For Resonant-type Converter Patents (Class 363/21.02)
  • Patent number: 11462943
    Abstract: An apparatus for wireless power transfer is disclosed. An alternate apparatus and a system perform the functions of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a wireless power transfer (“WPT”) pad, a secondary circuit with a rectification section that receives power from the WPT pad, a capacitor, and a first rectification device connected to the capacitor. The capacitor and first rectification device are connected in parallel with the rectification section and in parallel with a load. The apparatus includes a second rectification device connected to the rectification section and an intermediate node between the capacitor and first rectification device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification, LLC
    Inventor: Patrice Lethellier
  • Patent number: 11451081
    Abstract: A charging device supporting PD (Power Delivery) includes a bridge rectifier, a first capacitor, a transformer, a power switch element, an output stage circuit, a feedback compensation circuit, a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) IC (Integrated Circuit), a discharging circuit, and a controller. The bridge rectifier generates a rectified voltage according to a first input voltage and a second input voltage. The transformer includes a main coil and a secondary coil. The main coil receives the rectified voltage, and the secondary coil generates an induced voltage. The output stage circuit generates an output voltage according to the induced voltage and a first control voltage. The controller generates the first control voltage and a second control voltage according to the output voltage. The discharging circuit selectively reduces the voltage level of the output voltage according to the second control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: ACER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Tzu-Tseng Chan
  • Patent number: 11424686
    Abstract: A converter with half-bridge circuit is disclosed. The converter includes a voltage source, a first switch, a second switch, a first resonant capacitor, a second resonant capacitor, a resonant inductor, a transformer and a control unit. The control unit is configured to generate a first control signal for turning on/off the first switch and a second control signal for turning on/off the second switch. When the half-bridge converter is turned on or reopened, a first duty rate of a first pulse being the first pulse of the first control signal for turning on the first switch is less than 50%, and a second duty rate of a second pulse being the first pulse of the second control signal for turning on the second switch after the end of the first pulse of the first control signal is greater than 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Inventors: En-Yong Yang, I-Hung Lamn, Yu-Jen Chen, Chin-Pin Chen
  • Patent number: 11381174
    Abstract: A direct-current voltage conversion circuit having on/off control with a dead-time period performed alternately on a first switch and a second switch included in a direct-current voltage conversion circuit. When alternating current flows in a series circuit part including two transformers magnetically independent, current flows in an output circuit including a secondary side of one transformer, and energy is accumulated in the other transformer. The permeabilities of the magnetic cores in the first and second transformers is between 15 and 120.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsunao Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 11374490
    Abstract: A power conversion system includes a power conversion circuit and a start circuit. The power conversion circuit includes a first terminal, a second terminal, an output capacitor, at switching unit, a flying capacitor and a magnetic element. The second switching unit includes two switch groups. The flying capacitor is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal. The magnetic element includes two first windings that are electromagnetically coupled with each other. A first one of the two first windings is electrically connected between one switch group and the second terminal of the power conversion circuit. A second one of the two first windings is electrically connected between the other switch group and the second terminal of the power conversion circuit. The start circuit includes a third winding, an inductor and at least one switch element. The third winding is electromagnetically coupled with the first windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Zhengyu Ye, Xueliang Chang, Qinghua Su
  • Patent number: 11362594
    Abstract: A radiation tolerant gate driver for power converters with active-clamp reset and active-driven synchronous rectification uses integrated logic drivers for high efficiency and wide input range. A keep alive circuit prevents power train transistors from remaining on for extended durations after a transient or an undervoltage lockout (UVLO) event. Each of the integrated logic drivers includes two gate driver circuits, where one of the gate driver circuits uses the output of the other of the gate driver circuits as input per a logic table of the integrated logic driver, to ensure no shoot-through when the respective power train transistors are turned on and off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Crane Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Cuon Lam, Ryan Ricchiuti, Reza Ahmadi, Sovann Song
