With Condition Responsive Means To Control The Output Voltage Or Current Patents (Class 363/74)
  • Publication number: 20130223116
    Abstract: A contactless card includes an inductive circuit configured to send and receive signals, a rectifier circuit coupled to the inductive circuit and configured to generate a DC voltage from an AC voltage generated by the inductive circuit, a clamp circuit configured to limit the DC voltage, a regulator circuit configured to regulate the DC voltage and a control circuit configured to selectively enable and disable the clamp circuit and the regulator circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventors: Jong Pil Cho, II Jong Song, Sang Hyo Lee
  • Patent number: 8504851
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a central processing unit (CPU), a number of power supply units (PSUs), a north bridge, a south bridge, and a baseboard management controller (BMC). The number of power supply units (PSUs) supplies power to the CPU. Each PSU has a rated power. The north bridge is connected to the CPU. The south bridge is connected to the north bridge. The BMC is connected to the CPU by the north and south bridges. The BMC detects power supply states of each PSU and controls the north bridge to adjust a power consumption of the CPU according to the power supply states of the PSUs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuan-Hsiang Chao
  • Publication number: 20130182472
    Abstract: A voltage converter system having a converter and a connector system may include a control circuit that enables or disables the converter in response to the connection status of the connector system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Edward Kobeda, Randhir S. Malik
  • Patent number: 8488340
    Abstract: A regulated power apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an input power converting circuit configured for receiving a rectified voltage and for generating an increased voltage. An intermediate power regulating circuit generates a regulated voltage that has a lower voltage than a minimum output voltage of the input power converting circuit. The intermediate power regulating circuit is coupled to receive the increased voltage. An output power converting circuit is coupled with the intermediate power regulating circuit. The output power converting circuit receives the regulated voltage and generates an output voltage that is lower than the regulated voltage. The output power converting circuit comprises a buck converter configured to operate at a fixed duty cycle. A regulation circuit is coupled with the intermediate power regulating circuit and coupled with the output power converting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Zhang, Aaron Jungreis
  • Patent number: 8477517
    Abstract: A contact-input circuit for a power system device is described for processing a higher voltage signal from power system equipment or another power system device for use by a lower voltage circuit. The contact-input circuit generally includes a voltage threshold detection device adapted to allow current to flow therefrom when it detects that the higher voltage signal reaches a select threshold. An opto-isolator device, which is coupled to the voltage threshold detection device, provides a voltage signal suitable for use by the lower voltage circuit when the threshold detection device allows the current-flow through the opto-isolator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc
    Inventor: Milind H. Joshi
  • Publication number: 20130141953
    Abstract: An inverter control device includes a voltage detector, a target value calculation section, an inverter control section, an abnormality detector and a voltage clamp unit. The target value calculation section calculates target value of an alternating current output from the inverter based on a detection voltage detected by the voltage detector. The inverter control section generates a control signal for a switching element of the inverter based on the detection voltage and the target value to control the inverter. The abnormality detector detects an abnormality in the voltage detector. The voltage clamp unit holds the detection voltage for calculating the target value at a first assured voltage determined based on a lower limit area of an assured voltage range that assures an operation of the inverter and holds the detection voltage for generating the control signal at a second (higher) assured voltage upon detecting the abnormality in the voltage detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Nakamura, Hiromichi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8450961
    Abstract: A converter and an inverter are connected via a clamp circuit. The converter performs commutation in accordance with any of a first commutation mode in which trapezoidal waves are compared with a carrier and a 120-degree conduction mode. A diode of the clamp circuit is short-circuited by a shorting switch. The shorting switch is rendered conductive when a power factor reduces or a power supply voltage reduces, and capacitors of the clamp circuit are connected in series between DC power supply lines. The converter performs commutation in accordance with the 120-degree conduction mode, not in accordance with the first commutation mode, while the shorting switch is conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8446037
