Patents Examined by Yusef A Ahmed
  • Patent number: 11394317
    Abstract: A converter network bridge controller for a power converter hardware being connectable to an alternating current electricity network is provided. The controller includes an output unit configured for generating a quadrature voltage component reference to a PWM modulator which determines the switching of the power converter hardware, wherein the quadrature voltage component reference includes a first signal and a second signal. The output unit includes a first part and a second part. The first part is configured for generating the first signal based on a current reference for an active current to be generated by the power converter hardware. The second part is configured for providing the second signal to reduce a difference between a converter active current component of measured feedback current and the current reference for active current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventors: Paul Brian Brogan, Thyge Knueppel, Andrew Roscoe, Douglas Elliott
  • Patent number: 11392158
    Abstract: A current mirror circuit includes a first current mirror transistor, a second current mirror transistor, and a bias circuit. The first current mirror transistor includes a gate and a drain. The second current mirror transistor includes a gate coupled to the gate of the first current mirror transistor. The first current mirror transistor and the second current mirror transistor are low threshold voltage transistors. The bias circuit is coupled to the gate and the drain of the first current mirror transistor. The bias circuit is configured to bias the first current mirror transistor to operate in a saturation mode when a threshold voltage of the first current mirror transistor is a negative voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Luis Ariel Malave-Perez, Angelo William Pereira
  • Patent number: 11387740
    Abstract: An energy recycle circuit for a flyback circuit, the flyback circuit has a primary winding of a transformer a primary switch. The energy recycle circuit has an energy recycle branch coupled in parallel with the primary winding, and an integrated circuit having a plurality of pins. The energy recycle branch has an auxiliary switch and a clamp capacitor connected in series. Among the plurality of pins, a first pin receives an external supply voltage. A second pin is used as a power ground that is different from a primary power ground. A third pin is used to sense a branch current flowing through the energy recycle branch. A fourth pin is used to control an operation of the auxiliary switch. A fifth pin that is connected to an external resistor for setting a maximum ON-time threshold of the auxiliary switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Yan-cun Li
  • Patent number: 11387735
    Abstract: First and second n-channel FETs are connected in series between first and second terminals with an intermediate switching node. First and second driver circuits drive gates of the first and second n-channel FETs, respectively, in response to drive signals. The first driver circuit does not implement slew-rate control. A first resistor and capacitor are connected in series between the output of the first driver circuit and an intermediate node. A first electronic switch is connected between the intermediate node and the first terminal. A second electronic switch is connected between the intermediate node and the gate terminal of the first n-channel FET. A second resistor and a third electronic switch are connected in series between the gate terminal of the first n-channel FET and the switching node. A control circuit generates the drive signals and a first, second and third control signal for the first, second and third electronic switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Alberto Cattani, Alessandro Gasparini
  • Patent number: 11374505
    Abstract: An inverter performs a power conversion operation for converting DC power into AC power, includes an arithmetic control device provided with a voltage command signal generation unit, a synthesis processing unit, and a carrier wave comparison unit. The voltage command signal generation unit has a plurality of control systems, and outputs the first voltage command signal generated based on the first control system among the plurality of control systems, and the second voltage command signal generated based on the second control system different from the first control system among the plurality of control systems. The synthesis processing unit generates a synthesized voltage command signal obtained by synthesizing the first voltage command signal and the second voltage command signal at a predetermined ratio. The carrier wave comparison unit generates a PWM signal which is a gate drive signal for controlling the power conversion operation based on the synthesized voltage command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Nemoto, Toshiyuki Ajima, Taito Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11374501
    Abstract: A phase balancer includes a plurality of power conversion circuits, a direct current transformer, and a plurality of phase-nodes. Each of the power conversion circuits may include a throughput, a capacitor bank, and a direct current bus. The direct current transformer may be coupled to each of the direct current buses to move energy between the power conversion circuits. Each throughput may be operatively coupled to the capacitor bank of one power conversion circuit and the throughput of another power conversion circuit to move current between the plurality of power conversion circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Product Development Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Paul Henze
  • Patent number: 11356033
    Abstract: A converter assembly has a converter with multiple converter valves, each with a plurality of semiconductor switches, and with a stored energy source branch which is connected in parallel with at least one of the converter valves. The stored energy source branch has voltage converter modules and stored energy source modules. The voltage converter modules are connected to one another in a series circuit on the input side and to the respectively associated stored energy source module on the output side. There is also described an assembly having the stored energy source branch and a method for stabilizing an alternating current system by way of the converter assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: German Kuhn, Oliver Kuhn, Hubert Rubenbauer
