Patents by Inventor Patrice Lethellier

Patrice Lethellier 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: 20170063170
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a ping detection module that detects a ping signal transmitted from a secondary pad to a primary pad. The secondary pad is located on a mobile device and the primary pad located on a stationary WPT device, where the stationary WPT device transmits power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation. The ping signal includes a mobile device ID and the mobile device ID is unique to the mobile device. The apparatus includes an ID detection module that detects the mobile device ID from the ping signal received at the primary pad and a pairing module that pairs the stationary WPT device with the mobile device in response to detecting the mobile device ID of the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: MARCELLUS HARPER, PATRICE LETHELLIER, HUNTER WU
  • Publication number: 20170057370
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a ping detection module that detects a ping signal transmitted from a secondary pad to a primary pad. The secondary pad is located on a mobile device and the primary pad is located on a stationary wireless power transfer (“WPT”) device. The stationary WPT device transmits power through the primary pad to the secondary pad of the mobile device during a wireless power transfer operation. The apparatus includes a signal strength module that determines a signal strength of the ping signal received at the primary pad, and an alignment module that determines an amount of alignment of the secondary pad with respect to the primary pad based on the determined signal strength of the received ping signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: MARCELLUS HARPER, PATRICE LETHELLIER, HUNTER WU
  • Publication number: 20160380469
    Abstract: An apparatus for wireless power charging includes a first charging coil with a first conductor arranged in a winding pattern with a first winding around a center point and each successive winding of the first charging coil is further away from the center point than the first winding and any previous windings. A second charging coil includes a second conductor wound with respect to the first charging coil where each coil of the second charging coil is arranged between each winding of the first charging coil. The first charging coil and second charging coil are connected in parallel. A ferrite structure is positioned adjacent to the first charging coil and the second charging coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: PATRICE LETHELLIER, HUNTER WU
  • Patent number: 9529372
    Abstract: Mixers are described which allow for information sharing in redundant systems, while providing sufficient isolation between redundant system components to enable fault-tolerant operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Patrice Lethellier
  • Patent number: 8829866
    Abstract: DC to DC converters are described that include two converters interconnected and operated to mitigate at least some of the effects of low duty cycle operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Patrice Lethellier
  • Publication number: 20140125298
    Abstract: Mixers are described which allow for information sharing in redundant systems, while providing sufficient isolation between redundant system components to enable fault-tolerant operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: VOLTERRA SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Patrice Lethellier
  • Publication number: 20130154589
    Abstract: DC to DC converters are described that include two converters interconnected and operated to mitigate at least some of the effects of low duty cycle operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: VOLTERRA SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Patrice Lethellier
  • Patent number: 6472852
    Abstract: A swinging inductor is used to achieve zero-current switching in a resonant buck-type voltage converter. The swinging inductor exhibits the property of a relatively high inductance at zero current and low current, but it swings back to the original resonant inductance value at high current. In this way the high and medium regions of the current sine wave remain effectively unchanged. Upon circuit power application, the current rises slowly due to the high swinging inductance value, but this is an innocuous parasitic effect. Using the swinging inductance placed in series with a switching device to control the transfer of energy from the input source to the output load allows for a very efficient transfer of energy and it also prevents the current from becoming negative. Moreover, the efficiency level is sustainable over a wide range of input and output voltage requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Semtech Corporation
    Inventor: Patrice Lethellier