Current Patents (Class 361/87)
  • Patent number: 11936177
    Abstract: A method is provided for limiting a load current in a supply line that supplies a first load with electrical current. The method includes: defining a first time interval and a second time interval, the first time interval beginning after a time of connection of the first load to the supply line, and the second time interval beginning later than the first time interval; limiting the load current within the first and second time interval to a first value; limiting the load current, at least at the end of the second time interval, to a second value, the second value being smaller than the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Fabian Hempert, Helmut Suelzle
  • Patent number: 11916502
    Abstract: An electric power conversion apparatus includes a rotating electric machine including armature windings, a first inverter connecting the armature windings with a first storage battery, a second inverter connecting the armature windings with a second storage battery, a changeover switch configured to connect or disconnect between first and second positive buses or between first and second negative buses, and an operating unit configured to perform, with the changeover switch being in an ON state, first and second energization processes alternately. In the first energization process, electric current is supplied from the first storage battery to the second storage battery via the first inverter, at least one of the armature windings and the second inverter. In the second energization process, electric current is supplied from the second storage battery to the first storage battery via the second inverter, at least one of the armature windings and the first inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Ito, Atsushi Fukaya, Hisashi Umemoto
  • Patent number: 11909195
    Abstract: An electronic device having an overcurrent protection function is provided. The electronic device includes at least one power converter, the at least one power converter including a power conversion unit to convert input voltage or input current to supply output current, a control unit to adjust the output current, and an overcurrent protection unit to detect the output current and transmit a detection result to the control unit, and wherein the overcurrent protection unit includes an overcurrent extraction module to output a difference between the output current exceeding designated first reference current and the first reference current; a calculation module to calculate an accumulative value obtained by integrating the difference with respect to time, and a first comparison module to compare the accumulative value with a designated critical value and to transmit a first detection result in which the accumulative value exceeds the critical value to the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jehwan Lee
  • Patent number: 11909196
    Abstract: A circuit interrupter including a current sensor having a normal sensor output and an over current detection output, a solid state switch module structured to have a closed state to allow current to flow through the circuit interrupter and an open state to interrupt current flowing through the circuit interrupter, a gate driver structured to control the solid state switch module including a desaturation function output, wherein the gate driver is structured to cause the solid state switch module to interrupt current flowing through the circuit interrupter when the DESAT function output changes to the on state, and an electronic trip circuit structured to output a trip signal to the gate driver when the normal sensor output reaches a first threshold level or the overcurrent detection output changes to the on state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
    Inventors: Xin Zhou, Brian E. Carlson, Yanjun Feng, Jianyang Liu, Michael Slepian, Andrew L. Gottschalk, Santhosh Kumar Chamarajanagar Govinda Nayaka
  • Patent number: 11894669
    Abstract: A power source control device that includes: a make-and-break relay configured to either make or break conduction between a first terminal of a load and a first electrode of a direct current power source; a dark current generation circuit configured to generate a dark current by lowering a voltage of the direct current power source, in a state in which a first terminal is connected to the first electrode of the direct current power source and a second terminal is connected to the first terminal of the load so as to be parallel to the make-and-break relay; and a bypass circuit configured to dissipate some of power supplied from an external charger by making conduction between a second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load in response to the direct current power source being charged by the external charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Yuichi Ota, Kazuki Yamamoto, Junya Takano
  • Patent number: 11876367
    Abstract: Embodiments of a modular direct current interconnection device (MDCID) include at least three operation branches, at least one transient branch, and a local controller. Each of the operation branches includes a first terminal coupled to a common node and configured to transmit DC current in a normal mode. The transient branch is coupled between second terminals of different ones of the at least three operation branches and configured to provide a transient DC current path in a fault clearance mode. The local controller is coupled to the operation branches and the transient branch, and the local controller is configured to control operation of the operation branches and the transient branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Chunming Yuan, Xiaobo Yang, Xing Huang
  • Patent number: 11845358