  • Patent number: 11342854
    Abstract: Novel voltage converter circuits are provided which step-up very low DC input voltages to higher voltages capable of supporting low-power loads. According to embodiments, a voltage step-up power converter circuit may be formed of an oscillator sub-circuit which receives a DC voltage and outputs an AC voltage; a voltage doubler sub-circuit which receives the AC voltage and outputs an augmented AC voltage; and a voltage step-up converter sub-circuit which receives the augmented AC voltage, as a control voltage, and the initial DC voltage and outputs a voltage which is more than the initial DC voltage. These circuits allow electrical energy to be harvested from very low voltage sources and to convert it as efficiently as possible to run a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Damian P. Urciuoli
  • Patent number: 11336186
    Abstract: The subject matter of the invention is a resonant DC-DC voltage converter, notably for an electric or hybrid vehicle, said converter including n interleaved main resonant circuits, n being a natural integer greater than or equal to two, and in which: the main resonant circuits are connected together at least one neutral point different from a ground of the converter, said neutral point being connected to a ground of the converter by an impedance configured to store energy and to enable zero voltage switching of the switches of the resonant DC-DC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Valeo Siemens eAutomotive Norway AS
    Inventor: Boris Bouchez
  • Patent number: 11336181
    Abstract: An inverter-converter system includes a DC source, a DC to DC boost converter, a DC link capacitor, an inverter circuit, a variable speed electric machine, and a controller. The DC to DC boost converter receives an input DC voltage from the DC source. The inverter circuit converts the variable boosted voltage to an AC voltage to drive the variable speed electric machine. The controller senses a plurality of parameters from the variable speed electric machine, and controls the DC to DC boost converter to boost up the input DC voltage to a variable output voltage based on the plurality of parameters and/or the voltage (or load) needed by the variable speed electric machine. The design of the inverter-converter system can achieve an electrical efficiency and cost savings for the overall system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Wayne Schumacher, Johannes Hendricus Vissers, Cas Bakker
  • Patent number: 11296604
    Abstract: A control circuit for controlling a power stage circuit of a switching converter, where the power stage circuit includes a magnetic component and a power switch, can include: the control circuit being configured to determine a turn-on trough of a current cycle by determining whether a time signal corresponding to a lock-on trough of the current cycle is within a threshold range, thereby controlling the power switch to be turned on at the determined turn-on trough; and whereby an ordinal number of the lock-on trough of the current cycle is the same as an ordinal number of the turn-on trough of the last cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Jian Deng, Hongbin Lai
  • Patent number: 11290002
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus and a charging method of the power conversion apparatus are provided. A synchronous rectifier controller provides a voltage of a drain terminal of a synchronous rectifier transistor to charge a capacitor of a power supply terminal of the synchronous rectifier controller when the synchronous rectifier transistor is turned from an on state to an off state and a voltage of the power supply terminal is less than a preset voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Power Forest Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Po-Jen Ke
  • Patent number: 11277070
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a bridge circuit, a resonant tank circuit coupled to an output of the bridge circuit; a rectifier circuit having an input coupled to the resonant tank circuit and an output, and an output filter coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit. A controller is coupled to the bridge circuit, the resonant tank circuit and the output of the DC-DC converter. The controller is configured to control a switching frequency of the bridge circuit to operate the DC-DC converter as a boost converter and a buck converter. When the DC-DC converter is operating as a buck converter, the controller controls the rectifier circuit to selectively block energy transfer from the rectifier circuit to the converter output based upon an output current of the DC-DC converter being greater than current demand thereof, thereby reducing output current of the DC-DC converter and extending an operating range thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies USA, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel William Shafer
