Patents by Inventor Heather R. Sullens
Heather R. Sullens 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: 9917440Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that operates a power supply. During operation, the system obtains power states of two or more loads coupled to two or more power converters in the power supply. Next, the system generates one or more control signals for a set of switching mechanisms to configure a coupling of the two or more loads to the two or more power converters through the switching mechanisms based on the power states.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2015Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis Luh, William C. Athas, Heather R. Sullens
-
Patent number: 9831672Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that operates a power supply. During operation, the system disposes a first switching mechanism between a first output of a first power converter and two or more loads. Next, the system obtains two or more error signals for the two or more loads, wherein each error signal from the two or more error signals represents a difference between a load voltage of a load from the two or more loads and a first reference voltage for the load from a first set of reference voltages for driving the two or more loads using the first power converter. The system then uses the first switching mechanism to couple the load with a largest error signal from the two or more error signals to the first output.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis Luh, William C. Athas, Heather R. Sullens
-
Publication number: 20160099564Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that operates a power supply. During operation, the system disposes a first switching mechanism between a first output of a first power converter and two or more loads. Next, the system obtains two or more error signals for the two or more loads, wherein each error signal from the two or more error signals represents a difference between a load voltage of a load from the two or more loads and a first reference voltage for the load from a first set of reference voltages for driving the two or more loads using the first power converter. The system then uses the first switching mechanism to couple the load with a largest error signal from the two or more error signals to the first output.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2015Publication date: April 7, 2016Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Louis Luh, William C. Athas, Heather R. Sullens
-
Publication number: 20150357815Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that operates a power supply. During operation, the system obtains power states of two or more loads coupled to two or more power converters in the power supply. Next, the system generates one or more control signals for a set of switching mechanisms to configure a coupling of the two or more loads to the two or more power converters through the switching mechanisms based on the power states.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2015Publication date: December 10, 2015Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Louis Luh, William C. Athas, Heather R. Sullens
-
Patent number: 8710936Abstract: A system which starts up and shuts down a resonant oscillator circuit. During start up, the system operates a driving circuit, which is external to the resonant oscillator circuit, wherein the driving circuit uses a first clock signal to control a first phase output of the resonant oscillator circuit. At the same time, the driving circuit uses a second clock signal to control a second phase output of the resonant oscillator circuit, wherein the first and second clock signals have opposite phases. While the first and second phase outputs are being controlled, the system ramps up an input voltage, which is used to power the resonant oscillator circuit, wherein the ramping takes place across multiple initial oscillation periods. During shut down, the system shuts down the resonant oscillator circuit by ramping down the input voltage. Next, the system clamps the first and second phase outputs to a fixed voltage.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Catherine S. Chou, William C. Athas, Heather R. Sullens
-
Patent number: 8610411Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a power-supply circuit, an electronic device that includes the power-supply circuit, and a method for generating high-voltage DC power from AC line power using the power-supply circuit. This power-supply circuit includes a voltage multiplier and a low dropout (LDO) regulator, and does not include a step-up transformer. Conventional power supplies often use a custom step-up transformer, which is expensive unless the power supplies are manufactured in high quantities. In contrast, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a solid-state implementation of a 700 V regulated power supply that can take up to a 1020 V input from an 6× voltage multiplier powered from the AC mains. Hence, the disclosed power-supply circuit eliminates the need for large, heavy and expensive step-up transformers and chokes that are used in conventional high-voltage DC power supplies.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2011Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Eric Smith, P. Jeffrey Ungar, Heather R. Sullens
-
Publication number: 20120195080Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a power-supply circuit, an electronic device that includes the power-supply circuit, and a method for generating high-voltage DC power from AC line power using the power-supply circuit. This power-supply circuit includes a voltage multiplier and a low dropout (LDO) regulator, and does not include a step-up transformer. Conventional power supplies often use a custom step-up transformer, which is expensive unless the power supplies are manufactured in high quantities. In contrast, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a solid-state implementation of a 700 V regulated power supply that can take up to a 1020 V input from an 6× voltage multiplier powered from the AC mains. Hence, the disclosed power-supply circuit eliminates the need for large, heavy and expensive step-up transformers and chokes that are used in conventional high-voltage DC power supplies.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2011Publication date: August 2, 2012Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Eric Smith, P. Jeffrey Ungar, Heather R. Sullens
-
Publication number: 20120105162Abstract: A system which starts up and shuts down a resonant oscillator circuit. During start up, the system operates a driving circuit, which is external to the resonant oscillator circuit, wherein the driving circuit uses a first clock signal to control a first phase output of the resonant oscillator circuit. At the same time, the driving circuit uses a second clock signal to control a second phase output of the resonant oscillator circuit, wherein the first and second clock signals have opposite phases. While the first and second phase outputs are being controlled, the system ramps up an input voltage, which is used to power the resonant oscillator circuit, wherein the ramping takes place across multiple initial oscillation periods. During shut down, the system shuts down the resonant oscillator circuit by ramping down the input voltage. Next, the system clamps the first and second phase outputs to a fixed voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Catherine S. Chou, William C. Athas, Heather R. Sullens