    Abstract: A system including a vehicle having a motive electrical power path; a power distribution unit having a current protection circuit disposed in the motive electrical power path, the current protection circuit including: a first leg of the current protection circuit comprising a first pyro-fuse; a second leg of the current protection circuit comprising a thermal fuse in series arrangement with a second pyro-fuse; and where the first leg and the second leg are coupled in a parallel arrangement; a controller, including: a current detection circuit structured to determine a current flow through the motive electrical power path; and a pyro-fuse activation circuit structured to provide a pyro-fuse activation command in response to the current flow exceeding a threshold current flow value; and where at least one of the first pyro-fuse and the second pyro-fuse is responsive to the pyro-fuse activation command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
    Inventor: Robert Stephen Douglass
  • Patent number: 11846654
    Abstract: Described herein is a method including measuring a current in a wire, normalizing the measured current, and comparing the normalized measured current to a control curve. The control curve is a function of a series of normalized current magnitudes and reaction times for corresponding ones of that series of normalized current magnitudes. The method further includes limiting the current in the wire based upon the comparison. The reaction times for ones of the series of normalized current magnitudes are times at which current limitation would occur if the normalized current remained at an associated normalized current magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Romeo Letor
  • Patent number: 11843235
    Abstract: In order both to accommodate instantaneous current as well as overcurrent protection in accordance with the load, an overcurrent protection circuit has: a threshold value generation unit that, in accordance with a threshold value control signal, switches between setting an overcurrent detection threshold value to a first set value (? Iref) and a second set value (? Iset) lower than the first set value; an overcurrent detection unit that compares a sense signal in accordance with the current being monitored and the overcurrent detection value and generates an overcurrent protection signal; a reference value generation unit that generates a reference value (? Iset) in accordance with the seconds set value; a comparison unit that compares the sense signal and the reference value, and generates a comparison signal; and a threshold value control unit that monitors the comparison signal, and generates a threshold value control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takuma, Naoki Takahashi, Shuntaro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11831158
    Abstract: Provided are a grid fault detection method and a device. The grid includes at least one AC power source provided by a public grid. The AC power source is coupled to a plurality of parallel circuits, each including a plurality of parallel branches. The parallel branches are each connected with a load and/or a DC power source. The grid fault detection method having the distributed energy resource includes: selecting a first collection point between the AC power source and the plurality of parallel circuits, and collecting a current value and a current direction of the first collection point; comparing an output current and an input current of the first collection point, and upon the input current being greater than the output current, it is determined that the plurality of parallel circuits are faulty. Accordingly, the plurality of collection points check the fault, so as to trigger a protection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Feng Du, Wei Gang Chen, Zhen Liu, Yue Zhuo
  • Patent number: 11824344
    Abstract: In preferred embodiments, a short circuit protection system for a wide-band gap power electronics converter composed of multiple half-bridge legs is presented. The main approaches of the system are a single point of monitoring (SPM) for multiple switching legs, and non-invasive implementation and fast speed of the short circuit current detection. Ultra-high frequency (UHF) AC current, tens or hundreds of MHz, flowing through the DC-link capacitors represents the short circuit current occurred at the multiple switching legs. To capture the UHF AC current, a non-invasive MHz bandwidth magnetic current sensor is applied to the PCB conduction path of the converter. In this digest, simulation results of the short circuit current representation through the DC-link network and the magnetic field distribution in PCB layout for the selection of the proper location of the detection, and experimental results showing the UHF AC current sensing performance are presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte
    Inventors: Babak Parkhideh, Chondon Roy
  • Patent number: 11750026
    Abstract: An assembly for harvesting power from one or more power cables. The assembly includes a current transformer operable to harvest power from the one or more power cables and a controller operable to control an amount of power harvested by the current transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: NOVINIUM, LLC
    Inventors: Jacob Smith, Kenneth Taylor, Weston Philips Chapin Ford
  • Patent number: 11742652
    Abstract: A method and device for starting direct-current (DC) transmission line protection, and a storage medium. The method includes: determining whether a sudden change of a DC line current at a present moment is greater than a sum of a memory start threshold and a maximum value in sudden changes of the DC line current within a time period preceding the present moment that is multiplied by a preset proportional coefficient, the time period being a time period between a moment preceding the present moment by a first duration and a moment preceding the present moment by a second duration; and starting DC transmission line protection in response to determining that the sudden change of the DC line current at the present moment is greater than the sum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignees: CHINA ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA
    Inventors: Hong Cao, Zexin Zhou, Huanzhang Liu, Dingxiang Du, Xingguo Wang
  • Patent number: 11728672
