Bridge Type Patents (Class 363/17)
  • Patent number: 10063155
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are disclosed herein, which provide isolated systems with an auxiliary, multi-signal digital feedback loop for reporting a plurality of different potential fault conditions in an output system (e.g., output short circuit, output over-voltage, output under-voltage, output over temperature, etc.) to a Primary Controller in an input system. The signals may be sent according to any desired standardized (or proprietary) data transmission protocols. Use of a digital feedback loop allows the signals to be passed to the Primary Controller more quickly than is allowed by traditional analog feedback paths—and while using only a single optocoupler device for the transmission of all fault conditions. The techniques disclosed herein are applicable to any number of isolated systems that supply power to electronic systems such as: digital cameras, mobile phones, watches, personal data assistants (PDAs), portable music players, monitors, as well as desktop, laptop, and tablet computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Behzad Mohtashemi, Asif Hussain, Manisha P. Pandya, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Nileshbhai J. Shah
  • Patent number: 10050534
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to electric converters and methods of controlling the same. One dual-active-bridge direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter includes a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, a first H-bridge connected to the primary winding, a second H-bridge connected to the secondary winding, and a current sensor structured to measure a current of the transformer. The first H-bridge includes a plurality of switch devices. The second H-bridge includes a plurality of switch devices. The dual-active-bridge DC-DC converter further includes a controller configured to control an on/off state for each of the plurality of switch devices of the first H-bridge and the plurality of switch devices of the second H-bridge based at least in part on the current of the transformer measured by the current sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Power Generation IP, Inc.
    Inventors: Subbarao Dakshina Murthy-Bellur, Heng Yang, Minyu Cai
  • Patent number: 10027248
    Abstract: An electric power conversion circuit includes: a first leg including first and third switches; a second leg including second and fourth switches; a third leg including fifth and seventh switches; a fourth leg including sixth and eighth switches; a first reactor connected between a first node, in which the first and second legs are connected to each other, and a fifth node, in which the third and fourth legs are connected to each other; a second reactor connected between a second node to which the first and second legs are connected and a sixth node to which the third and fourth legs are connected; a first port terminal connected to the first node; a second port terminal connected to the sixth node; a third port terminal connected to a midpoint of each of the first and third legs; and a fourth port terminal connected to a midpoint of each of the second and fourth legs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Hara, Atsushi Yamamoto, Taiki Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 10018955
    Abstract: A half bridge circuit of a class-D amplifier outputs a voltage in accordance with switching of a first switching element and of a second switching element, to a load. A high side gate drive circuit and a low side gate drive circuit respectively drive the first and second switching elements. A bootstrap capacitor connected between the high side gate drive circuit and an output terminal of the half bridge circuit is charged by a charging current from a second direct-current power supply while the first switching element is off. An inductance component for noise suppression, and a voltage limit element that is connected in parallel with the inductance component and is for limiting a voltage that occurs at the inductance component, are provided on a path in which the charging current flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuya Masaki
  • Patent number: 10008865
    Abstract: An energy storage device and a method for the operation of an energy storage device. In order to state an energy storage arrangement and a method for the operation of the latter, which in their characteristics are adapted to complex requirements and show both high-current and high-energy characteristics, an energy storage arrangement is stated, including: at least one high-current cell and at least one high-energy cell, with the at least one high-energy cell and the at least one high-current cell being connected in parallel, with the cells being charged and/or discharged with a current pulse and in the inter-pulse periods a charge balancing taking place between the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: H-TECH AG
    Inventor: Jörg Hempel
  • Patent number: 10003275
    Abstract: Disclosed examples include integrated magnetic circuits for LLC resonant converters, including an inductor cell and multiple transformer cells with cores arranged in a stack structure. The individual transformer cells include primary and secondary windings extending around the transformer core structure, and a secondary transistor connected in series with the secondary winding. One or more windings are shaped near core stack gaps to reduce core and winding losses. The inductor cell includes an inductor winding extending around the inductor core structure to provide the inductor, and the capacitor. The inductor cell is arranged in the stack structure with the transformer cells to magnetically couple the transformer primary windings, the inductor winding and the transformer secondary windings in a single magnetic circuit to cancel cell to cell flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Runruo Chen
