026
    Abstract: A converter system includes a DC bus for each phase of an input AC power signal; a first switching cell for each phase, including first two active switches coupled in series across the DC bus and forming a first switching cell AC pole therebetween, the first switching cell AC pole being coupled to a respective phase; and a second switching cell for each phase, including second two active switches coupled in series across the DC bus and forming a second switching cell AC pole therebetween. The second switching cell AC poles are coupled to each other to form a flying neutral. One of the first switching cell and the second switching cell switches at a frequency at least an order of magnitude greater than the line frequency. The other of the first switching cell and the second switching cell switches at a frequency approximately equal to the line frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Sandeep Bala, Arun Kumar Kadavelugu
  • Patent number: 11251695
    Abstract: Systems and methods for distributing power in a power-to-the-edge system architecture are provided. In one embodiment, a system comprises an intelligent power switch configured to couple to a power supply, wherein the intelligent power switch outputs a first differential voltage output; and a plurality of intelligent remote nodes each comprising a management microcontroller (MCU) and a DC-to-DC converter. The intelligent remote nodes each receive the differential voltage output, and are communicatively coupled to a data network. The intelligent power switch comprises a processor executing an intelligent start-up control and switching function and an electrical fault detection function. The intelligent power switch outputs the differential voltage at a first voltage level while the electrical fault detection function monitors the differential voltage output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventors: David Thomas Lambert, Lee Holloway, Andrew Williams, David Thomas
  • Patent number: 11245335
    Abstract: A DC/DC converter includes: electronic components group including a first capacitor, a high-voltage-side switching element, a low-voltage-side switching element, an inductor, and a second capacitor and constituting a half-bridge circuit; and a substrate including a high-voltage region, a low-voltage region, a connection region, and a pair of ground regions. The first capacitor is mounted across one of the ground regions and the high-voltage region. The high-voltage-side switching element is mounted across the high-voltage region and the connection region. The low-voltage-side switching element is mounted across the connection region and one of the ground regions. The inductor is mounted across the connection region and the low-voltage region. The second capacitor is mounted across the low-voltage region and one of the ground regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhisa Wataru
  • Patent number: 11183926
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes an output-side storage capacitor arrangement which has a parallel circuit formed of an electrolytic capacitor, a ceramic capacitor and a circuit arrangement. The circuit arrangement has a series circuit formed of a hybrid electrolytic capacitor and a suppressor diode as well as a resistance connected in parallel with the hybrid electrolytic capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: CPT Group GmbH
    Inventor: Anton Mayer-Dick
  • Patent number: 11177058
    Abstract: A composite surge arrester assembly and method of construction protects electrical devices from voltage spikes by limiting the voltage supplied to an electric device by shorting to ground any unwanted voltages above a safe threshold. The composite surge arrester assembly forms an arrester array from an alternating arrangement of deformable conductive contact plates, and metal oxide varistor (MOV) blocks. The contact plates bend and have various types of surfaces to create uniform contact with MOV blocks. The MOV blocks are dimensioned to minimize metal mass. An epoxy impregnated fiberglass reinforcement member wraps around the arrester array at an angle between 0° to 90°, and preferably 45°, relative to the axial disposition of arrester array, while also purging air pockets therebetween. The reinforcement member dampens acoustic shock waves from high current impulses while maintaining electrical contact between MOV blocks. A polymer housing encapsulates the epoxy and fiberglass reinforced arrester array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Inventor: Jeffrey Joseph Kester
  • Patent number: 11178752
    Abstract: A circuit board with an electrostatic discharge protection mechanism and an electronic apparatus having the same are provided. The circuit board includes a substrate, at least one signal trace, and a conductive element. The at least one signal trace is disposed on the substrate. The conductive element is electrically connected to a ground plane of the substrate and crosses over the at least one signal trace. The conductive element has at least one discharging portion. The position of the at least one discharging portion corresponds to the at least one signal trace. A gap exists between the at least one discharging portion and the at least one signal trace. A static electricity of the at least one signal trace is discharged to the at least one discharging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: PEGATRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bo-Yu Lin, Ping-Chung Wu, Wei-Chun Tsao
  • Patent number: 11165402
    Abstract: An LC composite component comprising an element body, a helically wound coil disposed in the element body, and a capacitor disposed on an outer circumferential side of the coil in the element body. When viewed in an axial direction of the coil, the element body is rectangular, and the capacitor is disposed between at least two sides of the element body and the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromi Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 11137436
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for monitoring traveling waves in an electric power system. In various embodiments, a data acquisition subsystem may acquire electric power system signals. A traveling wave detection subsystem may detect two or more traveling waves based on the electric power system signals and determine a location of an event triggering the traveling waves. A traveling wave security subsystem may selectively generate a restraining signal based on the location of the event as within a blocking zone. A protection action subsystem may implement a protective action when the location is outside of a blocking zone. In various embodiments, a protective action will not be implemented for traveling waves launched from known locations of switching devices operating normally. Further, protective actions may be restrained if a magnitude of a traveling wave differs from an expected value based on a pre-fault voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Bogdan Z. Kasztenny
  • Patent number: 11038342
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for analyzing traveling waves in an electric power delivery system. In one embodiment, a system may comprise a traveling wave identification subsystem to receive electric power system signals and identify a plurality of incident, reflected, and transmitted traveling waves. A first traveling wave may be selected from the incident and transmitted traveling waves, and a first distortion may be determined. A second traveling wave subsequent to the first traveling wave, may selected from the incident traveling waves and a second distortion may be determined. A traveling wave analysis subsystem may compare the first distortion and the second distortion and determine whether the first distortion is consistent with the second distortion. A protective action subsystem may implement a protective action based on a first determination that the first distortion is consistent with the second distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Bogdan Z. Kasztenny
