Low forward voltage rectifier
Granted: May 24, 2016
Patent Number:
9350254
A Low Forward Voltage Rectifier (LFVR) includes a bipolar transistor, a parallel diode, and a base current injection circuit disposed in an easy-to-employ two-terminal package. In one example, the transistor is a Reverse Bipolar Junction Transistor (RBJT), the diode is a distributed diode, and the base current injection circuit is a current transformer. Under forward bias conditions (when the voltage from the first package terminal to the second package terminal is positive), the LFVR…
Efficient inrush current control in power factor corrected AC-to-DC converter
Granted: May 10, 2016
Patent Number:
9337744
An AC-to-DC converter involves a rectifier, an inductor, a storage capacitor, a switch, and a microcontroller. In a capacitor pre-charge operation, the periodicity and voltage amplitude of an AC supply voltage are determined. Based on this, the microcontroller identifies one of a plurality of stored sequences. Each sequence is a list of values. The microcontroller turns off the switch on AC supply voltage zero crossings and turns on the switch in accordance with the values. As a result,…
Bias current control of laser diode instrument to reduce power consumption of the instrument
Granted: May 10, 2016
Patent Number:
9337616
Embodiments for driving a laser diode includes generating a bias current having a duty cycle that is less than 100%. The current level of the bias current is insufficient to turn on the laser diode. A drive current is generated and combined with the bias current to turn on the laser diode almost instantly.
Full bridge rectifier module
Granted: May 10, 2016
Patent Number:
9337171
A full bridge rectifier includes four bipolar transistors, each of which has an associated parallel diode. A first pair of inductors provides inductive current splitting and thereby provides base current to/from one pair of the bipolar transistors so that the collector-to-emitter voltages of the bipolar transistors are low. A second pair of inductors similarly provides inductive current splitting to provide base current to/from the other pair of bipolar transistors. In one embodiment,…
Bit-flipping memory controller to prevent SRAM data remanence
Granted: April 26, 2016
Patent Number:
9324072
A memory is organized into blocks. In a bit-flipping operation, a memory block is read, the read bit data values are inverted, and the inverted data is written back to the memory block. Inverted memory blocks are tracked by setting a flag bit in the memory block, or by storing a pointer to a memory block. In a read operation, a memory block is read and, if the tracking method indicates the memory block is inverted, the read data values are reverted before being returned. In a write…
Turning off multiple fluorescent lamps simultaneously using RF-enabled lamp starter units
Granted: March 15, 2016
Patent Number:
9288874
A multi-lamp fluorescent light fixture includes a plurality of replaceable fluorescent lamp starter units. Each starter unit has a built-in microcontroller, an RF (Radio-Frequency) receiver, and communicates wirelessly with a master unit. Each starter unit can be wirelessly controlled to turn off coupled fluorescent lamps. Each starter unit receives a turn off command, monitors the AC voltage supplied to coupled lamps, and initiates turn off when the AC voltage reaches a threshold…
Recovering energy from an IrDA/remote control transmitter circuit
Granted: March 15, 2016
Patent Number:
9287985
A portable electronic device with an IrDA transmitter LED is used to transmit both IrDA signals and remote control infrared signals. The device transmits remote control infrared signals with reduced power consumption. During a relatively longer remote control signal pulse, an inductor saturates and stores energy when a drive current flows from a power supply, through the inductor and then through the LED. An energy-transferring circuit transfers a portion of the energy stored in the…
Photovoltaic cell and E-ink display on the front side of a cell phone case
Granted: March 1, 2016
Patent Number:
9276628
A cellular telephone case has front and back panels. A cellular telephone is coupled to the case by pushing the telephone into the case such that the main dock connector of the telephone engages a plug on the back panel. When the telephone is in this position, a back surface of the telephone is held in place on an inside surface of the back panel. The front panel is hinged so that it folds over and covers the telephone. In this folded position, the upward and outward facing outside…
Forward converter with self-driven BJT synchronous rectifier
Granted: February 16, 2016
Patent Number:
9263959
An AC-to-DC converter circuit includes DC-to-DC converter that in turn includes a secondary side circuit. The secondary side circuit includes a secondary winding, a pair of bipolar transistor-based self-driven synchronous rectifiers, a pair of current splitting inductors, and an output capacitor. Each of the synchronous rectifiers includes a bipolar transistor and a diode whose anode is coupled to the transistor collector and whose cathode is coupled to the transistor emitter. The…
High-efficiency, low-power power supply circuit
Granted: December 29, 2015
Patent Number:
9225260
A power supply circuit includes a rectifier, a charging circuit, and a storage capacitor. An AC signal is rectified by the rectifier thereby generating a rectified signal VR between a VR node and a GND node. The capacitor is coupled between an output voltage VO node and the GND node. If VR is greater than a first predetermined voltage VP then the VO node is decoupled from the VR node. If VR is below VP then the charging circuit supplies a substantially constant charging current from the…
Buck converter having self-driven BJT synchronous rectifier
Granted: December 22, 2015
Patent Number:
9219416
A switching converter has a self-driven bipolar junction transistor (BJT) synchronous rectifier. The BJT rectifier includes a BJT and a parallel-connected diode, and has a low forward voltage drop. In a first portion of a switching cycle, a main switch is on and the BJT rectifier is off. Current flows from an input, through the main switch, through the first inductor, to an output. Current also flows through the main switch, through the second inductor, to the output. In a second portion…
Power semiconductor module with asymmetrical lead spacing
Granted: December 8, 2015
Patent Number:
9210818
A power semiconductor has power terminals arranged in a row at one side of the housing, with control terminals arranged in a row at the other side of the housing. The spacing between adjacent power terminals is greater than the spacing between adjacent control terminals.