    Abstract: A safety procedure is provided for a vehicle having high-current components and high-voltage components, in particular in a hybrid or electric vehicle. In the event of a crash, in addition to a physical separation of a battery from a HV intermediate circuit, the HV intermediate circuit is discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Izabella Ferenczi, Lluis Roig, Andreas Rucker, Constantin Ferdinand Roesler
  • Patent number: 11698392
    Abstract: A Rogowski coil is used for determining the magnitude of the electrical current of a conductor of a low-voltage AC circuit, which outputs an analogue voltage which is equivalent to the magnitude of the electrical current of the conductor. The Rogowski coil is connected to an analogue integrator, which is followed by an analogue-digital converter, which converts the integrated analogue voltage into a digital signal which is further processed by a microprocessor in such a way that the phase shift generated by the Rogowski coil and the components connected downstream of the Rogowski coil is compensated such that there are in-phase current values for the detection of error situations in order to protect the low-voltage AC circuit, in particular for a low-voltage power switch or an arc fault detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joerg Meyer, Peter Schegner, Karsten Wenzlaff
  • Patent number: 11677339
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a start-up initialization circuit of motor drive system, including a power amplitude detecting and internal power supply module, a controlled delay module, a waveform shaping module and a power supply judging and adjusting module integrated on a same substrate, configured to detect and manage a voltage change of each node of a drive system in real time to cause a motor drive system to realize a start-up initialization process transit from an off state to a normal working state. The present disclosure finally forms the start-up initialization circuit of motor drive system by integrating the power amplitude detecting and internal power supply module, the controlled delay module, the waveform shaping module and the power supply judging and adjusting module and integrating on a single chip, which greatly ensures the reliability of power on and start-up of the motor drive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Hefei Aichuangwei Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Pan, Lixiang Xu, Lixiang Wen, Lei Qiu, Dianwu Li, Wei Wang, Lei Han, Ke Wang
  • Patent number: 11650242
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an arcing detection device. The arcing detection device may include a detection coil and a processing circuit operably connected to the detection coil. The detection coil may be configured to detect a current variation of a system. The processing circuit may be configured to determine information of an arcing event of the system based on the current variation of the system. The information of the arcing event of the system may include a position where the arcing event occurs in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Siming Chen, Guoping Zhu, Jinglin Wu, Biao Luo, Xu Chu
  • Patent number: 11646565
    Abstract: This application discloses an overcurrent protection method, an overcurrent protection circuit, and a display device. The overcurrent protection method includes: setting an overcurrent protection value as an overcurrent protection threshold of a current clock signal branch; enabling the overcurrent protection threshold, and controlling to turn off a level shifting circuit; detecting a real-time current of a current clock signal branch in a first substrate row driving circuit; and comparing the real-time current with the overcurrent protection threshold, and when the real-time current is greater than or equal to the overcurrent protection threshold, cutting off a power supply of the current clock signal branch in the first substrate row driving circuit, and enabling overcurrent protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: HKC CORPORATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Dekang Zeng, Shuixiu Hu
  • Patent number: 11639949
    Abstract: A Rogowski coil is used for determining the magnitude of the electrical current of a conductor of a low-voltage AC circuit, which outputs an analogue voltage which is equivalent to the magnitude of the electrical current of the conductor. The Rogowski coil is connected to an analogue integrator, which is followed by an analogue-digital converter, which converts the integrated analogue voltage into a digital signal which is further processed by a microprocessor in such a way that the phase shift generated by the Rogowski coil and the components connected downstream of the Rogowski coil is compensated such that there are in-phase current values for the detection of error situations in order to protect the low-voltage AC circuit, in particular for a low-voltage power switch or an arc fault detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joerg Meyer, Peter Schegner, Karsten Wenzlaff
  • Patent number: 11632036
    Abstract: A power controller with short-circuit protection is disclosed to control a power switch, which is connected in series with a current-sense resistor and an inductive device between two power lines. The current-sense resistor provides a current-sense signal. The power controller includes a PWM signal generator and a short-circuit protection circuit. The PWM signal generator generates a PWM signal to the power switch to create switching cycles, each consisting of an ON time and an OFF time. The short-circuit protection circuit has a high-pass filter and a condition detector. The high-pass filter high-pass filters the current-sense signal to provide a filtered signal to the condition detector, which determines whether the filtered signal fits a predetermined condition during the ON time to generate a short-circuit protection signal and to prevent the power switch being turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: ARK SEMICONDUCTOR CORP. LTD.