    Abstract: An energy storage means for a drilling rig has a source of power, an AC bus connected to the source of power, a DC bus, a load connected to the DC bus, a rectifier connected to the AC bus and to the DC bus for converting AC power from the source of power to DC power to the load, and an energy storage system connected to the DC bus. The energy storage system can be batteries, capacitors or combinations thereof. A diode is connected between the energy storage means and the DC bus so as to supply power to the load when the DC voltage is less than a DC source voltage. The energy storage system has a nominal voltage slightly lower than a voltage of a AC-to-DC conversion by the rectifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Inventor: Kevin R. Williams
  • Publication number: 20130121046
    Abstract: A phase locking system for a three-phase alternating current (AC) electric grid and a method thereof are disclosed. The method includes: receiving a three-phase voltage of the AC electric grid and converting the three-phase voltage to a two-phase voltage signal, each of which including a positive and a negative sequence components; obtaining a pure positive sequence component by subtracting the negative sequence component from the voltage signal of each phase and using ??/dq coordinate transformation and low-pass filtering, and phase locking the pure positive sequence component; and obtaining an error signal by subtracting a disturbance variable and subsequently subtracting the positive sequence component from the voltage signal of each phase, wherein the disturbance variable includes the negative sequence component, and obtaining a signal including the negative sequence component by performing a ?-?/d-q coordinate transformation on the error signal and adjusting the error signal through a regulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: DELTA ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8423805
    Abstract: A portable electronic apparatus is connected to a power supply device via a transmission line, and it includes a designated connector, a charge control circuit, and a judgment circuit. The designated connector includes five terminals respectively corresponding to five pins of a USB connector of the power supply device. When the power supply device is connected to the portable electronic apparatus, the first terminal of the designated connector is logic high, the fourth terminal of the designated connector is logic high, and the third terminal of the designated connector is logic high after pulling up the voltage level of the second terminal, the judgment circuit pulls down the voltage level of the third terminal and detects the voltage level of the third terminal so as to generate a determining result for determining a type of the power supply device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Hung Li, Yung-Hsien Kuo
  • Patent number: 8378584
    Abstract: A method and circuit for controlling feedback in, for example, a power factor converter circuit. A current sense signal is compared with a reference signal to generate a comparison signal. A clipped signal is generated from the comparison signal where the signal is a periodic waveform that transitions between two levels that are symmetrically positioned about a reference signal. The clipped signal is used to generate a summed signal at the input of an integrator. The integrator generates a feedback signal suitable for use in, for example, a power factor converter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: James Roy Young
  • Patent number: 8368333
    Abstract: A DC motor is provided. The DC motor prevents rush or overload of current in the DC motor during and/or after power input irregularities to the DC motor. A control circuit of the DC motor is configured to control current provided to the DC motor. When power irregularities in the power input to the DC motor are detected by the control circuit, the control circuit stops generating PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) signals and stops the current provided to the DC motor. After the stoppage of PWM signals, the control circuit can perform a soft-start of the PWM signals when the power irregularities are no longer detected. The soft starting of the PWM signals generates gradual increase in current to the DC motor, thus, preventing sudden rush of current that cause malfunction of the DC motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Inventor: Young-Chun Jeung
  • Patent number: 8358943
    Abstract: An electric power relaying unit of an image forming apparatus which includes an electric power blocking unit which selectively blocks the alternating current electric power output from the electric power input unit to be input to the electric power output unit, the electric power blocking unit including: a switching unit which switches an input of the alternating current electric power with respect to the electric power output unit; an electric power detecting unit which detects an electric power property; a memory unit in which a predetermined electric power property information is stored; and a control unit which controls a switching operation of the switching unit if determining that the detected electric power property corresponds to a predetermined electric power property in a failure of the image forming apparatus main body from a comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-ha Kim
  • Publication number: 20130003430
    Abstract: A power converter includes an input stage connected to receive an input signal and to provide an intermediate DC voltage, and an output stage having an LLC converter connected to receive the intermediate DC voltage and to provide a DC output voltage. Additionally, the power converter includes a control unit connected to the input and output stages to regulate the DC output voltage and set a target operating parameter of the LLC converter based on controlling the intermediate DC voltage. A method of operating a power converter is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: Lineage Power Corporation
    Inventor: Raghothama Reddy