  • Patent number: 11264788
    Abstract: An example power adaptor includes a converter and a circuit to detect an overcurrent event at the converter and to pause power output of the converter when the overcurrent event is detected. The circuit is further to count a number of overcurrent events at the converter within a time period. The circuit is further to compare the number of overcurrent events to a threshold number and to switch off the power output of the converter when the number of overcurrent events passes the threshold number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Asjad Shamim, Po Yu Li, Qijun Chen, Fangyong Dai
  • Patent number: 11239813
    Abstract: A first conductive pattern made from a conductive material is formed on a first surface that is one surface of a flexible film made from a dielectric material. An adhesive layer is disposed on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the flexible film. A pair of first outer electrodes generates an electric field in an in-plane direction of a composite member composed of the flexible film and the adhesive layer, and causes an electric current to flow through the first conductive pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyomi Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 11211864
    Abstract: A power supply device includes a switch circuit, a resonant circuit, a first transformer, an output rectifier, a feedback circuit, and a controller. The switch circuit generates a switch voltage according to an input voltage, a first clock voltage, and a second clock voltage. The resonant circuit includes a variable capacitor and a variable inductor. The resonant circuit generates a resonant voltage according to the switch voltage, a first control voltage, and a second control voltage. The first transformer generates a transformation voltage according to the resonant voltage. The output rectifier generates an output voltage according to the transformation voltage. The feedback circuit and the controller detect a sensing voltage relative to the output rectifier. The feedback circuit determines the first control voltage according to the sensing voltage. The controller determines the second control voltage according to the sensing voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: ACER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Tzu-Tseng Chan
  • Patent number: 11196350
    Abstract: Techniques for an isolated DC-DC converter are provided. In an example, a method of operating an isolated DC-DC converter can include inducing a first, primary current flow in primary windings of a first transformer and a second transformer during a first interval, inducing a second, primary current flow in the primary windings during a second interval, freewheeling current of the primary windings via a ground connection of the primary windings during transitions between the first interval and the second interval, and repeatedly alternating between the first interval and the second interval to generate a single DC output voltage using a secondary winding of the first transformer and a secondary winding of the second transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventor: Vikas Paduvalli
  • Patent number: 11172554
    Abstract: A primary feedback control circuit of a series resonant converter having a transformer, can include: an excitation current simulation circuit configured to sample an excitation voltage of the transformer, and to generate a first voltage representing an excitation current of the transformer; and a feedback control circuit configured to control on and off states of power switches of the series resonant converter in accordance with the first voltage and a second voltage representing a resonant current of the series resonant converter, where the first voltage is controlled to be equal to the second voltage when a secondary current of the transformer is zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Jian Deng, Chen Zhao
  • Patent number: 11159088
    Abstract: A dual path and mode start-up circuit includes a high-voltage start-up circuit, an auxiliary start-up circuit, a capacitor, and a sensing circuit. The high-voltage start-up circuit has high-voltage input and output voltage nodes and is configurable to be operated in a first or second mode of operation. The auxiliary start-up circuit has auxiliary input and output voltage nodes. The auxiliary output voltage node, the high-voltage output voltage node, and the capacitor are in signal communication. The sensing circuit is configured to sense a voltage level at the capacitor and to configure the high-voltage start-up circuit to operate in the first mode of operation if the voltage level at the capacitor is less than a first threshold voltage level, and configure the high-voltage start-up circuit to operate in the second mode of operation if the voltage level at the capacitor is greater than a second threshold voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Appulse Power Inc.