    Inventors: Yi-Lun Shen, Yu-Yun Huang
  • Patent number: 11621550
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an overcurrent protection circuit, an overcurrent protection method, a clock signal generation circuit and a display device. The overcurrent protection circuit includes N first overcurrent detection circuits, N second overcurrent detection circuits, a first signal generation circuit, a second signal generation circuit, a first level switching circuit, a second level switching circuit and a control circuit. The first signal generation circuit is configured to output a first control signal to the first level switching circuit upon the receipt of a first overcurrent indication signal. The second signal generation circuit is configured to output a second control signal to the second level switching circuit upon the receipt of a second overcurrent indication signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignees: Beijing ESWIN Computing Technology Co., Ltd., Hefei ESWIN IC Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xinjiang Zhao, Yonghua Zhou
  • Patent number: 11621137
    Abstract: An electric switch includes a thermal tripping unit which, when a thermal budget acting on it is exceeded, trips and switches off the electric switch. In an embodiment, the tripping unit includes an adjustment module which, as a function of an accessory connected to the electric switch, uses an actuating element to set a tripping element of the thermal tripping unit such that the heat effect of the accessory is compensated for in the event of tripping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Ekkehard Plechinger, Erwin Stangl, Reinhard Steger
  • Patent number: 11609257
    Abstract: An experimental device for tripping properties of a high-voltage transmission line in a smoldering atmosphere, including a central information processor, a biomass fuel (BMF) property characterization module, a smoldering generation module, a smoldering smoke field property test module, a power frequency supply module and a tripping property test module. The experimental device and method for tripping properties of a high-voltage transmission line in a smoldering atmosphere, the present disclosure can explore the development conditions, processes, modes, properties and mechanisms of discharge in the smoldering atmosphere, and fully characterize the BMF such as forest vegetations from multiple aspects, to reproduce properties of forest vegetations in corridor areas of the high-voltage transmission line in multiple working conditions and reflect influences of properties of ground forest vegetations on the tripping properties of the high-voltage transmission lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Nanjing Tech University
    Inventors: Fei You, Zhiliang Xu, Sheng Wang, Zhenhua Wang, Kai Shui, Yaopeng Zhao, Siyi Chen
  • Patent number: 11588327
    Abstract: A microgrid with a high voltage direct current (HVDC) source for efficiently and safely distributing power to decentralized loads includes: at least a main HVDC power supply connectable in input to an AC grid and in output to a main DC distribution network and loads system in output, the main HVDC power supply having energy reserve means and a main switch-based fault isolator or main FI, the main DC distribution network and loads system including: a maintrunk bus, and subtrunks buses and/or front end local loads cells connected in parallel to the maintrunk bus, and at each branching of a subtrunk bus and a load or of a subtrunk bus of rank n?1 and a subtrunk bus of rank n, a local switch-based fault isolator or local FI, n being an integer comprised in the range [1, N]. A smart main controller including microcontrollers for smart operation is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: CE+T POWER LUXEMBOURG SA
    Inventors: Daniel Rixhon, Stephane Fagny, Francois Finfe, Benoit Bidaine, Paul Bleus
  • Patent number: 11574777
    Abstract: A switching apparatus for an electric grid includes first and second electric terminals, each having first and second electric branches having a plurality of switching devices. The first electric branch includes a first switching device switchable between open and closed states, which is driven by a current flowing along said first switching device and without receiving an external control signal or an external power supply, said first switching device switching from said closed state to said open state, when the current flowing along said switching apparatus exceeds a corresponding predefined threshold value or when the changing rate of the current flowing along said switching apparatus exceeds a corresponding predefined threshold value or upon a combination of these two conditions. A second switching device is connected in series with the first switching device and is switchable between closed and open states upon receiving a corresponding input control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Thorsten Strassel, Antonello Antoniazzi, Markus Abplanalp, Thierry Delachaux
  • Patent number: 11569655