  • Publication number: 20120327695
    Abstract: A linear transformer power supply is disclosed that extracts a high level of energy from a linear transformer during the full cycle of AC input voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: ELSTER SOLUTIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Mark C. Fischer, Kenneth C. Shuey
  • Patent number: 8338989
    Abstract: A photovoltaic system may include a DC to AC inverter, a voltage sensor configured to measure an input voltage from a photovoltaic array, and a controller configured to calculate a voltage differential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Thompson
  • Publication number: 20120300515
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power converter including a power factor corrector and a DC/DC converter and a power conversion method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Andrea Carletti, Albino Pidutti
  • Publication number: 20120287683
    Abstract: An exemplary method for controlling transfer of electrical power in island mode in an arrangement having a converter and a load connected to the converter through a filter. The method including determining voltage reference components for one or more frequency components of an output voltage of the converter. An effect of a load current is compensated for by forming one or more voltage feedforward terms based on the load current and using the feedforward terms to adjust the voltage reference components. Control reference components for one or more of the frequency components are formed based on the voltage reference components, and a control reference is formed based on the control reference components. The output voltage of the converter is controlled based on the control reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: ABB Oy
    Inventor: Mikko ROUTIMO
  • Publication number: 20120281447
    Abstract: A voltage converter includes a compensation unit, first and second control units, and an output voltage generation unit. The compensation unit selects compensation feedback voltage or output feedback voltage depending on an operation mode, and generates a compensation voltage based on the selected feedback voltage and a first reference voltage, the compensation feedback voltage corresponding to the compensation voltage, and the output feedback voltage corresponding to an output power supply voltage. The first control unit generates a first control signal based on the compensation voltage and a second reference voltage. The second control unit generates a second control signal based on the first reference voltage and the output feedback voltage. The output voltage generation unit selects one of the first control signal and the second control signal depending on the operation mode, and generates the output power supply voltage based on the selected control signal and an input voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: DONG-HUN HEO, SEUNG-CHUL SHIN
  • Publication number: 20120268973
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power regulating apparatus, which is connected between an AC power and a load, for supplying the regulated AC power to the load. The power regulating apparatus includes a first regulating means provided to regulate the input AC power source when the AC power is at a normal power level, and a second regulating means provided to transmit an electric power to the load from a power storage means when the AC power is at a power level lower than the normal power level. Thus, the power regulating apparatus is capable of providing the load with an expected high quality electric power in all cases of AC power variation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Inventors: TSAO-CHING TSAI, Shih-Wei Sun
  • Patent number: 8276006
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a power adapter comprises a power supply to output power for powering a powered device. The power adapter outputs information indicative of an amount of power output by the power supply for use by the powered device to control the amount of power used by the powered device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas P. Sawyers, Jeff K. Jeansonne
  • Publication number: 20120235630
    Abstract: An embodiment of a charger may include an input, at least one switch having a first node coupled to a reference voltage, a current sensor coupled between the input and a second node of the at least one switch, an output coupled to a third node of the at least one switch, and a charge controller coupled to the input to determine an input voltage, to the current sensor to determine an input current and to control inputs of the at least one switch. The at least one switch may be responsive to control signals supplied by the charge controller to the control inputs thereof to control voltage and current at the output of the charger. The charge controller may be responsive to the input voltage and the input current to produce the control signals in a manner that maximizes electrical power drawn at the input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS LLC
    Inventors: Weihong Qiu, Xiaozhou Zhou, Jun Liu, Bertram J. Rodgers, III
  • Publication number: 20120218791
    Abstract: A power converter control system having a phase tracker that is designed and configured to estimate the phase of the voltage on the power network that will be on the network when network recovers from a fault on the network. Such a power converter control system allows a power-network-connected power source to ride-through a fault event and continue supplying power thereto at the designed phase and frequency. In one embodiment, the phase tracker provides this estimate by having a response time slow enough that the voltage drop or sag caused by the fault substantially does not affect the control system. In another embodiment, the phase detector is designed and configured to freeze the frequency of its output upon detection of a fault event on the power network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS UTILITY SCALE, INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey K. Petter
