Phase Controlled Switching Using Electronic Tube Or A Three Or More Terminal Semiconductive Device Patents (Class 323/237)
  • Patent number: 11894764
    Abstract: A load control device for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load may have a closed-loop gate drive circuit for controlling a semiconductor switch of a controllably conductive device. The controllably conductive device may be coupled in series between the source and the load. The gate drive circuit may generate a target signal in response to a control circuit. The gate drive circuit may shape the target signal over a period of time and may increase the target signal to a predetermined level after the period of time. The gate drive circuit may receive a feedback signal that indicates a magnitude of a load current conducted through the semiconductor switch. The gate drive circuit may generate a gate control signal in response to the target signal and the feedback signal, and render the semiconductor switch conductive and non-conductive in response to the gate control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Brian J. Bollinger, Venkatesh Chitta, Firozbabu Cholashari, Jonathan Waldron
  • Patent number: 11811395
    Abstract: A control device includes a triac and a first diode that is series-connected between the triac and a first terminal of the device that is configured to be connected to a cathode gate of a thyristor. A second terminal of the control device is configured to be connected to an anode of the thyristor. The triac has a gate connected to a third terminal of the device that is configured to receive a control signal. The thyristor is a component part of one or more of a rectifying bridge circuit, an in-rush current limiting circuit or a solid-state relay circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Tours) SAS
    Inventors: Romain Pichon, Yannick Hague
  • Patent number: 11569733
    Abstract: A load control device for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load may have a closed-loop gate drive circuit for controlling a semiconductor switch of a controllably conductive device. The controllably conductive device may be coupled in series between the source and the load. The gate drive circuit may generate a target signal in response to a control circuit. The gate drive circuit may shape the target signal over a period of time and may increase the target signal to a predetermined level after the period of time. The gate drive circuit may receive a feedback signal that indicates a magnitude of a load current conducted through the semiconductor switch. The gate drive circuit may generate a gate control signal in response to the target signal and the feedback signal, and render the semiconductor switch conductive and non-conductive in response to the gate control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Brian J. Bollinger, Venkatesh Chitta, Firozbabu Cholashari, Jonathan Waldron
  • Patent number: 11540365
    Abstract: A lighting device, such as a two-wire lighting control device, may include a controllably conductive device and a control circuit. The controllably conductive device may supply an AC line voltage to a load in response to a dive signal such that the controllable conductive device is non-conductive for a first duration of time and conductive for a second duration of time within a half-cycle of the AC line voltage. The control circuit may receive a signal from the controllably conductive device that represents a voltage developed across the controllable conductive device during the first duration of time. The control circuit may generate a sine-wave-shaped signal that complements the voltage developed across the controllably conductive device during the second duration of time. The control circuit may also filter the signal from the controllably conductive device during the first duration of time and the sine-wave-shaped signal during the second duration of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: William Zotter, Bingrui Yang, Henry Kite
  • Patent number: 11392532
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus which comprises: an adjustable power supply source to generate an adjustable power supply; a node to provide the adjustable power supply to a device; and a bus which is operable to: send a first message to the device indicating that the adjustable power supply source is capable of dynamically providing an adjustable power supply; and receive a request from the device, the request indicating a new voltage or current specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: James R. Trethewey
  • Patent number: 11268832
    Abstract: A coil assembly includes a coil winding and a multilayer printed circuit board. The coil winding has multiple loops that are arranged in different layers of the printed circuit board and form a main magnetic field with a main measuring direction perpendicular to a main plane of the printed circuit board. The loops arranged in different layers are electrically connected together via at least one via. The printed circuit board has at least four vias or a whole-number multiple of four vias that form an equal number of reverse current paths and forward current paths between the loops of the coil winding. Each pair of vias with the same current path direction is arranged point-symmetrically relative to a common mirror point such that magnetic loops that are formed on printed circuit board secondary planes arranged perpendicularly to the main plane have opposite directions and compensate for one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Buck, Andreas Merz, Oliver Krayl, Stefan Leidich