    Inventors: Arshan Naji, Aleksandar Radic
  • Patent number: 11118872
    Abstract: A conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) launches wire-tethered electrodes from multiple cartridges to provide a stimulus signal through a human or animal target to impede locomotion of the target. The CEW may detect the quality of the electrical coupling (e.g., connection) of pairs of electrodes with the target. In accordance with the quality of the connections, the CEW may provide pulses of a stimulus signal to the various connections between electrode pairs in accordance with a sequence. The sequence may provide pulses at a first maximum pulse rate to any one connection to increase the likelihood of inducing neuromuscular incapacitation (“NMI”) and to save energy. The sequence may provide pulses to all connections at a second maximum pulse rate to increase the likelihood of inducing NMI and to save energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Goodchild, Gerzain Mata, Magne Nerheim
  • Patent number: 11081967
    Abstract: The invention discloses a self-adaptive synchronous rectification control system and a self-adaptive synchronous rectification control method of an active clamp flyback converter. The control system comprises a sampling and signal processing circuit, a control circuit with a microcontroller as a core and a gate driver. According to the control method, a switching-on state, an early switching-off state, a late switching-off state and an exact switching-off state of a secondary synchronous rectifier of the active clamp flyback converter can be directly detected, and the synchronous rectifier and a switching-on time of the synchronous rectifier in next cycle can be controlled according to a detection result. After several cycles of self-adaptive control, the synchronous rectifier enters the exact switching-on state, thus avoiding oscillation of an output waveform of the active clamp flyback converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: SOUTHEAST UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Qinsong Qian, Shengyou Xu, Qi Liu, Weifeng Sun, Shengli Lu, Longxing Shi
  • Patent number: 11070135
    Abstract: A converter includes an input capacitor, a primary-side switch circuit, a transformer, an inductor, a secondary-side switch circuit, and an output capacitor. The primary-side switch circuit includes a first and a second bridge arm. Each of the first and the second bridge arm includes at least two switches. A soft-start period of an output voltage from the converter includes a voltage rising period of the output voltage. A turn-on time of one of the at least two switches of the first bridge arm is less than ½ of a switching period. A turn-on time of one of the at least two switches of the second bridge arm is zero of the switching period or near zero of the switching period. The inductor and parasitic capacitors of the at least two switches of the second bridge arm oscillate, and energy generated from an oscillation is transmitted to the second-side switch circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Da Jin, Ya-Hong Xiong, Qing-Hua Su
  • Patent number: 11070090
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a resonance-type contactless power supply, an integrated circuit and a constant voltage control method. The resonance-type contactless power supply includes an inverter, a transmitter-side resonant circuit, a receiver-side resonant circuit, a rectifier circuit, and an output capacitance. In this resonance-type contactless power supply, the inverter receives electric energy, which is transferred to the rectifier circuit in a first state and is not transferred to the rectifier circuit in a second state. By switching between the first state and the second state, the resonance-type contactless power supply is controlled to provide a relatively constant voltage, and can be electrically coupled directly to a constant-voltage-type load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: SILERGY SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY (HANGZHOU) LTD.
    Inventors: Wang Zhang, Feng Yu
  • Patent number: 11056930
    Abstract: A device operative to transfer power and communicate wirelessly includes a drive-sense circuit (DSC), memory that stores operational instructions, and processing module(s). The DSC generates a drive signal based on a reference signal and provides the drive signal to a first coil via a single line and via a resonating capacitor, and simultaneously senses the drive signal via the single line, to facilitate electromagnetic coupling to a second coil to transfer power wirelessly to another device. The DSC also detects electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal including whether a communication signal is transmitted from another device and generates a digital signal representative thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: John Christopher Price, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Phuong Huynh
  • Patent number: 11050354
    Abstract: A bi-directional LLC converter includes: first and second sides coupled by an isolation transformer, the first side including a switch network connected to an LLC network, the LLC network including a first winding of the isolation transformer, the second side including a switch network connected to a second winding of the isolation transformer; and a controller operable to operate the LLC converter in a forward mode in which the first side functions as an inverter and the second side functions as a rectifier, and to operate the LLC converter in a reverse mode in which the second side functions as an inverter and the first side functions as a rectifier. In the reverse mode, the controller is operable to delay turn off of the switch network on the first side at an operating frequency above resonance of the LLC converter, to yield a gain greater than one in the reverse mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Manuel Escudero Rodriguez, Matteo-Alessandro Kutschak, David Meneses Herrera
  • Patent number: 11018589
    Abstract: Methods and systems for balancing output currents of parallel connected resonant converters are disclosed. One such method includes matching switching frequencies for a pair of resonant converters. The method also includes carrying AC output currents of resonant tanks of each of the resonant converters through a current controlled voltage source that is coupled to each of the resonant converters of the pair of resonant converters at an AC side of each of the resonant converters of the pair of resonant converters. The method further includes inducing, for the pair of resonant converters, a voltage that is proportional to a difference in the AC currents carried through the current controlled voltage source by passing the AC currents through the current controlled voltage source. The induced voltage is oriented to oppose the greater of the AC currents and to increase the smaller of the AC currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: SMPC TECHNOLOGIES LTD