  • Patent number: 11356032
    Abstract: A method for operating switching elements of a multilevel energy converter using at least three electric potentials and to which a multiphase electrical machine is connected. Switching elements of the multilevel energy converter are operated in a predefined clock mode by corresponding switching signals. The switching signals for the switching elements are each assigned to one of the phases and are determined in accordance with each desired voltage signal, in order to apply a phase voltage to each phase of the multiphase electrical machine. The switching signals are determined additionally in accordance with a predefined overlaying voltage signal such that an overlaying voltage dependent on the overlaying voltage signal is overlaid onto each phase voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Ludwig Kraus
  • Patent number: 11349391
    Abstract: The present document relates to power converters with multiple feedback loops. The present document relates to a power converter with at least two feedback loops. The power converter may include a first error amplifier configured to generate a first error signal based on a first reference signal and a first feedback signal. The power converter may include a second error amplifier configured to generate a second error signal based on a second reference signal and a second feedback signal. The power converter may include a selector circuit configured to generate a selection signal by selecting the first error signal or the second error signal. The power converter may include a first clamp circuit configured to limit the first error signal to a first threshold value. The power converter may include a first threshold value generator circuit configured to generate the first threshold value dependent on the first error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Mark Mercer, Karthik Jayaraman
  • Patent number: 11349401
    Abstract: A power converter with secondary side active clamp. At least one example is a method including: limiting a push-phase voltage excursion of a phase node on a secondary side of a power converter during a push phase of a primary side of the power converter, the limiting by extracting current from the phase node and storing the current on a clamp capacitor; limiting a pull-phase voltage excursion of the phase node on the secondary side of the power converter during a pull phase of the primary side of the power converter, the limiting by extracting current from the phase node and storing the current on a clamp capacitor; and utilizing the current stored on the clamp capacitor to drive a component on the secondary side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Alessandro Zafarana
  • Patent number: 11349410
    Abstract: A series multiplex inverter includes a power conversion unit, a phase difference selection unit, a drive signal generation unit, and a drive signal output unit. The phase difference selection unit selects, from among a plurality of phase difference candidates, the phase difference between rectangular wave voltages from a plurality of single-phase inverters. The drive signal generation unit generates a plurality of drive signals that causes the different single-phase inverters to output a plurality of rectangular wave voltages sequentially out of phase by the phase difference selected by the phase difference selection unit. The drive signal output unit outputs the plurality of drive signals generated by the drive signal generation unit to the plurality of single-phase inverters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazufumi Tanaka, Kazutoshi Kurahashi, Yoshiaki Yamamoto, Shuta Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11342834
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a control method for an AC-DC conversion circuit. The method includes: calculating working information of an AC-DC conversion circuit according to at least one circuit parameter information of an input voltage, an input current, an output voltage, and an output current of the AC-DC conversion circuit; comparing the working information of the AC-DC conversion circuit with a preset working range to obtain an actual switching frequency or an actual switching period of the AC-DC conversion circuit. The AC-DC conversion circuit can meet requirements of Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), Power Factor (PF), efficiency and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and the like by adjusting the working information of the AC-DC conversion circuit through the preset working range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kai Dong, Lin Wang, Shuailin Du, Junhao Ji, Hui Huang
  • Patent number: 11342840
    Abstract: A switching device includes a first switch and a threshold voltage adjustment circuitry. The first switch is configured to be selectively turned on according to an enable signal, in order to connect a first pin to a second pin. The threshold voltage adjustment circuitry is configured to adjust a voltage level of a bulk terminal of the first switch according to the enable signal and a voltage provided from a power source. In response to the voltage being de-asserted, the threshold voltage adjustment circuitry is further configured to cut off a signal path between the bulk terminal and the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Leaf Chen, Ya-Hsuan Sung, Li-Chen Liu
  • Patent number: 11342863
    Abstract: An inverter performs a power conversion operation for converting DC power into AC power, includes an arithmetic control device provided with a voltage command signal generation unit, a synthesis processing unit, and a carrier wave comparison unit. The voltage command signal generation unit has a plurality of control systems, and outputs the first voltage command signal generated based on the first control system among the plurality of control systems, and the second voltage command signal generated based on the second control system different from the first control system among the plurality of control systems. The synthesis processing unit generates a synthesized voltage command signal obtained by synthesizing the first voltage command signal and the second voltage command signal at a predetermined ratio. The carrier wave comparison unit generates a PWM signal which is a gate drive signal for controlling the power conversion operation based on the synthesized voltage command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Nemoto, Toshiyuki Ajima, Taito Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11336191
