Patents by Inventor Alan David Finkel

Alan David Finkel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11804779
    Abstract: Power converter with voltage-selective skip mode entry. At least one example is a method of operating a power converter, the method comprising: operating, by a controller, the power converter in discontinuous conduction mode; and then operating, by the controller, the power converter in frequency foldback operation; and entering, by the controller, skip mode when load current falls below a skip threshold implemented based on an output voltage of the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Alan David Finkel
  • Publication number: 20220094275
    Abstract: Operation of a switching power converter, such as to reduce voltage spikes on the secondary side of switching power converters. One example is a method of operating a switching power converter, the method comprising: sensing, by a controller of a switching power converter, a strength-selection signal; and driving, by the controller within a plurality of switching cycles, a control input of a primary electrically-controlled switch, the driving in each switching cycle at a drive strength based on the strength-selection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ajay Karthik HARI, Alan David FINKEL
  • Publication number: 20220094270
    Abstract: Power converter with voltage-selective skip mode entry. At least one example is a method of operating a power converter, the method comprising: operating, by a controller, the power converter in discontinuous conduction mode; and then operating, by the controller, the power converter in frequency foldback operation; and entering, by the controller, skip mode when load current falls below a skip threshold implemented based on an output voltage of the converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Alan David FINKEL
  • Patent number: 10804806
    Abstract: A switching power converter. Example methods include: switching a primary switch of the converter at a switching frequency, the converter having a feedback circuit acting as a low pass filter with a cutoff frequency, and each cycle of the switching frequency including a discharge mode and a charge mode that ends at a peak current through a primary winding of a transformer; generating, during the switching, a jitter signal having a shape and a jitter frequency; and ending a plurality of consecutive charge modes at a plurality of respective peak current values of current through the primary winding, the plurality of peak current values define an average value, and where peak current values higher than the average value define an envelope in the shape of the jitter signal, and peak current values lower than the average value define an envelope in the shape of the jitter signal that is inverted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Alan David Finkel, John D. Stone
  • Patent number: 10658934
    Abstract: A switched mode power supply controller includes a latch having an output for providing a drive signal, an off-time control circuit operating in valley switching and frequency reduction modes controlling an off-time of the latch based on at least a zero current detect signal, and an on-time control circuit resetting the latch in response to a current sense signal exceeding a feedback voltage representative of a load and to the current sense signal exceeding a modulated peak current threshold value. The on-time control circuit resets the latch in response to a current sense signal exceeding a feedback voltage representative of a load and to the current sense signal exceeding a peak current threshold value. In the frequency reduction mode, the on-time control circuit modulates the peak current threshold value by increasing the peak current threshold value by a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Alan David Finkel, Armando Gabriel Mesa
  • Publication number: 20180351464
    Abstract: A switched mode power supply controller includes a latch having an output for providing a drive signal, an off-time control circuit operating in valley switching and frequency reduction modes controlling an off-time of the latch based on at least a zero current detect signal, and an on-time control circuit resetting the latch in response to a current sense signal exceeding a feedback voltage representative of a load and to the current sense signal exceeding a modulated peak current threshold value. The on-time control circuit resets the latch in response to a current sense signal exceeding a feedback voltage representative of a load and to the current sense signal exceeding a peak current threshold value. In the frequency reduction mode, the on-time control circuit modulates the peak current threshold value by increasing the peak current threshold value by a predetermined amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Alan David FINKEL, Armando Gabriel MESA
  • Patent number: 10110134
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure involve a circuit and/or method for a control circuit of a switched-mode power supply that allows the power supply circuit to temporarily provide up to 2.0× the nominal maximum power rating of the circuit without the need for large storage devices within the power supply. For example, a control circuit of a switched-mode power supply may cause the power supply to operate in a quasi-resonant mode. However, when the load on the circuit increases such that the feedback voltage measurement meets or exceeds a voltage threshold, the control circuit causes the switched-mode power supply to enter a power excursion mode with a fixed switching frequency. If the load on the switched-mode power supply continues to increase, the off time of the switched-mode power supply may be scaled in response to increase the power provided by the switched-mode power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Alan David Finkel, Armando Gabriel Mesa, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9793816
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure involve a circuit and/or method for a control circuit of a switched-mode power supply that allows the power supply circuit to temporarily provide up to 2.0× the nominal maximum power rating of the circuit without the need for large storage devices within the power supply. For example, a control circuit of a switched-mode power supply may cause the power supply to operate in a quasi-resonant mode. However, when the load on the circuit increases such that the feedback voltage measurement meets or exceeds a voltage threshold, the control circuit causes the switched-mode power supply to enter a power excursion mode with a fixed switching frequency. If the load on the switched-mode power supply continues to increase, the off time of the switched-mode power supply may be scaled in response to increase the power provided by the switched-mode power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTIRES, LLC
    Inventors: Alan David Finkel, Armando Gabriel Mesa, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20170264202
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure involve a circuit and/or method for a control circuit of a switched-mode power supply that allows the power supply circuit to temporarily provide up to 2.0× the nominal maximum power rating of the circuit without the need for large storage devices within the power supply. For example, a control circuit of a switched-mode power supply may cause the power supply to operate in a quasi-resonant mode. However, when the load on the circuit increases such that the feedback voltage measurement meets or exceeds a voltage threshold, the control circuit causes the switched-mode power supply to enter a power excursion mode with a fixed switching frequency. If the load on the switched-mode power supply continues to increase, the off time of the switched-mode power supply may be scaled in response to increase the power provided by the switched-mode power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Alan David FINKEL, Armando Gabriel MESA, JR.
  • Publication number: 20170264201
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure involve a circuit and/or method for a control circuit of a switched-mode power supply that allows the power supply circuit to temporarily provide up to 2.0× the nominal maximum power rating of the circuit without the need for large storage devices within the power supply. For example, a control circuit of a switched-mode power supply may cause the power supply to operate in a quasi-resonant mode. However, when the load on the circuit increases such that the feedback voltage measurement meets or exceeds a voltage threshold, the control circuit causes the switched-mode power supply to enter a power excursion mode with a fixed switching frequency. If the load on the switched-mode power supply continues to increase, the off time of the switched-mode power supply may be scaled in response to increase the power provided by the switched-mode power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Alan David FINKEL, Armando Gabriel MESA, JR.
  • Publication number: 20080252149
    Abstract: An AC/DC input power converter including only a single input cable such that a user will never have to switch cabling, regardless if the cable is connected to an AC voltage source or a DC voltage source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Bryan Wayne McCoy, Alan David Finkel, William E. Davis, Andrew Christopher Stirling, Agus Suryana The
  • Patent number: 7388305
    Abstract: An AC/DC input power converter including only a single input cable such that a user will never have to switch cabling, regardless if the cable is connected to an AC voltage source or a DC voltage source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Mobility Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Wayne McCoy, Alan David Finkel, William E. Davis, Andrew Christopher Stirling, Agus Suryana The