Patents by Inventor Alex Dumais

Alex Dumais 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: 11949335
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods related to a converter are disclosed. An apparatus includes a converter and a controller. The converter converts an input voltage potential to an output voltage potential. The input voltage potential and the output voltage potential include direct current (DC) voltage potentials. The controller generates pulse width modulation (PWM) signals responsive to a duty cycle control signal, controls the converter via the PWM signals in a buck mode when the duty cycle control signal is less than a predetermined maximum buck value, and controls the converter via the PWM signals in a cascaded buck-boost mode (CBB mode) when the duty cycle control signal is greater than the predetermined maximum buck value. A duty cycle of at least a portion of the PWM signals transitions linearly with the duty cycle control signal from the buck mode to the CBB mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Publication number: 20240088893
    Abstract: A device includes a PWM circuit to generate a complementary PWM signal comprised of a positive polarity PWM signal and a negative polarity PWM signal. The positive polarity signal may drive a high-side switch. A trigger multiplexer may take as input the negative polarity PWM signal and may force an output based on a predetermined condition, the predetermined condition including but not limited to the maximum on-time of a low-side switch. The output of the trigger multiplexer may drive a low-side switch. The high-side switch and the low-side switch may drive a load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Andreas Reiter, Yong Yuenyongsgool, Stephen Bowling, Tim Phoenix, Alex Dumais, Justin Oshea
  • Publication number: 20240022257
    Abstract: A device including an input to receive a clock signal, a ramp start program register, a ramp start active register, a ramp stop program register, a ramp stop active register, a ramp slope program register, a ramp slope active register, an update controller, the update controller to update, based on a programmable condition, respectively, the ramp start active register contents, the ramp stop active register contents and the ramp slope active register contents, and a ramp controller to generate a ramp signal, the ramp signal to begin at the value reflective of the ramp start active register contents, the ramp signal to change value at each cycle of the clock signal based on the value reflective of the ramp slope active register contents, and the ramp signal to stop at the value reflective of the ramp stop active register contents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Andreas Reiter, Yong Yuenyongsgool, Stephen Bowling, John Day, Alex Dumais, Justin Oshea
  • Publication number: 20240006982
    Abstract: An inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) power converter includes a current input interface to receive a current input indication. The current input indication includes a voltage to represent a current passing through of a primary side of the LLC power converter. The LLC power converter includes voltage input interface to receive a voltage input. The voltage input is to include a representative voltage to be provided from a secondary side of the LLC power converter. The LLC power converter includes a control circuit to generate pulsed-width modulation (PWM) control signals for the LLC power converter. The control circuit is to match an on-time period of a first leg and a second leg of the LLC power converter and based upon the current input indication and the voltage input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Alex Dumais, Andreas Reiter, Yong Yuenyongsgool, Stephen Bowling, Timothy Phoenix, Justin Oshea
  • Publication number: 20230393923
    Abstract: A fault event monitor and filter having a digital comparator receiving a digital input value, wherein the digital comparator generates a plurality of outputs based on programmable threshold input values, a first counter coupled to a first output of the plurality of outputs of the digital comparator, a second counter coupled to a second output of the plurality of outputs of the digital comparator, and an output controller with a first input coupled to an output of the first counter and with a second input coupled to an output of the second counter, wherein the output controller to generate a fault event signal based at least partially on signals received from the first and second counters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Andreas Reiter, Yong Yuenyongsgool, Stephen Bowling, Alex Dumais, Justin Oshea, Sankar Rangarajan
  • Publication number: 20230369901
    Abstract: Foreign object detection and related apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed. An apparatus includes one or more inductive coils to wirelessly couple with another inductive coil, a series capacitor electrically connected in series with the one or more inductive coils, and a controller to determine a coil current through the one or more inductive coils responsive to a capacitor voltage potential difference across the series capacitor and determine a coil power responsive to the determined coil current and a coil voltage potential difference across the one or more inductive coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Alex Dumais, Santosh Bhandarkar
  • Publication number: 20230231420
    Abstract: Object detection for wireless power transmitters and related systems, methods, and devices are disclosed. A controller for a wireless power transmitter is configured to receive a measurement voltage potential responsive to a tank circuit signal at a tank circuit, provide an alternating current (AC) signal to each of the plurality of transmit coils one at a time, and determine at least one of a resonant frequency and a quality factor (Q-factor) of the tank circuit responsive to each selected transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils. The controller is also configured to select a transmit coil to use to transmit wireless power to a receive coil of a wireless power receiver responsive to the determined at least one of the resonant frequency and the Q-factor for each transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Patent number: 11637450
