Device In Bridge Patents (Class 327/448)
  • Patent number: 9806513
    Abstract: A solid-state zero current switching circuit breaker is configured to interrupt current flow between a voltage input and a load. The solid-state zero current switching circuit breaker includes at least one resonant capacitor cell having an input configured to receive a source voltage and an output configured to deliver drive current to the load. The resonant capacitor cell is configured to selectively limit the drive current to the output based on a variable voltage. The solid-state zero current switching circuit breaker further includes at least one voltage clamping switch configured to detect a short-circuit fault or an overload condition. The voltage clamping switch adjusts the variable voltage in response to detecting the short-circuit fault condition or the overload condition such that the resonant capacitor cell limits the drive current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventor: Boris S. Jacobson
  • Patent number: 8816751
    Abstract: Power switching circuits including an inductive load and a switching device are described. The switches devices can be either low-side or high-side switches. Some of the switches are transistors that are able to block voltages or prevent substantial current from flowing through the transistor when voltage is applied across the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Transphorm Inc.
    Inventors: James Honea, Yifeng Wu
  • Patent number: 8531232
    Abstract: Power switching circuits including an inductive load and a switching device are described. The switches devices can be either low-side or high-side switches. Some of the switches are transistors that are able to block voltages or prevent substantial current from flowing through the transistor when voltage is applied across the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Transphorm Inc.
    Inventors: James Honea, Yifeng Wu
  • Patent number: 8493129
    Abstract: Power switching circuits including an inductive load and a switching device are described. The switches devices can be either low-side or high-side switches. Some of the switches are transistors that are able to block voltages or prevent substantial current from flowing through the transistor when voltage is applied across the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Transphorm Inc.
    Inventors: James Honea, Yifeng Wu
  • Patent number: 8289065
    Abstract: Power switching circuits including an inductive load and a switching device are described. The switches devices can be either low-side or high-side switches. Some of the switches are transistors that are able to block voltages or prevent substantial current from flowing through the transistor when voltage is applied across the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Transphorm Inc.
    Inventors: James Honea, Yifeng Wu
  • Patent number: 8269450
    Abstract: A winding switching apparatus includes a winding switching device and a drive circuit. The winding switching device is configured to switch a plurality of windings of an AC motor. The drive circuit is configured to control the winding switching device. The winding switching device includes a winding switch, a diode bridge, and a capacitor. The diode bridge includes a positive-side DC output terminal, a negative-side DC output terminal, and AC input terminals. The AC input terminals corresponds to respective phases of the AC motor. The positive-side and negative-side DC output terminals are respectively connected to positive-side and negative-side DC buses provided in an inverter. The AC input terminals are respectively connected to winding-switching terminals corresponding to the respective phases of the AC motor. The AC input terminals are respectively connected to phase terminals provided in the winding switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Koji Higashikawa, Kenji Yamada, Katsutoshi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8183909
    Abstract: Method for operating a converter circuit with voltage boosting with N half-bridges, which in each case can be connected by their center connection to a phase of an N-phase generator and at an end side are connected in parallel with a series circuit formed by two capacitances, wherein each half-bridge contains a Top switch and a Bot switch, in which, in a PWM method with a fixed period duration at the beginning of the period duration, all the TOP switches are simultaneously switched on for the duration of a TOP switched-on interval. After half the period duration all the BOT switches are simultaneously switched on for the duration of a BOT switched-on interval wherein the TOP switched-on interval, and the BOT switched-on interval amount at most to half the duration of the period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Semikron Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Dejan Schreiber
  • Patent number: 7889529
    Abstract: In a bridge type power converter including series connectors of power semiconductor switches having first and second main terminals and a control terminal; plural steps of the series connectors connected in parallel, a gate drive circuit for limiting voltage between the first and second main terminals of the power semiconductor switch to a predetermined value only in turning off the power semiconductor switch is provided between the first main terminal and the control terminal of the power semiconductor switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Takamasa Asai
