Transistor Inverter Patents (Class 363/56.01)
  • Patent number: 7733616
    Abstract: Each of three-phase arm of an inverter has first and second switching elements connected in series together at a connection point to the corresponding phase coil of the three-phase motor. Control device turns on the first switching element of the i-th (i is a natural number smaller than four) for a predetermined time period, and determines that the second switching element of the i-th arm has a short fault, when an overcurrent exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected within the predetermined time period. The predetermined time period is shorter than a time period from a time point of turning on the first switching element of the i-th arm to a time point of attaining the predetermined threshold by a current flowing through a path extending from a power supply line through the second switching element of the remaining arm other than the i-th arm to a ground line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Yamada
  • Patent number: 7679944
    Abstract: To provide a motor drive adapted to operate stably and suffer essentially no damage, even when a high voltage is applied between grounding terminals of upper and lower arms. The motor drive of this invention includes: an arm with a first electric power semiconductor-switching element and a second electric power semiconductor-switching element, both connected in series between major terminals; and a level-shifting circuit that transmits a control signal of the first semiconductor-switching element connected to the high-voltage side of the arm, from a low-voltage circuit to a high-voltage circuit; the motor drive employing an insulated-gate bipolar transistor as the signal-transmitting high-withstand-voltage element formed in the level-shifting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7663896
    Abstract: An energy effective switching power supply apparatus and an energy effective method thereof. The energy effective switching power supply apparatus includes a power transforming part having first and second coils to induce a voltage to the second coil using interactions between the first and the second coils with respect to the input voltage, a power outputting part to output a sensing signal when it is determined that a first DC voltage output by rectifying and smoothing the voltage induced to the second coil is greater than or equal to a reference voltage level, and a switching controlling part to adjust a switching frequency of a switching device to interrupt a current flowing in the first coil of the power transforming part when the sensing signal is received. Accordingly, a switching loss is controlled and an energy loss is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae-kwon Na
  • Patent number: 7660134
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter has a switching circuit including switching elements at the high-side and at the low-side, an inductor connected to the output end of the switching circuit, a smoothing capacitor connected to the inductor, a switching control circuit for supplying a switching pulse to the switching elements, and a circuit. The circuit detects that a state that the switching element at the high side is switched off and the switching element at the low side is switched on is maintained for a predetermined period or longer. In this case, the circuit forcibly switches off the switching element at the low side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Takakazu Imai, Takeo Gokita
  • Publication number: 20090273954
    Abstract: Among many embodiments, a power converter and a method for operating a power converter are disclosed. The power converter may include a pair of switches connected in series, an output transformer connected to a common node between the switches and a protection apparatus for protecting each switch from being hard driven, each switch being enabled by a gate signal and turning ON in alternating half cycles so as to drive transformer current in alternate directions through the transformer. The protection apparatus may include: a detector configured to detect whether an intrinsic diode in a first switch is conducting the transformer current; and a gate signal disabler configured in response to the detector blocking an ON gate pulse from reaching a second switch in the pair of switches so that the second switch is not turned ON while the intrinsic diode of the first switch is conducting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Inventor: Hendrik V. Walde
  • Publication number: 20090273738
    Abstract: A pulse width modulator generates a PWM signa whose duty ratio is feedback-controlled so that a detection voltage according to a current across a secondary coil of a transformer is brought close to a reference voltage. A logic control unit performs a switching control of the current across the primary coil of the transformer, based on the PWM signal outputted from the pulse width modulator. A first protection circuit detects a circuit failure of an inverter and stops the switching control of the inverter when the circuit failure continues for a predetermined duration of error detection time. A second protection circuit monitors a feedback voltage corresponding to an output voltage of the inverter, and lowers the reference voltage sets the duration of error detection time short when the feedback voltage is lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 7602623
