Patents by Inventor Joe Chui Pong Liu

Joe Chui Pong Liu 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: 7567040
    Abstract: An efficient power driver for color light emitting diodes (LED) is disclosed for driving multiple LEDs for producing different desired colors. Such LED combinations comprising LEDs with different primary colors are suitable for implementing pixels in displaying a digitized image. This disclosed invention provides switching power conversion embodiments such that a single apparatus drives different color LEDs. Furthermore, the disclosed invention provides configurations with and without input to output isolation while enabling control of the current through each LED, for instance by an inductor or operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: The University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Man Hay Pong, Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Joe Chui Pong Liu
  • Patent number: 7178971
    Abstract: An efficient power driver for color light emitting diodes (LED) is disclosed for driving multiple LEDs for producing different desired colors. Such LED combinations comprising LEDs with different primary colors are suitable for implementing pixels in displaying a digitized image. This disclosed invention provides switching power conversion embodiments such that a single apparatus drives different color LEDs. Furthermore, the disclosed invention provides configurations with and without input to output isolation while enabling control of the current through each LED, for instance by an inductor or operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: The University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Man Hay Pong, Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Joe Chui Pong Liu
  • Patent number: 6815937
    Abstract: A fast transient response converter is disclosed which makes use of stepping inductor in a switching converter to speed up output voltage response under fast transient condition. The inductive element in a switching converter is replaced by two series or parallel inductive elements, one of which has a smaller value of inductance than the other. During the fast transient period, the inductor with larger inductance value will be shorted to a voltage source. The total inductance will be greatly reduced and thus allows rapid current change during the transient change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: The University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Man Hay Pong, Joe Chui Pong Liu
  • Patent number: 6812679
    Abstract: A power converter includes a boost converter, a DC/DC converter and a coupler chain. The boost converter receives a rectified AC input and generates a high voltage output. The boost converter includes a zero-voltage-switching transistor that is operable to adjust the power factor of the rectified AC input to generate the high voltage output. The DC/DC converter is coupled to the high voltage output of the boost converter and is configured to generate a regulated output voltage. The DC/DC converter includes a complementary pair of zero-voltage-switching transistors that are operable to regulate the high voltage output of the boost converter to generate the regulated output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: The University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Joe Chui Pong Liu, Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Man Hay Pong
  • Publication number: 20040080965
    Abstract: A fast transient response converter is disclosed which makes use of stepping inductor in a switching converter to speed up output voltage response under fast transient condition. The inductive element in a switching converter is replaced by two series or parallel inductive elements, one of which has a smaller value of inductance than the other. During the fast transient period, the inductor with larger inductance value will be shorted to a voltage source. The total inductance will be greatly reduced and thus allows rapid current change during the transient change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Man Hay Pong, Joe Chui Pong Liu
  • Patent number: 6697266
    Abstract: An AC-DC converter that includes a plurality of power conversion units that overlay their signals to generate a DC signal with low voltage level, small voltage and current ripples, but high DC current. The DC signal is further filtered by a LC low pass filter to further minimize the ripples before output to the load. In one embodiment, the plurality of power conversion units is preferably powered by a plurality of input pulse generators. In an alternative embodiment, the power conversion units is powered by a input pulse generator circuit that includes a plurality of n-channel MOSFETs arranged in a full bridge configuration whose gate voltages are controlled by a plurality of pulse generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Man Hay Pong, Joe Chui Pong Liu
  • Publication number: 20030210024
    Abstract: A power converter includes a boost converter, a DC/DC converter and a coupler chain. The boost converter receives a rectified AC input and generates a high voltage output. The boost converter includes a zero-voltage-switching transistor that is operable to adjust the power factor of the rectified AC input to generate the high voltage output. The DC/DC converter is coupled to the high voltage output of the boost converter and is configured to generate a regulated output voltage. The DC/DC converter includes a complementary pair of zero-voltage-switching transistors that are operable to regulate the high voltage output of the boost converter to generate the regulated output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Inventors: Joe Chui Pong Liu, Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Man Hay Pong
  • Publication number: 20030165069