    Abstract: A power delivery system includes a power sourcing equipment, a powered device and a transmission cable. When the power sourcing equipment is electrically connected to the powered device via the transmission cable, an over-current detecting circuit in the power sourcing equipment is configured to detect over-current occurrence of the powered device. Meanwhile, the power sourcing equipment is configured to determine the functionality of the over-current detecting circuit based on its specific pin and provide single fault protection when the over-current detecting circuit fails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: WELTREND SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventors: Cheng-Liang Lin, Jeng-Cheng Liu
  • Patent number: 11513531
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for providing a map which is mounted on a vehicle to provide map data to a plurality of electric components equipped in the vehicle. The apparatus for providing a map comprises: a communication unit for performing communication with the electric components and receiving, from a server, an original map including a plurality of layers; and a processor for calculating the reliability of information relating to the electric components using the original map and electric component information, which is received from at least one of the electric components, and performing controls relating to the electric component information based on the reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sungmin Kim, Jihyun Kim, Jinsang Lee
  • Patent number: 11493980
    Abstract: In controlling power in a portable computing device (“PCD”), a power supply input to a PCD subsystem may be modulated with a modulation signal when an over-current condition is detected. Detection of the modulation signal may indicate to a processing core of the subsystem to reduce its processing load. Compensation for the modulation signal in the power supply input may be applied so that the processing core is essentially unaffected by the modulation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Vijayakumar Ashok Dibbad, Bharat Kumar Rangarajan, Dipti Ranjan Pal, Keith Alan Bowman, Matthew Severson, Gordon Lee
  • Patent number: 11474139
    Abstract: Improvements in the functioning of a line-mounted device to calculate a direction to a fault during current transformer (CT) saturation are disclosed herein. The line-mounted device may determine a load direction using voltage and current zero-crossings and a power system frequency before the fault condition. The line-mounted device may determine a fault direction in relation to the direction to the load after calculating and removing direct current (DC) components of a sampled current signal using valid sample pairs obtained during unsaturated regions of peaks of the sampled current signal. The line-mounted device may indicate the direction to the fault. A system of line-mounted devices may be used to determine a faulted section of a power system using indications of fault direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Kei Hao
  • Patent number: 11471352
    Abstract: A medical electrical equipment power tap has multiple sockets and a power cord with a maximum current rating. The power tap includes a display to indicate information related to an instantaneous current draw of the power tap. The power tap also includes an electrical circuit which determines whether the instantaneous current draw exceeds a predetermined maximum allowed current which is less than the maximum current rating. The display provides a visual indication when the power tap's current draw exceeds the maximum allowed value, signifying that at least one item of medical electrical equipment should be unplugged from the power tap. The electrical circuit includes a current loop which passes through a structural portion of the power tap's housing for independently gauging the instantaneous current draw using a clamp probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: American IV Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul K. Gustavson, Shannon Shingleton, Jeff Taltavull, Tim Malkus
  • Patent number: 11467224
    Abstract: A power cable measurement system for facilitating measurements of a power cable terminated at an electrical substation and connected to an overhead busbar, including: a first movable structure provided with a first busbar connector, and a measurement equipment connector device configured to be electrically connected to the first busbar connector and to measurement equipment, wherein the first movable structure is configured to be maneuvered between a default lowered position in which the first busbar connector is disconnected from the overhead busbar, and a temporary elevated position in which the first busbar connector is set in electrical connection with the overhead busbar to provide an electrical connection between the overhead busbar and the measurement equipment connector device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: NKT HV Cables AB
    Inventor: Thomas Worzyk
  • Patent number: 11469588
    Abstract: Differential protection of electric power delivery system equipment using a compensated operating signal under spurious conditions is disclosed herein. Current transformers (CTs) may provide spurious current signals under certain operating conditions resulting in unintended operation of differential protection. The present disclosure uses a compensated operating signal during such conditions. The compensated operating signal is calculated using operate current and a difference between direct current content of currents obtained from the CTs. Switching between use of the operate current and the compensated operating signal is based on a comparison of the average direct current content of the CTs and a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcos A. Donolo, Andrea Di Tomasso, Yusuf Zafer Korkmaz, Jay Hartshorn