    Inventors: Yu Ling Huang, Roumen Petkov
  • Patent number: 10938310
    Abstract: A DC-DC power converter has an auxiliary tank cascaded to share an efficiency tank's inductor, capacitor, and transformer. Switching transistors pump the auxiliary tank at startup to provide a boost current. The switching frequency is reduced in steps and the voltage gain and power of the converter sensed until the voltage gain matches a voltage gain calculated for the efficiency tank. Then tank switchover occurs and transistors to the efficiency tank are pumped with the last switching frequency used by the auxiliary tank, and the auxiliary tank is not pumped. Since the voltage gains before and after tank switchover are equal, no output voltage deviation or current spike occurs. A voltage sag or failure switches back to the auxiliary tank at a switching frequency determined by a dynamic contour line where the voltage gains of the two tanks are equal for the current power state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company, Limited
    Inventors: Chi Man Cheng, Shek Mong Wong, Tak Lok Shum
  • Patent number: 10910952
    Abstract: Embodiments of this disclosure provide a control apparatus and method for a current resonance circuit and a current resonance power supply. The control method includes: performing integration on a resonance current of the current resonance circuit or a switching current of one or more switching elements to generate an integration signal; generating a feedback signal of the current resonance circuit; comparing the integration signal with the feedback signal, and generating a measurement signal according to a comparison result; performing digital filtering on the measurement signal; and according to the measurement signal after filtering, generating a pulse width modulation signal controlling the switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Inventors: Ryuichi Furukoshi, Osamu Ohtake
  • Patent number: 10869337
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method in a user equipment (UE) for random access (RA) coverage enhancement (CE) is disclosed. The method includes transmitting a random access preamble to a UE, wherein a power of the random access preamble is determined, in part, by a current CE level. The method further includes incrementing a value of a counter by one, wherein the value of the counter indicates a number of random access preambles previously transmitted by the UE. The method may then compare the value of the counter after incrementing its value, to a transmission limit, wherein the transmission limit indicates a maximum number of random access preamble transmission attempts for the current CE level. In response to the counter being equal to the transmission limit plus one, the method includes resetting the value of the counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Andreas Höglund
  • Patent number: 10862387
    Abstract: A power converter controller includes a fractional valley controller configured to determine a target number of valleys of a resonant waveform at a drain node of a main switch, the target number of valleys corresponding to a desired off-time of the main switch, the fractional valley controller modulating an off-time of the main switch between two or more modulated off-times. The target number of valleys corresponds to a non-integer number of valleys of the resonant waveform at the drain node of the main switch. Each of the modulated off-times of the main switch corresponds to an integer number of valleys, and the two or more modulated off-times of the main switch has an average value that corresponds to the desired off-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Appulse Power Inc.
    Inventor: Aleksandar Radic
  • Patent number: 10840812
    Abstract: A flyback converter (10) for operating one or more lighting means, wherein the flyback converter (10) has a transformer and the transformer is arranged between a primary side of the flyback converter (10) and a secondary side of the flyback converter (10), wherein the flyback converter (10) is configured, and wherein the flyback converter (10) has a current detection circuit (107) that is configured to detect the current flowing through the secondary side of the flyback converter (10). The current detection circuit (107) can have a current detection transformer (108, 109). The flyback converter (10) can be configured such that the current flowing through the secondary side of the flyback converter (10) flows in a negative direction at least some of the time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: TRIDONIC GMBH & CO KG
    Inventors: Ludwig Erasmus De Clercq, Joan Ortega
  • Patent number: 10826402
    Abstract: Controlling switching frequency of LLC resonant power converters. At least one example embodiment is a method of operating LLC converter, including: measuring values indicative of current through a primary winding of a transformer of an LLC converter, the measuring during a first on-time of a first switching period of an electrically controlled switch coupled to the primary winding, and the measuring creates a current waveform; calculating a slope of the current waveform; and controlling frequency of switching the electrically controlled switch based on the slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Roman Stuler, Vaclav Drda, Roman Mazgut
  • Patent number: 10797604
    Abstract: An LLC converter includes a switch module, a transformer, an output circuit, a resonant circuit and a safety capacitor. The switch module is connected between an input voltage and a ground. The transformer has a primary side winding and at least one secondary side winding. The output circuit is connected between the at least one secondary side winding and a load. The resonant circuit is coupled between the primary side winding and the switch module and includes at least one leakage inductor. The safety capacitor is connected between the at least one leakage inductor and the switch module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: ASIAN POWER DEVICES INC.