  • Patent number: 11264886
    Abstract: A control circuit and a control method for a power converter are provided. The power converter includes a plurality of resonant tanks and a plurality of switches disposed between an input terminal and an output terminal. The switches correspond to a first mode and a second mode, respectively, and the control circuit includes a first switch control circuit, a first zero current detection circuit, a second zero current detection circuit, a first switch off detector, a modulation time calculation module, a second switch control circuit, a third zero current detection circuit, a fourth zero current detection circuit, and a second switch off detector. The control circuit uses a plurality of zero current detection circuits to perform time modulations on a plurality of rectifier switches in the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Chien-Chun Huang, Huang-Jen Chiu
  • Patent number: 11121704
    Abstract: In described examples, a first power switching circuit receives a power switching control signal and activates a first power switch in response to the power switching control signal. A second power switching circuit receives the power switching control, activates a second power switch in response to the power switching control signal, and determines a first power switching delay in response to temperature indications of the first and second power switches. The second power switching circuit activates the second power switch at a first delayed time after the activation of the first power switch, where the first delayed time follows the activation of the first power switch by the determined first power switching delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Cetin Kaya, Serkan Dusmez
  • Patent number: 11081954
    Abstract: A multiphase switching converter with automatic phase shedding control, wherein the multiphase switching converter includes a plurality of switching circuits coupled in parallel, and a plurality of control circuits configured in a daisy chain and respectively configured for driving a corresponding one of the plurality of switching circuits. Each of the control circuit generates a current threshold based on a corresponding sequence information, and compares a current indication signal indicative of a load current of the multiphase switching converter with the current threshold to determine whether to enter into a phase shedding mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lijie Jiang, Yongheng Sun
  • Patent number: 10693449
    Abstract: A switching circuit device includes high-side and low-side switching element circuits, and high-side and low-side drive circuits. The high-side switching element circuit includes a high-side switching element connected between an output terminal and a high-voltage terminal of a high voltage source. The low-side switching element circuit includes a low-side switching element connected between the output terminal and a reference potential terminal. The high-side drive circuit turns on the high-side switching element. The low-side drive circuit turns on the low-side switching element. The high-side drive circuit includes a bootstrap capacitor connected to a drive power source. The bootstrap capacitor is charged while the low-side switching element is ON. The high-side drive circuit applies a gate voltage to the high-side switching element while the low-side switching element is OFF. The gate voltage is defined by adding a voltage of the output terminal to a voltage of the bootstrap capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kazuki Itoh, Tetsuo Endoh
  • Patent number: 10659059
    Abstract: A multi-phase clock circuit includes a first delay circuit, a second delay circuit, a third delay circuit, a first clock mixer circuit, and a second clock mixer circuit. The first, second, and third delay circuits are coupled in series. The first clock mixer circuit includes a first input and a second input. The first input is coupled to an output of the first delay circuit. The second input is coupled to an output of the second delay circuit. The second clock mixer circuit also includes a first input and a second input. The first input of the second clock mixer circuit is coupled to an output of the second delay circuit. The second input of the second clock mixer circuit is coupled to an output of the third delay circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Robert Floyd Payne, Olga Pavlovna Pope
  • Patent number: 10637482
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of digital phase-locked loops and a time slotted bus. The time slotted bus is configured to couple the plurality of digital phase-locked loops. The plurality of digital phase-locked loops may be configured to exchange parameters between two or more of the plurality of digital phase-locked loops using one or more time slots of the time slotted bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Integrated Device Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Menno Spijker
  • Patent number: 10587303