  • Publication number: 20120201061
    Abstract: A dual voltage power conversion system with power factor correction (PFC) having a capabilities to adjust a PFC setpoint according to operating conditions. The input signaling levels, for example, may be monitored and used to control adjustments to the PFC setpoint in order to allow the PFC setpoint to dynamically change with any input variation. The PFC setpoint may be adjusted to a PFC setpoint resulting in maximum efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: LEAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard J. Hampo, Xiangchun Wu
  • Patent number: 8237415
    Abstract: An output voltage monitoring circuit monitors an output voltage of a capacitor charging circuit. A first sample-and-hold circuit samples and holds a voltage of a connection point of a primary coil of a transformer and a switching transistor. A first monitoring comparator compares output of the first sample-and-hold circuit with a predetermined first reference voltage. When the output of the first sample-and-hold circuit exceeds the first reference voltage, a signal processor executes predetermined signal processing. The first sample-and-hold circuit starts a sampling period after a predetermined first time has elapsed after the switching transistor is turned OFF. When a voltage drop across a detection resistor reaches a third reference voltage, the first sample-and-hold circuit ends the sampling period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Iwasaki, Isao Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8232755
    Abstract: A DC motor is provided. The DC motor prevents rush or overload of current in the DC motor during and/or after power input irregularities to the DC motor. A control circuit of the DC motor is configured to control current provided to the DC motor. When power irregularities in the power input to the DC motor are detected by the control circuit, the control circuit stops generating PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) signals and stops the current provided to the DC motor. After the stoppage of PWM signals, the control circuit can perform a soft-start of the PWM signals when the power irregularities are no longer detected. The soft starting of the PWM signals generates gradual increase in current to the DC motor, thus, preventing sudden rush of current that cause malfunction of the DC motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventor: Young-Chun Jeung
  • Patent number: 8220574
    Abstract: An inverter control device includes a DC power supply for outputting a first DC voltage, a voltage conversion unit for converting a voltage level of the DC voltage and supplying a first DC voltage to an inverter, a temperature detection unit for detecting an ambient temperature (element temperature) of the inverter, and a control device. The control device controls the voltage conversion unit such that the voltage VH lowers as the ambient temperature is lower, based on a temperature value representing a result of detection by a temperature sensor. A tolerable surge amount can thus sufficiently be ensured at a low temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Natsuki Nozawa
  • Patent number: 8225114
    Abstract: A portable electronic apparatus is connected to a power supply device via a transmission line, and it includes a designated connector, a charge control circuit, and a judgment circuit. The designated connector includes five terminals respectively corresponding to five pins of a USB connector of the power supply device. When the power supply device is connected to the portable electronic apparatus, the first terminal of the designated connector is logic high, the fourth terminal of the designated connector is logic high, and the third terminal of the designated connector is logic high after pulling up the voltage level of the second terminal, the judgment circuit pulls down the voltage level of the third terminal and detects the voltage level of the third terminal so as to generate a determining result for determining a type of the power supply device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Hung Li, Yung-Hsien Kuo
  • Patent number: 8213137
    Abstract: A solid state relay has independent charge pumps isolating each gate of a full bridge to achieve faster and proper gate turn on. The low side MOSFETs of the bridge are the current sensing device reducing loss and allowing a device controlled by the relay to achieve peak performance. Dynamic braking is achieved by the two low side MOSFETs being fully conducted and applying a load across the DC motor. Addition of a microprocessor to the device provides undervoltage sensing, current vs time readings, motor stall sensing, and motor temperature sensing. Motor temperature is detected by checking impedance of the motor at microsecond pulses to see if the motor is getting hot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Inventor: Gilbert Fregoso
  • Publication number: 20120147637
