Patents by Inventor Brian Benjamin Johnson

Brian Benjamin Johnson 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: 10528687
    Abstract: Virtual oscillator control systems, devices, and techniques are provided. One example device includes a processor configured to implement a virtual oscillator circuit and output an oscillating waveform based on the virtual oscillator circuit and power electronics operatively coupled to the processor and configured to convert, based on the oscillating waveform, direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity. The processor may be further configured to extract, from the virtual oscillator circuit, a virtual current based on an output current of the AC electricity, and output the oscillating waveform further based on an input voltage of the DC electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignees: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, ETH Zürich
    Inventors: Brian Benjamin Johnson, Nathan Ainsworth, Sairaj Vijaykumar Dhople, Mohit Sinha, Florian Anton Dörfler
  • Patent number: 10340801
    Abstract: A device includes a control unit that includes an oscillator circuit. The control unit is configured to generate, based on the oscillator circuit, at least one switching signal. The device also includes a direct current (DC)-to-DC conversion circuit comprising at least one electronic switch that is operatively coupled to the control unit. The DC-to-DC conversion circuit is configured to convert, based on the at least one switching signal, a DC input voltage to a DC output voltage, and the control unit is further configured to input, to the oscillator circuit, a current signal that is generated based on a measured output current of the DC-to-DC conversion circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignees: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, Regents of the University of Minnesota, ETH Zürich
    Inventors: Brian Benjamin Johnson, Miguel Rodriguez, Mohit Sinha, Sairaj Vijaykumar Dhople, Florian Anton Dörfler
  • Publication number: 20180323714
    Abstract: A device includes a control unit that includes an oscillator circuit. The control unit is configured to generate, based on the oscillator circuit, at least one switching signal. The device also includes a direct current (DC)-to-DC conversion circuit comprising at least one electronic switch that is operatively coupled to the control unit. The DC-to-DC conversion circuit is configured to convert, based on the at least one switching signal, a DC input voltage to a DC output voltage, and the control unit is further configured to input, to the oscillator circuit, a current signal that is generated based on a measured output current of the DC-to-DC conversion circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Brian Benjamin JOHNSON, Miguel RODRIGUEZ, Mohit SINHA, Sairaj Vijaykumar DHOPLE, Florian Anton DÖRFLER
  • Publication number: 20170316135
    Abstract: Virtual oscillator control systems, devices, and techniques are provided. One example device includes a processor configured to implement a virtual oscillator circuit and output an oscillating waveform based on the virtual oscillator circuit and power electronics operatively coupled to the processor and configured to convert, based on the oscillating waveform, direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity. The processor may be further configured to extract, from the virtual oscillator circuit, a virtual current based on an output current of the AC electricity, and output the oscillating waveform further based on an input voltage of the DC electricity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Brian Benjamin JOHNSON, Nathan AINSWORTH, Sairaj Vijaykumar DHOPLE, Mohit SINHA, Florian Anton DÖRFLER
  • Publication number: 20170249404
    Abstract: An example system includes a simulation system that emulates a first portion of an electrical system and controls, based on the first portion, electrical inputs to a device under test. The system also includes an observation device, operatively coupled to the simulation system, that receives a delayed version of a remote emulation value, which represents a second portion of the electrical system. The remote emulation value is generated by another, physically separate simulation system. The observation device is further configured to determine, based on the delayed version of the remote emulation value and a model of the second portion, a respective real-time estimation of the remote emulation value, and output, to the simulation system, the respective real-time estimation. The simulation system is further configured to emulate the first portion based on the respective real-time estimation of the remote emulation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: James L. CALE, Emiliano DALL'ANESE, Brian Benjamin JOHNSON, Peter Michael YOUNG, Daniel ZIMMERLE, Leah Michelle HOLTON
  • Patent number: 9143053
    Abstract: Microinverters useable in association with photovoltaic modules are described. A three phase-microinverter receives direct current output generated by a microsystems-enabled photovoltaic cell and converts such direct current output into three-phase alternating current out. The three-phase microinverter is interleaved with other three-phase-microinverters, wherein such microinverters are integrated in a photovoltaic module with the microsystems-enabled photovoltaic cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignees: Sandia Corporation, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Anthony L. Lentine, Gregory N. Nielson, Murat Okandan, Brian Benjamin Johnson, Philip T. Krein