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a low cost self-healing power supply. The invention includes a power supply that regulates a direct current (“DC”) regulated bus to maintain a regulated bus voltage under varying load conditions. The power supply includes at least one pulse-width modulated stage, wherein each pulse-width modulated stage includes at least two switches connected in parallel. Each switch includes a fuse connected in series with the switch that disconnects the switch in response to an over current condition sufficient to open the fuse. The power supply also includes a pulse-width modulator for each stage of the power supply that regulates a bus voltage controlled by the stage by sensing the controlled bus voltage and adjusting a switching duty cycle to regulate the controlled bus voltage to a target value. The pulse-width modulator for a stage provides a substantially identical switching duty cycle to each switch of the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chu T. Chung, Cecil C. Dishman, Randhir S. Malik
  • Patent number: 7589481
    Abstract: In order to improve reliability, cost performance, and cooling property, a control device integrated dynamo-electric machine mounted to a dynamo-electric machine includes an inverter bridge configured with a plurality of semiconductor switching elements, and a plurality of heat sinks provided for respective arms of the inverter bridge and having the semiconductor switching elements of the corresponding arms mounted thereon for cooling the mounted semiconductor switching elements, wherein the semiconductor switching element includes a plurality of semiconductor switching devices arranged in parallel, and the plurality of semiconductor switching devices arranged in parallel are mounted on the common heat sinks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Sonoda, Yoshihito Asao
  • Publication number: 20090225572
    Abstract: A circuit apparatus for providing an AC voltage to a load. The apparatus may include: a first, second, third and fourth switch, wherein the first switch is connected between a first node and a first terminal of the second switch and the fourth switch is connected between a second node and a first terminal of the fourth switch; a voltage source, wherein the voltage source is electrically connected between the first node and the second node; a resistive divider connected across the voltage source; a first resistor connected across the first switch a second resistor connected across the third switch; first connecting means for configurably connecting a second terminal of the second switch to the second node; second connecting means for configurably connecting a second terminal of the third switch to the first node; and third connecting means for configurably connecting the second terminal of the second switch in series with the second terminal of the third switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: AMERITHERM, INC.
    Inventors: Ian A. Paull, Leslie L. Thornpson
  • Publication number: 20090225573
    Abstract: A stable power supply apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a secondary battery, a bidirectional chopper circuit and a bidirectional converter, wherein the secondary battery, the chopper circuit and the converter are connected in this order in the direction from the secondary battery side to a system bus line side. The converter is formed of a wide-gap semiconductor device, more particularly, a wide-gap bipolar semiconductor device, and the instantaneous large-power operation capability of the wide-gap bipolar semiconductor device and the instantaneous large-power supplying capability of the secondary battery are utilized. For a short time during which the influence of an instantaneous drop is prevented, the converter is operated as a converter having capability exceeding the instantaneous large-power supplying capability of the secondary battery and having power capacity several times or more the rating of the converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: KANSAI Electric Power Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Sugawara
  • Patent number: 7577003
    Abstract: A switching power source is capable of conducting constant-current drooping control on a load, increasing an energy conversion efficiency on a secondary side, and improving heat radiation performance. The switching power source detects whether or not an overcurrent exceeding a reference value V6 is passed to a switching element Q1, switches a first constant current I3 and a second constant current I4 smaller than the first constant current I3 from one to another according to a result of the overcurrent detection, directly superposes the first constant current I3 on a feedback voltage V3 at an input part, superposes the second constant current I4 on an output part where the feedback voltage is converted to have an impedance lower than that at the input part, and controls the ON-period of a pulse signal supplied to the switching element Q1 according to a resultant feedback voltage, thereby achieving constant-current drooping control on a load 29.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaru Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7558090
    Abstract: A system for transferring an alternating voltage into a direct voltage includes a rectifier, a filter, a transformer, a switch, a switch control circuit and a voltage feedback circuit. The rectifier connects to a main power supply device and rectifies the alternating voltage into a transient direct voltage. The filter filters out a noise from the transient direct voltage and produces a filtering direct voltage. The transformer transfers the filtering direct voltage into a working direct voltage. The switch which has a turn-on status and a cutoff status is used to control the current which goes through the transformer. The switch control circuit is used to control the switch be in the turn-on status or the cutoff status. The voltage feedback circuit drives the switch controlling circuit in accordance with the transformer's voltage and diminishes a switching loss from the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Elementech International Corporate Ltd.