  • Patent number: 7855524
    Abstract: A voltage control circuit is disclosed. A power factor corrector may utilize the control circuit to provide power factor correction for an AC induction motor. An AC induction motor system may combine the power factor correct with an AC induction motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Inventor: Alexander Pummer
  • Patent number: 6781423
    Abstract: A circuit and method are given, to realize a high-voltage control and driver interface as integrated circuit, especially for use in connection with four external components, inductor L and capacitor C as well as low-side and high-side switching transistors as found e.g. in half-bridges. The circuit is essentially self supplied by means of an Intrinsically floating auxiliary supply power generation and regulation scheme. The circuit is apt to supporting high main supply voltages up to 1000V. The circuit of the invention is realized without the need for any internal high-voltage integrated semiconductor devices. Exploiting the advantages of that solution the circuit of the invention is manufactured with standard CMOS technology and only four discrete external components, which is favorably lowering the cost of production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor GmbH
    Inventor: Horst Knoedgen
  • Patent number: 6441673
    Abstract: A resonant gate driver circuit suitable for driving MOS-gated power switches in high-frequency applications recovers gate drive energy stored in the gate capacitance of the power switches, resulting in substantially lossless operation. The resonant gate driver circuit provides bi-polar gate control signals that are compatible with PWM operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Richard S. Zhang
  • Patent number: 6433629
    Abstract: A sensing device includes a Wheatstone bridge and a source of a stimulation configured to apply the stimulation across two electrodes of the Wheatstone bridge. The device also includes a timing sensitive circuit configured to detect timing of a signal appearing across one of the other electrodes of the bridge as a result of the stimulation being applied. The timing provides a way to read the sensor. The device can be powered remotely and data so read can be transmitted using the remote power. The timing sensitive circuit includes a comparator. The comparator provides a high logic signal for a time related to the reactance of one leg of the Wheatstone bridge, and that provides a reading of a differential sensor having elements in each leg of the bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Microstrain, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael John Hamel, Christopher P. Townsend, Steven W. Arms
  • Patent number: 5654661
    Abstract: An SCR control circuit which drives the SCR between conduction and non-conduction states in accordance with values sensed by a polarity sensing circuit. The control circuit generating a signal for the gate which is of a constant value, at different temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Reltec Corporation
    Inventor: Neil A. Kammiller
  • Patent number: 5467049
    Abstract: A solid-state switch has a plurality of gate turn-off thyristors connected in the rungs of a ladder circuit and a plurality of diodes connected in the side rails of the ladder circuit. The anode of the first gate turn-off thyristor is connected to the cathodes of the first and second diodes, the cathode of the first gate turn-off thyristor is connected to the anodes of the third and fourth diodes. The cathode of the second gate turn-off thyristor is connected to the anode of the second diode and the anode of the fifth diode, the anode of the second gate turn-off thyristor is connected to the cathode of the fourth diode and the cathode of the sixth diode. The anode of the first diode and the cathode of the third diode are connected together at a common point, which is selected to be one terminal of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junzo Kida, Hiroshi Arita, Yukio Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 5434522
    Abstract: A microwave frequency doubler circuit, which includes a full wave rectifier for rectifying an input signal and to provide two outputs, and a differential amplifier having inputs connected to the two outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: MPR Teltech Ltd.
    Inventors: Josef L. Fikart, Yongnan Xuan
  • Patent number: 5434528
    Abstract: A gate drive circuit for a power switching device having first and second power terminals and a gate terminal comprises an H-bridge rectifier having first, second, third, and fourth rectifiers, the anodes of the first and second rectifiers being mutually coupled at a midpoint to the cathodes of the third and fourth rectifiers. This midpoint is coupled to the gate terminal of the power switching device. A continuous alternating waveform generator is coupled to output selection control logic which selectively applies the waveform to either a first transformer, whose secondary is coupled to the anodes of the third and fourth rectifiers of the H-bridge for transforming the waveform from a control signal reference system to a power signal reference system, or to a second transformer, whose secondary side is coupled to the cathodes of the first and second rectifiers of the H-bridge for transforming the waveform from the control signal reference system to the power signal reference system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Paul E. Nuechterlein