# US 11,451,049 B2 · Device for maintaining operating state of contactor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,451,049 B2 - Document ID: US11451049B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/081,781 - Filed: 2020-10-27 - Published: 2021-05-20 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-15 - Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kyu Sung Cho; Sang Taek Han; Seung Ho Han - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451049B2 ## CPC - H01H 47/002: {Monitoring or fail-safe circuits} - H02H 7/222: {for switches} - H01H 47/04: for holding armature in attracted position, e.g. when initial energising circuit is interrupted; for maintaining armature in attracted position, e.g. with reduced energising current {(with switching regulator H01H47/325)} - H02H 1/0007: {concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445)} - H03K 19/017509: {Interface arrangements} - H03K 19/20: characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits (H03K19/003 - H03K19/01 take precedence) - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A device includes: a controller configured to output a contactor control signal for controlling an operation of a contactor; a system basis unit configured to monitor a state of the controller and to output a safety detection signal; an operation maintaining unit including a first level shifter configured to shift a voltage level of the safety detection signal, a second level shifter configured to shift a voltage level of the contactor control signal, a retention output unit configured to compare the voltage level of the first level shifter with the voltage level of the second level shifter and to output a retention output signal, and a timer output unit configured to output a timer output signal to output the retention output signal for a preset time; and a contactor driver configured to output a contactor driving signal based on the contactor control signal and the retention output signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A contactor operating state maintaining device comprising: a controller configured to output a contactor control signal for controlling an operation of a contactor; a system basis unit configured to monitor a state of the controller and to output a safety detection signal; an operation maintaining unit including a first level shifter configured to shift a voltage level of the safety detection signal, a second level shifter configured to shift a voltage level of the contactor control signal, a retention output unit configured to compare the voltage level of the first level shifter with the voltage level of the second level shifter and to output a retention output signal, and a timer output unit configured to output a timer output signal to output the retention output signal for a preset time; and a contactor driver configured to output a contactor driving signal based on the contactor control signal and the retention output signal, wherein the contactor driver is configured to perform an OR logic operation on the contactor control signal and the retention output signal and to output the contactor driving signal corresponding to a result of the OR logic operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The contactor operating state maintaining device of claim 1, wherein the first level shifter is configured to set the voltage level of the safety detection signal to be higher than that of the contactor control signal and lower than a power voltage level, and to set the retention output unit to be at an OFF state in response to the safety detection signal and the contactor control signal both being at a high level. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The contactor operating state maintaining device of claim 1, wherein in response to the retention output unit being turned on to output the retention output signal, the second level shifter is configured to up-shift the voltage level of the contactor control signal to a power voltage level to set the retention output unit to be at an ON state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The contactor operating state maintaining device of claim 1, wherein the second level shifter is configured to delay the contactor control signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The contactor operating state maintaining device of claim 1, wherein in response to an abnormality occurring in the controller, the contactor control signal is converted from high to low, the system basis unit is configured to sense the conversion to then convert the safety detection signal from high to low, and the retention output unit is configured to output the retention output signal as a high level signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The contactor operating state maintaining device of claim 1, further comprising: a timer configured to actuate an RC timer based on the retention output signal and to output an RC delay signal; and a third level shifter configured to shift a comparable signal level of the timer output unit based on the safety detection signal and the contactor control signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The contactor operating state maintaining device of claim 6, wherein in response to an abnormality of the controller being terminated while the timer is still operating, and the safety detection signal and the contactor control signal are both at a high level, the third level shifter is configured to set the comparable signal level of the timer output unit to be lower than a level of the RC delay signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The contactor operating state maintaining device of claim 7, wherein in response to the comparable signal level of the timer output unit being lower than the level of the RC delay signal, the output of the timer output unit is turned off and the output of the retention output unit is interrupted.