    Inventors: Tsung-Liang Hung, Yeu-Torng Yau
  • Patent number: 10778107
    Abstract: A series resonant converter includes a switching circuit, a resonant tank, a transformer and a rectifier circuit. The switch circuit has a power supply connected to the primary side upper bridge switch and the primary side lower bridge switch, which are configured to control the input voltage and the input current of the power supply. The resonant tank is coupled to the switch circuit and includes a resonant inductor, a resonant capacitor, and a magnetizing inductor connected in series. The transformer is coupled to the resonant tank and includes a core, a primary winding, and at least four groups of secondary windings. The core has a center column, the primary winding is wound on the center column, and at least four secondary windings are wound on the center column. The number of equivalent windings added by the at least four groups of secondary windings is 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Inventor: Huang-Jen Chiu
  • Patent number: 10770980
    Abstract: An electronic half-bridge converter includes an input comprising two terminals for receiving a first power signal, and an output comprising two terminals for providing a second power signal. The converter includes a transformer and a half-bridge, wherein the half-bridge is interposed between input and primary winding of transformer. On the secondary side of transformer, the converter includes a rectifier circuit configured for converting the current provided via secondary winding into a rectified current, and a filter circuit configured for providing said second power signal by means of a filtering of the rectified current provided by rectifier circuit. The filter circuit includes: a first branch connected between both input terminals of the filter circuit and comprising a first inductor and a first capacitor connected in series, and a second branch connected in parallel with the first branch and comprising a second inductor and the output connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: OSRAM GmbH
    Inventor: Daniele Luccato
  • Patent number: 10756624
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter suitable for conversion of high input voltages to regulated low output voltages at very high output currents has a cascade of stages including a buck regulation stage, an unregulated switched capacitor voltage doubler, and an unregulated voltage isolation stage. These three stages are merged in a single switching structure so that each stage optimally performs its respective function while also taking advantage of characteristics and features of neighboring stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Bel Fuse (MACAO COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE) Limited
    Inventor: Giorgio Augusto Mauri
  • Patent number: 10741325
    Abstract: An inductive power transfer system (IPT) pick-up comprises: a pick-up coil capable of generating a voltage by magnetic induction from a primary conductive pathway, and a tuning capacitor associated with the pick-up coil to provide a first pick-up resonant circuit; a first output associated with a first control means to substantially control the voltage or current provided by the first output; a further resonant circuit connected in series or parallel with the first pick-up resonant circuit; and a second output associated with a second control means to control the voltage or current provided by the second output and a method of providing an additional independently controllable output from an IPT pick-up having a resonant pick-up circuit is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: AUCKLAND UNISERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: John Talbot Boys, Grant Anthony Covic, Daniel James Robertson
  • Patent number: 10734889
    Abstract: Various improvements are provided to resonant DC/DC and AC/DC converter circuit. The improvements are of particular interest for LLC circuits. Some examples relate to self-oscillating circuit and others relate to converter circuits with frequency control, for example for power factor correction, driven by an oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Reinhold Elferich, David Llewellyn John, William Peter Mechtildis Marie Jans, Johannes Hubertus Gerardus Op Het Veld
  • Patent number: 10715048
    Abstract: A control method used in a resonant converter with a switching circuit and a resonant circuit, wherein the switching circuit has a high side transistor coupled between an input voltage and a switch node and a low side transistor coupled between the switch node and a reference ground, the resonant circuit is coupled to the switch node and has a resonant capacitor and a resonant inductor. The method includes: generating an output feedback signal based on a signal of the resonant converter; sensing the voltage across the resonant capacitor generating a signal; comparing the output feedback signal with the voltage sensing signal to generate a high side off signal; determining when to turn off the high side transistor and turn on the low side transistor; detecting an on-time of the high side transistor; and determining when to turn off the low side transistor and turn on the high side transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Hangzhou MPS Semiconductor Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Lei Miao