  • Patent number: 10003263
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of over voltage protection control can include: (i) determining whether an output voltage of a buck-boost converter is in an over voltage condition, where the buck-boost converter includes a first switch coupled to an input terminal and an inductor, a second switch coupled to ground and a common node of the first switch and the inductor, a third switch coupled to ground and a common node of a fourth switch and the inductor, where the fourth switch is coupled to an output terminal of the buck-boost converter; and (ii) simultaneously controlling the first, second, third, and fourth switches in the buck-boost converter by turning on the second and third switches, and turning off the first and fourth switches, in response to the over voltage condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Kailang Hang, Liangwei Sun
  • Patent number: 9997993
    Abstract: A single-phase bridgeless insulated power factor adjustment circuit includes an EMI filter module, low-frequency switching diode module, two switches and two insulated voltage transformation modules. The EMI filter module is coupled to an AC power. The low-frequency switching diode module is coupled to the EMI filter module. The two switches are coupled to the low-frequency switching diode module. The two insulated voltage transformation modules are coupled to one of the two switches. With the low-frequency switching diode module being in first ON state, one of the two switches turns on, and one of the two insulated voltage transformation modules turns on. With the low-frequency switching diode module being in second ON state, the other switch turns on, and the other insulated voltage transformation module turns on. Hence, the circuit is unlikely to fail, but features simple circuitry, incurs low costs, be compact, and achieves high conversion efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: NATIONAL CHUNG SHAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Chi-Sheng Wu, Gwo-Huei You, Hsuang-Chang Chiang, Tsang-Li Tai
  • Patent number: 9985548
    Abstract: A method for communicating with a power converter comprises initiating a communication sequence by sensing a first distortion of a sensed waveform during a discharge period of a first power transfer cycle of the power converter. The sensed waveform is proportional to a secondary current of the power converter. At a primary side of the power converter, a data bit is received from a secondary side of the power converter, by sensing a second distortion to represent one state of the data bit and sending an absence of the second distortion to represent another state of the data bit. The secondary distortion is applied to the secondary current during the discharge period of a subsequent power transfer cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Li Lin, Zhibo Tao, Chih Hsien Hsieh, Yue-Hong Tang, Ching Wen Fu, Ju-Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 9985530
    Abstract: A soft switching system DC-DC converter includes a switching element, a transformer or a reactor, and a controller configured to control a switching operation of the switching element; and carries out the switching operation of the switching element in a state that a voltage or a current to be applied to the switching element is zero. In a case where a required output value of the DC-DC converter is lower than the minimum output over which soft switching is established, the controller controls the operation of the switching element so that an operation period in which an output of the DC-DC converter becomes the minimum output or higher and a stop period in which the output becomes zero are alternately repeated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensuke Sasaki, Daiki Tanaka, Yuichi Shibukawa, Atsuo Kawamura, Kohei Aoyama
  • Patent number: 9985514
    Abstract: A damper includes a resonant circuit, a damping capacitor unit and a switching circuit. A damping inductor unit of the resonant circuit receives alternating current (AC) electrical energy. A resonant capacitor of the resonant circuit is connected to the damping inductor unit. The switching circuit is connected to the resonant capacitor, the damping inductor unit, and the damping capacitor unit. The switching circuit establishes, when operating in a first phase, a connection between the damping inductor unit and resonant capacitor to store the AC electrical energy in the resonant circuit, and allows, when operating in a second phase, the AC electrical energy to be transferred to and stored in the clamping capacitor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Inventors: Fu-Tzu Hsu, Chieh-Sen Tu
  • Patent number: 9985545
    Abstract: A DC-to-DC converter includes a first switching circuit, a second switching circuit, a transformer positioned between an AC side of the first switching circuit and an AC side of the second switching circuit, an inductance element positioned between the transformer and at least one of the AC side of the first switching circuit and the AC side of the second switching circuit, and control circuitry that operates the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit. The control circuitry sets a predetermined operation ratio of the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit to each other, and adjusts, based on the predetermined operation ratio, a first operation period of the first switching circuit and a second operation period of the second switching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Seiji Fujisaki, Sadao Ishii, Kozo Ide
