Patents by Inventor Brent A. McDonald

Brent A. McDonald 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: 9991801
    Abstract: An LLC converter includes an input having a first node and a second node. A first switch is coupled between the first node and a third node and a second switch is coupled between the third node and the second node. A transformer having a first transformer input is coupled to the third node. A resonant capacitor is coupled to a second transformer input and a first input of a summer. A voltage ramp generator is coupled to a second input of the summer, the summer for summing voltages at the first input and the second input. The converter further includes circuitry for generating control signals for the first switch and the second switch in response to the output of the summer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Fan Wang, Timothy B. Merkin, Brent A. McDonald, Joseph Michael Leisten
  • Publication number: 20180048236
    Abstract: An LLC converter includes an input having a first node and a second node. A first switch is coupled between the first node and a third node and a second switch is coupled between the third node and the second node. A transformer having a first transformer input is coupled to the third node. A resonant capacitor is coupled to a second transformer input and a first input of a summer. A voltage ramp generator is coupled to a second input of the summer, the summer for summing voltages at the first input and the second input. The converter further includes circuitry for generating control signals for the first switch and the second switch in response to the output of the summer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Fan Wang, Timothy B. Merkin, Brent A. McDonald, Joseph Michael Leisten
  • Publication number: 20170025969
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a current monitor circuit to measure a load current. A controller controls drive signals having a signal phase to operate a synchronous rectifier (SR) circuit based on the measured load current from the current monitor circuit. The controller applies a first control phase sequence to control the signal phase to the SR circuit if the measured load current is above a predetermined current threshold. The controller applies a second control phase sequence to control the signal phase to the SR circuit if the measured load current is equal or below the predetermined current threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: SHANGUANG XU, BRENT A. MCDONALD
  • Patent number: 8659273
    Abstract: An information handling system may comprise a direct-current to direct-current step-down power converter, a memory, and a processor. The step-down power converter may include a first inductive unit, a first switching unit connected between a voltage source and the first inductive unit, a second switching unit connected to ground, a capacitance unit connected between the second switching unit and the first inductive unit, and a second inductive unit connected between the second switching unit and the first inductive unit. The capacitance unit is configured to delay a change in voltage across the first or second switching units, and the second inductive unit is configured to delay a change in current in the first or second switching units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, Constantin Darius Livescu
  • Patent number: 8067924
    Abstract: In an information handling system, a multi-phase electrical converter includes an electrical input, an electrical output, a plurality of converter phases coupled with the electrical input and the electrical output, and a controller to ramp operation of one or more of the converter phases as a load demand adjusts. In an embodiment the converter may be a multi-phase buck converter having a high side switch, a low side switch, and an inductor. In an embodiment, the controller may ramp operation of the converter phases by adjusting a duty cycle of the high side switch. In an embodiment, the controller may adjust a phase angle of one or more of the converter phases, wherein the adjustment may be relative to the ramping operation of the one or more of the converter phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, George G. Richards
  • Publication number: 20110248689
    Abstract: In an information handling system, a multi-phase electrical converter includes an electrical input, an electrical output, a plurality of converter phases coupled with the electrical input and the electrical output, and a controller to ramp operation of one or more of the converter phases as a load demand adjusts. In an embodiment the converter may be a multi-phase buck converter having a high side switch, a low side switch, and an inductor. In an embodiment, the controller may ramp operation of the converter phases by adjusting a duty cycle of the high side switch. In an embodiment, the controller may adjust a phase angle of one or more of the converter phases, wherein the adjustment may be relative to the ramping operation of the one or more of the converter phases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, George G. Richards, III
  • Patent number: 7999519
    Abstract: In an information handling system, a multi-phase electrical converter includes an electrical input, an electrical output, a plurality of converter phases coupled with the electrical input and the electrical output, and a controller to ramp operation of one or more of the converter phases as a load demand adjusts. In an embodiment the converter may be a multi-phase buck converter having a high side switch, a low side switch, and an inductor. In an embodiment, the controller may ramp operation of the converter phases by adjusting a duty cycle of the high side switch. In an embodiment, the controller may adjust a phase angle of one or more of the converter phases, wherein the adjustment may be relative to the ramping operation of the one or more of the converter phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, George G. Richards, III
  • Patent number: 7982430
    Abstract: For operating each smart battery included in a smart battery system, the smart battery is initialized prior to the smart battery being electrically coupled to the smart battery system. The smart battery system or an external power source is selected to provide power to an information handling system device. The smart battery includes an electronics device, a charge switch and a discharge switch. The electronics device operates the charge and discharge switches to jointly control an operating condition of the smart battery in response to receiving a control input from a controller of the device. The charge and discharge switches are closed in response to the electronics device and the controller being in agreement to charge the first smart battery. The charge or the discharge switch is opened in response to either the electronics device or the controller directing either of the switches to be opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: John J. Breen, Brent A. McDonald
  • Patent number: 7952418
    Abstract: An enhanced transistor gate drive is disclosed in which a pair of Kelvin sense leads measure the voltage potential across at the gate and source of the transistor. The difference in the voltage potential of the Kelvin sense lead from the gate and the Kelvin sense lead of the source is provided to a voltage controlled current source, which compares the output of the voltage differentiator to an oscillating voltage input. Changes to the voltage difference between the Kelvin sense connectors will result in more or less voltage being applied at the gate of the transistor, thereby parasitic inductance in the transistor from causing the device to switch on and off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, George G. Richards, III, Brian P. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20100102784
    Abstract: An information handling system may comprise a direct-current to direct-current step-down power converter, a memory, and a processor. The step-down power converter may include a first inductive unit, a first switching unit connected between a voltage source and the first inductive unit, a second switching unit connected to ground, a capacitance unit connected between the second switching unit and the first inductive unit, and a second inductive unit connected between the second switching unit and the first inductive unit. The capacitance unit is configured to delay a change in voltage across the first or second switching units, and the second inductive unit is configured to delay a change in current in the first or second switching units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: DELL PORDUCTS L. P.