    Abstract: A transceiver control circuit of a transceiver is disclosed including: a receiver circuit; a transmitter circuit; a shared filtering circuit shared by the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit; a first mode-switch for switching signal input paths of the shared filtering circuit; a second mode-switch for switching signal output paths of the shared filtering circuit; a mode-switch control circuit for controlling the first mode-switch and the second mode-switch; a short-circuit switch coupled between two output terminals of a filter within the shared filtering circuit; and a short-circuit switch control circuit. In a period during which the transceiver transits from a receiving mode to a transmitting mode, the short-circuit switch control circuit turns on the short-circuit switch for a certain period and then turns off the short-circuit switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
    Inventor: Sie-Siou Jhang Jian
  • Patent number: 10574143
    Abstract: A power supply device includes: a power supply; a conversion module including a plurality of conversion units configured to perform voltage conversion of power supplied by the power supply; a change unit that an operation number, which is the number of the conversion units performing the voltage conversion; and a control unit that supplies a control signal having a predetermined duty ratio to the conversion unit and controls the conversion module. When the change unit changes the operation number, the control unit gradually increases a first duty ratio, which is a duty ratio of the control signal supplied to a conversion unit for starting or stopping the voltage conversion to a second duty ratio, which is a duty ratio of the control signal supplied to a conversion unit for continuously performing the voltage conversion, at a predetermined change rate, or gradually decreases the first duty ratio to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryota Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 10568185
    Abstract: Two-wire dimmer operation includes applying first and second control pulses to a switching circuit controlled between ON and OFF states, the first control pulse beginning at a first starting time and extending for a first duration of time that ends at a first ending time, and the second control pulse beginning at a second starting time, after the first ending time, and extending for a second duration of time that ends at a second ending time, detecting levels of current provided to a lighting load during the first duration of time and during the second duration of time, comparing current levels determined based on applying the first and second control pulses, based on the comparing, ascertaining a load type of the lighting load, and selecting, based on the ascertained load type, parameters that control dimming operation of the dimmer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: LEVITON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ostrovsky, Alan Neal, Alfred Lombardi
  • Patent number: 10523125
    Abstract: A power supply device includes: a power supply; a conversion module including a plurality of conversion units configured to perform voltage conversion of power supplied by the power supply; a change unit that an operation number, which is the number of the conversion units performing the voltage conversion; and a control unit that supplies a control signal having a predetermined duty ratio to the conversion unit and controls the conversion module. When the change unit changes the operation number, the control unit gradually increases a first duty ratio, which is a duty ratio of the control signal supplied to a conversion unit for starting or stopping the voltage conversion to a second duty ratio, which is a duty ratio of the control signal supplied to a conversion unit for continuously performing the voltage conversion, at a predetermined change rate, or gradually decreases the first duty ratio to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryota Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 10476509
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of digital phase-locked loops and a time slotted bus. The time slotted bus is configured to couple the plurality of digital phase-locked loops. The plurality of digital phase-locked loops may be configured to exchange parameters between two or more of the plurality of digital phase-locked loops using one or more time slots of the time slotted bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Menno Spijker
  • Patent number: 10355491
    Abstract: An inverter for converting DC power of a generator into grid-conforming AC power includes an inverter bridge circuit and a scanning circuit configured to trace at least one part of a characteristic curve of the generator to determine an MPP power value (PMPP). The scanning circuit is configured, in the case of a derating to a derated power (Pred), to trigger a tracing of the characteristic curve with provision of a first power profile deviating from the derated power (Pred) if an enable signal is present at the inverter, and to indicate a start and an end of the tracing by outputting a start signal and an end signal, respectively. The scanning circuit is further configured to provide a second power profile as AC power upon receiving a start signal, wherein the first power profile has a deviation from the derated power (Pred) with a sign that is opposite to a sign of a deviation of the second power profile from the derated power (Pred).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Denis Mende, Daniel Premm, Stephan Sander
  • Patent number: 10310540