  • Patent number: 10693362
    Abstract: A switching power supply includes an insulated transformer, a full-bridge circuit which converts input DC power into AC power and outputs the AC power to a primary-side coil, an output circuit which converts AC power input from secondary-side coils into DC power and outputs the DC power, and a control circuit which controls the full-bridge circuit by using a phase shift method based on voltage output by the output circuit. When a measured value of the amount of phase shift determined from at least one of the voltage and current output by the output circuit is smaller than a theoretical value of the amount of phase shift corresponding to the switching power supply operating in a continuous current mode, the control circuit prolongs dead time used in the full-bridge circuit in accordance with the difference between the measured value and the theoretical value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Hamada, Tadashi Sato, Norio Fukui
  • Patent number: 10673325
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter can include: a switched capacitor converter; and a switching converter, where input ports of the switched capacitor converter and the switching converter are coupled to each other in one of series and parallel connections, and output ports of the switched capacitor converter and the switching converter are coupled to each other in the other of series and parallel connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD
    Inventors: Wang Zhang, Chen Zhao
  • Patent number: 10651744
    Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a VLSI semiconductor die and one or more output circuits connected to supply power to the die mounted to a package substrate. The output circuit(s), which include a transformer and rectification circuitry, provide current multiplication at an essentially fixed conversion ratio, K, in the semiconductor package, receiving AC power at a relatively high voltage and delivering DC power at a relatively low voltage to the die. The output circuits may be connected in series or parallel as needed. A driver circuit may be provided outside the semiconductor package for receiving power from a source and driving the transformer in the output circuit(s), preferably with sinusoidal currents. The driver circuit may drive a plurality of output circuits. The semiconductor package may require far fewer interface connections for supplying power to the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: VLT, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrizio Vinciarelli
  • Patent number: 10644503
    Abstract: Described herein are power conversion systems and related techniques which utilize a coupled split path (CSP) circuit architecture. The CSP structure combines switches, capacitors and magnetic elements in such a way that power is processed in multiple coupled split paths in a variety of voltage domains. These techniques are well suited for power conversion applications that have one or more input/output ports that have a wide voltage range, or if the application is interfacing with the ac line voltage and requires power-factor correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: David J. Perreault, Khurram K. Afridi, Minjie Chen
  • Patent number: 10644607
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a pulse-width modulation (PWM) generator configured to generate a PWM signal for controlling a power switch of a power converter, a bias switch and a bias capacitor connected in series and coupled to a magnetic winding of the power converter and a comparator having a first input connected to the bias capacitor, a second input connected to a predetermined reference and an output configured to generate a signal for controlling the bias switch to allow a magnetizing current from the magnetic winding to charge the bias capacitor when a voltage across the bias capacitor is less than the predetermined reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yushan Li, Liming Ye, Heping Dai
  • Patent number: 10637369
    Abstract: According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide an inverter system including an input having a positive DC node and a negative DC node coupled to a DC power source to receive input DC power, an output coupled to a load to provide output AC power, a first inverter leg including a first and a second switching device, a second inverter leg including a third and a fourth switching device, the first inverter leg and the second inverter leg being adapted to convert the input DC power to the output AC power, a current sensor coupled to one of the negative and the positive DC node, and a controller assembly adapted to measure a current through the current sensor and determine an inductor current through an inductor coupled to the output, an input current, and an output current based at least on the current through the current sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rajesh Ghosh, Mahendrakumar H. Lipare, Damir Klikic, Miao-Xin Wang, Mudiyula Srikanth