  • Patent number: 9985546
    Abstract: A method is shown to create soft transition in selected topologies by preserving the leakage inductance energy during the dead time and using several techniques to supplement the energy require to discharge the parasitic capacitance of the primary switchers and obtain zero voltage switching. One technique consists in a current pulse injection across the synchronous rectifiers during the dead time and prior the turn off of the synchronous rectifiers. A second technique consist in tailoring the magnetizing current through frequency modulation to increase the energy in the leakage inductance and use that energy to discharge the parasitic capacitance of the primary switchers and at lighter load to have a magnetizing current which exceeds the current through the output inductor at the end of the dead time. The third technique is interleaving two converters and sharing a couple inductance in a way to lower the current through each output inductor under the level of the magnetizing current at its lowest amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: ROMPOWER TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Ionel Jitaru
  • Patent number: 9966876
    Abstract: A voltage conversion device includes a first conversion circuit, a second conversion circuit, a voltage detection circuit, and a CPU (failure detector). The first conversion circuit switches a DC voltage at a DC power supply to convert the DC voltage into an AC voltage. The second conversion circuit rectifies the AC voltage converted with the first conversion circuit to convert the AC voltage into a DC voltage. The voltage detection circuit detects voltage at a connection point of an auxiliary switching element and a first capacitor. The CPU monitors a change in voltage at the connection point in a predetermined period, the voltage being detected with the voltage detection circuit, and detects failure that occurs in one of or both a main switching element and the auxiliary switching element during operation based on the change in the voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: OMRON AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Emre Duman
  • Patent number: 9954360
    Abstract: An energy store for a photovoltaic system has: a first capacity range which is provided for feeding into the power grid; a second capacity range which is provided for internal consumption and feeding into the power grid; and a third capacity range which is provided for feeding into the power grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Werner Belschner
  • Patent number: 9954453
    Abstract: A switching power supply device includes a switching power supply circuit and a control circuit. The switching power supply circuit includes a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, a switching circuit coupled to the primary winding, and a conversion circuit that is coupled to the secondary winding and converts an alternating current voltage outputted from the secondary winding into a direct current voltage. The control circuit determines a maximum load current value on a basis of a duty ratio in the conversion circuit and the direct current voltage, and controls, on a basis of the maximum load current value, an operation of the switching circuit to cause the switching power supply circuit to perform a predetermined voltage reduction operation. The maximum load current value indicates a maximum value of a load current that allows the conversion circuit to output a predetermined voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Ishino, Kengo Tsujimoto
  • Patent number: 9929262
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a carrier transit layer including a first region and second and third regions having a density of a donor impurity element higher than that of the first region, an InXAlYGa(1-X-Y)N (0<X<1, 0<Y<1, 0<X+Y?1) carrier supply layer provided over the carrier transit layer and having a density of a donor impurity element lower than that of the second and third regions, a source electrode provided over the second region, a drain electrode provided over the third region, and a gate electrode provided over the carrier supply layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Masato Nishimori, Kozo Makiyama
  • Patent number: 9929660
    Abstract: An electric power conversion device includes a transformer composed of three or more windings magnetically coupled with each other, wherein power supply sources, are connected to at least two windings, via switching circuits, a load is connected to at least one winding, and a control circuit temporally divides, within one switching period, a total ON time during which power is supplied, in accordance with the number of the power supply sources, to supply power, the one switching period being the minimum repetitive unit during which power is supplied alternately. The control circuit allocates the divided ON times to the respective switching circuits, and the switching circuits, supply power from the power supply sources, to the load side during the allocated ON times, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Takahara, Satoshi Murakami, Ryota Kondo, Masaki Yamada, Naohisa Uehara
  • Patent number: 9929638