    Abstract: A load control device may control the amount of power provided to an electrical load utilizing a phase control signal that operates in a reverse phase control mode, a center phase control mode, and a forward phase control mode. A load control device may be configured to determine that the electrical load should be operated via a phase control signal operating in a forward phase-control mode. After determining to operate the electrical load via the phase control signal in the forward phase-control mode, the load control device may provide the phase control signal in a reverse phase-control mode for a predetermined period of time to the electrical load, for example, to charge a bus capacitor of the electrical load. Subsequently, the load control device may be configured to switch the phase control signal to the forward phase-control mode and provide the phase control signal in the forward phase-control mode to the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Donald F. Hausman, Jr., Robert C. Newman, Jr., Christopher J. Salvestrini
  • Patent number: 10264643
    Abstract: An improved apparatus, system, and method for providing over-current protection for a phase cut dimmer or dimming system are disclosed. The apparatus, system, and method provide fast over-current protection by disabling a drive signal for the phase cut dimmer based on a sensed current exceeding a fast-over-current protection threshold. The apparatus, system, and method also provides slow-over-current protection by disabling the drive signal for the phase cut dimmer based on a time-averaged value of the sensed current exceeding a second threshold. As a result, over-current protection can be provided for a variety of different types of loads coupled to the phase cut dimmer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Wen Shi
  • Patent number: 10193385
    Abstract: In administration based on the existing (N?1) reliability criteria, an appropriate administration plan may be not drafted in a power system in which renewable energy increases. Accordingly, according to the invention, a power system monitoring apparatus that monitors a power system includes: an input unit that inputs assumable system breakdown data including an occurrence frequency of each assumable breakdown of the power system and assumable output change data including an occurrence frequency of each assumable output change of each generator connected to the power system; and an output unit that generates conditions by which events of the assumable breakdowns and the assumable output changes are combined based on the occurrence frequencies of the assumable breakdown and the assumable output change and outputs a control plan for each of the conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Sato, Masahiro Yatsu, Kouichi Hara, Eisuke Kuroda, Osamu Tomobe, Jun Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 10128772
    Abstract: A load control device for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load includes a thyristor, a gate coupling circuit for conducting current through a gate terminal of the thyristor, a controllable switching circuit coupled between first and second main terminals of the thyristor, and a control circuit for controlling the gate coupling circuit to conduct a pulse of current through the gate terminal to render the thyristor conductive at a firing time during a half cycle. The gate coupling circuit is able to conduct at least one other pulse of current through the gate terminal after the firing time until a transition time before an end of the half-cycle. The control circuit is configured to render the controllable switching circuit conductive to conduct current through the electrical load between approximately the transition time until approximately the end of the half-cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Newman, Jr., Daniel F. Carmen, Christopher J. Salvestrini, Matthew V. Harte
  • Patent number: 10097090
    Abstract: A power-delivery system may comprise a load device and a direct-current converter configured to deliver current to the load device when the direct-current converter is in an on state. The power-deliver system may comprise a voltage-measurement system configured to measure, at a beginning of each measurement cycle in a cyclic measurement pattern, a voltage at the load device. The power-deliver system may comprise a power controller configure to receive, at the beginning of each measurement cycle, the measurement of the voltage, and to perform, at the beginning of a control cycle in a cyclic control pattern, a voltage-control decision in response to a change in the measurement of the voltage being below a voltage-change threshold. The voltage-control decision may comprise whether to switch the state of the first direct-current converter. The cyclic control pattern may operate at a first frequency, and the measurement pattern may operate at a second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Ferencz, Todd E. Takken, Paul W. Coteus, Xin Zhang
  • Patent number: 9882492
    Abstract: A power converter includes an input power source, a synchronous rectifier and a controller. The synchronous rectifier includes a plurality of actively controlled switches coupled in parallel and configured to rectify current delivered from the input power source to a load. The controller is operable to issue a first control signal for driving a first one of the actively controlled switches and issue a second control signal for driving a second one of the actively controlled switches. The first control signal is a different control signal than the second control signal so that the first actively controlled switch is controllable separately from the second actively controlled switch. The first actively controlled switch has a higher current-carrying capacity than the second actively controlled switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Darryl Tschirhart, Benjamim Tang
