Monitoring cells in energy storage system
Granted: October 17, 2017
Patent Number:
9793734
A system for monitoring an energy storage system composed of multiple cells connected in series has a chain of monitors including at least first and second monitors. The first monitor is configured for monitoring at least a first cell in the energy storage system to produce first monitored data. The second monitor is configured for monitoring at least a second cell in the energy storage system to produce second monitored data. The first monitor is further configured for transferring the…
Low power timing, configuring, and scheduling
Granted: October 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9785219
A device reduces its energy consumption using a relatively lower frequency and lower power secondary oscillator to maintain timing information when a higher frequency and higher power primary oscillator is inactivated. The secondary oscillator maintains timing information at a higher resolution than the period of the oscillator, so as to conserve synchronization when the higher frequency, higher power primary oscillator is inactivated. In some embodiments, a microsequencer is…
Broadband power coupling/decoupling network for PoDL
Granted: October 3, 2017
Patent Number:
9780974
A Power Over Data Lines (PoDL) system includes Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) supplying DC power and Ethernet data over a single twisted wire pair to a Powered Device (PD). The PSE supplies the DC current and AC data through a cascaded coupling network including a series of AC-blocking inductor stages having different inductances to substantially filter out the AC component and pass the DC component. The data is supplied to the wires via capacitors. The PD may have a matched decoupling…
Double-balanced field-effect transistor mixer with direct single-ended intermediate frequency outputs
Granted: September 26, 2017
Patent Number:
9774297
A double-balanced FET mixer may include: single-ended RF port that receives or delivers single-ended RF signal; RF balun that converts the received single-ended RF signal into differential RF signal or generates delivered single-ended RF signal from received differential RF signal; local oscillator input port receives local oscillator signal; direct IF port receives or delivers an IF signal; and at least two FETs process the local oscillator signal and generate or process the…
Voltage compensated active cell balancing
Granted: September 26, 2017
Patent Number:
9774206
A monitoring device includes an input terminal configured to receive an input signal from a battery system management (BSM); an output terminal configured to output cell parameters used to determine an open cell voltage associated with one of a plurality of cells within the battery stack connected to the monitoring circuit based on the input signal received from the BSM; a processor; and a memory storing executable instructions for causing the processor to: measure a cell voltage…
Adjusting current limit thresholds based on power requirement of powered device in system for providing power over communication link
Granted: September 19, 2017
Patent Number:
9769090
Novel system and methodology for adjusting a current limit threshold in a Power over Ethernet (PoE) system in accordance with requirements of a Powered Device (PD). A system for supplying power to a PD over a communications link has a requirement determining circuit for determining a PD's requirement, and a control circuit for setting a parameter restricting an output signal of the PSE in accordance with the determined PD's requirement. The control circuit may set a current limit…
DCR inductor current-sensing in four-switch buck-boost converters
Granted: August 29, 2017
Patent Number:
9748843
An inductor current-sensing circuit for measuring a current in an inductor includes (a) a first RC network coupled between a first terminal of the inductor and a reference voltage source; and (b) a second RC network coupled between a second terminal of the inductor and the reference voltage source. The first RC network and the second RC network each have a time constant substantially equal to the ratio between the inductance and the DC resistance of the inductor. The inductor which…
Controlling switching circuits to balance power or current drawn from multiple power supply inputs
Granted: July 11, 2017
Patent Number:
9705325
Novel techniques for balancing power or current drawn from multiple power supply inputs by controlling switching circuits associated with the respective power supply inputs. Each switching circuit may be controlled so as to limit current in its transformer or inductor in each switching cycle to a peak or average current value common to all switching circuits.
System and method for clock generation with an output fractional frequency divider
Granted: July 4, 2017
Patent Number:
9698800
A system and a method generate clock signals using an output divider with modulus steps of half-integers (i.e., the output circuit includes a divider which divides by one or more of 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4 . . . ).