    Abstract: A start-up circuit for a resonant converter is arranged such that, during start-up of the resonant converter, the start-up circuit provides a drive signal that is to be applied to a switching transistor of the resonant converter and that has a variable duty cycle and a variable frequency. A converter includes a voltage source, a capacitor connected to the voltage source, a first switching transistor connected to the voltage source, a transformer connected to the capacitor, and a start-up circuit arranged to drive the first switching transistor with the drive signal during start-up of the converter. A start-up method for a resonant converter including a first switching transistor includes driving the first switching transistor with a variable duty cycle and a variable frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jahangir Afsharian, Takashi Hara, Kamaljit Thandi, Zhihua Yang
  • Patent number: 9914365
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a power electronic energy conversion system comprising a first energy storage device configured to store DC energy and a first voltage converter configured to convert a second voltage from a remote power supply into a first charging voltage configured to charge the first energy storage device. The apparatus also includes a first controller configured to control the first voltage converter to convert the second voltage into the first charging voltage and to provide the first charging voltage to the first energy storage device during a charging mode of operation and communicate with a second controller located remotely from the power electronic energy conversion system to cause a second charging voltage to be provided to the first energy storage device during the charging mode of operation to rapidly charge the first energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Dean King, Robert Louis Steigerwald
  • Patent number: 9912243
    Abstract: Power converters typically have unique circuitry for graceful start-up and to develop correct operating voltage biases. Typically this unique circuitry is incorporated into a primary-side “start-up” controller. This start-up controller can also be the primary means of control of the power converter once started. However, a secondary-side controller is typically needed for more exact output voltage regulation, duplicating circuitry already present in the primary-side start-up controller. During light-load or no load conditions, on and off switching of the gate driver is stopped when the secondary-side controller sends a standby code inhibit (disable) command to the start-up controller. When power needs to be sent to the secondary side of the transformer to charge a secondary side capacitor, the secondary-side controller sends an enable code command to the start-up controller where it is detect to allow the start-up controller to operate in a normal fashion with the secondary side controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Thomas Quigley
  • Patent number: 9906039
    Abstract: A voltage booster allowing for increased utilization of low voltage, high current, unregulated DC power (“LVDC source”), such as, but not limited to, fuel cells, batteries, solar cells, wind turbines, and hydro-turbines. LVDC generation systems employing a variable low voltage DC-DC converter of the present disclosure may be used without a power inverter in applications requiring high voltage DC inputs and can also allow for the employment of common, low cost, reliable, low voltage energy storage chemistries (operating in the 12-48VDC range) while continuing to employ the use of traditional inverters designed for high voltage power supplies. An embodiment of the DC boost converter includes a plurality of interleaved, isolated, full-bridge DC-DC converters arranged in a Delta-Wye configuration and a multi-leg bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Combind Energies, LLC
    Inventors: John Anthony Vogel, Eoin Connolly
  • Patent number: 9906160
    Abstract: A method for discharging an intermediate circuit capacitor of an intermediate voltage circuit converter with an electronic power converter is disclosed, wherein a main switch arranged between an AC power supply network and a primary winding of a transformer is opened and a line contactor connected between a first terminal of a secondary winding of the transformer and a first AC voltage-side connection of the electronic power converter is closed. A second terminal of the secondary winding of the transformer is connected to a second AC voltage-side connection of the electronic power converter. A pre-charging contactor connected in series with a pre-charging resistor is connected in parallel with the line contactor. Two switchable power semiconductors of the electronic power converter, which are located diagonally opposite each other in different branches of the electronic power converter, are switched on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Markus Ackermann, Gerald Amler, Andreas Nagel
  • Patent number: 9899927
    Abstract: A control device and method are provided for a power supply device which can perform stable constant voltage constant current control with high responsiveness with a simple configuration. The control device includes: a voltage difference value generation unit which subtracts an output voltage value from a voltage target value to generate a voltage difference value; a current difference value generation unit which subtracts an output current value from a current target value to generate a current difference value; a difference value selection unit which compares the voltage difference value or a value based on the voltage difference value with the current difference value or a value based on the current difference value, and selects the smaller one as a control difference value; and an operation amount generation unit which generates an operation amount for controlling the power supply device based on the control difference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Takegami