  • Patent number: 9837914
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of dynamical adjustment for a power supply. The method takes aim at lowering the minimum bulk capacitor voltage to the maximum extent through increasing the switching frequency or the OCP (Over-Current Protection) trip point during the holdup time so that the holdup time can get prolonged or the bulk capacitor can get downsized provided that all other parameters remain unchanged. In general, the proposed method is applicable to a wide variety of power converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: INNO-TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chih-Liang Wang, Ching-Sheng Yu, Wen-Yen Pen
  • Patent number: 9742197
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for distributing power through a network (1), the network comprising consumer units (C1-C4) and provider units (P1-P6), the method comprising: for each provider unit (P1-P6), allocating some production capacity of that provider unit (P1-P6) to each consumer units (C1-C4) to which that provider unit (P1-P6) is connected, performing one or more times a process of performing steps (a) to (c); wherein step (a) comprises, for each consumer unit (C1-C4), generating a vector of resource requests, step (b) comprises, for each provider unit (P1-P6), determining whether it currently satisfies the requests made of it; and step (c) comprises, for each provider unit (P1-P6) which does not currently satisfy the requests made of it, updating the current production allocation; and from each provider unit (P1-P6) and dependant on the current production allocation of that provider unit (P1-P6), delivering to a consumer unit (C1-C4) an amount of resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Jordi McGregor Barr, Andrew Peter Henry McCabe
  • Patent number: 9720851
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing access to a memory of a computing system. A controller transforms a plurality of operations that represent a computing job into an operational memory layout that reduces a size of a selected portion of the memory that needs to be accessed to perform the computing job. The controller stores the operational memory layout in a plurality of memory cells within the selected portion of the memory. The controller controls a sequence by which a processor in the computing system accesses the memory to perform the computing job using the operational memory layout. The operational memory layout reduces an amount of energy consumed by the processor to perform the computing job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: National Technologies & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventor: Erik DeBenedictis
  • Patent number: 9681526
    Abstract: There is set forth herein a dimmer circuit for controlling delivery of input line voltage to a load. The dimmer circuit can include a switch coupling an input line voltage terminal to a load terminal. The dimmer circuit can be operative to provide one or more switch firing control scheme for latching the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ostrovsky, Ozgur Keser
  • Patent number: 9680393
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a transformerless power supply configured to limit heat generation. A system includes a power supply input configured to receive power from a time-varying input voltage source. A phase control circuit is configured to generate a current control signal, where the current control signal commands power to be drawn from the power supply through an output transistor, where the current control signal commands the drawn power to have a minimum current when the time-varying input voltage is at a maximum, and where the current control signal commands the drawn power to have a maximum current when the time-varying input voltage is at a minimum. A power supply output is responsive to the output transistor, where the power supply output is configured to output power drawn from the power supply input via the output transistor, wherein the outputted power is at a consistent power level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Stack Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Joseph, Francis Joseph
  • Patent number: 9541991
    Abstract: An apparatus may include first circuitry coupled to one or more platform components, the first circuitry operative to receive an unfiltered input voltage signal, compare a first voltage level of the unfiltered input voltage signal to a first reference voltage level, and generate a control signal operative to lower operation power of one or more of the one or more platform components when the first voltage level is less than the first reference voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexander B. Uan-Zo-Li, Jorge P. Rodriguez, Philip R. Lehwalder, Patrick K. Leung, James G. Hermerding, II, Vasudevan Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 9496782
    Abstract: A disclosed power supply includes a power factor correction circuit including a switch, an inductor having a first terminal connected to an input voltage, and a second terminal connected to the switch, a storage capacitor and a load, a value of the inductor selected to operate the power factor correction circuit in discontinuous conduction mode, and a controller programmed to operate the switch to increase a power factor of the power supply. The switching frequency of the switch is periodically adjusted to reduce electromagnetic interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.
