Patents by Inventor Zichen MIAO

Zichen MIAO 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: 20230253146
    Abstract: A low-profile dual-phase inverse coupled inductor structure can include diagonally overlapped windings and gap controlled inverse coupling, such as can be useful to help achieve strong negative coupling and high saturation current for POL applications. The device may include a coupled inductor structure comprising a first magnetic core piece, and a conductive first winding portion on at least a portion of the first magnetic core piece. An electrical insulator may be included on at least a portion of the first winding portion and a conductive second winding portion may be located such as to cover the insulator. At least a portion of the second winding portion overlaps, and may be separated by the insulator from, at least an underlying portion of the first winding portion. A second magnetic core piece may be located on the second winding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Zichen Miao, Jindong Zhang, Zhengrong Huang
  • Publication number: 20230253144
    Abstract: A device may include a coupled inductor structure comprising a first winding portion, a second winding portion, and a magnetic core structure. The magnetic core structure may include a first and second core piece that are at least partially cross-sectionally U-shaped. A first connecting core piece may be attached to a first portion of the first core piece to a first portion of the second core piece, and a second connecting core piece may attach a second portion of the first core piece to a second portion of the second core piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Zhengrong Huang, Jindong Zhang, Zichen Miao
  • Patent number: 10116303
    Abstract: A power circuit includes a power source for providing electrical power and two driving transistors being disposed in parallel and receiving electrical power from the power source. Each of the two driving transistors includes a gate terminal, a source connection, and a kelvin source connection. The power circuit also includes a control voltage source having a first terminal and a second terminal. The control voltage source provides a control signal to the two driving transistors for determining driving currents through the two driving transistors. The first terminal is connected to the gate terminals of the two driving transistors, and the second terminal is connected to the kelvin source connections of the two driving transistors. The kelvin source connections of the two driving transistors are inductively coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yincan Mao, Chi-Ming Wang, Zichen Miao, Khai Ngo
  • Patent number: 9998111
    Abstract: Capacitors connected between gate terminals of a plurality of parallel-connected power transistors are charged and discharged in each switching cycle to provide a plurality of power transistor control waveforms from a single gate driver waveform that equalize power losses/temperatures or steady-state currents among the plurality of power transistors. The capacitors are charged to different voltages by diverting current from one transistor driver by disabling another power transistor driver at different respective times in response to measured transient or steady state current or temperature or other operational parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Khai Ngo, Lujie Zhang, Zichen Miao
  • Patent number: 9923560
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a system having a power circuit. The power circuit includes a first switch circuit having at least a first transistor and a second switch circuit having at least a second transistor. Further, the power circuit includes first interconnections configured to couple the first switch circuit to driving nodes, a source node and a drain node of the power circuit, and second interconnection configured to couple the second switch circuit in parallel to the first switch circuit to the driving nodes, the source node and the drain node of the power circuit. A polarity of unbalance in the first interconnections and the second interconnections dominates a polarity of current unbalance in the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Chi-Ming Wang, Yincan Mao, Zichen Miao, Khai Ngo
  • Publication number: 20180006644
    Abstract: A power circuit includes a power source for providing electrical power and two driving transistors being disposed in parallel and receiving electrical power from the power source. Each of the two driving transistors includes a gate terminal, a source connection, and a kelvin source connection. The power circuit also includes a control voltage source having a first terminal and a second terminal. The control voltage source provides a control signal to the two driving transistors for determining driving currents through the two driving transistors. The first terminal is connected to the gate terminals of the two driving transistors, and the second terminal is connected to the kelvin source connections of the two driving transistors. The kelvin source connections of the two driving transistors are inductively coupled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicants: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yincan MAO, Chi-Ming WANG, Zichen MIAO, Khai NGO
  • Publication number: 20170302270
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a system having a power circuit. The power circuit includes a first switch circuit having at least a first transistor and a second switch circuit having at least a second transistor. Further, the power circuit includes first interconnections configured to couple the first switch circuit to driving nodes, a source node and a drain node of the power circuit, and second interconnection configured to couple the second switch circuit in parallel to the first switch circuit to the driving nodes, the source node and the drain node of the power circuit. A polarity of unbalance in the first interconnections and the second interconnections dominates a polarity of current unbalance in the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicants: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Chi-Ming WANG, Yincan MAO, Zichen MIAO, Khai NGO
  • Publication number: 20170179944
    Abstract: Capacitors connected between gate terminals of a plurality of parallel-connected power transistors are charged and discharged in each switching cycle to provide a plurality of power transistor control waveforms from a single gate driver waveform that equalize power losses/temperatures or steady-state currents among the plurality of power transistors. The capacitors are charged to different voltages by diverting current from one transistor driver by disabling another power transistor driver at different respective times in response to measured transient or steady state current or temperature or other operational parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Khai Ngo, Lujie Zhang, Zichen Miao
  • Patent number: 9660643
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a power device that includes an upper power module and a lower power module. The upper power module and the lower power module are coupled in series between two supply voltages, and are respectively controlled by a first control signal and a second control signal. Interconnections of the power device are inductively coupled to prevent reliability issues, such as crosstalk, self turn on, self sustained oscillation, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Chi-Ming Wang, Yincan Mao, Zichen Miao, Khai Ngo
  • Patent number: 9584116
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a power circuit that includes a first switch circuit in parallel with a second switch circuit. The first switch circuit and the second switch circuit are coupled to a first driving node, a second driving node, a source node and a drain node via interconnections. The power circuit receives a control signal between the first driving node and the second driving node to control a current flowing from the drain node to the source node through the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit. In the power circuit, a first interconnection and a second interconnection of the interconnections are inductively coupled to balance the current flowing through the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Yincan Mao, Chi-Ming Wang, Zichen Miao, Khai Ngo
  • Publication number: 20160352330
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a power circuit that includes a first switch circuit in parallel with a second switch circuit. The first switch circuit and the second switch circuit are coupled to a first driving node, a second driving node, a source node and a drain node via interconnections. The power circuit receives a control signal between the first driving node and the second driving node to control a current flowing from the drain node to the source node through the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit. In the power circuit, a first interconnection and a second interconnection of the interconnections are inductively coupled to balance the current flowing through the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicants: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yincan MAO, Chi-Ming WANG, Zichen MIAO, Khai NGO
  • Publication number: 20160352331
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a power device that includes an upper power module and a lower power module. The upper power module and the lower power module are coupled in series between two supply voltages, and are respectively controlled by a first control signal and a second control signal. Interconnections of the power device are inductively coupled to prevent reliability issues, such as crosstalk, self turn on, self sustained oscillation, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicants: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Chi-Ming WANG, Yincan Mao, Zichen Miao, Khai Ngo