Black Decker Inc.

Electronic Measurements, Inc.

Canadian Patents & Development Ltd.

Canadian Patents & Dev. Limited

Other

Lambda Emi, Inc.

Pradeep M Bhagwat

Richard Thomas Walter

Chadd Dial Justo

Victor R Stefanovic

Samuel G Woods

Alan A Gilmore

David A Saar

Donald E Elson

Stephen S Thompson

Harry J Britton

Atluri Rama Prasad

Hamid Kashani

Daniele C Brotto

Stephen W Smith

Mark M Gottlieb

Fred S Watts

Michael C Thompson

Thomas F Roche

Gregory H Rice

Vinod Bapat

George W Lipa

Duronie Harrell

Tom Goodman

Daniel S Daniel

Methods, systems and computer program products for controlling plating pulse rectifiers are provided by identifying one of the plurality of plating pulse rectifiers as a master plating pulse rectifier and identifying at least one of the plurality of plating pulse rectifiers, other than the master plating pulse rectifier, as a slave plating pulse rectifier. A recipe comprising a pulse pattern is downloaded to the master plating pulse rectifier and the slave plating pulse rectifier. A synchronization signal is transmitted from the master plating pulse rectifier upon initiating the pulse pattern of the recipe to the at least one slave plating pulse rectifier so as to cause the slave plating pulse rectifier to initiate the pulse pattern of the downloaded recipe. Plating pulse rectifiers suitable for use as master/slave plating pulse rectifiers and systems incorporating such plating pulse rectifiers are also provided.

Pulse plating rectifiers and methods, systems and computer program products for controlling pulse plating rectifiers in master/slave mode

A soft-switching DC to DC power converter which minimizes switching losses from a no load condition to a full load condition while operating at fixed frequency. Output voltage control is achieved by controlling the phase angle between the two switching networks. High frequency transformer primaries are always excited with a square wave input voltage equal to ##EQU1## The power converter can be implemented with a single transformer. Moreover, the switch voltage never increases the input DC voltage from no load to full load. The power converter can be used in both low voltage high current applications and high voltage low current applications.

Full range soft-switching DC-DC converter

A power supply having a control system for permitting intelligent operation. The power supply: (i) is convenient, safe, and easy to program; (ii) is provided with a graceful shutdown in which output filter capacitor(s) are rapidly discharged while minimizing wasted energy; (iii) tracks and optimizes scheduled maintenance; (iv) permits two-way communication between the power supply and its controller; and/or (v) permits intelligent reconfiguration of a group of connected power supplies when one or more fails.

Control system for a power supply

Flexible power converters in which many different output power configurations (i.e., different output voltages and currents) may be realized. In particular, a flexible power converter having an output stage configurable as a full bridge having series or parallel secondary windings, a current doubler having series or parallel secondary windings, or a voltage doubler having series or parallel secondary windings.

Power converter having a configurable output stage

A half bridge power converter which employs a gapped transformer which permits stable asymmetrical operation without the use of a separate choke arranged in parallel with the primary of the transformer. The half bridge power convert may include a small capacitor on its secondary side to cause a high ripple of the output current thereby permitting stable asymmetrical operation with smaller magnetizing currents.

Bias power having a gapped transformer component

A switching power converter employing a novel lossless zero-voltage-switching passive snubber network having a power range of up to 5 KW is presented. The passive snubber network improves efficiency, power density, and transient performance, reduces switching losses and EMI, and permits fixed frequency operation of the switching power converter. The passive snubber network also reduces and/or eliminates large peak currents and reverse recovery current spikes normally seen in conventional switching power converters. The proposed passive snubber network may be used in various switching power converter topologies such as boost, buck, balanced, and flyback power converters.