  • Patent number: 11469589
    Abstract: An arrangement and method for zero sequence differential protection of a transmission line of a power system are disclosed. A zero sequence differential protection unit is configured to detect an internal fault of the transmission line using current measurements of each phase A, B, C of the transmission line. The zero sequence differential protection unit is configured to initiate a trip when an internal fault is detected. A phase selection unit is configured to determine whether or not any of the phases A, B, C of the transmission line is faulty using a comparison of differential values of the current measurements for each phase. The phase selection unit is configured to, based on the initiation of the trip, determine which of the phases A, B, C is faulty and to finalize the trip for any faulty phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG
    Inventors: YouYi Li, Kai Liu, Jianping Wang
  • Patent number: 11462901
    Abstract: A protective circuit includes an input that provides a first supply voltage, a voltage regulator that provides a second supply voltage based on the first supply voltage, a measuring device that identifies an impedance of the voltage regulator, and a self-locking switching element configured to connect the first supply voltage with the voltage regulator if an impedance of the voltage regulator exceeds a predefined impedance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Fujitsu Technology Solutions Intellectual Property GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Häußermann, Rainer Staude
  • Patent number: 11418045
    Abstract: A portable charger, relating to the field of electric vehicle and having a body comprising a shell, a connecting system and a controller, wherein the controller is arranged inside the shell, the connecting system is arranged on both sides of the shell, a cable placing ring is formed on the side wall of the shell, one side of the cable placing ring is provided with a hook, by arranging the cable placing ring and the hook, cables are twined along the contour of the cable placing ring and placed in the cable placing ring, after the cables are retracted and twined, the cable of the uppermost layer is snap-fitted in the hook, thereby fixing the cables, having simple structure, and reducing the overall occupied space of the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NINGBO YOUWELL AUTOPARTS TECHNOLOGY CO.. LTD.
    Inventor: Yibo Bao
  • Patent number: 11355919
    Abstract: A current differential relay apparatus includes a first relay and a second relay. The first relay calculates a first differential current and a first suppression current, using a first current and a second current, and performs a ratio differential relay operation based on the first differential current and the first suppression current. The second relay calculates a maximum of results of add operations of the first current and the second current as a second differential current, calculates an add operation of the maximum of the first current and a maximum of the second current as a second suppression current, and performs a ratio differential relay operation based on the second differential current and the second suppression current. The current differential relay apparatus includes an output controller that outputs an operation signal based on results of operations performed by the first and second relays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigetoo Oda
  • Patent number: 11342740
    Abstract: A power converter circuit includes a switch including a field effect transistor, the field effect transistor being a wide bandgap field effect transistor and being configured to maintain an on operational state responsive to a maintenance signal received through a gate terminal, a current sensing circuit that is configured to estimate a drain terminal current of the field effect transistor responsive to a voltage between the gate terminal of the field effect transistor and a source terminal of the field effect transistor, and a gate driving circuit that is configured to generate the maintenance signal responsive to the estimate of the drain terminal current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Fei Wang, Edward A. Jones
  • Patent number: 11329473
    Abstract: According to one aspect of embodiments, a driver circuit having an overcurrent protection function includes a control signal generating circuit that outputs a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control signal for controlling turning ON and OFF of the output transistor that supplies output current to a load; and a control circuit that generates a signal indicating an overcurrent state when a count value of an overcurrent detecting signal exceeds a predetermined number, which indicates that a value of an output current of the output transistor within the predetermined time interval exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignees: TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sugiyama, Yuji Yamanaka, Tatsufumi Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 11309707
