The Boeing Company

Interlink Electronics, Inc.

Artesyn Technologies, Inc.

Natel Engineering Company, Inc.

Powercube a Natel Engineering Co. Inc.

Robert Matthew Martinelli

Philip M Harris

Mark C Pickett

Wendell W Ritchey

John K Martinelli

Stuart J Yaniger

Stanley Canter

Winnie W Choy

Kay Chesnut

Maryanne Dooley

Anthony C Le

A buck voltage regulator device comprises a coupled inductor, a high-side switch electrically connected between an electrical energy source and a primary winding of the coupled inductor, a first low-side switch electrically connected between the primary winding and a ground node, a second low-side switch electrically connected between an auxiliary winding of the coupled inductor and the ground node, a first output node electrically connected to the primary winding, a second output node electrically connected to the auxiliary winding, a first output storage capacitor electrically connected to the primary winding between the first output node and the ground node, and a second output storage capacitor electrically connected to the auxiliary winding and between the second output node and the ground node.

Multiple-output buck voltage regulator device

A bi-directional converter voltage controlled current system and methods are disclosed. A bi-directional converter provides a bi-directional current to an electrical bus according to a variable duty-cycle control signal. Also, a bi-directional current sensing sensor senses the bi-directional current to provide a sensor voltage signal proportional to the converter current. Further, a variable duty-cycle controller controls a duty-cycle of the variable duty-cycle control signal to control a voltage of the electrical bus based on an error signal.

Bi-directional converter voltage controlled current source for voltage regulation

A protection circuit includes a first resistive element configured for coupling to a protected circuit. The first resistive element has a particular resistance value. The protection circuit also includes a voltage regulator coupled to the first resistive element. The particular resistance value is selected to enable a magnitude of a bias current provided to the protected circuit to remain within a first operating current range associated with the protected circuit and to remain below a latchup holding current value associated with the protected circuit.

High current event mitigation circuit

Technologies are described herein for force commutating a current from a cathode terminal of a diode to an anode terminal of the diode. In one aspect, a method for eliminating diode reverse recovery time is presented herein. The method includes force commutating a current from a cathode terminal of a diode to an anode terminal of the diode. According to embodiments, the diode may be an intrinsic part of a component, such as a field effect transistor (FET). In such embodiments, the FET is switched from being on to off while force commutating a current through the body diode of the FET.

Forced commutating a current through a diode

A system and method for bi-directional voltage conversion are disclosed. A charge current is received at a first voltage on a first force commutated synchronous rectifier, and the charge current is controlled by the first force commutated synchronous rectifier. An inductor is charged by the charge current, and a discharge current from the inductor is controlled by the second force commutated synchronous rectifier.

Synchronous rectifier bi-directional converter

A system and method for providing a voltage controlled current source for bus regulation is disclosed. A bus current delivered to an electrical bus from a current source is controlled using a synchronous switch according to a PWM duty cycle. Further, the PWM duty cycle is controlled to be proportional to an error signal based on a comparison of a voltage of the electrical bus to a reference voltage.

Voltage controlled current source for voltage regulation

A method for cell voltage balancing is disclosed. A plurality of cells is coupled to a plurality of cell interface circuits, and the cell interface circuits are driven with a balancing transformer such that a balancing current flows between the cell interface circuits. Control gates of the cell interface circuits are driven with a gate drive transformer such that two adjacent circuits of the cell interface circuits are activated with opposite phase.

System and method for cell voltage balancing

A method and apparatus for bi-directional current sensing for a synchronous rectifier bi-directional converter system is disclosed. A first current is measured through a first synchronous rectifier via a first transformer to provide a first signal. A second current is measured through a second force synchronous rectifier via a second transformer to provide a second signal. The first signal and the second signal are DC restored to provide a first DC restored signal and a second DC restored signal respectively. A first correction current is added to the first DC restored signal to produce a first corrected signal, and a second correction current is added to the second DC restored signal to produce a second corrected signal. The first corrected signal and the second corrected signal are added to produce a combined signal.