    Abstract: A power converter control system having a phase tracker that is designed and configured to estimate the phase of the voltage on the power network that will be on the network when network recovers from a fault on the network. Such a power converter control system allows a power-network-connected power source to ride-through a fault event and continue supplying power thereto at the designed phase and frequency. In one embodiment, the phase tracker provides this estimate by having a response time slow enough that the voltage drop or sag caused by the fault substantially does not affect the control system. In another embodiment, the phase detector is designed and configured to freeze the frequency of its output upon detection of a fault event on the power network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey K. Petter
  • Publication number: 20120127707
    Abstract: A lamp assembly (1800) may include a circuit board (201), one or more light-emitting devices (100) disposed on the circuit board (201), a heat sink (600) in thermal contact with a surface of the circuit board (201), a gasket (700) with a first surface in mechanical contact with the circuit board (201), a bezel (800) a surface (805) of which is in mechanical contact with a second surface of the gasket (700), and one or more fasteners (901) that may apply a force between the bezel (800) and the heat sink (600). A lamp array (2100) may include two or more lamp assemblies (1800), not all of which supply illumination with the same spectral characteristic, and a bearing mount (2000) that may support each lamp assembly (1800) and allow each to be oriented rotationally. A supply circuit (2500, 2600) may include a nonlinear resistive element (2501, 2601).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventor: Edward Bryant Stoneham
  • Patent number: 8154153
    Abstract: A power supply system is introduced herein. The power supply system includes a power converter to supply a power source to an electronic circuit through an output cable of the power supply. A communication unit is coupled to the output cable of the power supply to develop a communication channel between the power converter and the electronic circuit in order to report the status of the power converter to the electronic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Systems General Corp.
    Inventors: Ta-yung Yang, Jenn-Yu G. Lin
  • Publication number: 20120069612
    Abstract: An arrangement for exchanging power with a three-phase electric power network includes a Voltage Source Converter having three phase legs with each a series connection of switching cells. The three phase legs are interconnected in a neutral point by forming a wye-connection. The arrangement also includes a device connected to the neutral point of the converter and configured to provide a current path for a zero-sequence current. A control unit is configured to calculate a value for amplitude and phase position for a zero-sequence current for which, when added to said three phase legs upon generation of a negative-sequence current, the resulting energy stored in energy storing capacitors in each phase leg will be constant and to control semiconductor devices of said switching cells to add such a zero-sequence current to the currents of each phase leg of the converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Hasler
  • Patent number: 8130519
    Abstract: A power supply circuit for powering a load at constant current has a rectifier stage for receiving an AC voltage input and for producing a first substantially DC voltage. A first capacitor is attached to the load. A charge-pump is attached to an output of the rectifier stage and to the load for providing power factor correction and for converting the first substantially DC voltage to a second substantially DC voltage at the first capacitor. The charge pump is prevented from conducting energy back into the output of the rectifier stage. The charge pump delivers energy to a charge pump output, the energy being delivered directly instead of being stored. A converter stage is attached to the load and the first capacitor. The converter stage is used for converting voltages at the first capacitor and the charge pump to an output DC current. The converter stage has a switch for periodically connecting a first series-coupled circuit of the charge pump to the output of the rectifier stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Supertex, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Mednik, Rohit Tirumala, Marc Tan
  • Publication number: 20120044727
    Abstract: In a method for supplying a multiphase electric network (17) by means of an electric generator (1) of a regenerative power source, the generator being connected to the network (17) via a converter (4 to 12), by which the amplitude of the fed current and the phase angle thereof relative to the voltage can be controlled, according to the invention the controls for the individual phases are carried out independently of one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: POWERWIND GMBH
    Inventor: Matthias Bartsch
  • Patent number: 8108695
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for reducing power drain of a component when the component is in a powered down state. The system comprises a power input configured to receive power, a power output to the component, monitor logic configured to monitor a level of power moving between the input and output, and control logic configured to control power transfer between the input and output. The control logic may be in communication with the monitor logic and configured to selectively restrict power flow between the input and output when the monitor logic senses that power flow between the input and output falls below a threshold level. A method comprises checking a power level between the input and output, and if the power level exceeds a threshold, then permitting substantially unrestricted power flow. If the power level is less than the threshold, then restricting the power level between the input and output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Gateway, Inc.