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for overcurrent protection in a power supply. In some embodiments, the method comprises determining a load of the power supply; selecting an over-current limit, among a plurality of the over-current limits, based on the measured load of the power supply; and responsive to an input current of the power supply, an output current of the power supply, or both exceeding the identified over-current limit, taking one or more overcurrent protection measures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Rama Prasad Atluri, William James Walker
  • Patent number: 11300636
    Abstract: A testing device includes a measuring unit, a testing board supporting the measuring unit and connected to the measuring unit, and a connecting interface coupled to the testing board. The connecting interface includes connecting terminals protruding in a direction away from the testing board, and is connected to a device under test (DUT) via the connecting terminals. When the DUT is connected to the connecting interface, the measuring unit supplies a constant electric current via the testing board and the connecting interface to the DUT for a preset duration to result in a voltage, measures the voltage, and determines, based on a result of measurement of the voltage, an electrical connection status of the DUT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Powertech Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Jian-Yu Ciou
  • Patent number: 11283346
    Abstract: The invention discloses a system and a method for dynamic over-current protection for power converters. The system can be connected to the output of a power stage and comprises: a comparator that measures an output current (IOUT) of the power stage; a control device that measures a voltage (VDC) of the power stage; a test generator that comprises pairs of voltage-current values (VDC-IREF) that relate voltage values with current values of the power stage, where the test generator receives the measured voltage value from the control device and sends the corresponding current value from the pairs of voltage-current values to the comparator, which halts the power stage if the output current of the power stage is higher than or equal to the value of the current associated with the measured voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Power Electronics España, S.L.
    Inventors: Antonio Poveda Lerma, Abelardo Salvo Lillo, David Salvo Lillo
  • Patent number: 11196386
    Abstract: Disclosed is an operation amplification circuit and an over-current protection method therefor. The operation amplification circuit comprises: a control unit, configured to generate an output control signal according to an input signal and an output signal; an output unit, configured to generate an output current under control of the output control signal, wherein the output unit comprises an output capacitor which is charged or discharged by the output current to generate the output signal; an over-current protection unit, obtaining a temperature control current according to an operating temperature of the operation amplification circuit, wherein when the operating temperature is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature, the temperature control current is positively correlated with the operating temperature, and the over-current protection unit adjusts the output control signal according to the temperature control current to limit the output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: CHIPONE TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Youping Jia, Zhiqiang Cheng
  • Patent number: 11177662
    Abstract: In a method for monitoring a high-voltage DC transmission the following are predefined: an amperage threshold value for an amperage of the high-voltage DC transmission, at least one interval length for time intervals and, for each predefined interval length, a change threshold value for a change in the amperage averaged over time intervals of the interval length. The amperage for each terminal of the high-voltage DC transmission is determined, and a change in the amperage averaged over time intervals of the interval length is determined for each predefined interval length. A DC error is determined if the magnitude of the amperage of at least one terminal is greater than the amperage threshold value or if, for an interval length, the magnitude of the averaged change in the amperage of at least one terminal is greater than the change threshold value predefined for the interval length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Lorenz, Ewgenij Starschich, Mustafa Baris Karacay
  • Patent number: 11128289
    Abstract: A driver circuit having an overcurrent protection function is configured to: output, when a current value of an output transistor exceeds a threshold value, a shut-off signal for turning OFF the output transistor; output an interval signal for turning ON the output transistor after a predetermined time interval has elapsed from a timing at which the shut-off signal is output when the control signal is in a control state for turning ON the output transistor; and turn OFF the output transistor when any one of the interval signal and the shut-off signal is in a state for turning OFF the output transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11101644