Lossless snubber circuit for use in power converters

This invention discloses a method and apparatus for rapidly charging a battery by monitoring the voltage of the battery and changing the effective sampling rate of the battery voltage during the charging sequence. More particularly, a first disclosed embodiment of the battery charging system takes voltage readings of the battery as it is being charged at a predetermined rate and stores the voltage values in a first-in, first-out stack in the order in which they are taken. Therefore, a stack of consecutive data samples spaced in time is created. During an interval in the charging sequence where the rate of increase in battery voltage is relatively low, the charging system retrieves voltage values from the stack which are widely separated in time to calculate a slope of the charging profile to determine the status of the charging sequence. During a second interval of the charging sequence when the rate of increase in battery voltage is relatively high, the effective sampling rate is reduced by taking sample points from the stack which are closer together in time. In this manner, the effective sampling rate of the charging system is changed to improve the effective signal-to-noise ratio of the system during the first interval while maintaining an appropriately fast response time during the second interval. An alternative embodiment is disclosed which changes the rate at which the battery voltage is sampled from the first to the second interval in the charging sequence.

Method and apparatus for varying the sample rate of a fast battery

A microprocessor controlled automobile security system provides several features for enhanced operability. The system allows a receiving unit to learn a plurality of operating codes from a plurality of uniquely coded transmitters with which it can operate, thereby allowing each transmitting unit to be sold separately from each receiving unit. The system also allows for an operator to personally set the threshold at which a signal detected by a shock detector will result in an alarm being triggered. The system is further selectively operable in either a manual arming mode or a passive arming mode. The system also allows selective operation in either a full current sensing mode in which either a detected shock above an absolute threshold or a .DELTA. threshold, or current flow above a predetermined level, will trigger an alarm system or operation in a shock and current integration mode in which if a detected current exceeding a predetermined threshold and a shock above an absolute or .DELTA. threshold is required to trigger the alarm or a much greater current flow is required to trigger the alarm system.

Automobile security system

A kit 11 comprises an electrical apparatus 13, a clamp connector 15, a nut connector 17 and an adaptor post 19. Kit 11 enables electrical apparatus 13 to be selectively connected in an automobile in circuit alternatively with an engine starter circuit 21 and a battery 23 having post terminals 25, 27 (FIG. 1) and with an engine starter circuit 29 and an automobile battery 31 having nut terminals 33, 35 (FIG. 2) by appropriate connection of adaptor post 19. Adaptor post 19 is interchangeable between a location (FIG. 2) in which it is clamped in the clamp connector 15 of apparatus 13 and a location (FIG. 1) in which it is threaded into the nut connector 17 of apparatus 13.

Universal automotive electrical apparatus kit connectable to automobile

An isolated battery charger suitable for charging lead-acid batteries includes a high-frequency power conditioner that rectifies source current to a DC value and chops the current at a comparatively high frequency, e.g., 25 KHz, using a pair of MOSFET switches (138 and 140) to provide power pulses to the primary of a step-down transformer (T.sub.1). The output of the step-down transformer (T.sub.1) is presented to an enhancement mode MOSFET (206) in series circuit with the battery (B) to be charged with the gate bias of the MOSFET controlled in response to the sensed voltage of the battery to provide current to the battery as a function of its charge. Control circuitry is provided to limit charging to a small `trickle` level in the event the battery (B) is fully discharged to increase its charge level prior to initiating the full charge current. The provision of a voltage converter (100) operating at a relatively high frequency allows use of a lightweight and compact transformer (T.sub.1) that nonetheless provides a high current for charging.

Battery charger

A battery charger 10 includes a capacitor 20 which establishes a level of current sufficient to fast charge in one-hour a battery 18 having from one to twenty cells. An SCR 16 is controlled by a timer 42 to initially delay the supply of current while determining whether the battery 18 is hot or cool. If battery 18 is cool, charger 10 proceeds to fast charge the battery. After battery 18 is fully charged, the battery heats to a temperature where a NTC thermistor 58 responds to trigger a second timer 52 which controls SCR 16 to stop the fast charging operation. Charger 10 is then controlled to prevent the charger from thereafter re-entering a fast charge mode. If battery 18 is initially hot, charger 10 is controlled to further delay the initiation of a fast charge operation until the battery cools to or below the charge-start temperature. A second NTC thermistor 90 is provided to compensate for the potential effect on the operation of thermistor 58 in response to temperature levels emanating from any environment other than from battery 18.