Synchronous rectifier bi-directional current sensor

A system and methods for cell telemetry are disclosed. An average magnetizing current in a sampling transformer is forced to about zero amperes by balancing volt-seconds using a voltage clamp mechanism. Furthermore, a pulse driven switch and a synchronized sampling switch are activated, and substantially simultaneously the voltage clamp mechanism deactivated.

Cell telemetry sample and hold amplifier

A sequential shunt regulator switch system and method is disclosed. A power switch is controlled to switch a first current from a power source to an electrical bus. Further, a current controllable switch provides a controlled current from the power source to the electrical bus.

Sequential shunt regulator with analog fill control

A fault tolerant synchronous rectifier PWM regulator system and method are disclosed. In the system and method, a force commutated synchronous rectifier is operable to be coupled to an electrical bus, and a low side switch is operable to be coupled to a common ground. In addition, a first fuse is coupled to the force commutated synchronous rectifier and the low side switch, and is operable to open in response to a first fault. Furthermore, an inductor is coupled to the first fuse, the force commutated synchronous rectifier and the low side switch, and a second fuse is coupled to the inductor and is operable to be coupled to a current source and to open in response to a second fault.

Synchronous rectified PWM regulator with auto fault clearing

A fault tolerant synchronous rectifier regulator system and method are disclosed. In the system and method, a high side switch is operable to be coupled to an electrical bus, and a low side switch is coupled to a common ground. In addition, a first fuse is coupled to the high side switch and the low side switch, and operable to open in response to a first fault. Furthermore, a second fuse is coupled to the high side switch and the first fuse, and operable to be coupled to a current source and to open in response to a second fault.

Synchronous rectified switch with auto fault clearing

An autonomous lithium-ion cell balancing system with integrated voltage monitoring includes a lithium-ion battery having a plurality of cells, a cell balancing circuit and a cell balancing control circuit. The heart of the cell balancing circuit is a plurality of gated cell balancing converters that are connected with the battery cells and a common share bus. Each gated lithium-ion cell balancing converter receives and input drive voltage and an input sample voltage and transfers energy from highly charged lithium-ion cells to the less charged lithium-ion cells, forcing all cells to have the same energy level. Further, the gated cell balancing converter provides a telemetry output voltage analog to an input cell voltage, eliminating the need for a separate cell voltage monitor.

Autonomous battery cell balancing system with integrated voltage monitoring

A power factor correction circuit for a boost power supply, wherein the boost power supply includes a boost converter responsive to a rectified AC line voltage. According to one embodiment, the power factor correction circuit includes a voltage feedback amplifier having a first input terminal responsive to an output voltage of the boost converter, a switching multiplier circuit having a first input terminal connected to an output terminal of the voltage feedback amplifier and a second input terminal responsive to the rectified AC line voltage, a current feedback amplifier having a first input terminal connected to an output terminal of the switching multiplier circuit and having a second input terminal responsive to an input current of the boost converter, and a pulse width modulator control circuit having an input terminal connected to an output terminal of the current feedback amplifier and having an output terminal for connection to a pulse width modulated switch of the boost converter.

Power factor correction control circuit and power supply including same

A touchpad assembly and method for providing a signal to a computer indicative of the location and applied pressure of an object touching the touchpad assembly is provided. The touchpad assembly includes X and Y position and pressure sensitive semiconductor resistance sensor layers. The X and Y sensors have a pair of spaced apart X and Y conductive traces running across opposite ends such that a resistance RX connects the pair of X traces and a resistance RY connects the pair of Y traces. The X and Y sensors come into contact at a contact point when an object asserts a pressure on the touchpad. The contact point is connected to each trace by a variable pressure resistance RZ associated with the X and Y sensors and variable position resistances of the X and Y resistances. First and second pair of timing capacitors are connected to respective ones of the pairs of X and Y traces. A microprocessor controls and monitors charging time of the capacitors to determine the position and asserted pressure of the object touching the touchpad.

Growing community of inventors

Murrieta, CA, United States of America

Robert Matthew Martinelli