    Inventors: David P. Eckel, Eric Johannessen, Andrew B. Walsh, Luis Sam, Seckin K. Secilmis
  • Patent number: 9489005
    Abstract: A load control device may control the amount of power provided to an electrical load utilizing a phase control signal that operates in a reverse phase control mode, a center phase control mode, and a forward phase control mode. A load control device may be configured to determine that the electrical load should be operated via a phase control signal operating in a forward phase-control mode. After determining to operate the electrical load via the phase control signal in the forward phase-control mode, the load control device may provide the phase control signal in a reverse phase-control mode for a predetermined period of time to the electrical load, for example, to charge a bus capacitor of the electrical load. Subsequently, the load control device may be configured to provide the phase control signal in the forward phase-control mode to the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Donald F. Hausman, Jr., Robert C. Newman, Jr., Christopher J. Salvestrini
  • Patent number: 9484817
    Abstract: In a DC/DC converter, each channel operates under digital control using nonlinear control. The time interval between the time of turning ON of the switching element 1 and the time of turning ON of each of other switching elements j (j=2, 3, . . . , N) is measured. If the measured interval is within a specified range, operation is continued without changing the ON time of the switching element j used last time. Meanwhile, if the measured interval is out of the range, the ON time of the switching element j is increased or decreased within a predetermined range to be shifted from a basic frequency. Thus, the interval between the time of turning ON of the switching element 1 and the time of turning ON of the switching element j is brought back to the specified range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Sakai, Masataka Tsuchimoto
  • Patent number: 9436256
    Abstract: A voltage regulator phase shedding system includes one or more subsystems to receive a system management interrupt (SMI), gather processor utilization information, determine whether to adjust a performance state, lookup voltage regulator information for new performance state, adjust active voltage regulator phase, and adjust performance state. The voltage regulator phase shedding system can also include one or more subsystems to read a power measurement, calculate throttling requirements, determine whether to adjust a throttling, lookup voltage regulator information for new performance state capacity, adjust active voltage regulator phase, and adjust throttling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: John E. Jenne
  • Patent number: 9425787
    Abstract: A gate driving device may include a plurality of inverter arms, respective inverter arms including a high-side switch and a low-side switch, a gate driving unit including a multi-channel gate driver that outputs control signals to control switching of the plurality of inverter arms, and a plurality of gate drivers, respective gate drivers receiving one of the control signals to output it to a corresponding high-side switch, and a balancing unit maintaining balance of voltage between the multi-channel gate driver and the plurality of gate drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Won Jin Cho
  • Patent number: 9362836
    Abstract: A circuit for driving a synchronous rectifier may include a voltage level detecting unit detecting a voltage level of the synchronous rectifier; an on/off signal generating unit generating an on signal controlling the synchronous rectifier to be turned on when the voltage level detected by the voltage level detecting unit is decreased to a voltage level equal to or less than a preset reference voltage level, and generating an off signal controlling the synchronous rectifier to be turned off when the voltage level detected by the voltage level detecting unit is increased to a voltage level exceeding the reference voltage level; a minimum time determining unit controlling the synchronous rectifier to be turned on during a preset first period; and a blanking time determining unit controlling the synchronous rectifier so as not to be turned on during a preset second period after the synchronous rectifier has been turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: SOLUM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung Chul Gong, Jong Rok Kim, Ho Joon Jang, Hwan Cho
  • Patent number: 9285399
    Abstract: A switching regulator includes an output phase having a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor operable to switch on and off at different periods responsive to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal applied to the output phase, each cycle of the PWM signal having an on-portion and an off-portion. The switching regulator further includes a current sense circuit operable to sense the current of the low-side transistor, an analog-to-digital converter operable to sample the sensed low-side transistor current during the off-portion for each PWM cycle and a current estimator operable to estimate a cycle average current for the present PWM cycle based on the low-side transistor current sampled during the off-portion for the immediately preceding PWM cycle and a pulse width estimate for the on-portion for the present PWM cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Amir Babazadeh, Benjamim Tang, Giuseppe Bernacchia
  • Patent number: 9279835
