PATENTS

Aug 1, 2010 12:00 PM
SAM DAVIS, Editor-In-Chief

CONVERTER CIRCUIT FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF SWITCHING VOLTAGE LEVELS

Issued July 13, 2010

United States Patent 7,755,918

A converter circuit for switching a large number of switching voltage levels is specified, in which a first switching group is provided for each. Second switching groups are provided, each having a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch and capacitor. The first drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch is reverse-connected in series with the second drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch, the third drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch is reverse-connected in series with the fourth drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch, the first drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch is connected to the capacitor, the third drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch is connected to the capacitor, the fifth drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch is directly connected to the fourth drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch, and the sixth drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch is directly connected to the second drivable bidirectional power semiconductor switch.

Inventors: Barbosa; Peter (Taoyuan County, TW), Steimer; Peter (Ehrendingen, CH), Chaudhuri; Toufann (Morges, CH)

Assignee: ABB Research Ltd (Zurich, CH)

Appl. No.: 12/421,660

Filed: April 10, 2009

METHODS TO MINIMIZE DOUBLE-FREQUENCY RIPPLE POWER IN SINGLE-PHASE POWER CONDITIONERS

Issued July 13, 2010

United States Patent 7,755,916

A method is provided for minimizing a double-frequency ripple power exchanged between a load and an energy source, the energy source delivering electrical power to the load through a single-phase power conditioner, and the power conditioner being coupled to an energy storage device. The method senses a first AC waveform at the output of the power conditioner, generates a second AC waveform at the energy storage device, the second AC waveform having the same frequency as the first AC waveform, and shifts the second AC waveform by a phase shift equal to .pi./4 radians relative to a phase of the first AC waveform.

Inventors: Krein; Philip T. (Champaign, IL), Balog, Jr.; Robert S. (Champaign, IL)

Assignee: SolarBridge Technologies, Inc. (Champaign, IL)

Appl. No.: 11/871,015

Filed: October 11, 2007

DELTA SIGMA MODULATOR WITH UNAVAILABLE OUTPUT VALUES

Issued July 13, 2010

United States Patent 7,755,525

A power control system includes a delta sigma modulator to generate output values for use in controlling a switching power converter. In at least one embodiment, the delta sigma modulator includes two ranges of available output values and a range of one or more unavailable intermediate output values, wherein the range of one or more unavailable intermediate output values represent a gap in available output values. Each unavailable intermediate output value represents an output value that is not generated by the delta sigma modulator.

Inventors: Nanda; Kartik (Austin, TX), Melanson; John L. (Austin, TX)

Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc. (Austin, TX)

Appl. No.: 12/241,940

Filed: September 30, 2008

STEADY STATE FREQUENCY CONTROL OF VARIABLE FREQUENCY SWITCHING REGULATORS

Issued July 13, 2010

United States Patent 7,755,341

A steady state frequency control circuit for a variable frequency regulator including an open loop frequency control circuit, a frequency detector and a comparator circuit. The variable frequency regulator provides a clock signal indicating actual operating frequency and has a frequency control parameter for adjusting steady state operating frequency. The frequency detector receives the clock signal and provides a frequency sense signal which is compared with a steady state frequency reference signal to provide a frequency adjust signal. The frequency control parameter is adjusted by the frequency adjust signal to control steady state frequency.

Inventors: Philbrick; Rhys S. A. (Cary, NC)

Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc. (Milpitas, CA)

Appl. No.: 12/046,342

Filed: March 11, 2008

BATTERY CHARGING TIME OPTIMIZATION SYSTEM BASED ON BATTERY TEMPERATURE, COOLING SYSTEM POWER DEMAND, AND AVAILABILITY OF SURPLUS EXTERNAL POWER

Issued July 13, 2010

United States Patent 7,755,329

A system for optimizing battery pack charging is provided. In this system, during charging the coupling of auxiliary systems to the external power source are delayed so that the battery pack charge rate may be optimized, limited only by the available power. Once surplus power is available, for example as the requirements of the charging system decrease, the auxiliary system or systems may be coupled to the external power source without degrading the performance of the charging system.

Inventors: Kohn; Scott Ira (Redwood City, CA), Villanueva; Ernest Matthew (San Mateo, CA)

Assignee: Telsa Motors, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA)

Appl. No.: 12/590,414

Filed: November 5, 2009

POWER INVERTER MODULE THERMAL MANAGEMENT

Issued July 13, 2010

United States Patent 7,755,313

A method is provided to limit a motor's operating temperature. The method includes generating a maximum allowable current I*.sub.S(max) for a motor based on a temperature difference between a temperature reference T* of a power inverter module and a semiconductor device temperature T of the power inverter module. The method further includes generating a maximum allowable torque T*.sub.e(max) based on the maximum allowable current I*.sub.S(max) and a maximum allowable flux .PSI.*.sub.S(max), and using the maximum allowable torque T*.sub.e(max) to limit the torque command T*.sub.e to lower the semiconductor device temperature T below the temperature reference T*.

Inventors: Son; Yo Chan (Torrance, CA), Gallegos-Lopez; Gabriel (Torrance, CA), Hiti; Silva (Redondo Beach, CA), Milani; Michael (San Pedro, CA), Perisic; Milun (Torrance, CA)

Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc. (Detroit, MI)

Appl. No.: 11/853,862

Filed: September 12, 2007

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