Patents by Inventor Dingkun Du

Dingkun Du 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).

  • Publication number: 20250112541
    Abstract: Phase reassignment among power converters is disclosed. Multi-phase power converters of a plurality are arranged such that the various phases of each can be shared. When a given power converter has a high demand current and a phase of another power converter in the same group is currently unused, that phase may be borrowed by the given power converter to meet the demand current. The power converter that borrows a phase from another power converter is designated as the leader, while the borrowed phase is designated as a follower. The regulated supply voltage is determined by the leader power converter, irrespective of the regulated output voltage to be generated by the power converter from which another phase is borrowed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Inventors: Dingkun Du, Balaji Virajpet, Hao Zhou, Hubert Attah, Jitendra K. Agrawal
  • Patent number: 11870345
    Abstract: A power converter circuit included in a computer system may include multiple devices and a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor. During a first time period, the power converter charges a capacitor, and the couples the capacitor to the switch node during a second time period. During a third time period the power converter couples the switch node to an input power supply node. To maintain constant charge delivered to the load during each time the switch node is coupled to the input power supply node, the duration of the third time period is adjusted based on a voltage level of the input power supply node, a voltage level of the regulated power supply node, a value of the inductor, and the durations of first and second time periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Chongli Cai, Dingkun Du, Michael B. Nussbaum
  • Publication number: 20230096741
    Abstract: A power converter circuit included in a computer system may include multiple devices and a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor. During a first time period, the power converter charges a capacitor, and the couples the capacitor to the switch node during a second time period. During a third time period the power converter couples the switch node to an input power supply node. To maintain constant charge delivered to the load during each time the switch node is coupled to the input power supply node, the duration of the third time period is adjusted based on a voltage level of the input power supply node, a voltage level of the regulated power supply node, a value of the inductor, and the durations of first and second time periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Chongli Cai, Dingkun Du, Michael B. Nussbaum
  • Patent number: 11303208
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple devices and a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor. The voltage regulator circuit may charge a capacitor using an input power supply signal, and couple the capacitor to the switch node using respective subsets of the multiple devices, which are selected based on one or more control signals. A control circuit may generate the one or more control signals based on a particular switching sequence, which is selected based on a ratio of a voltage level of the regulated power supply node and a voltage level input power supply signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dingkun Du, Michael B. Nussbaum, Jitendra K. Agrawal, Floyd L. Dankert, Jay B. Fletcher
  • Patent number: 11283361
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system using a resonant rectifier circuit with capacitor sensing. A wireless power transfer system includes a power receiver resonant circuit and a synchronous rectifier. The power receiver resonant circuit includes an inductor and a capacitor connected in series with the inductor. The synchronous rectifier is configured to identify zero crossings of alternating current flowing through the inductor based on voltage across the capacitor, and control synchronous rectification of the alternating current based on timing of the zero crossings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Mustapha El Markhi, Erhan Ozalevli, Tuli Dake, Dingkun Du, Gianpaolo Lisi, Jingwei Xu
  • Patent number: 10972007
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple devices and a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor. The voltage regulator circuit may, using different subsets of the multiple devices, charge a capacitor for a first period of time and then couple the switch node to the capacitor for a second period of time. A control circuit may sense, using a common circuit, different characteristics of a current through the inductor during respective operation modes, and adjust the first and second periods of time based on the different characteristics of the current and a current operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Floyd L. Dankert, Jitendra K. Agrawal, Dingkun Du
  • Publication number: 20200280256
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple devices and a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor. The voltage regulator circuit may charge a capacitor using an input power supply signal, and couple the capacitor to the switch node using respective subsets of the multiple devices, which are selected based on one or more control signals. A control circuit may generate the one or more control signals based on a particular switching sequence, which is selected based on a ratio of a voltage level of the regulated power supply node and a voltage level input power supply signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Dingkun Du, Michael B. Nussbaum, Jitendra K. Agrawal, Floyd L. Dankert, Jay B. Fletcher
  • Publication number: 20200280257
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple devices and a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor. The voltage regulator circuit may, using different subsets of the multiple devices, charge a capacitor for a first period of time and then couple the switch node to the capacitor for a second period of time. A control circuit may sense, using a common circuit, different characteristics of a current through the inductor during respective operation modes, and adjust the first and second periods of time based on the different characteristics of the current and a current operation mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Floyd L. Dankert, Jitendra K. Agrawal, Dingkun Du
  • Patent number: 10720837
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple devices and a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor. The voltage regulator circuit may couple the switch node to a capacitor for different periods of time using respective different subsets of the multiple devices. A control circuit may modify active times of control signals coupled to the multiple devices based on voltage samples of the switch node in order to adjust the durations of the different periods of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jitendra K. Agrawal, Dingkun Du
  • Publication number: 20190386575
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system using a resonant rectifier circuit with capacitor sensing. A wireless power transfer system includes a power receiver resonant circuit and a synchronous rectifier. The power receiver resonant circuit includes an inductor and a capacitor connected in series with the inductor. The synchronous rectifier is configured to identify zero crossings of alternating current flowing through the inductor based on voltage across the capacitor, and control synchronous rectification of the alternating current based on timing of the zero crossings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Mustapha El Markhi, Erhan Ozalevli, Tuli Dake, Dingkun Du, Gianpaolo Lisi, Jingwei Xu
  • Patent number: 10439502