  • Patent number: 9899849
    Abstract: System and method for discharging a capacitor. An example system includes a signal detector and a discharge control component. The signal detector is configured to receive an input signal and generate a detection signal based on at least information associated with the input signal, the input signal being associated with an alternate current signal received by a capacitor including a first capacitor terminal and a second capacitor terminal. The discharge control component configured to receive at least the detection signal and generate an output signal to discharge the capacitor if the detection signal satisfies one or more conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Miao Li, Lieyi Fang
  • Patent number: 9893522
    Abstract: A parallel filter arrangement with at least two filters supplying current in line side sensing configuration and a number of sensors for measuring current. The sensors are used to determine the amount of current being supplied by the filters and the amount of current being supplied by a source. The filters adjust their supplied current in order to reduce or eliminate the amount of reactive or harmonic current being supplied by a source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TCI, LLC
    Inventors: Ian Wallace, Ashish Bendre, William Kranz, Jeff Seibold
  • Patent number: 9882491
    Abstract: There is provided a power supply system including a first power supply and a second power supply. The power supply system includes a power conversion circuit capable of bidirectionally sending and receiving power by bidirectional voltage conversion between the first power supply and the second power supply, converting the first voltage from the first power supply to output a third voltage and a fourth voltage, and converting the second voltage from the second power supply to output the third voltage and the fourth voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanori Ishigaki, Kenichi Takagi, Kenichiro Nagashita, Takahiro Hirano, Jun Muto
  • Patent number: 9878624
    Abstract: Provided is a power converting apparatus of an electric vehicle which reduces the number of power semiconductor components to efficiently perform charging, driving, and V2G (vehicle to grid) modes in accordance with choice by a user. The device includes a charging unit which charges commercial power into a battery; an inverting unit which supplies battery power to drive a motor; a switching unit which is connected to the motor, the charging unit, and the inverting unit to be turned on/off in accordance with a switching control signal in accordance with an operation mode selection; and a controller which provides the switching control signal to the switching unit in accordance with a mode selection signal to perform the selected mode operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Heon Hee Kim
  • Patent number: 9871450
    Abstract: An isolated step-up converter having first and second stages is described herein. The second stage can provide either DC or AC output based on the various topologies described. Resonance inductors and capacitors are used and tuned to a commutation frequency in some embodiments. Capacitors and inductors are also used in the first stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: VANNER, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Isurin, Alexander Cook
  • Patent number: 9871402
    Abstract: Assuming that a transformer has a primary to secondary winding turn ratio 1:N, VR denotes a voltage of regenerated power, VCd denotes a discharge final voltage of a first battery connected with a transformer-primary-side center tap, VCc denotes a charge final voltage of the first battery, VBd denotes a discharge final voltage of a second battery connected with a transformer-secondary-side full bridge circuit, VBc denotes a charge final voltage of the second battery and Drain denotes a lower limit of a duty ratio D of a transformer-primary-side full bridge circuit, an apparatus determines upon (VBd/N)?VR?(VBc/N) that the first and second batteries may be able to be charged with regenerated power and determines upon VCd?VR?(VCc/Dmin) that the first battery may be able to be charged with the regenerated power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoto Hasegawa, Shoichi Shono, Masafumi Uchihara, Mitsuhiro Miura, Fumiki Tanahashi, Jun Muto
  • Patent number: 9866132
    Abstract: A system includes DC-DC power conversion circuitry having a first switch and a second switch on either side of a first transformer with a first pair of capacitors and a second pair of capacitors cross-connected across the transformer. Balancing circuitry includes a primary side of a second transformer connected between the first pair of capacitors and the second pair of capacitors of the DC-DC power conversion circuitry. Control circuitry is configured to determine a direction of power transfer through the DC-DC power conversion circuitry, align a primary side and a secondary side of the DC-DC power conversion circuitry based on the determined direction of power transfer, align the balancing circuitry to perform balanced or unbalanced operations, and control switching of the first switch and the second switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Masanori Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 9859799