  • Patent number: 10574148
    Abstract: A method includes providing primary, secondary, and current injection windings. There is a controlled voltage source, an input voltage source, a primary switch connected to the primary winding, a parasitic capacitance reflected across the primary switch, a secondary rectifier means, and a current injection circuit including a current injection switch connected to the current injection winding, and a unidirectional current injection switch connected to the current injection winding. The method includes switching on the current injection switch to start current injection flowing from the controlled voltage source, through the unidirectional current injection switch and the current injection winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Rompower Technology Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Lonel Jitaru
  • Patent number: 10547244
    Abstract: The power supply apparatus having two switching elements connected to a primary winding of a transformer includes an adjustment unit for adjusting a voltage and supplying the voltage to a control unit. This voltage results from application of a voltage induced in an auxiliary winding while current is flowing in a predetermined direction with respect to the auxiliary winding as a result of the first switching element turned on and the second switching element turned off, and a voltage induced in the auxiliary winding while current is flowing in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction with respect to the auxiliary winding as a result of the first switching element turned off and the second switching element turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Odate, Keizo Kojima, Atsushi Ohno
  • Patent number: 10541619
    Abstract: An LLC resonant converter and an electronic device are provided. The LLC resonant converter according to the present disclosure includes a multi input transformer, first and second converter units connected to a primary side of the multi input transformer, an input voltage part, a first balance capacitor, and an output part connected to a secondary side of the multi input transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SOLUM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang-keun Ji, Sang-kyoo Han, Hyun-su Gu, Hyo-hun Kim, Dong-kyun Ryu, Heung-gyoon Choi
  • Patent number: 10530263
    Abstract: An electronic converter comprising an input comprising two terminals for receiving a first power signal, and an output comprising two terminals for providing a second power signal. On the primary side, the converter comprises a half-bridge, a transformer and a first capacitor. Specifically, the first capacitor and the primary winding of the transformer are connected in series between the intermediate point of the half-bridge and an input terminal. On the secondary side, the converter comprises a diode, a second capacitor and an inductor. The second capacitor and the secondary winding of the transformer are connected in series between the cathode and anode of the diode, and the inductor and the output are connected in series between the cathode and the anode of the diode. The electronic converter comprises a third capacitor and at least one electronic switch adapted to selectively connect the third capacitor in parallel with the second capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: OSRAM GMBH
    Inventors: Daniele Luccato, Enrico Raniero
  • Patent number: 10505462
    Abstract: A power converter includes: two DC input terminals that input a DC input voltage; two DC output terminals that output a DC output voltage; an isolation transformer with a primary winding and a secondary winding; a switch that is connected across the two DC input terminals in a state where the switch is connected in series to the primary winding and that switches the DC input voltage; an LC resonance circuit that includes an inductance and a capacitance and is connected in parallel to the primary winding; a first resonant capacitance that is connected in parallel to the switch; a second resonant capacitance that is connected in parallel to the secondary winding; and a rectifying and smoothing circuit that rectifies and smoothes a voltage generated across both ends of the second resonant capacitance and outputs as the DC output voltage across the two DC output terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Min Lin, Ken Matsuura
  • Patent number: 10505463
    Abstract: An LLC resonant converter and an electronic device are provided. The LLC resonant converter according to the present disclosure includes a multi input transformer, first and second converter units connected to a primary side of the multi input transformer, an input voltage part, a first balance capacitor, and an output part connected to a secondary side of the multi input transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SOLUM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang-keun Ji, Sang-kyoo Han, Hyun-su Gu, Hyo-hun Kim, Dong-kyun Ryu, Heung-gyoon Choi