    Abstract: A method for detecting a load type is described. The method includes placing an electronic device in a forward phase mode. The method also includes operating a load at a maximum allowable level. The method additionally includes capturing a voltage waveform. The method further includes capturing a current waveform. The method also includes obtaining a voltage zero-cross based on the voltage waveform. The method additionally includes obtaining a current zero-cross based on the current waveform. The method further includes determining the load type based on the voltage zero-cross and the current zero-cross.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Control4 Corporation
    Inventors: James K. Russell, David Lynn Bytheway, William Richard Schonle
  • Patent number: 9240725
    Abstract: A system and method includes a controller that is configured to coordinate (i) a low impedance path for a dimmer current, (ii), control of switch mode power conversion and (iii) an inactive state to, for example, to allow a dimmer to function normally from cycle to cycle of an alternating current (AC) supply voltage. In at least one embodiment, the dimmer functions normally when the dimmer conducts at a correct phase angle indicated by a dimmer input setting and avoids prematurely resetting while conducting. In at least one embodiment, by coordinating functions (i), (ii), and (iii), the controller controls a power converter system that is compatible with a triac-based dimmer. In at least one embodiment, the controller coordinates functions (i), (ii), and (iii) in response to a particular dimming level indicated by a phase cut, rectified input voltage supplied to the power converter system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Inventors: John L. Melanson, Eric J. King
  • Patent number: 9155162
    Abstract: A two-wire lighting control device, may include a controllably conductive device, a signal generation circuit, and a filter circuit. The controllably conductive device may apply an AC line voltage to a load, being conductive for a first duration of time and non-conductive for a second duration of time within a half-cycle of the AC line voltage. The signal generation circuit may generate a non-zero-magnitude signal. And, the filter circuit may receive a signal from the controllably conductive device during the first duration of time and the non-zero-magnitude signal from the signal generation circuit during the second duration of time. The non-zero-magnitude signal may, in effect, fill-in or complement the signal from the controllably conductive device, and any delay variation as a function of the firing angle of the controllably conductive device through the filter circuit may be mitigated by the presence of the non-zero-magnitude signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: William Zotter, Bingrui Yang, Henry Kite
  • Patent number: 9083242
    Abstract: An interleaved LLC converter, a method of operating an LLC converter and a power supply are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the LLC converter includes: (1) a plurality of LLC power channels, with each of the plurality having an independent power input and (2) a compensation controller configured to actively adjust the independent power inputs to substantially match output voltage and current levels for a given load condition and a common operating frequency of the plurality of LLC power channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rick L. Barnett, Raghothama Reddy
  • Patent number: 9071146
    Abstract: A power converter controller includes an input sense circuit to receive an input sense signal representative of an input of a power converter. A zero-crossing detector is coupled to the input sense circuit to be responsive to the input sense signal falling below a first zero-crossing threshold and rising above a second zero-crossing threshold to determine zero-crossing intervals. A timer circuit is coupled to the zero-crossing detector to determine peak intervals and to synchronize an enable signal generated to enable the input sense circuit to sense the input of the power converter during the peak intervals of the input of the power converter. A comparator circuit is coupled to the input sense circuit and the timer circuit to detect if the input of the power converter is greater or less than one or more thresholds during the peak intervals of the input of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventors: David Michael Hugh Matthews, Balu Balakrishnan, Zhao-Jun Wang
  • Patent number: 9013159
    Abstract: Each of master and slave switching power supply apparatuses (2m, 2s) has an IGBT (10m or 10s) switching-controlled by a PWM pulse signal produced, based on a clock signal, by a switching device driving PWM pulse output section (28m or 28s), to thereby provide DC power in parallel to a load (5). The clock signal produced in the master switching power supply apparatus (2m) is coupled to the slave switching power supply apparatus (2s) through a photocoupler (36m) in the master switching power supply apparatus (2m) and a photocoupler (38s) of the slave switching power supply apparatus (2s). Also, the clock signal developed at the output of the photocoupler (36m) is coupled through a photocoupler (38m) to the master switching power supply apparatus (2m). The photocouplers (36m, 38m, 38s) have the same delay characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Sansha Electric Manufacturing Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroki Morimoto, Tatsuya Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20150028826