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, Constantin Darius Livescu
  • Publication number: 20090322405
    Abstract: An enhanced transistor gate drive is disclosed in which a pair of Kelvin sense leads measure the voltage potential across at the gate and source of the transistor. The difference in the voltage potential of the Kelvin sense lead from the gate and the Kelvin sense lead of the source is provided to a voltage controlled current source, which compares the output of the voltage differentiator to an oscillating voltage input. Changes to the voltage difference between the Kelvin sense connectors will result in more or less voltage being applied at the gate of the transistor, thereby parasitic inductance in the transistor from causing the device to switch on and off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, George G. Richards, III, Brian P. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7635968
    Abstract: A technique for addressing a low line voltage condition in an information handling system includes determining whether a magnitude of an input voltage of a power supply unit (PSU) is below a first threshold for at least a first time period. The technique also includes adjusting, based on the determining, a magnitude of a reference voltage of the PSU to track a magnitude of an output voltage of the PSU when the input voltage is below the first threshold for at least the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, Brian P. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20090146622
    Abstract: In an information handling system, a multi-phase electrical converter includes an electrical input, an electrical output, a plurality of converter phases coupled with the electrical input and the electrical output, and a controller to ramp operation of one or more of the converter phases as a load demand adjusts. In an embodiment the converter may be a multi-phase buck converter having a high side switch, a low side switch, and an inductor. In an embodiment, the controller may ramp operation of the converter phases by adjusting a duty cycle of the high side switch. In an embodiment, the controller may adjust a phase angle of one or more of the converter phases, wherein the adjustment may be relative to the ramping operation of the one or more of the converter phases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, George G. Richards, III
  • Patent number: 7545120
    Abstract: In a method and system for converting an alternating current (AC) input to a direct current (DC) output, an AC-DC adapter includes a rectifier module operable to receive the AC input and generate a first DC output. The AC-DC adapter includes a buck converter module operable to receive the first DC output and generate the DC output responsive to a control signal. A controller module, included in the AC-DC adapter is operable to receive a first feedback signal input indicative of a target voltage required by a load and a second feedback signal input indicative of the DC output to generate the control signal. The controller module adjusts the control signal responsive to the first and second feedback signal inputs so that the DC output is maintained to be within a predefined range of the target voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: John J. Breen, Brent A. McDonald
  • Patent number: 7538535
    Abstract: Control loop ripple voltage in an error amplifier may be the result of a non-linear time varying behavior of a switch mode power conversion process. An inverse waveform replica of the error amplifier control loop ripple voltage waveform may be generated to substantially cancel the non-linear loop dynamics introduced by the control loop ripple voltage. Once the control loop ripple voltage is substantially cancelled the bandwidth of the DC-to-DC converter control loop may be increased for faster loop response thus reducing the need for additional output filter capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, Daniel E. Jenkins
  • Patent number: 7508178
    Abstract: For controlling a direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter, a controller individually switches a charge switch and a discharge switch to control a duty cycle, thereby providing a regulated DC output. A delay in switching each one of the charge and discharge switches results in a formation of a DC error in the regulated DC output. The controller adjusts the duty cycle by adding a delay compensation to substantially eliminate the DC error. The delay compensation substantially eliminates the DC error by decreasing an average value of the regulated DC output to offset an increase in the average value of the regulated DC output without the delay compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, Brian Patrick Johnson
  • Patent number: 7489533
    Abstract: An inverter providing power to a load, the inverter receiving a direct current (DC) input. A plurality of switches included in the inverter are controlled by a plurality of control signals to generate an alternating current (AC) output in response to the DC input. A zero crossing of the AC output current provided by the plurality of switches is detected, and the controlling of the plurality of switches is delayed in response to the zero crossing. The amount of delay is adjusted responsive to a change in the DC input to effectively maintain a constant switching frequency of the inverter. The delayed AC output current of the plurality of switches may be filtered to provide power to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Erin L. Price, Brent A. McDonald, Chris Young
  • Patent number: 7480162
    Abstract: In a two stage inverter providing power to a load, a first stage component is operable to receive a first voltage input and a first control input to generate a first voltage output, which is higher than the first voltage input. The first control input is indicative of the power provided to the load. The first voltage output varies in response to a change in the first voltage input by a predefined function. A second stage component of the inverter is operable to receive the first voltage output and a second control input to generate the power as an output. The second control input is indicative of the power provided to the load. A controller component of the inverter is operable to receive a feedback input indicative of the power required by the load and generates the first and second control inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Erin L. Price, Brent A. McDonald
  • Publication number: 20080180081
    Abstract: A technique for addressing a low line voltage condition in an information handling system includes determining whether a magnitude of an input voltage of a power supply unit (PSU) is below a first threshold for at least a first time period. The technique also includes adjusting, based on the determining, a magnitude of a reference voltage of the PSU to track a magnitude of an output voltage of the PSU when the input voltage is below the first threshold for at least the first time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS, LP
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, Brian P. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20080084574
    Abstract: A computerized method and apparatus for automated printing based on a submitted print order from an internet storefront is presented. A user configures a pictorial workflow plan which can dynamically respond to a printing intent derived from the submitted print order. The workflow plan automatically generates a value for a printing process element based on the dynamic printing intent. The visual nature of the pictorial plan and the integration between the storefront and printing system provides a simplified environment for configuring and maintaining workflow plans corresponding to a wide range of orderable products and printing equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Inventors: Brent A. McDonald, Alastair D. Foreman, Bruce A. Cowan