    Abstract: Various methods relate to digital demodulation for wireless power transmission. A method of operating a wireless power transmitter includes transmitting, with a transmitter coil of a wireless power transmitter, power to a receiver coil of a wireless power receiver. The method also includes sampling one or more electrical signals of the wireless power transmitter. The one or more electrical signals are modulated responsive to alteration of electrical conditions at the wireless power receiver. The method further includes digitally demodulating the sampled one or more electrical signals using a digital filter to obtain a communication from the wireless power receiver. The digital filter includes at least two low pass filter stages that each filter out a fundamental frequency used for the transmission of the power to the receiver coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Patent number: 11611243
    Abstract: Object detection for wireless power transmitters and related systems, methods, and devices are disclosed. A controller for a wireless power transmitter is configured to receive a measurement voltage potential responsive to a tank circuit signal at a tank circuit, provide an alternating current (AC) signal to each of the plurality of transmit coils one at a time, and determine at least one of a resonant frequency and a quality factor (Q-factor) of the tank circuit responsive to each selected transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils. The controller is also configured to select a transmit coil to use to transmit wireless power to a receive coil of a wireless power receiver responsive to the determined at least one of the resonant frequency and the Q-factor for each transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Publication number: 20220376559
    Abstract: Object detection in wireless power systems and related system, methods, and devices are disclosed. A controller for a wireless power transmitter includes a measurement voltage potential input terminal and a processing core. The processing core is to determine an average of peak to peak amplitude differences present in sampled measurement voltage potentials for each of the plurality of transmit coils, determine a lowest average of the peak to peak amplitude differences, and select a transmit coil corresponding to the lowest average of the peak to peak amplitude differences to transmit wireless power to a receive coil of a wireless power receiver. A wireless power system includes a tank circuit selectively including any one of a plurality of transmit coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Publication number: 20220149659
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods related to a converter are disclosed. An apparatus includes a converter and a controller. The converter converts an input voltage potential to an output voltage potential. The input voltage potential and the output voltage potential include direct current (DC) voltage potentials. The controller generates pulse width modulation (PWM) signals responsive to a duty cycle control signal, controls the converter via the PWM signals in a buck mode when the duty cycle control signal is less than a predetermined maximum buck value, and controls the converter via the PWM signals in a cascaded buck-boost mode (CBB mode) when the duty cycle control signal is greater than the predetermined maximum buck value. A duty cycle of at least a portion of the PWM signals transitions linearly with the duty cycle control signal from the buck mode to the CBB mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Publication number: 20220131412
    Abstract: Various methods relate to digital demodulation for wireless power transmission. A method of operating a wireless power transmitter includes transmitting, with a transmitter coil of a wireless power transmitter, power to a receiver coil of a wireless power receiver. The method also includes sampling one or more electrical signals of the wireless power transmitter. The one or more electrical signals are modulated responsive to alteration of electrical conditions at the wireless power receiver. The method further includes digitally demodulating the sampled one or more electrical signals using a digital filter to obtain a communication from the wireless power receiver. The digital filter includes at least two low pass filter stages that each filter out a fundamental frequency used for the transmission of the power to the receiver coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Publication number: 20220037933
    Abstract: Object detection for wireless power transmitters and related systems, methods, and devices are disclosed. A controller for a wireless power transmitter is configured to receive a measurement voltage potential responsive to a tank circuit signal at a tank circuit, provide an alternating current (AC) signal to each of the plurality of transmit coils one at a time, and determine at least one of a resonant frequency and a quality factor (Q-factor) of the tank circuit responsive to each selected transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils. The controller is also configured to select a transmit coil to use to transmit wireless power to a receive coil of a wireless power receiver responsive to the determined at least one of the resonant frequency and the Q-factor for each transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Patent number: 11239696
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices related to a converter of a wireless power transmitter are disclosed. A controller for a wireless power transmitter is configured to sample an output voltage potential to produce a digital output voltage potential, determine an error between an output reference voltage potential and the digital output voltage potential, filter the error to determine a filtered error, and apply an adaptive gain to the filtered error to determine a duty cycle control signal. The adaptive gain is determined responsive to a converter input voltage potential of the converter of the wireless power transmitter. The controller is further configured to determine a controller output including buck pulse width modulation (PWM) signals and boost PWM signals based on the duty cycle control signal, the controller output configured to control the converter of the wireless power transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Patent number: 11223232