    Inventor: Chienning Chou
  • Publication number: 20090168471
    Abstract: A circuit device includes at least one switching element and a free wheeling diode connected in parallel to the switching element. The free wheeling diode is made up of a Schottky barrier diode using a semiconductor material having a band gap larger than silicon as its base material and also a silicon PiN diode, which are connected in parallel. The Schottky barrier diode and the silicon PiN diode are provided in the form of separate chips. A circuit system is also provided wherein a diode having a Schottky junction of a compound semiconductor as a rectification element built therein is combined, and a relationship, R2>4L/C, with impedance R (resistance), L (inductance), and C (capacitance) determined by a closed circuit between a power source and a positive or negative terminal when the current of the diode becomes zero during recovery operation, is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Dai Tsugawa, Katsumi Ishikawa, Masahiro Nagasu, Haruka Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20090161392
    Abstract: A control system for a PWM inverter may reduce a DC component of an output of the inverter. An output voltage signal may be attenuated with a low-pass filter to produce a signal with a high DC content. A duty cycle of an output of the low pass filter may be determined with a zero-crossing detector. A calculation may be performed to determine a magnitude of a DC offsetting voltage that may offset the DC component of the inverter output. The inverter may be commanded to produce a DC offsetting voltage with an opposite polarity from the DC component of the inverter output. The opposite polarity DC offsetting voltage may effectively cancel the DC component of the inverter output. A monitoring system may employ an alternate system for determining the level of the DC component, thus providing a desirable redundancy to the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: HONG ZHANG, Jeremy Eng
  • Patent number: 7525826
    Abstract: Configurations provide reduction in the hum and the weak shocks that are produced in audio equipments where electrical power is supplied. Switching electrical power sources include, a rectification element that rectifies a current that is supplied, a switching element that switches the input voltage that has been rectified by the rectification element, an oscillator circuit that oscillates at a specified frequency and drives the switching element by means of oscillation, and a transformer with which the voltage that has been switched by the switching element is input to the primary oil and wherein an electrical power source output is obtained from a secondary coil. A plurality of capacitors are connected to the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Roland Corporation
    Inventors: Hoichi Iwamoto, Hiroshi Emoto
  • Patent number: 7518889
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to regulate an output of a power converter. One example power converter controller circuit includes a line sense input to be coupled to receive a signal representative of an input voltage of a power converter. A feedback input to be coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter is also included. A drive signal generator is also included to generate a drive signal coupled to control switching of a switch to provide a regulated output parameter at the output of the power converter in response to the feedback signal. The drive signal generator is coupled to receive a plurality of inputs including the line sense input and the feedback input. The drive signal generator is coupled to latch the power converter into an off state in response to a detection of a fault condition in the power converter as detected by the plurality of inputs if the power converter input voltage is above a first threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Power Integrations, inc.
    Inventors: Stefan Bäurle, Alex B. Djenguerian, Kent Wong
  • Publication number: 20090052210
    Abstract: A cooling system is provided for controlling temperature in a power electronic device. The power electronic device includes a semiconductor having a major surface. The cooling system includes a temperature sensor coupled to the major surface of the semiconductor; and a control circuit coupled the temperature sensor. The control circuit is configured to reduce current to the inverter circuit when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventors: Terence G. Ward, Edward P. Yankoski
  • Patent number: 7492618
    Abstract: An inverter device includes an inverter circuit, an inverter driving unit, and a clamp diode. The inverter circuit includes an upper arm unit and a lower arm unit connected in series. The upper arm unit and the lower arm unit include switching elements that drive a load. The inverter driving unit includes a high-withstand-voltage IC that drives the switching elements of the upper arm unit and the lower arm unit. The high-withstand-voltage IC has a first terminal for supplying a reference voltage to the lower arm unit and a second terminal for supplying a high-voltage to the upper arm unit. The clamp diode clamps a potential difference between the first terminal and the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kensaku Matsuda, Shinzou Tomonaga
  • Patent number: 7489530
    Abstract: Switches (such as FET's and other devices) are often used in circuits to generate an AC signal from a DC supply input. There are times when the supplied DC voltage is greater than desired for the ratings of the switches that can or must be used. There are also times when there may be voltage surges or other transient high voltage conditions for which it is desired to have greater margin between the voltage applied and the switch ratings. The circuit described applies across any of the switches a maximum of one half of the supplied DC voltage. The circuit may also be operated in a linear mode for use with analog signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Ameritherm, Inc.