    Inventor: John Love
  • Publication number: 20120020127
    Abstract: A power system includes an electronic device having a host and a state generator and an adaptor. The host is capable of presenting a plurality of states and generating a plurality of state signals corresponding to the states, and the state generator is electrically connected to the host, receives the state signals and generates a control signal accordingly. The adaptor is connected to an AC voltage and has a state receiving terminal to receive the control signal. The adaptor is capable of generating a DC voltage to the electronic device according to the control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: ASUSTEK COMPUTER INC.
    Inventors: Yao-Hwa Chen, Min-Hua Hsu, Chun-Sheng Hsueh
  • Patent number: 8103892
    Abstract: A power management apparatus includes a first electrical lead and a second electrical lead. The first electrical lead routes electrical current at a first electrical lead electrical potential level and the second electrical lead route electrical current at a second current port electrical potential level. The power management apparatus further includes a first electrical parameter sensor configured to measure a first electrical lead electrical parameter and a second electrical parameter sensor configured to measure a second electrical lead electrical parameter. The power management apparatus further comprises a buck boost converter electrically coupled to both the first electrical lead and the second electrical lead. The buck boost converter is configured to convert electrical current between the first electrical lead electric potential level and the second electrical lead electric potential level at a controlled potential conversion level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Adaptive Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Krajcovic
  • Patent number: 8103885
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a power adapter comprises a power supply to output power for powering a powered device. The power adapter outputs information indicative of an amount of power output by the power supply for use by the powered device to control the amount of power used by the powered device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas P. Sawyers, Jeff K. Joansonne
  • Patent number: 8098059
    Abstract: A current negative-feedback circuit comprises a current detection unit and a sawtooth-shaped waveform generation unit. The current detection unit comprises a first P-ch MOSFET Q2 and a second P-ch MOSFET Q3 which constitute a current mirror circuit, a current adjustment resistor R4, a current detection resistor R1, and a constant current source I1. The current mirror circuit outputs current almost proportional to the charge current of an inductance via a switching device or outputs a current which is the quadratic function of the charge current of an inductance. The sawtooth-shaped waveform generation means adds the constant charge current of the constant current source I2 and the current output from the current mirror circuit, charges the capacitor C1, and generates a sawtooth-shaped waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Nakahashi, Satoshi Yamane
  • Publication number: 20110317457
    Abstract: Electronic equipment includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; and a harness that connects the first substrate and the second substrate with other. The first substrate includes: a conversion unit that outputs converted power converted from supply of power supplied by a power source, and a control unit that outputs a control signal used to control output of the supply of power to the second substrate. The second substrate includes: a semiconductor circuit operated by the supply of power and the converted power, and a connector that outputs the control signal to the power source. The harness includes a signal line of the control signal and a power line through which the converted power is supplied from the first substrate to the second substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventor: Takaaki Shirai
  • Patent number: 8084967
    Abstract: A motor controller is provided. The motor controller includes a motor drive unit that drives a plurality of motors; a thermal shutdown unit that is provided in the motor drive unit and that stops the plurality of motors in the case of an overload; a lock signal generation unit that generates a lock signal corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of motors when a rotational speed of the respective motor reaches a threshold speed set for the respective motor; and an operation determination unit which, when the lock signal generation unit interrupts lock signals for all of the plurality of motors, determines that thermal shutdown unit has operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8080958
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes a main circuit that has switches connecting each phase of a three-phase AC power supply to each output phase, an LC filter having a reactor and a capacitor connected between the three-phase AC power supply and each bidirectional switch, and a current detector detecting an input current or a load current, and a four-step commutation device generating four steps on the basis of the polarity of the load current. The four-step commutation device sets times between the steps to a value more than zero so as to inhibit open circuit between output phases and short circuit between power supply phases, and sets the times between the steps in accordance with the polarity of the load current so as to cancel a distortion of an output voltage due to four-step commutation during a PWM cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20110280050