Laser drilling encapsulated semiconductor die to expose electrical connection therein
Granted: June 27, 2017
Patent Number:
9691681
A method of making an integrated circuit package that contains a semiconductor die having one or more electrical connections to an electronic circuit within the semiconductor die. The method may include: encapsulating the semiconductor die and its electrical connections in non-electrically conductive, encapsulation material; laser drilling the encapsulation material to expose one of the electrical connections within the integrated circuit package, thereby creating a via opening in an…
High voltage selector circuit with no quiescent current
Granted: June 20, 2017
Patent Number:
9685938
A maximum voltage selection circuit may include multiple inputs, each for receiving a different input voltage, an output for delivering the highest of the input voltages, and a voltage selection circuit. The voltage selection circuit may automatically select the input having the largest voltage magnitude, automatically deliver the voltage at the selected input to the output, and not draw quiescent operating current from any of the inputs. For each and every unique combination of two of…
Notch filter for ripple reduction
Granted: June 20, 2017
Patent Number:
9685933
A notch filter is controlled synchronously with a chopper to filter out chopping ripple. In one embodiment, the notch filter is coupled to the differential output of the chopper and includes a sampling capacitor, a hold capacitor, and a second set of switches between the sampling capacitor and the hold capacitor. The second set of switches is temporarily closed once per chopper switching cycle to transfer charge from the sampling capacitor to the hold capacitor such that the ripple from…
Detecting faults in hot-swap applications
Granted: June 6, 2017
Patent Number:
9671465
Circuitry for detecting faults in a system for supplying power from an input node to an output node and having at least one switch coupled between the input node and the output node. The fault detecting circuitry is configured for indicating a fault condition of the switch when the switch is commanded to turn on and at least one of the following conditions is detected: a voltage across the switch exceeds a predetermined value or a value of the switch control signal is insufficient to…
PSE controller in PoE system detects different PDs on data pairs and spare pairs
Granted: May 30, 2017
Patent Number:
9667429
A PSE includes a PSE controller that performs a handshaking routine with any PDs connected to the data wire pairs and spare wire pairs and applies power to the data wire pairs and spare wire pairs, via a switch, if certain conditions are met. Two different levels of currents are supplied to different terminals of the PSE controller that are connected to the data wire pairs and the spare wire pairs, and the resulting voltages are measured. The voltages are used to determine the PD…
Transition timing control for switching DC/DC converter
Granted: May 30, 2017
Patent Number:
9667264
A device is configured to control a transition timing of a switching DC/DC converter for providing power to a load device. The load device has a first operational phase that is sensitive to external noise and a second operational phase that is immune to the external noise. The device includes an input terminal coupled to an external device to receive a start signal of the first operational phase for the load device. The device also includes control circuitry configured to, responsive to…
Distortion compensation circuit
Granted: May 23, 2017
Patent Number:
9660856
A method and system of compensating for distortion in a baseband in-phase (I) and a corresponding baseband quadrature (Q) signal. The circuit includes an in-phase I attenuator configured to attenuate the baseband in-phase I signal and an in-phase Q attenuator configured to attenuate the baseband Q signal. There are one or more circuits that are configured to receive the attenuated in-phase I signal and the attenuated baseband Q signal. Each circuit performs a different calculation based…
Switching of conductor pair in power over ethernet system
Granted: May 23, 2017
Patent Number:
9660456
Technique for providing power to a powered device (PD) over a cable having first and second sets of twisted pairs, such as signal pairs and spare pairs. Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) circuitry is coupled via a first switch to the second set, e.g. to the spare pairs. A switch control circuit turns the first switch off to enable the PSE circuitry to perform a prescribed operation in connection with the PD over only the first set, e.g. over the signal pairs, and turns the first switch on…
Precision temperature measurement devices, sensors, and methods
Granted: May 23, 2017
Patent Number:
9658118
A precision temperature sensing system includes a heater and a sensing element disposed on a semiconductor substrate. A power source drives the heater on a periodic basis according to a received clock signal. The sensing element senses the heat emitted by the heater and diffused through the semiconductor substrate. Processing circuitry coupled to the sensing element adjusts a phase of the periodic heater driving signal based on the heat sensed by the sensing element. The processing…
Chopper-stabilized square cells
Granted: May 2, 2017
Patent Number:
9639719
An RMS-DC converter includes a chopper-stabilized square cell that eliminates offset, thus enabling high-bandwidth operation. The chopper-stabilized offset requires only a small portion of the circuitry (i.e., a single component square cell) which operates at high frequencies, and is amenable to using high-bandwidth component square cells. Using the chopping technique minimizes required device sizes without compromising an acceptable square cell dynamic range, thereby maximizing the…
Maintaining LED driver operating point during PWM off times
Granted: May 2, 2017
Patent Number:
9642200
A method and system of driving an LED load. There is a power stage that is configured to deliver a level of current indicated by a control signal to the LED load when a PWM signal is ON and stop delivering the level of current when the PWM signal is OFF. There is a feedback circuit that is configured to generate the operating point signal, which causes the power stage to deliver a level of current indicated by the control signal, when the PWM signal is ON. A store and hold circuit is…