Power device cassette with auxiliary emitter contact
Granted: November 3, 2015
Patent Number:
9177943
A press pack module includes a collector module terminal, an emitter module terminal, a gate module terminal, and an auxiliary module terminal. Each IGBT cassette within the module includes a set of shims, two contact pins, and an IGBT die. The first contact pin provides part of a first electrical connection between the gate module terminal and the IGBT gate pad. The second contact pin provides part of a second electrical connection between the auxiliary module terminal and a shim that…
Electrically isolated power semiconductor package with optimized layout
Granted: November 3, 2015
Patent Number:
9177888
A packaged power semiconductor device is provided with voltage isolation between a metal backside and terminals of the device. The packaged power semiconductor device is arranged in an encapsulant defining a hole for receiving a structure for physically coupling the device to an object. A direct-bonded copper (“DBC”) substrate is used to provide electrical isolation and improved thermal transfer from the device to a heatsink. At least one power semiconductor die is mounted to a first…
Registering a replaceable RF-enabled fluorescent lamp starter unit to a master unit
Granted: October 6, 2015
Patent Number:
9155167
A replaceable fluorescent lamp starter unit of a fluorescent light fixture has a built-in RF transceiver, and communicates wirelessly with a motion-detecting master unit. The starter unit can be controlled to turn off and turn on the fluorescent lamp of the fixture. The starter unit is registered to the master unit so that the starter unit will not respond to wireless communications from other sources. During registration, registration information is loaded into the starter unit and…
Module and assembly with dual DC-links for three-level NPC applications
Granted: September 8, 2015
Patent Number:
9129824
A power semiconductor module has four power terminals. An IGBT has a collector connected to the first power terminal and an emitter coupled to the third power terminal. An anti-parallel diode is coupled in parallel with the IGBT. A DC-link is connected between the second and fourth power terminals. The DC-link may involve two diodes and two IGBTs, where the IGBTs are connected in a common collector configuration. The first and second power terminals are disposed in a first line along one…
Solderless die attach to a direct bonded aluminum substrate
Granted: August 18, 2015
Patent Number:
9111782
A DBA-based power device includes a DBA (Direct Bonded Aluminum) substrate. An amount of silver nanoparticle paste of a desired shape and size is deposited (for example by micro-jet deposition) onto a metal plate of the DBA. The paste is then sintered, thereby forming a sintered silver feature that is in electrical contact with an aluminum plate of the DBA. The DBA is bonded (for example, is ultrasonically welded) to a lead of a leadframe. Silver is deposited onto the wafer back side and…
Low forward voltage rectifier
Granted: August 11, 2015
Patent Number:
9106139
A Low Forward Voltage Rectifier (LFVR) includes a bipolar transistor, a parallel diode, and a base current injection circuit disposed in an easy-to-employ two-terminal package. In one example, the transistor is a Reverse Bipolar Junction Transistor (RBJT), the diode is a distributed diode, and the base current injection circuit is a current transformer. Under forward bias conditions (when the voltage from the first package terminal to the second package terminal is positive), the LFVR…
Sintered backside shim in a press pack cassette
Granted: August 4, 2015
Patent Number:
9099316
Within a cassette of a press pack module, a conductive shim is bonded to the backside of a device die by a layer of sintered metal. The die, sintered metal, and shim together form a sintered assembly. The cassette is compressed between a metal top plate member and a metal bottom plate member such that the backside of the assembly is pressed against the top plate member, and such that the frontside of the assembly is pressed against another shim. A central portion of the frontside surface…
1-wire communication protocol and interface circuit for high voltage applications
Granted: July 21, 2015
Patent Number:
9089025
A system for communicating with a host using control signals over a 1-wire interface is disclosed. The system includes a driver coupled to the host by the 1-wire interface. Control signals are transmitted from the host to the driver for decoding by the driver controller. The control signals are pulse width modulation format signals which are interpreted by the driver as binary encoded command mode signals or analog encoded command mode signals, depending upon when the signals are…