    Inventor: Ian Paull
  • Patent number: 7466083
    Abstract: A protective device for a vehicle electronic apparatus, which includes an inverter for converting a direct-current voltage into an alternating-current voltage for the vehicle electronic apparatus, detects a temperature of the inverter. Also, the protective device controls a power supply of the direct-current voltage to the inverter. The protective device stops the power supply to the inverter when the temperature of the inverter reaches a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Goto
  • Publication number: 20080304298
    Abstract: A system interconnection inverter includes a step-up converter and an inverter. Moreover, the system interconnection inverter includes a short-circuit current-interrupting diode with a cathode connected to an input terminal of a negative bus, a semiconductor switch connected to an anode of the short-circuit current-interrupting diode, a semiconductor switch drive circuit that drives the semiconductor switch, a semiconductor switch-off circuit that turns off the semiconductor switch drive circuit when negative power is applied such that electric current flows from a cathode toward an anode of the input terminal, and a control circuit that controls the semiconductor switch drive circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Toba, Noriyuki Matsubara, Masanori Kageyama, Hirokazu Nakabayashi
  • Patent number: 7446512
    Abstract: For the purpose of providing a resonant switching power supply device having a wide output voltage variable range by changing its switching frequency, the resonance circuit thereof comprises a switching transformer, a first resonance section connected in series with the switching transformer, and a second resonance section connected in parallel with the switching transformer, wherein the resonance frequency characteristic in the case that the DC load current is large is formed using the series-connected devices of the first resonance section, and the resonance frequency characteristic in the case that the DC load current is small is formed using the first resonance section, the second resonance capacitor of the second resonance section and the switching transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Nishihara, Akeyuki Komatsu
  • Patent number: 7443699
    Abstract: A power supply controller (10, 60, 70) uses a negative current (36) of a power transistor (16, 71) to detect the valley point for enabling the power transistor when driving an inductor (17). The negative current occurs when the inductor is de-magnetized and can be used for controlling the time to enable the power transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Francois Lhermite
  • Patent number: 7436686
    Abstract: Voltage inverter provided with four switching cells (Q1 to Q4) to be connected to the terminals of a DC voltage source (Vdc), each comprising two semiconductor switches (I11, I12, I21, I22, I31, I32, I41, I42) installed in series, these switches having a common point (A0) to be connected to an AC current source (Mac) with three phases (p1, p2, p3) and a neutral (n), the connection being made onto one phase (p1, p2, p3) for three of the cells (Q1, Q2, Q3) and onto the neutral (n) for the fourth cell (Q4). Each cell (Q1 to Q4) cooperates with a semiconductor electrical isolating device (S1, (S2.1 and S2.2)) to be put into a turn-off state if the cell should fail, this isolating device (S1, (S2.1 and S2.2)) being arranged either on the connection to the AC current source (Mac), or on connections to the terminals of the DC voltage source (Vdc).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignees: Airbus France, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse
    Inventors: Jérôme Mavier, Frédéric Richardeau, Hubert Piquet
  • Publication number: 20080232145
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rectifier circuit comprising a phase module (110) with at least one upper and one lower rectifier valve (T1, . . . , T6), said phase module (100) being electrically connected on the DC side to a positive and a negative DC busbar (P0, N0), each rectifier valve (T1, . . . , T6) having at least two bipolar subsystems (10) electrically connected in series. According to the invention, a protection component (12) is connected in parallel to the connector contacts (X1, X2) of each subsystem (10). A rectifier circuit is thus obtained with distributed energy stores which can be operated redundantly in case of fault.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marc Hiller, Rainer Sommer
  • Patent number: 7405954
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to regulate an output of a power converter. One example power converter controller circuit includes a line sense input to be coupled to receive a signal representative of an input voltage of a power converter. A feedback input is included and is to be coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter. A drive signal generator is included and is to generate a drive signal coupled to control switching of a switch to provide a regulated output parameter at the output of the power converter in response to the feedback signal. The drive signal generator is to latch the power converter into an off state in response to a detection of a loss of regulation of a power converter output parameter if the input voltage of the power converter is above a threshold level. The drive signal generator is to be unresponsive to the signal representative of the input voltage of the power converter while the power converter output parameter is in regulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan Bäurle, Alex B. Djenguerian, Kent Wong
  • Patent number: 7397676