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system using a resonant rectifier circuit with capacitor sensing. A wireless power transfer system includes a power receiver resonant circuit and a synchronous rectifier. The power receiver resonant circuit includes an inductor and a capacitor connected in series with the inductor. The synchronous rectifier is configured to identify zero crossings of alternating current flowing through the inductor based on voltage across the capacitor, and control synchronous rectification of the alternating current based on timing of the zero crossings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Mustapha El Markhi, Erhan Ozalevli, Tuli Dake, Dingkun Du, Gianpaolo Lisi, Jingwei Xu
  • Patent number: 10234883
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit is disclosed. In one embodiment, a low drop-out (LDO) voltage regulator includes a voltage loop and a current loop. The current loop includes a source follower coupled to an output node of the LDO voltage regulator, the source follower being implemented with a PMOS transistor. The current loop also includes a current mirror coupled between a first branch of the current loop and a second branch of the current loop. The source follower is implemented in the second branch of the current loop. The voltage loop includes an amplifier circuit having an inverting input coupled to the output node, and a non-inverting input coupled to receive a reference voltage. The output of the amplifier is coupled to the gate terminal of the PMOS transistor of the current mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dingkun Du, Jay B. Fletcher
  • Patent number: 9989981
    Abstract: A voltage regulator is disclosed. The voltage regulator is cascaded, including first and second stages. The first stage may be a capacitor-less first stage that includes a source follower implemented with a first PMOS transistor, with the first PMOS transistor receiving a first reference voltage on its respective gate terminal. The first stage is coupled to receive a first voltage from an external voltage supply, and to provide a second voltage to the second stage. The second stage may be directly and exclusively coupled to the first stage, with no capacitor or connection for one coupled to the first stage output. The second stage may provide an output voltage, on an output node, with the output voltage being less than the second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dingkun Du, Jay B. Fletcher
  • Patent number: 9964433
    Abstract: An acoustic object detector for detecting presence of an acoustic signal is provided. The acoustic object detector includes a number of bandpass filters. Each bandpass filter is configured to convert an input signal into an analog signal within a frequency band. The acoustic object detector also includes a number of spike generating circuits each coupled to the respective bandpass filter. Each spike generating circuit is configured to generate a series of spike signals based upon an adaptive threshold for the analog signal. The acoustic object detection further includes a decision circuit configured to generate a digital signal at a time-frequency point from the series of spike signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
    Inventors: Dingkun Du, Kofi Odame
  • Publication number: 20180090993
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system using a resonant rectifier circuit with capacitor sensing. A wireless power transfer system includes a power receiver resonant circuit and a synchronous rectifier. The power receiver resonant circuit includes an inductor and a capacitor connected in series with the inductor. The synchronous rectifier is configured to identify zero crossings of alternating current flowing through the inductor based on voltage across the capacitor, and control synchronous rectification of the alternating current based on timing of the zero crossings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Mustapha El MARKHI, Erhan OZALEVLI, Tuli DAKE, Dingkun DU, Gianpaolo LISI, Jingwei XU
  • Patent number: 9831684
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system includes a wireless power receiver having a rectifier. The rectifier includes switches. The wireless power receiver is operable to control the switches for ensuring a complex impedance at the input of the rectifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Gianpaolo Lisi, Nachiket V. Desai, Sakshi Arora, Rajaram Subramonian, Gerard Socci, Dingkun Du
  • Patent number: 9680375
    Abstract: In described examples, a switching mode power supply includes an output filter, a driver, a pulse width modulator, and pulse adaptation circuitry. The output filter is configured to provide output of the switching mode power supply. The driver is coupled to the output filter and is configured to switch current to the output filter. The pulse width modulator is configured to generate pulses that control switching of current by the driver. The pulse width modulator includes spread spectrum logic configured to randomize timing of the pulses generated by the pulse width modulator. The pulse adaptation circuitry is configured to identify an instantaneous excursion of the output of the switching mode power supply beyond a predetermined threshold, and to modify the randomized timing of the pulses produced by the pulse width modulator based on the identified instantaneous excursion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Theodore Ernest Yu, Ali Motamedi, Dingkun Du, Sombuddha Chakraborty, Patrick Teterud, Keith Thomas Sanders, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20160043562
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system includes a wireless power receiver having a rectifier. The rectifier includes switches. The wireless power receiver is operable to control the switches for ensuring a complex impedance at the input of the rectifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Gianpaolo Lisi, Nachiket V. Desai, Sakshi Arora, Rajaram Subramonian, Gerard Socci, Dingkun Du
  • Publication number: 20150244269
    Abstract: In described examples, a switching mode power supply includes an output filter, a driver, a pulse width modulator, and pulse adaptation circuitry. The output filter is configured to provide output of the switching mode power supply. The driver is coupled to the output filter and is configured to switch current to the output filter. The pulse width modulator is configured to generate pulses that control switching of current by the driver. The pulse width modulator includes spread spectrum logic configured to randomize timing of the pulses generated by the pulse width modulator. The pulse adaptation circuitry is configured to identify an instantaneous excursion of the output of the switching mode power supply beyond a predetermined threshold, and to modify the randomized timing of the pulses produced by the pulse width modulator based on the identified instantaneous excursion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Theodore Ernest YU, Ali MOTAMEDI, Dingkun DU, Sombuddha CHAKRABORTY, Patrick TETERUD, Keith Thomas SANDERS, JR.
  • Publication number: 20130322215
    Abstract: An acoustic object detector for detecting presence of an acoustic signal is provided. The acoustic object detector includes a number of bandpass filters. Each bandpass filter is configured to convert an input signal into an analog signal within a frequency band. The acoustic object detector also includes a number of spike generating circuits each coupled to the respective bandpass filter. Each spike generating circuit is configured to generate a series of spike signals based upon an adaptive threshold for the analog signal. The acoustic object detection further includes a decision circuit configured to generate a digital signal at a time-frequency point from the series of spike signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
    Inventors: Dingkun Du, Kofi Odame