    Abstract: The invention refers to a power converter and to a method for power conversion. The power converter includes a primary winding adapted to receive a primary alternating voltage. The converter further includes a first secondary circuit magnetically coupled to the primary winding, the first secondary circuit generating a first secondary output signal, the power converter further includes a second secondary circuit magnetically coupled to the primary winding. The power converter includes a post regulator adapted to be coupled to the second secondary circuit, the post regulator having a switch which is opened at every zero-crossing of the first output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Patrick Emanuel Gerardus Smeets, Rameswor Shrestha, Katarzyna Nowak, Frans PANSIER, Hans Halberstadt, Gian Hoogzaad
  • Publication number: 20110273917
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a photo-voltaic interface for integration of photo-voltaic modules in a power system. The photo-voltaic interface includes a power conversion system adapted to convert power to a pre-determined voltage and current type, a control and monitoring system adapted to allow monitoring and control of power flow to optimize grid operation, and a communications system adapted to allow remote monitoring of the photo-voltaic interface to detect defective components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Arindam Maitra, Mark McGranaghan, Satish Rajagopalan, Jih-Sheng Lai
  • Patent number: 8054031
    Abstract: A converter device includes a converter circuit that includes a reactor connected to a primary side power supply, and a step-up feeding device that has a step-up switching element connected to the reactor and that boosts electric power of the primary side power supply by on/off switching the step-up switching element and outputting a stepped-up electric power as a secondary voltage; a converter control device that PWM-controls on/off switching of the step-up switching element so that the secondary voltage becomes equal to a secondary target voltage; and a temperature detecting device that detects a temperature of the reactor, wherein the converter control device limits PWM-controlled on/off switching of the step-up switching element for step-up operation when the temperature of the reactor increases to a first predetermined value or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Aisin A W Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuyuki Uechi
  • Publication number: 20110267855
    Abstract: An apparatus, device, and system for generating an amount of output power in response to a direct current (DC) power input includes a configurable power supply, which may be electrically coupled to the DC power input. The configurable power supply is selectively configurable between multiple circuit topologies to generate various DC power outputs and/or and AC power output. The system may also include one or more DC power electronic accessories, such as DC-to-DC power converters, and/or one or more AC power electronic accessories such as DC-to-AC power converters. The power electronic accessories are couplable to the configurable power supply to receive the corresponding DC or AC power output of the configurable power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Patrick Chapman, William R. Van Dell
  • Publication number: 20110254461
    Abstract: A power adaptor (20) is provided, comprising an input (22) for connection to an AC power supply, and a resonant circuit (34) coupled to the input (22) that provides an output suitable for driving a load (50). The capacitance and inductance of the resonant circuit (34) are selected to provide a pre-determined change in effective voltage, and a corresponding pre-determined change in effective current, between the input (22) and the output (24) of the power adaptor (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: HOLDIP Limited
    Inventors: David Summerland, Helen Pollock, Charles Pollock
  • Patent number: 8022640
    Abstract: An electric power protection circuit connected in series to a secondary side circuit of a transformer in a switch mode power supply includes a voltage/current limiting device to get an electric power signal output from the secondary side circuit of the transformer that goes through current and voltage limitation before being output and a constant current/voltage controller to get the electric power signal which has the current and voltage limited by the voltage/current limiting device. The electric power signal further is undergone constant voltage/current control to achieve voltage overshoot protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: BCD Semiconductor Manufacturing Limited
    Inventors: Chao Chen, Rui-Xia Fei
  • Patent number: 8014181
    Abstract: A power distribution system comprises a power conversion module for performing power conversion between a DC voltage at a DC side and an AC power at an AC side, and a conversion control system. The AC side of the power conversion module is electrically coupled to a grid. The conversion control system includes a phase-locked-loop circuit for receiving a multi-phase reference signal of a grid voltage and for generating a synchronized signal, a regulator for receiving reference commands, a two-phase grid feedback signal, and the synchronized signal and for generating a control signal for the power conversion module, and a phase compensation circuit for receiving the synchronized signal and the multi-phase reference signal of the grid voltage, for obtaining a phase displacement signal, and for generating a phase compensation signal for compensating the reference commands or for compensating the synchronized signal when the phase displacement signal exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zhuohui Tan, Robert William Delmerico, Xiaoming Yuan, Haiqing Weng