Thermally responsive battery charger

A voltage converter (100) converts a high voltage, low frequency input to a low D.C. voltage output. The input is rectified to facilitate the operation of an oscillator (202) which operates alternately a pair of MOSFETS (124 and 126). Upon operation of MOSFET (124), the intermediate D.C. voltage is applied across and directs current in one direction through a primary winding (132) of a high frequency step-down transformer (134) and also charges a series-connected capacitor (152). Upon operation of MOSFET (126), capacitor (152) discharges to provide current through primary winding (132) in the opposite direction. In this manner, an alternating voltage at a high frequency is stepped down to a secondary winding (142) of transformer (134) and is rectified to provide the low D.C. voltage output. Diodes (120 and 122) prevent undesirable oscillations within voltage converter (100) if a short should occur in any load connected to the output of the converter.

Multiple-mode voltage converter

A pulsating D.C. voltage is developed by a rectifier 86 and is filtered by a capacitor 100 to facilitate application of a relatively smooth, enhanced D.C. voltage to a motor 106. The charged voltage of capacitor 100 is applied across a series circuit which includes a rheostat 118, a resistor 126 and motor 106. When the CEMF of motor 106 drops as a result of a decrease in motor speed, a disc 122 is biased through the voltage appearing across rheostat 118 and resistor 126 to cause an SCR 116 to fire. When SCR 116 fires, the voltage of capacitor 100 supplies a boost of power to motor 106 to overcome the decrease in motor speed. A circuit 212 prevents an overspeed of motor 106 from occurring while braking circuits 264, 266 and 268 provide for a dynamic braking effect when the motor is a universal motor.

Motor control and power systems and methods of operation thereof

The motor speed control circuit senses average back EMF as a measure of motor speed. The back EMF charges a capacitor circuit which accumulates charge and develops a voltage indicative of the motor speed. A sample and hold circuit may be used to sample the back EMF when the motor is switched off during each cycle. This voltage is compared with a reference voltage indicative of the desired motor speed. An error signal is generated by comparing the desired speed with the actual speed and this error signal is used to generate a variable duty cycle pulse train which gates the power controlling transistor on and off to control motor speed. A logic gated or SCR gated voltage boosting circuit operates in synchronism with the gating pulse train to drive the power transistor hard into saturation. This lowers the resistance of the power transistor, causing less energy dissipation as waste heat. The motor speed control circuit produces a family of torque-speed curves which maintain speed constant until a break point is reached, whereupon speed falls inversely proportional to torque. A torque control circuit monitors the motor current and maintains that current at a user selected level to thereby select a desired output torque.

Direct current motor speed control

A non-isolated battery charger for direct connection to an AC source provides rectified DC current to the battery being charged. A thermostat in a heat conducting relationship with the battery senses battery temperature and discontinues the charging current when the temperature of the battery rises after attaining full charge. In one form of the invention, a trickle charge path is provided to the battery to maintain its charge state after the full charge has been attained. The trickle charge path is provided by an impedance shunting the thermostat and is operative as a current path when the thermostat is in its open condition. The trickle charge path can be a resistor where the thermostat is in the DC part of the charger circuit or a capacitor where the thermostat is in the AC part of the charge circuit. In another form of the invention, a latching function is performed by a pair of thermostats so that the charger circuit is `latched` into is trickle charge operating state after the attainment of a full charge condition to prevent undesired cycling of the charge current between the full charge and trickle charge conditions. A switching circuit is provided by which the charging current and energy stored in the battery can be provided to a load so that the charger circuit can function as a supplemental power supply as well as a battery charger.

Growing community of inventors

Baltimore, MD, United States of America

Pradeep M Bhagwat