    Abstract: Embodiments of a single event latch-up (SEL) protection circuit are provided, including: a first circuitry block coupled to a source of an input voltage a load, and digitally controlling a first switch; the first switch generates a load and senses an instantaneous load current iLoad. A second circuitry block is configured to generate an average iLoad and generate single event latch-up triggers (i.e., SEL fault detection) as a function of at least a comparison of the inst_iLoad and average iLoad; wherein this first circuitry block contains the analog based SET filtering needed to reduce false SEL triggers. A supervisor module generates on/off commands for the first switch, responsive to receiving the SEL detection in excess of a preprogrammed delay to provide the final SET filtering to prevent false SEL triggers. The first circuitry block removes the load voltage at N1 upon receiving an off command from the supervisor module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Paul W. Schwerman, George M. Brown, Jr., Richard L. Marshall
  • Patent number: 11018129
    Abstract: A circuit can comprise a transistor, a sensor, and a switch. The transistor can include a drain electrode, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a back electrode. The sensor can be configured to detect an error condition in the transistor. The switch can be configured to change a voltage at the back electrode in response to the sensor detecting the error condition in the transistor, the change of the voltage at the back electrode reducing current flow between the drain electrode and the source electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jaume Roig-Guitart, Johan Camiel Julia Janssens
  • Patent number: 11018635
    Abstract: A circuit (200) for testing failure of a connection between a radio frequency, RF, integrated circuit (201) and external circuitry (204), the circuit comprising: an amplifier (205) having first and second input paths (215, 216) and first and second output paths (206, 207); a first power detector (208, 209) coupled to one of said first or second output paths; at least one connection (211) between said first and second output paths (206, 207) and said external circuitry (204), connecting said outputs to a RF combiner (210) said external circuitry; at least one disabling circuit (230, 232, 234, 236, 240, 242, 260, 262) coupled to at least one of said first and second output paths (206, 207) or at least one of said first and second input path (215, 216), before said path reaches said power detector (208, 209); for disabling one of said inputs or outputs; wherein when said input or output path is disabled (206, 207), and a signal is output along the enabled output path (206, 207), the power detector (208, 209) on
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Stephane Thuriés, Birama Goumballa, Cristian Pavao Moreira
  • Patent number: 10992127
    Abstract: There is provided an electronic control unit capable of detecting an abnormality of a dark current while suppressing increase in the size of a circuit. The electronic control unit includes a control unit that operates with a current supplied via a power-supply input terminal from a battery, and a diode arranged on a power supply path connecting the power-supply input terminal with the control unit and serving as a reverse connection protection element that prevents a reverse current when the battery is reversely connected to the power-supply input terminal, and detects an abnormality of a dark current flowing through the diode based on a voltage difference between a voltage on the power-supply input terminal side of the diode and a voltage on the control unit side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Sonehara, Yoichiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10992129
    Abstract: A power distribution system includes power converter systems electrically connected to a distribution bus which defines a point of common coupling. Each power converter system includes a power converter with semiconductor switching devices controlled using a pulse width modulation strategy with a switching frequency. A controller for each power converter system applies a spectrum analysis process to the respective power converter system that uses measured or derived zero sequence currents associated with the respective power converter system to determine the location of a ground fault within the power distribution system. Each controller applies a switching frequency process where the switching frequency of the power converter of at least one of the power converter systems is different from the switching frequency of the power converter of at least another one of the power converter systems during at least part of the time that the spectrum analysis process is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LTD.
    Inventors: Lihua Hu, Teng Long, Martin Samuel Butcher, Allan David Crane
  • Patent number: 10910827
    Abstract: A solid state power controller, SSPC, having an input to receive supply current and an output for providing output current to a load in response to connection to the power supply, the solid state power controller further comprising at least one solid state switch and a controller to limit the power dissipated in the solid state power switch based on a measured voltage across the solid state switch and a predetermined power dissipation threshold for the SSPC to adjust the output current or voltage control signal of the solid state switch such that the actual power dissipation of the SSPC does not exceed the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Virgilio Valdivia Guerrero, Fabien Dubois, Laura Albiol-Tendillo, Mustansir Kheraluwala