Patents by Inventor Thuc Huu Lam

Thuc Huu Lam 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: 10992173
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a regulator circuit, a bootstrap control circuit, and a gate driver that drives a transistor pair in buck or boost mode to switch current through an inductor. The IC has a VIN terminal coupled to receive a voltage generated from an AC power source, a STR terminal coupled to receive a voltage from a stored power source (e.g., a capacitor bank), and a HSB terminal that is capacitively coupled to the inductor. When bucking or boosting, the regulator circuit generates VDD supply voltage from the stored power source, supplies the VDD supply voltage onto the bootstrap control circuit, and the bootstrap control circuit generates a gate driver supply voltage that is supplied to the gate driver circuit. When not bucking or boosting, voltage on the HSB terminal is maintained between a voltage threshold from the AC power source without draining the stored power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.
    Inventors: Thuc Huu Lam, Khanh Quang Dinh, Tung Van Nguyen, Hue Khac Trinh
  • Patent number: 10985644
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a regulator circuit, a bootstrap control circuit, and a gate driver that drives a transistor pair in buck or boost mode to switch current through an inductor. The IC has a VIN terminal coupled to receive a voltage generated from an AC power source, a STR terminal coupled to receive a voltage from a stored power source (e.g., a capacitor bank), and a HSB terminal that is capacitively coupled to the inductor. When bucking or boosting, the regulator circuit generates VDD supply voltage from the stored power source, supplies the VDD supply voltage onto the bootstrap control circuit, and the bootstrap control circuit generates a gate driver supply voltage that is supplied to the gate driver circuit. When not bucking or boosting, voltage on the HSB terminal is maintained between a voltage threshold from the AC power source without draining the stored power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.
    Inventors: Thuc Huu Lam, Khanh Quang Dinh, Tung Van Nguyen, Hue Khac Trinh
  • Publication number: 20200366183
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a regulator circuit, a bootstrap control circuit, and a gate driver that drives a transistor pair in buck or boost mode to switch current through an inductor. The IC has a VIN terminal coupled to receive a voltage generated from an AC power source, a STR terminal coupled to receive a voltage from a stored power source (e.g., a capacitor bank), and a HSB terminal that is capacitively coupled to the inductor. When bucking or boosting, the regulator circuit generates VDD supply voltage from the stored power source, supplies the VDD supply voltage onto the bootstrap control circuit, and the bootstrap control circuit generates a gate driver supply voltage that is supplied to the gate driver circuit. When not bucking or boosting, voltage on the HSB terminal is maintained between a voltage threshold from the AC power source without draining the stored power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Thuc Huu Lam, Khanh Quang Dinh, Tung Van Nguyen, Hue Khac Trinh
  • Patent number: 10826480
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a gate driver circuit that controls high side and low side transistors to operate in buck or boost mode. In buck operating mode, after switching off the low side transistor, the gate driver circuit controls the high side transistor in a constant current mode. After the low side transistor is disabled and no longer conducts current, then the gate driver circuit controls the high side transistor to operate in full-enhancement mode. In boost operating mode, after switching off the high side transistor, the gate driver circuit controls the low side transistor in a constant current mode. After the high side transistor is disabled, then the gate driver circuit controls the low side switching transistor to operate in full-enhancement mode. In both buck and boost operation, the gate driver circuit operates without dead time in which both the high side and low side transistors are off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.
    Inventors: Thinh Ba Nguyen, Thien Khanh Luong, Thuc Huu Lam, Hue Khac Trinh
  • Patent number: 10790812
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a gate driver circuit that controls high side and low side transistors to operate in buck or boost mode. In buck operating mode, after switching off the low side transistor, the gate driver circuit controls the high side transistor in a constant current mode. After the low side transistor is disabled and no longer conducts current, then the gate driver circuit controls the high side transistor to operate in full-enhancement mode. In boost operating mode, after switching off the high side transistor, the gate driver circuit controls the low side transistor in a constant current mode. After the high side transistor is disabled, then the gate driver circuit controls the low side switching transistor to operate in full-enhancement mode. In both buck and boost operation, the gate driver circuit operates without dead time in which both the high side and low side transistors are off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.
    Inventors: Thinh Ba Nguyen, Thien Khanh Luong, Thuc Huu Lam, Hue Khac Trinh
  • Patent number: 10778079
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a regulator circuit, a bootstrap control circuit, and a gate driver that drives a transistor pair in buck or boost mode to switch current through an inductor. The IC has a VIN terminal coupled to receive a voltage generated from an AC power source, a STR terminal coupled to receive a voltage from a stored power source (e.g., a capacitor bank), and a HSB terminal that is capacitively coupled to the inductor. When bucking or boosting, the regulator circuit generates VDD supply voltage from the stored power source, supplies the VDD supply voltage onto the bootstrap control circuit, and the bootstrap control circuit generates a gate driver supply voltage that is supplied to the gate driver circuit. When not bucking or boosting, voltage on the HSB terminal is maintained between a voltage threshold from the AC power source without draining the stored power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.
    Inventors: Thuc Huu Lam, Khanh Quang Dinh, Tung Van Nguyen, Hue Khac Trinh
  • Patent number: 10770894
    Abstract: A power loss protection integrated circuit includes a VIN terminal, a VOUT terminal, an STR terminal, a switch circuit (eFuse), a control circuit, and a prebiasing circuit. In a normal mode, current flows from a power source, into VIN, through the eFuse, out of VOUT, and to the output node. A switching converter of which the control circuit is a part is disabled. If a switch over condition then occurs, the eFuse is turned off and the switching converter starts operating. The switching converter receives energy from STR and drives the output node. Switch over is facilitated by prebiasing. Prior to switch over, the prebiasing circuit prebiases a control loop node as a function of eFuse current flow prior to switch over. When the switching converter begins operating, the node is already prebiased for the proper amount of current to be supplied by the switching converter onto the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.
    Inventors: Thuc Huu Lam, Hue Khac Trinh, Hiroshi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20200153242
    Abstract: A power loss protection integrated circuit includes a VIN terminal, a VOUT terminal, an STR terminal, a switch circuit (eFuse), a control circuit, and a prebiasing circuit. In a normal mode, current flows from a power source, into VIN, through the eFuse, out of VOUT, and to the output node. A switching converter of which the control circuit is a part is disabled. If a switch over condition then occurs, the eFuse is turned off and the switching converter starts operating. The switching converter receives energy from STR and drives the output node. Switch over is facilitated by prebiasing. Prior to switch over, the prebiasing circuit prebiases a control loop node as a function of eFuse current flow prior to switch over. When the switching converter begins operating, the node is already prebiased for the proper amount of current to be supplied by the switching converter onto the output node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Thuc Huu Lam, Hue Khac Trinh, Hiroshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10090675
    Abstract: A power loss protection integrated circuit includes a VIN terminal, a VOUT terminal, an STR terminal, a switch circuit (eFuse), a control circuit, and a prebiasing circuit. In a normal mode, current flows from a power source, into VIN, through the eFuse, out of VOUT, and to the output node. A switching converter of which the control circuit is a part is disabled. If a switch over condition then occurs, the eFuse is turned off and the switching converter starts operating. The switching converter receives energy from STR and drives the output node. Switch over is facilitated by prebiasing. Prior to switch over, the prebiasing circuit prebiases a control loop node as a function of eFuse current flow prior to switch over. When the switching converter begins operating, the node is already prebiased for the proper amount of current to be supplied by the switching converter onto the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.
    Inventors: Thuc Huu Lam, Hue Khac Trinh, Hiroshi Watanabe