    Abstract: A power supply including an inverter receiving a DC input signal from a DC input source (11). The inverter is implemented as a single-ended inverter. Each inverter is driven by a signal source (13A, 13B), which outputs an AC signal. The output from each inverter is input to a first stage harmonic filter. The power supply includes an output circuit that includes a rectifier (D1) arranged about a point so that if the inverter attempts to drive the point beyond a predetermined voltage, the rectifier conducts in order to return at least one of power and current to the DC input source. The output from the first harmonic filter (L1A, C1; L1B, C1) is output to a second harmonic filter (L2, C2) and is then output from the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Lincoln, Paul G. Bennett
  • Publication number: 20080158919
    Abstract: An exemplary power supply circuit (20) includes a scaler (21), a field-effect transistor (23), a pulse width modulation circuit (25), and a capacitor (29). The scaler includes an output port (213). The pulse width modulation circuit includes an input port (251). The input port of the pulse width modulation circuit is grounded via the capacitor. The field-effect transistor includes a gate electrode (231), a source electrode (232), and a drain electrode (233). The gate electrode is connected to the output port of the scaler. The source electrode is grounded. The drain electrode is connected to the input port of the pulse width modulation circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Han-Tao Liu, Tong Zhou, Hua Xiao, Kun Le, Jian-Hui Lu
  • Patent number: 7385831
    Abstract: A power supply device includes: a regulator transformer; a primary switch for selectively supplying a current to the regulator transformer; a control circuit for reducing to 0, following each election made at the primary switch, the minimum value of a current output by the secondary side of the regulator transformer; and a coupling transformer for magnetically coupling routes along which a plurality of loads are connected in parallel to the secondary side of the regulator translator in a direction in which magnetic flux along each of the routes is offset by a current change. In this case, the control circuit increases the maximum value of the output current on the secondary side larger than twice of the target value of the current supplied to the loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Ito, Kentarou Murakami, Hitoshi Takeda
  • Patent number: 7352544
    Abstract: A method and electrical circuit for dynamic reconfiguration of a DC-to-AC inverter comprising first and second power rails where each the rails has a power source. The method comprises monitoring the first and second power rails for short-circuit failure; and upon failure of one of the power rails, disconnecting the failed power rail from its power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Pratt + Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Kamal Al-Haddad
  • Patent number: 7342811
    Abstract: A lossless clamping circuit for use in a synchronous rectifier DC-DC converter in which at least one transistor switch (MOSFET) periodically connects two terminals of an output transformer winding across a main output and return terminal to provide a DC current at a selected voltage for a load connected between the output and reference terminals. A diode and an auxiliary capacitor are connected in series across the MOSFET's drain source so that the capacitor accumulates a charge in accordance with the reverse recovery current in the winding leakage inductance when the MOSFET is turned off and an auxiliary DC-DC converter is connected to the auxiliary capacitor for converting the accumulated charge across the capacitor to a DC current at a selected output voltage. Preferably the output of the auxiliary DC-DC converter is connected to the main output terminal to supplement the output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Cherokee International Corporation
    Inventors: Moshe Domb, Amritlal H. Patel, Jackie Tang
  • Patent number: 7336508
    Abstract: A switching power source apparatus has a switching element Q1. Between terminals of the switching element Q1, there is parasitic capacitance (C1, C2). A voltage V4 of parasitic oscillation appears at a gate of the switching element Q1 after a flyback period. A voltage detector detects a drop in the voltage V4 and outputs a detection signal V6. The detection signal V6 is delayed by a timer, which outputs an ON start signal synchronized with timing T at which the voltage V4 reaches a bottom level. In response to the ON start signal from the timer, a controller outputs an ON control signal to turn on the switching element Q1. In response to the ON control signal from the controller, a driver applies a drive signal to the gate of the switching element Q1, thereby driving the switching element Q1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaru Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20080037300
    Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a three- or single-phase semiconductor power converter employing fixed-pulse switching patterns superposes a DC component on an AC output voltage, to suppress asymmetrical magnetization of a transformer connected to the power converter. The three-phase semiconductor power converter 1 provides an AC output. The voltage of the AC output is changed by the transformer 12.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akihisa Kataoka, Tomotsugu Ishizuka, Koichi Hidese, Shigeru Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20080025054
    Abstract: The invention presents a surge output protection for a control circuit of power converter. It comprises an input circuit for generating a threshold signal. A first comparator is coupled to receive a signal representative the current through a power switch. The first comparator further generates a control signal in response to the signal and the threshold signal. A timer circuit is utilized to generate a time-out signal in response to the control signal. The time-out signal is coupled to turn off the power switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Applicant: SYSTEM GENERAL CORP.