    Abstract: There is a control circuit comprising first and second DC terminals for connection to a DC network, the first and second DC terminals having a plurality of modules and at least one energy conversion element connected in series therebetween to define a current transmission path, the plurality of modules defining a chain-link converter, each module including at least one energy storage device, the or each energy storage device being selectively removable from the current transmission path to cause a current waveform to flow from the DC network through the current transmission path and the or each energy conversion element and thereby remove energy from the DC network, the or each energy storage device being selectively removable from the current transmission path to modulate the current waveform to maintain a zero net change in energy level of the chain-link converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Colin Charnock Davidson, David Riginald Trainer, Nnamdi Okaeme
  • Patent number: 8922133
    Abstract: A two-wire smart load control device, such as an electronic switch, for controlling the power delivered from a power source to an electrical load comprises a relay for conducting a load current through the load, a controller for rendering the relay conductive and non-conductive, and an in-line power supply coupled in series with the relay for generating a supply voltage across a capacitor when the relay is conductive. The power supply controls when the capacitor charges asynchronously with respect to the frequency of the source. The capacitor conducts the load current for at least a portion of a line cycle of the source when the relay is conductive. The controller is operable to determine when the magnitude of the supply voltage reaches a maximum supply voltage threshold, and render the relay non-conductive immediately after the supply voltage reaches the maximum supply voltage threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Donald F. Hausman, Jr., Miguel Aguado Pelaez, Christopher James Salvestrini, Bingrui Yang
  • Patent number: 8907640
    Abstract: A method for the closed-loop control of current converters for adjusting the counter-voltage in a multi-phase electric energy transmission network having a multi-phase connection line. In order to be parameterize in various operating states, phase currents are registered on the connection line and transformed into system current components by way of transformation, voltages are registered on the phases of the connection line, and counter-system voltage components are formed therefrom by way of transformation, which are supplied to a voltage controller. Counter-system current components serving to reduce the counter-system are formed in the voltage controller, which are supplied to a target value input of a current controller. System current components are connected to an actual value input of the current controller, the output parameters thereof serving after retransformation as switching currents for switching units of the current converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mike Dommaschk, Jörg Dorn, Ingo Euler, Franz Karlecik-Maier, Jörg Lang, Klaus Würflinger
  • Patent number: 8893401
    Abstract: A lamp heater and a drying apparatus including the same, the lamp heater including a plurality of three-phase power source lamps, a dummy load, the dummy load being configured to maintain a phase balance of the three-phase power source lamps, and a controller, the controller controlling the three-phase power source lamps and the dummy load depending on a lighting condition of the three-phase power source lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Samsund SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Su-Hwan Kim, Su-Young Byun, Kyoung-Heon Heo, Sang-Chul Seo, Byoung-Kuk Kim
  • Publication number: 20140327415
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for phase balancing of a plurality of high frequency (HF) power generation units of an HF power supply system. In one aspect, a method includes measuring a first signal related to a first power reflected at a load and arriving at a first HF power generation unit, obtaining at least one first value related to the measured first signal in a system control, adjusting at least one of a frequency or a phase of an output signal of the first HF power generation unit based on the at least one first value and a reference value, measuring a second signal related to a second power reflected at the load and arriving at the first HF power generation unit, obtaining at least one second value related to the measured second signal in the system control, and determining whether a specified event for the first HF power generation unit occurs. The method also includes performing phase balancing of one or more further HF power generation units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Hoch, Armin Bannwarth, Cemalettin Aykan
  • Patent number: 8872433
    Abstract: An electronic control system for operating lighting is rated and operable from normal AC mains supply voltages. A street light controller is adapted to activate a luminaire when ambient light levels are considered too dark and, conversely, when ambient light levels are sufficient, the luminaire is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hendon Semiconductors Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Thi Bui, Mark Potter, Khanh Le, Stephen Francis
  • Patent number: 8860397
    Abstract: A power control circuit and method of formation is provided, which in one embodiment includes a low voltage detection circuit to process a rectified input voltage from at least one alternating current (AC) voltage source and to output a low voltage indication signal upon detection of an initiation of an increase in the rectified input voltage; and a driver circuit configured to receive a signal representative of the low voltage indication signal and, in response, to output a drive signal to the switch control input of the power switch to turn on the power switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Jean-Paul Louvel