    Abstract: A switching power supply unit includes an N-number (N: an integer of 2 or greater) of transformers; an N-number of inverter circuits; a rectifying smoothing circuit including a {2×(N+1)}-number of rectifying devices, a choke coil, and a capacitor; an additional winding disposed to be interlinked with each of magnetic paths formed in the N-number of transformers; and a driver. In the rectifying smoothing circuit, a (N+1)-number of arms each have two of the rectifying devices, and are disposed in parallel to one another between the pair of output terminals, a secondary winding in each of the N-number of transformers is coupled between adjacent ones of the (N+1)-number of arms to individually form an H-bridge coupling, and the additional winding is coupled in series to one or more of the secondary windings in the N-number of transformers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wataru Nakahori
  • Patent number: 9856722
    Abstract: Power systems and methods are disclosed herein. The systems and methods use a switching system coupled with a power source and subterranean pumps for pumping a resource from beneath a surface of earth. A first capacitor is between a first switching device and a first transformer, and stores electric energy received from the first transformer to activate the first switching device. A bias capacitor is between the first capacitor and the first switching device, and receives a bias voltage via a second transformer. The bias capacitor applies the bias voltage to the first switching device to prevent the first switching device from activating unless a combination of the voltage received by the first switching device via the first transformer and the bias voltage is at least as large as the activation voltage of the first switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dong Dong, Antonio Caiafa, Mohammed Agamy, Ahmed Elasser
  • Patent number: 9859714
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices relating to power converters. A power conditioning system uses multiple DC/DC power converter blocks. The output of each of the converter blocks is received by an energy storage and combiner block. The output of the combiner block is then received by a DC/AC inverter. The various components of the power conditioning system are controlled by a central controller. The power semiconductors within each DC/DC converter are controlled by a subsystem of the central controller and MPPT is also provided by the central controller. Also provided for are a novel three-phase DC/AC inverter topology with reduced output ripple and a control scheme for controlling the power semiconductors in the DC/AC inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SPARQ SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Majid Pahlevaninezhad, Shangzhi Pan, Praveen Jain
  • Patent number: 9843251
    Abstract: A rectifier includes: a rectifying circuit configured to rectify alternating current (AC) power into direct current (DC) power through a switching operation; a driver configured to apply a switching signal to the rectifying circuit; and a signal modulator configured to select a parameter from among parameters of the switching signal based on a frequency of the switching signal, and adjust the selected parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignees: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd., University of Seoul Industry Cooperation Foundation
    Inventors: Byung Joo Hong, Jong Woo Lee, Hyung Gu Park, Young Jun Park, Seong Jin Oh, Kang Yoon Lee, Joong Ho Choi, Hong Jin Kim, Je Hyuk Ryu, Jung Yeon Kim
  • Patent number: 9834101
    Abstract: While a drive battery (11) is charged, the output voltage of a DC-DC converter (20) is set to a first predetermined voltage (e.g. 14.4 V) at which thermal runaway does not occur even if the temperature of an auxiliary battery (19) is high and at which the auxiliary battery (19) can be charged even if the temperature thereof is low. During warm-up operation of the auxiliary battery (19), the output voltage of the DC-DC converter (20) is set to a second predetermined voltage (e.g. 14.3 V) lower than the first predetermined voltage. While the vehicle (10) is traveling, the output voltage of the DC-DC converter (20) is set to a third predetermined voltage (e.g. 14.2 V) lower than the second predetermined voltage. If lamps (17) are lit, the output voltage of the DC-DC converter (20) is set to a fourth predetermined voltage (e.g. 13.9 V).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9837920
    Abstract: A commutation current steering method is provided for a power converter having an isolation transformer, a plurality of primary ZVS switches, a plurality of secondary switches for synchronous rectification, and a boosting resonant circuit. A commutation current is shared between all of the switches, and a resonance is induced in the boosting resonant circuit by controlling each of the synchronous rectifier switches to turn off at a time prior to a turn-off time for a corresponding one of the switches operating under ZVS conditions, wherein the primary current is boosted above a minimum commutation value during ZVS periods. The ZVS switches are further driven with a constant dead time, and the synchronous rectifier switches are driven to provide a fixed time relation with respect to all of the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Bel Power Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Ivan Feno
  • Patent number: 9837908
