Patents by Inventor Vikram Balakrishnan

Vikram Balakrishnan 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: 9893630
    Abstract: A power converter controller includes a drive circuit that generates a drive signal to switch a power switch to control a transfer of energy to an output of the power converter in response to a current sense signal, a feedback signal, and a current limit signal. A current limit generator generates the current limit signal in response to a load coupled to the output. An audible noise detection circuit generates a frequency skip signal in response to the drive signal to indicate when an intended frequency of the drive signal is within an audible noise frequency window. A state of the current limit signal fixed when the intended frequency of the drive signal is within the audible noise frequency window. A first latch generates a hold signal to control the current limit generator to hold the current limit signal in response to the frequency skip signal and the feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Vikram Balakrishnan, Giao Minh Pham, Ricardo Luis Janezic Pregitzer, Peter Vaughan
  • Publication number: 20170310225
    Abstract: A method for regulating a power converter includes initiating a transition of a switch coupled to an input side of the power converter from an OFF to an ON state to regulate a transfer of energy from the input to an output side of the power converter after a switch control signal generator receives an enable signal and if a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter indicates a change in an output of the power converter. The enable signal is generated to communicate a control signal from the output to the input side in response to a first signal representative of a voltage on an output terminal that oscillates in response to an ending of the transfer of energy. The transition of the switch from the OFF to the ON state occurs substantially at a time that the first signal reaches an extremum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Balu Balakrishnan, David Michael Hugh Matthews, Vikram Balakrishnan, Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre, Zhao-Jun Wang, Giao Minh Pham, Qing McIntosh
  • Patent number: 9780666
    Abstract: A switch mode power converter includes a primary side, an energy transfer element, and a secondary side. The secondary side includes output terminals coupled to a load and an output capacitance across the output terminals. The secondary side further includes a compensation signal generator—configured to generate a compensation signal. The compensation signal compensates charging the output capacitance with power transferred from the primary side to the secondary side. The secondary side further includes computational circuitry configured to output an adjusted compensation signal that compensates, based on the compensation signal, one of an output sense signal representative of an output signal at the output terminals and a reference signal representative of a desired output voltage of the switch mode power converter. The secondary side further includes a comparator to compare the adjusted compensation signal with the other one of the output sense signal and the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur B. Odell, Vikram Balakrishnan, Roland S. Saint-Pierre, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20170250613
    Abstract: A power converter controller includes a drive circuit that generates a drive signal to switch a power switch to control a transfer of energy to an output of the power converter in response to a current sense signal, a feedback signal, and a current limit signal. A current limit generator generates the current limit signal in response to a load coupled to the output. An audible noise detection circuit generates a frequency skip signal in response to the drive signal to indicate when an intended frequency of the drive signal is within an audible noise frequency window. A state of the current limit signal fixed when the intended frequency of the drive signal is within the audible noise frequency window. A first latch generates a hold signal to control the current limit generator to hold the current limit signal in response to the frequency skip signal and the feedback signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Vikram Balakrishnan, Giao Minh Pham, Ricardo Luis Janezic Pregitzer, Peter Vaughan
  • Patent number: 9742288
    Abstract: A control circuit for use in an isolated power converter includes an output-side first controller having a switch control signal generator and an extremum locator. The switch control signal generator communicates a control signal to a second controller on the input side of the power converter via an isolated interface to initiate a transition of a switch from an OFF state to an ON state. The extremum locator enables the switch control signal generator to communicate the control signal in response to an oscillating voltage signal at an output terminal of the energy transfer element. The extremum locator enables the switch control signal generator such that the transition of the switch from the OFF state to the ON state occurs substantially at a time that the oscillating voltage signal reaches an extremum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Balu Balakrishnan, David Michael Hugh Matthews, Vikram Balakrishnan, Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre, Zhao-Jun Wang, Giao Minh Pham, Qing McIntosh
  • Patent number: 9742294
    Abstract: A controller for use in a power converter includes an initialization circuit coupled to a sense terminal coupled to an external resistor to receive a sense voltage from external resistor during a startup mode of the power converter. The sense terminal is coupled to sense an output current of the power converter after the startup mode of the power converter is complete. A decoder circuit is coupled to receive the sense voltage from the initialization circuit during the startup mode of the power converter. The decoder circuit is coupled to sense a voltage across an external resistor during the startup mode of the power converter to determine a value of the external resistor to set an operating parameter of the power converter in response to the value of the external resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Vikram Balakrishnan, Qing McIntosh, Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre
  • Publication number: 20170207711
    Abstract: A controller for use in a power converter includes an initialization circuit coupled to a sense terminal coupled to an external resistor to receive a sense voltage from external resistor during a startup mode of the power converter. The sense terminal is coupled to sense an output current of the power converter after the startup mode of the power converter is complete. A decoder circuit is coupled to receive the sense voltage from the initialization circuit during the startup mode of the power converter. The decoder circuit is coupled to sense a voltage across an external resistor during the startup mode of the power converter to determine a value of the external resistor to set an operating parameter of the power converter in response to the value of the external resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Vikram Balakrishnan, Qing McIntosh, Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre
  • Publication number: 20160141961
    Abstract: A switch mode power converter includes a primary side, an energy transfer element, and a secondary side. The secondary side includes output terminals coupled to a load and an output capacitance across the output terminals. The secondary side further includes a compensation signal generator—configured to generate a compensation signal. The compensation signal compensates charging the output capacitance with power transferred from the primary side to the secondary side. The secondary side further includes computational circuitry configured to output an adjusted compensation signal that compensates, based on the compensation signal, one of an output sense signal representative of an output signal at the output terminals and a reference signal representative of a desired output voltage of the switch mode power converter. The secondary side further includes a comparator to compare the adjusted compensation signal with the other one of the output sense signal and the reference signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Arthur B. ODELL, Vikram BALAKRISHNAN, Roland S. SAINT-PIERRE, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20160111961
    Abstract: A control circuit for use in an isolated power converter includes an output-side first controller having a switch control signal generator and an extremum locator. The switch control signal generator communicates a control signal to a second controller on the input side of the power converter via an isolated interface to initiate a transition of a switch from an OFF state to an ON state. The extremum locator enables the switch control signal generator to communicate the control signal in response to an oscillating voltage signal at an output terminal of the energy transfer element. The extremum locator enables the switch control signal generator such that the transition of the switch from the OFF state to the ON state occurs substantially at a time that the oscillating voltage signal reaches an extremum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Balu Balakrishnan, David Michael Hugh Matthews, Vikram Balakrishnan, Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre, Zhao-Jun Wang, Giao Minh Pham, Qing McIntosh