  • Patent number: 10996728
    Abstract: A power supply signal conditioning system includes a power supply, one or more loads, and a drive-sense circuit (DSC). The power supply is operably coupled to one or more loads. When enabled, the power supply configured to output a power supply signal having a DC (direct current) voltage component and a ripple voltage component that is based on conversion of an AC (alternating current) signal in accordance with generating the power supply signal. The DSC is operably coupled to the power supply. When enabled, the DSC is configured simultaneously to sense the power supply signal and, based on sensing of the power supply signal, adaptively to process the power supply signal in accordance with reducing or eliminating the ripple voltage component of the power supply signal to generate a conditioned power supply signal to service the one or more loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10985667
    Abstract: A direct-current voltage is applied to a series circuit composed of a switching transistor, a sense resistor, and a coil. A control circuit is configured to be capable of performing current control in which the control circuit, after turning on the switching transistor, determines a turn-off time point of the switching transistor based on a sense voltage appearing across the sense resistor, and to turn off the switching transistor during the current control if, despite a predetermined time having passed after the switching transistor being turned on, the sense voltage does not reach a predetermined threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Hara
  • Patent number: 10978952
    Abstract: A low-voltage DC-DC converter includes a switch configured to convert a high voltage supplied from a high-voltage battery to an alternating current (AC) voltage, a transformer including an air gap in a core region and configured to lower the AC voltage to a low voltage using an adjusted turns ratio, and a power supply configured to rectify the low voltage and supply the rectified low voltage to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Won Gon Kim
  • Patent number: 10969810
    Abstract: A voltage regulator and a method are presented. The regulator has a pass device coupled to an input node at an input voltage. Furthermore, the voltage regulator has a regulator circuit to control the pass device to provide a regulated output voltage at an output node based on the input voltage. Components of the regulator circuit are arranged and operated between the input node and the output node. The voltage regulator allows a load of the voltage regulator to be arranged between the output node and a reference node at a reference voltage, wherein the reference voltage differs from the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Jan Grabinski, Frank Kronmueller
  • Patent number: 10958170
    Abstract: A computer program product and DC-to-DC converter comprising, an electronic switching device, an inductor coupled to the electronic switching device, a capacitor coupled to the inductor wherein the inductor and capacitor are chosen such that the resistance of the load line is greater than a gain minus the equivalent series resistance. A transient controller is communicatively coupled to the electronic switching device, wherein the transient controller has adaptive voltage positioning and wherein the transient controller sends a signal configured to initiate discharging the capacitor during a transient event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: ALPHA AND OMEGA SEMICONDUCTOR (CAYMAN) LTD.
    Inventor: Amir Babazadeh
  • Patent number: 10938307
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a system and a method to limit (i.e., regulate) the input power of a power converter as a function of the voltage and/or loading condition of a power-limited source such as a battery. In some embodiments, the power converter may comprise a transconductance amplifier that may produce a sink current to a current mirror, which in turn that may provide an adjusted current limit threshold to the power converter. The power converter may utilize the current limit threshold to perform cycle-by-cycle current limiting, thus regulating the input power drawn from the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yongxuan Hu, Weiyun Chen, Stephen C. Terry, Chi Kin Ho, Norah E. Nakibuuka
  • Patent number: 10917022
    Abstract: This power conversion device includes: a power conversion unit 20 provided between a DC power supply 2 and an AC electric path 3 and configured to perform DC/AC power conversion; and a control unit 14 configured to control the power conversion unit 20. The control unit 14 includes a determination unit 25 configured to determine whether or not a starting current has flowed through the AC electric path 3, and an adjustment unit 26 configured to adjust an AC voltage generated by the power conversion unit 20, on the basis of a result of the determination by the determination unit 25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Akita, Yusuke Shimizu, Naoki Ayai
  • Patent number: 10917003
    Abstract: A control circuit for a switching power converter includes a current compensator. The current compensator is configured to receive a first current reference signal, a second current reference signal and a signal representing an input current of the switching power converter, generate a first current error signal based on the signal representing the input current and the first current reference signal for controlling at least one power switch of the power converter, generate a second current error signal based on the signal representing the input current and the second current reference signal, and adjust the first current error signal based on the second current error signal to limit the amount of current flowing through the switching power converter. Other example control circuits, switching power converters including control circuits and methods for limiting current in switching power converters are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventor: Yancy Fontanilla Boncato
  • Patent number: 10902998
    Abstract: An electronically controlled transformer, which is used for AC power supply, cutting off the sinusoidal waveform of voltage to change the RMS voltage. The electronically controlled transformer comprises a casing, socket holes and socket tabs for output and a circuit board. The circuit board is provided with an input terminal, a silicon controlled rectifier or field-effect transistor, an output terminal and a control module. The live wire and neutral wire of input terminal are connected by a rectifier or bridge rectifier. The positive output of rectifier or bridge rectifier is connected to a voltage regulation module. The voltage regulation module is connected to a control module. The control module comprises a control IC and a trigger and driving part. The trigger and driving part has an optical coupler. The switching pin of control IC is connected to the transmitting terminal of optical coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Inventor: Long Long Hao
  • Patent number: 10903739
    Abstract: A buck converter uses flying capacitors and cross coupling. The flying capacitors reduce the voltage stress across the inductors and the devices, and may provide high efficiency at very low duty cycle ratios. In addition to the high efficiency performance, the converters may provide a significant reduction in area, since smaller inductors can be used compared to typical buck converters. An example of realization shows up to 90% efficiency at 0.5V output and 10 A load from a 3.6V input with small flying capacitors, compared to what is typically used in a switched capacitor converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Chaoyang Semiconductor Jiangyin Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Arnaud Toni