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to digital demodulation for wireless power transmission. A wireless power transmitter includes a transmitter coil and a controller. The transmitter coil is configured to wirelessly couple to a receiver coil of a wireless power receiver to transfer power to the wireless power receiver responsive to a coil current applied to the transmitter coil. The wireless power receiver is configured to modulate at least one electrical condition of the wireless power receiver to modulate the coil current at the transmitter coil. The controller is configured to sample one or more electrical signals of the wireless power transmitter, and digitally demodulate the sampled one or more electrical signals to obtain a communication received from the wireless receiver responsive to the modulation of the at least one electrical condition of the wireless power receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Patent number: 11159062
    Abstract: Object detection for wireless power transmitters and related systems, methods, and devices are disclosed. A controller for a wireless power transmitter is configured to receive a measurement voltage potential responsive to a tank circuit signal at a tank circuit, provide an alternating current (AC) signal to each of the plurality of transmit coils one at a time, and determine at least one of a resonant frequency and a quality factor (Q-factor) of the tank circuit responsive to each selected transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils. The controller is also configured to select a transmit coil to use to transmit wireless power to a receive coil of a wireless power receiver responsive to the determined at least one of the resonant frequency and the Q-factor for each transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Publication number: 20210281119
    Abstract: Object detection for wireless power transmitters and related systems, methods, and devices are disclosed. A controller for a wireless power transmitter is configured to receive a measurement voltage potential responsive to a tank circuit signal at a tank circuit, provide an alternating current (AC) signal to each of the plurality of transmit coils one at a time, and determine at least one of a resonant frequency and a quality factor (Q-factor) of the tank circuit responsive to each selected transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils. The controller is also configured to select a transmit coil to use to transmit wireless power to a receive coil of a wireless power receiver responsive to the determined at least one of the resonant frequency and the Q-factor for each transmit coil of the plurality of transmit coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Patent number: 11070091
    Abstract: In a wireless power transfer system for supplying power to a wireless device, e.g., charging a battery, wireless power transmitter coil voltage is used in place of coil current for communication and power control reference. The transmitter coil voltage waveforms provide phase information, with reference to the pulse width modulation (PWM) waveforms, that can be used to demodulate digital packet communication from a wireless power receiver used to provide a voltage to a device. The DC voltage amplitude of the wireless power transmitter coil is used for controlling the power injected to the wireless power receiver coil, while the phase of the transmitter coil voltage PWM signal is used for demodulation of signal packets from the wireless power receiver to control the transmitter coil voltage and thereby wireless power transfer to the power receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Santosh Manjunath Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Publication number: 20210099016
    Abstract: In a wireless power transfer system for supplying power to a wireless device, e.g., charging a battery, wireless power transmitter coil voltage is used in place of coil current for communication and power control reference. The transmitter coil voltage waveforms provide phase information, with reference to the pulse width modulation (PWM) waveforms, that can be used to demodulate digital packet communication from a wireless power receiver used to provide a voltage to a device. The DC voltage amplitude of the wireless power transmitter coil is used for controlling the power injected to the wireless power receiver coil, while the phase of the transmitter coil voltage PWM signal is used for demodulation of signal packets from the wireless power receiver to control the transmitter coil voltage and thereby wireless power transfer to the power receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Santosh Manjunath Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais
  • Publication number: 20200381947
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices related to a converter of a wireless power transmitter are disclosed. A controller for a wireless power transmitter is configured to sample an output voltage potential to produce a digital output voltage potential, determine an error between an output reference voltage potential and the digital output voltage potential, filter the error to determine a filtered error, and apply an adaptive gain to the filtered error to determine a duty cycle control signal. The adaptive gain is determined responsive to a converter input voltage potential of the converter of the wireless power transmitter. The controller is further configured to determine a controller output including buck pulse width modulation (PWM) signals and boost PWM signals based on the duty cycle control signal, the controller output configured to control the converter of the wireless power transmitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Santosh Bhandarkar, Alex Dumais