    Abstract: A power supply device with low loss includes an input switch circuit, a transformer, a first capacitor, an output stage circuit, and a detection and control circuit. The input switch circuit generates a switching voltage according to an input voltage. The output stage circuit generates an output voltage. The output stage circuit includes a first rectifying switch element and a second rectifying switch element. The detection and control circuit detects a first output current flowing through the first rectifying switch element so as to generate a first control voltage, and it detects a second output current flowing through the second rectifying switch element so as to generate a second control voltage. The first rectifying switch element is selectively closed or opened according to the first control voltage. The second rectifying switch element is selectively closed or opened according to the second control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: ACER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Tzu-Tseng Chan
  • Patent number: 11336206
    Abstract: Methods, non-transitory computer readable mediums, and power conversion systems with a controller configured to provide modulated inverter switching control signals at a first switching frequency in response to an inverter current being greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold, the second threshold being greater than the first threshold. The controller is further configured to provide the inverter switching control signals at a second switching frequency in response to the inverter current being greater than the second threshold, and to provide the inverter switching control signals at a third switching frequency in response to the inverter current being less than the first threshold, where the second switching frequency is less than the first switching frequency and the third switching frequency is greater than the first switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technoligies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yujia Cui, Garron K. Morris, Lixiang Wei
  • Patent number: 11329561
    Abstract: The clock input of a buck converter is delayed, preventing sub-harmonic oscillation. The function may be achieved by implementing a clock delay generation circuit, configured to delay a next clock pulse by an amount of time directly proportional to the most recent on time of the high-side switch for peak-mode current control, inversely proportional to the most recent on time of the low-side switch for peak-mode current control, inversely proportional to the most recent on time of the high-side switch for valley-mode current control, or inversely proportional to the clock minus the most recent on time of the high-side switch for valley-mode current control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Mark Childs, Jens Masuch
  • Patent number: 11329571
    Abstract: A magnetic balance circuit of a bidirectional resonant converter and a control method thereof are provided. The magnetic balance circuit includes a primary conversion circuit, a transformer, a secondary conversion circuit, and a controller. Said primary conversion circuit is connected to a primary winding of said transformer through a first capacitor, a current transformer is set between the secondary winding of said transformer and said secondary conversion circuit. According to the positive component of the current in the cavity of the secondary conversion circuit and the negative component of the current in the cavity of the secondary conversion circuit, said controller further controls the duty ratios of the switches in the secondary conversion circuit. In the invention, the magnetic deviation phenomenon on both sides of the bidirectional resonant converter is effectively eliminated to achieve balance control for the magnetic circuit, thereby avoiding saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Shenzhen Vmax New Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yingying Feng, Shun Yao, Jinzhu Xu, Hua Ao
  • Patent number: 11329570
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a high electric power density bidirectional isolated low voltage DC-DC converter (LDC) assembly, in which a large-capacity bidirectional isolated LDC circuit is packaged in consideration of a flow of electric power so as to use components in common and minimize an internal dead space, and a cooling structure thereof. LDC assembly includes a power board subassembly (100) including the high voltage stage, a part of the buck circuit, and the boost circuit; a transformer subassembly (200) including a transformer of the buck circuit; an output power board subassembly (300) including a part of the buck circuit; and an EMC filter subassembly (400) including an EMC filter included in the low voltage stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Min Heo, Ji Hoon Park, Du Ho Kim, Soo Min Jeon, Deok Kwan Choi, Won Gon Kim, Kang Min Kim, A Ra Lee, Tae Ho Bang, Hyun Woo Shim
  • Patent number: 11329573
    Abstract: A power conversion system according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of power converters for performing power conversion on AC power and is connected to a power grid of multi-phase power that is a combination of multiple alternating current sources with mutually different phases. Each of the plurality of power converters includes a power converter circuit, a setting unit, and a control circuit. The power converter circuit performs power conversion between either DC power or AC power and AC power supplied from any of the multiple alternating current sources. The setting unit selects one of the multiple alternating current sources as a target of the power conversion to be performed by the power converter circuit. The control circuit controls operation of the power converter circuit in accordance with selection made by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Asanuma, Makoto Ozone