    Inventors: Ta-yung Yang, Chien-Yuan Lin, Tso-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 7310251
    Abstract: The invention presents a switching power control circuit including two levels of under voltage lockout to improve the protection of the power supply. An input terminal of control circuit is connected to a supplied capacitor to supply the power of the control circuit. The supplied capacitor is charged through a start resistor for the start-up. Once the input voltage reaches a start-up voltage, the control circuit will start the operation. After that, the power is further supplied from a transformer of the power supply. If a fault condition is occurred, the switching of the control circuit will be stop and the supplied capacitor will be discharged. When the input voltage is discharged lower than a first under-voltage lockout threshold, the circuits of control circuit are shut down to consume lower power. Furthermore, once the input voltage is discharged lower than a second under-voltage lockout threshold, the control circuit will enable the start-up again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: System General Corp.
    Inventors: Ta-yung Yang, Wei-Hsuan Huang
  • Patent number: 7310253
    Abstract: This invention provides a power conversion circuit control apparatus which rapidly detects the voltage amplitude and phase of each phase, corrects the output of a current controller by the mean voltage amplitude and mean phase, and corrects, on the basis of the voltage amplitude and phase of each phase, a voltage amplitude command and voltage phase command to be applied to pulse width modulation. The apparatus can suppress an overcurrent even when the AC voltage is unbalanced, and restart the operation without generating any overcurrent when the circuit is to be reactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Fujii, Naoki Morishima
  • Patent number: 7304869
    Abstract: At least one of a start abnormality detector (31), a temperature abnormality detector (32) and a voltage abnormality detector (33) has a latch inhibiting circuit for inhibiting retention of a detecting state when one of the abnormality detectors detects an abnormality, so that a current abnormality detector (34) can be inhibited from detecting an abnormal input current caused when the oscillation is halted by the abnormality detector. Accordingly, after the abnormality is removed, automatic resetting can be easily accomplished without causing the oscillation to halt as a result of the current abnormality detector detecting the presence of the abnormality. Also, since a power source abnormality detecting circuit (30) is designed in the form of an analog circuit, a low cost can be achieved and the monitoring level can be modified. In addition, the monitoring level associated only with the temperature abnormality occurring in an IGBT element (7) can be modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignees: Tabuchi Electric Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinobu Miyazaki, Masaki Nakaishi, Shinichi Masuda
  • Patent number: 7301788
    Abstract: A low acoustic noise solution for snubber circuits is utilized for relieving spike noise under a low-load mode of a snubber circuit, and for avoiding electromagnetic interference under a high-load mode of said snubber circuit. A power transform device utilizing the low acoustic solution includes a power source node, a switch node, a ground node, a transformer, a third switching unit, a first spike noise snubber circuit, a first switch unit, a second spike noise snubber circuit, and a second switch unit. When the power transform device is under the low-load mode, the first spike noise snubber circuit is used to absorb power discharged from the transformer so that spike noise is relived. When the power transform device is under the high-load mode, both the first and the second spike noise snubber circuits are used to absorb power so that electromagnetic interference is relieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: BenQ Corporation
    Inventors: Po-Wen Wang, Chia-Tse Yeh, Chien-Kun Huang
  • Patent number: 7248486
    Abstract: A switching converter in which an input voltage can be switched by means of at least one controlled switch to at least one primary winding of a transformer, with a control circuit for controlling the switch, to which control circuit a regulating signal in the sense of regulating at least one output voltage is sent, wherein the power supply of the control circuit takes place via the forward voltage of an auxiliary winding of the transformer, a rectifier, a capacitor and a series regulator, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, starting from the input voltage, via a current path and a storage capacitor, and the off-state voltage of an auxiliary winding, which is rectified by means of a rectifier, is additionally sent to the control circuit for power supply, wherein the rectified off-state voltage is used during the operation for supplying the control circuit as long as it has a sufficient voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens AG Osterreich