    Abstract: A power conversion device, which includes an insulation type full bridge converter and can switch a power transmission direction at a high speed, is provided. A DC/DC converter (10) constitutes a power conversion device, which operates as a first type converter that converts a voltage within a first range applied to a first input/output terminal pair into a voltage within a second range and outputs the voltage from a second input/output terminal pair or a second type converter that converts a voltage within the second range applied to the second input/output terminal pair into a voltage within the first range and outputs the voltage from the first input/output terminal pair, as a device that performs predetermined state transition of the DC/DC converter (10) after waiting for a load current value of a secondary side of a transformer (TR) to be a value within a predetermined current value range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Suetomi, Katsuji Mitsui, Isao Fujihata, Kesanobu Kuwabara, Yoshihiko Yamaguchi, Makoto Ohashi
  • Patent number: 9831790
    Abstract: A DC-to-DC converter includes a voltage converter having: a capacitance; at least one inductor configured to store energy and exchange stored energy with the capacitance; and a switching element configured to switch on and off a current flowing through the inductor and change direction of the current at each switching. The inductor includes a variable inductor whose inductance decreases with increase in the current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takao Mizushima, Masahiro Iizuka, Yutaka Naito, Kinshiro Takadate, Kazuki Iwaya, Eiichi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9825532
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter having a primary side comprising at least three actively switched primary voltage bridges with several active switches for converting a DC input voltage into primary alternating voltages for each of the primary voltage bridges, and having a secondary side comprising at least three actively switched secondary voltage bridges with several active switches for converting the secondary alternating voltages into a shared DC output voltage for each of the secondary voltage bridges. The primary and secondary alternating voltages are each shifted by a phase angle ? with the periods T, and each of the primary and secondary voltage bridges is coupled to an appertaining phase via one or more transformers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: FLEXIBLE ELEKTRISCHE NETZE FEN GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Engel, Ir. Rik W. A. A. De Doncker
  • Patent number: 9825550
    Abstract: A bi-directional power converter includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a fourth terminal, a first converter, a second converter, a power driver, and a processor. The first converter is coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal for performing a conversion between a first alternating current and a first direct current. The second converter is coupled to the first converter for performing a conversion between a second alternating current and the first direct current. The power driver is coupled to the second converter, the third terminal and the fourth terminal for performing a conversion between the second alternating current and a second direct current. The processor is coupled to the first converter, the second converter, and the power driver for controlling the first converter, the second converter, and the power driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: COTEK ELECTRONIC IND. CO., LTD
    Inventors: Wei-Kuang Chen, Chun-Wei Wu
  • Patent number: 9819299
    Abstract: Provided are an inverter device deterring PWM voltage error even if high inverter output frequencies are used for overmodulation driving and an electric vehicle equipped with the inverter device. In an angular section where the output voltage from an inverter device is linearly approximated with the zero cross point as the center thereof, a PWM generator in the inverter device changes either the time interval between the centers of PWM ON pulses or the time interval between the centers of PWM OFF pulses depending on the inverter operation state. An electric vehicle is equipped with the inverter device, which drives a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ajima, Kimihisa Furukawa, Kohei Myoen, Hiroyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 9812857
    Abstract: Provided are a short-circuit protection method and device for a half-bridge resonance converter. The method includes: a secondary-side current signal of the half-bridge resonance converter is detected, and the detected secondary-side current signal is converted into a corresponding first sampling voltage signal; whether a cycle-by-cycle protection is required in accordance with the first sampling voltage signal is determined; and a driving signal of the half-bridge resonance converter is compulsorily blocked during a preset cycle, if the cycle-by-cycle protection is required. Short-circuit protection may be performed for the half-bridge resonance converter, meanwhile a power density of the half-bridge resonance converter is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: XI'AN ZHONGXING NEW SOFTWARE CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaoliang Guo, Shenghua Bao, Tao Wang
  • Patent number: 9812855
    Abstract: A resonant converter includes a first switch on the primary side and a second switch coupled to the first switch, a synchronization rectification switch on a secondary side configured to conduct during a conduction period in response to a switching operation of the first switch, and a switch control circuit configured to determine an operating region of the resonant converter to be below resonance based on a result of a comparison between the conduction period and an on period of the first switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-Tae Lee, Ji-Hoon Jang, Hyeong Seok Baek, Hang-Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 9812989