    Abstract: An AC-DC converter that includes a plurality of power conversion units that overlay their signals to generate a DC signal with low voltage level, small voltage and current ripples, but high DC current. The DC signal is further filtered by a LC low pass filter to further minimize the ripples before output to the load. In one embodiment, the plurality of power conversion units is preferably powered by a plurality of input pulse generators. In an alternative embodiment, the power conversion units is powered by a input pulse generator circuit that includes a plurality of n-channel MOSFETs arranged in a full bridge configuration whose gate voltages are controlled by a plurality of pulse generators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventors: Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Man Hay Pong, Joe Chui Pong Liu
  • Patent number: 6597587
    Abstract: A synchronous rectifier using current driven approach is disclosed which can replace diode rectifier in most of the power converter topologies to enable low rectification loss. The present invention comprises a low loss switch and essentially a transformer with at lease one current sensing winding, windings for current sense energy recovery and one driving winding connected to a hysterisis driver which provides driving signal and power for the synchronous rectifier. A hystersis driver is introduced which can reduce the noise interference to the driving signal, increase the operating frequency range, eliminate the saturation problem of the current sensing transformer and hence provide more flexibility to the transformer design. This synchronous rectifier is self-driven and the driving signal is independent of the input voltage of the converter which enhances its application to wide input range converter. Current sense energy recovery enables power converters to operate at high efficiency and high frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: The University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Frankie Ngai Kit Poon, Joe Chui Pong Liu, Man Hay Pong
  • Publication number: 20030112229
    Abstract: An efficient power driver for color light emitting diodes (LED) is disclosed for driving multiple LEDs for producing different desired colors. Such LED combinations comprising LEDs with different primary colors are suitable for implementing pixels in displaying a digitized image. This disclosed invention provides switching power conversion embodiments such that a single apparatus drives different color LEDs. Furthermore, the disclosed invention provides configurations with and without input to output isolation while enabling control of the current through each LED, for instance by an inductor or operating condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventors: Man Hay Pong, Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Joe Chui Pong Liu
  • Patent number: 6580259
    Abstract: An AC/DC power converter includes a pair of input terminals, a boost unit, a DC/DC converter, a coupler chain, and a discharge chain. The pair of input terminals connect to a pulsating DC source. The boost unit is coupled to the input terminals and generates a voltage higher than the voltage at the input terminals. The DC/DC converter couples to the boost unit and includes a set of series switches coupled to the primary side of a transformer through a series inductor and capacitor. The DC/DC converter further includes a secondary winding coupled to the transformer and coupled to a rectifier and filter configuration. The coupler chain couples the boost unit to the DC/DC converter. The discharge chain couples the coupler chain to the high voltage source generated by the boost unit. Control pulses synchronize the series switches so that a resonant current flows in the coupler chain and the discharge chain such that the switches can be turned on and off while voltages across the switches are substantially zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: The University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Joe Chui Pong Liu, Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Man Hay Pong
  • Publication number: 20020110012
    Abstract: An AC/DC power converter includes a pair of input terminals, a boost unit, a DC/DC converter, a coupler chain, and a discharge chain. The pair of input terminals connect to a pulsating DC source. The boost unit is coupled to the input terminals and generates a voltage higher than the voltage at the input terminals. The DC/DC converter couples to the boost unit and includes a set of series switches coupled to the primary side of a transformer through a series inductor and capacitor. The DC/DC converter further includes a secondary winding coupled to the transformer and coupled to a rectifier and filter configuration. The coupler chain couples the boost unit to the DC/DC converter. The discharge chain couples the coupler chain to the high voltage source generated by the boost unit. Control pulses synchronize the series switches so that a resonant current flows in the coupler chain and the discharge chain such that the switches can be turned on and off while voltages across the switches are substantially zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Joe Chui Pong Liu, Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Man Hay Pong
  • Patent number: 6347045
    Abstract: A noise canceling apparatus is provided that uses magnetically-coupled windings to cancel noise currents or noise voltages from a power converter. The apparatus may include a series voltage source or a shunt current source that is placed at input or output terminals of a power converter to eliminate the noise generated from the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: The University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Ngai Kit Poon, Joe Chui Pong Liu, Man Hay Pong
  • Patent number: 6188209
    Abstract: A fast transient response power converter is disclosed which makes use of a variable inductor to speed up the converter's output voltage response under fast transient conditions. The inductive element in a switching converter is replaced by two series or parallel inductive elements of which one has a smaller inductance value and the other has a larger inductance value. During the fast transient condition, the total inductance is greatly reduced to allow rapid current change during the transient condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Franki Ngai Kit Poon, Man Hay Pong, Joe Chui Pong Liu