    Inventors: Arnold Schönleitner, Jalal Abdulazim Hallak
  • Patent number: 7245510
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to regulate an output of a power converter. One example power converter includes an energy transfer element coupled between an input and an output of the power converter. A switch included in the power converter is coupled to the input of the energy transfer element. The power converter also includes a controller circuit coupled to the switch. The controller circuit is also coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of the output of the power converter and coupled to receive a signal representative of the power converter input voltage. The controller circuit is coupled to control switching of the switch to provide a regulated output parameter at the output of the power converter in response to the feedback signal. The controller circuit is coupled to latch the power converter into an off state in response to a detection of a loss of regulation of a power converter output parameter if the power converter input voltage is above a threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan Bäurle, Alex B. Djenguerian, Kent Wong
  • Patent number: 7227762
    Abstract: A fine-turning circuit is used for adjusting the output voltage of a main transformer in an electrical power convert device and solving the problem of turns granularity of conventional transformers. The fine-turning circuit includes an auxiliary transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil, and a voltage level clamper connected with the secondary coil of the auxiliary transformer via a diode. The primary coil of the auxiliary transformer is connected with the renovated winding in serial. When a current flows through the renovated winding, the secondary coil of the auxiliary transformer reacts to an amended voltage so as to amend the output voltage of the main transformer. The amended voltage is adjusted via changing the turn ratio of the primary coil to the secondary coil of the auxiliary transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: PI International Ltd.
    Inventor: Chi Hung Cheung
  • Patent number: 7224590
    Abstract: A control circuit for use in a power converter has a synchronous rectifier for producing substantially direct current, including a sensor for sensing a characteristic of the power converter; detection circuitry capable of using the characteristic to develop a control signal for controlling the power converter; and synchronous rectifier control circuitry connected to the detection circuitry wherein the control circuitry is adapted to modify a duty cycle of the power converter as a function of the control signal thereby to turn off a freewheel switch of the synchronous rectifier before turning off a forward switch of the synchronous rectifier during a reverse current period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: AcBol Polytech Inc.
    Inventor: Kuo-Fan Lin
  • Patent number: 7200016
    Abstract: An error detection circuit includes: a Zener diode having a cathode connected through a resistor to a second DC output with a higher voltage than that of a first DC output; a voltage divider circuit; and a PNP transistor having an emitter connected to the first DC output, and a base supplied with an output voltage of the voltage divider circuit. A Zener voltage of the Zener diode and a voltage dividing ratio of the voltage divider circuit are set so that the output voltage of the voltage divider circuit is equal to a value obtained by subtracting the base-emitter voltage of the PNP transistor Q1 from the voltage of the first DC output, and that temperature characteristic of the output voltage of the voltage divider circuit is set at a value canceling temperature characteristic of the PNP transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7199988
    Abstract: An arrangement is made in a transformer such that voltages induced on the opposite sides of a mid-point 17 of a secondary winding 16 are unbalanced by an amount on the order of 5%. When a ground terminal 18 is not grounded while a mid-point of a load is grounded, a voltage VUE is developed between the mid-point 17 and a non-active line terminal 15 and is rectified to provide a rectified output which turns a transistor 28 on, causing a light emitting element 33L to emit light. The resulting light renders a light receiving element 33P conductive, whereby a relay 37 is operated to turn a switch 13 off. When a ground fault occurs on one side of the secondary winding 16 while the ground terminal 16 is not grounded, a ground fault detection circuit 38 fails to detect the ground fault, but the non-grounding protection circuit 30 detects the ground fault and turns the switch 13 off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Lecip Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Komori, Hideki Shimizu, Kazuhifo Kobayashi, Yoshihiro Matsui
  • Patent number: 7180758