    Abstract: An isolated power transfer device includes a transformer formed in a multi-layer substrate of an integrated circuit package. A primary winding of the transformer is coupled to a first integrated circuit to form a DC/AC power converter and a secondary winding of the transformer is coupled to a second integrated circuit to form an AC/DC power converter. The first and second integrated circuits are electrically isolated from each other. The first integrated circuit includes a lightly doped drain MOSFET integrated with conventional CMOS devices and the second integrated circuit includes a Schottky diode integrated with conventional CMOS devices. The isolated power transfer device includes a capacitive channel for communication of information across an isolation barrier from the second integrated circuit to the first integrated circuit. Capacitors of the capacitive channel may be formed in the multi-layer substrate of the integrated circuit package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy J. Dupuis
  • Patent number: 9812862
    Abstract: A parallel filter arrangement with at least two filters supplying current in line side sensing configuration and a number of sensors for measuring current. The sensors are used to determine the amount of current being supplied by the filters and the amount of current being supplied by a source. The filters adjust their supplied current in order to reduce or eliminate the amount of reactive or harmonic current being supplied by a source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: TCI, LLC
    Inventors: Ian Wallace, Ashish Bendre, William Kranz, Jeff Seibold
  • Patent number: 9813009
    Abstract: An inverter for an electric vehicle comprises a phase leg having series-connected upper and lower transistors between a positive bus and a ground bus. Upper and lower gate drive circuits supply gate drive signals to the upper and lower transistors. Each gate drive circuit includes an active clamp for deactivating the upper and lower transistors. The transistors are comprised of semiconductor devices, each having respective gate, collector, and emitter terminals. Each pair of gate and emitter terminals is adapted to provide an enhanced common source inductance therebetween. Each gate terminal is adapted to be tied to a ground voltage of the drive circuits. Each respective active clamp is comprised of a p-channel MOSFET having a source terminal connected to the gate terminal of a respective transistor and having a drain terminal connected to the emitter terminal of the respective transistor bypassing the respective enhanced common source inductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Zhuxian Xu, Chingchi Chen
  • Patent number: 9804627
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices relating to the use of multiple DC power generation sources with DC/DC converters to thereby provide AC power suitable for provision to a power grid. Multiple DC power generation sources are each coupled to an input stage with a DC/DC converter. All the DC/DC converters in the multiple input stages are controlled by a single digital controller. Within the single digital controller are controller sub-blocks, each of which generates control signals for a specific DC/DC converter. Each controller sub-block provides multiple functions for improving the performance of the system as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: SPARQ SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Shangzhi Pan, Majid Pahlevaninezhad, Praveen Jain
  • Patent number: 9796287
    Abstract: A discharging apparatus for an electric vehicle and an electric vehicle are provided. The discharging apparatus comprises: an AC charging interface; a charging connection device, configured to transmit an AC output from the AC charging interface to another electric vehicle; an instrument, configured to send a discharging preparation instruction; a controller, configured to detect whether the charging connection device is connected with the AC charging interface, and if yes, to emit a PWM wave and to switch to an external discharging mode; a battery manager, configured to control an external discharging circuit in a high-voltage distribution box of the electric vehicle to be connected after the controller switches to the external discharging mode; a power battery, configured to provide a DC via the external discharging circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignees: SHENZHEN BYD AUTO R&D COMPANY LIMITED, BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Wei Wang, Hongjun Wang, Zhen Li, Ming Liu
  • Patent number: 9787203
    Abstract: A power source management method and a power source are provided. The method includes: comparing a feedforward control signal with a feedback control signal by using a logic control circuit, outputting the signals after the comparison, and performing matching, to obtain control signals of switching transistors of a full-bridge topology circuit; and adjusting the control signals of the switching transistors of the full-bridge topology circuit by using the logic control circuit, so that operating duty cycles of two bridge arms on a primary side match, are symmetric within one switch period of the logic control circuit, or match for a long time, to prevent transformer biasing. The power source management method and the power source can achieve good feedforward performance, suppress input disturbance, and additionally prevent transformer biasing, which ensures that the power source works normally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhaozheng Hou, Xiaodong Fan, Jiebin Cheng, Zhihua Liu, Xuezhen Zhang