    Abstract: A power supply including an inverter receiving a DC input signal from a DC input source (11). The inverter is implemented as a single-ended inverter. Each inverter is driven by a signal source (13A, 13B), which outputs an AC signal. The output from each inverter is input to a first stage harmonic filter. The power supply includes an output circuit that includes a rectifier (D1) arranged about a point so that if the inverter attempts to drive the point beyond a predetermined voltage, the rectifier conducts in order to return at least one of power and current to the DC input source. The output from the first harmonic filter (L1A, C1; L1B, C1) is output to a second harmonic filter (L2, C2) and is then output from the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Lincoln, Paul G. Bennett
  • Patent number: 7170760
    Abstract: A switching power supply with clamping circuit includes a clamping circuit between a slave output terminal and a master output terminal thereof, to prevent voltage drift at the slave output terminal. The clamping circuit includes a switching circuit connected between the slave output terminal and the master output terminal, and a voltage stabilizing circuit connected between the slave output terminal and the switching circuit. When the output voltage at the slave output terminal steps up to a certain level, the voltage stabilizing circuit functions and enables the switching circuit, and therefore prevents the output voltage from climbing higher than the load requires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuan-Hong Hsieh, Xiao-Guang He
  • Patent number: 7158394
    Abstract: A switching power supply circuit reduces the time from start-up driving to normal operation while a soft-start is carried out with an output voltage Vout. A soft-start capacitor is charged during the start-up time. After a soft-start voltage Vz has reached a predetermined signal-output starting voltage Vlow, soft start of the output voltage Vout is carried out by controlling the operation based on the soft-start voltage Vz. A time constant for charging the soft-start capacitor is set as a time constant that causes the charge voltage of the soft-start capacitor to sharply increase at least until the soft-start voltage Vz reaches the signal-output starting voltage Vlow after the circuit has started driving, and is switched to a time constant that causes a rising trend of the charge voltage of the soft-start capacitor to become gentle with a predetermined time-constant switching timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Takahashi, Takayoshi Nishiyama, Jun Nagai, Eito Moromizato
  • Patent number: 7068010
    Abstract: A motor power supply for and a method of operating a poly-phase AC motor with power provided from an AC power source through a DC-conversion circuit and an inverter. An output voltage of the DC-conversion circuit is sensed and a controller controls an inrush current limiting resistance to be selectively bypassed according to a first value of the output voltage and controls a pair of switches in an overvoltage protection circuit to return energy stored in the DC-conversion circuit to the AC power source according to second and third values of the output voltage. An operation of the switches is synchronously controlled according to a phase of the AC power source. The overvoltage protection circuit eliminates an overvoltage in the DC-conversion circuit due to energy regenerated by the motor and passed through the inverter to the DC-conversion circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jang-hyoun Youm
  • Patent number: 7064967
    Abstract: A battery voltage Ef of a fuel cell 1 is detected, and a current instruction value which transformed an electric power instruction value Pfc of the fuel cell is reduced at falling-down of the voltage Ef. A current limiter 8 makes the current instruction value a limit value at the time of the falling-down of Ef, and reduces the limit value according to the fall of Ef. For example, current instruction value is restricted so as to begin to reduce battery current IFC at voltage drop alarm level (first threshold value), and become zero at voltage drop protection level (second threshold value).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Home & Life Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masaya Ichinose, Kenji Takeda, Motoo Futami, Masahiro Komachiya, Kenji Kubo
  • Patent number: 6987675
    Abstract: A soft-switched boost converter includes an active snubber to provide soft switching of all semiconductor components. Specifically, the current (“turn-off current”) in the rectifier is switched off at a controlled rate, the main switch is closed under zero-voltage switching (ZVS) condition, and the auxiliary switch in the active snubber is opened under zero-current switching (ZCS) condition. As a result, switching losses are reduced with beneficial effects on conversion efficiency and EMC performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Milan M. Jovanovic, Yungtaek Jang, Yu-ming Chang, Kung-Hui Fang