# US 11,909,198 B2 · Gate driver implementations for safe wireless power system operation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,198 B2 - Document ID: US11909198B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/161,487 - Filed: 2021-01-28 - Published: 2021-07-29 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-29 - Assignees: WiTricity Corporation - Applicants: WiTricity Corporation - Inventors: Milisav Danilovic; Bryan Esteban - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909198B2 ## CPC - H02H 7/20: for electronic equipment (for converters H02H7/10; for electric measuring instruments G01R1/36; for DC voltage or current semiconductor regulators G05F1/569; for amplifiers H03F1/52; for electronic switching circuits H03K17/08) - H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection - H02H 1/0007: {concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445)} - H02H 7/125: for rectifiers - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters - H02M 7/06: using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode - H02M 7/217: using semiconductor devices only - H03K 17/08122: {in field-effect transistor switches} - H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters - H02J 50/12: of the resonant type - 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) - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - 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 The disclosure features systems and methods for protecting transistors of a wireless power receiver. Systems can include a gate driver configured provide a control signal to control switching of the transistor gate such that power is transmitted to a load coupled to the receiver; and a controller coupled to the gate driver and configured to generate a protection signal. The protection signal can include (i) a fault signal indicating a fault in one or more components of the receiver; (ii) a signal indicating that the transistor gate should be latched; and/or (ii) at least one undervoltage signal indicating that an undervoltage condition exists in a power supply of the gate driver. Based on the generated protection signal, the gate driver can be configured to adjust the provided control signal to latch the transistor gate such that power is not transmitted to the load. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for protecting one or more components of a wireless power receiver, the components comprising at least one transistor gate, the system comprising: a gate driver configured to provide at least one control signal to control switching of the transistor gate such that power is transmitted to a load coupled to the receiver, wherein the gate driver comprises: a pre-drive circuit configured to: receive at least one pre-pulse width modulation (PRE-PWM) signal from a power controller; and transmit the at least one PRE-PWM signal; and a post-driver circuit configured to: receive the at least one PRE-PWM signal from the pre-drive circuit; and transmit at least one post-PWM (POST-PWM) signal to the at least one transistor gate; and a first controller coupled to the gate driver and configured to generate a protection signal, the protection signal comprising: (i) a fault signal indicating a fault in one or more components of the receiver; (ii) a signal indicating that the transistor gate should be latched; and/or (ii) at least one undervoltage signal indicating that an undervoltage condition exists in a power supply of the gate driver, wherein, based on the generated protection signal, the gate driver is configured to adjust the provided control signal to latch the transistor gate such that power is not transmitted to the load. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the transistor gate forms a part of an active rectifier, and wherein adjusting the control signal to latch the transistor gate causes a short circuit at an input of the active rectifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the transistor gate is of a low-side transistor of the active rectifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the fault signal comprises an under-voltage signal indicating that an output voltage of the power supply of the gate driver is below a predetermined voltage level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the adjusted control signal is configured to turn on the transistor gate for a period of time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the power supply comprises at least one of: a DC-DC converter or an energy storage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the control signal is a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 further comprising: a second controller coupled to the gate driver and configured to generate the PWM signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the first controller and second controller are separate controllers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the load is a battery and the system further comprises: a voltage regulator configured to provide a signal indicative of a voltage level of the battery to the second controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the first controller is configured to monitor one or more signals associated with at least one of the wireless power receiver, the gate driver, or the power supply to generate the protection signal. ### Claim 12 A method for protecting one or more components of a wireless power receiver, the components comprising at least one transistor gate configured to be controlled by at least one gate driver, the method comprising: providing, by a gate driver, at least one control signal to control switching of the transistor gate such that power is transmitted to a load coupled to the receiver, wherein providing the control signal comprises: in a pre-drive circuit, receiving at least one pre-pulse width modulation (PRE-PWM) signal from a power controller; and transmitting the at least one PRE-PWM signal; and in a post-driver circuit, receiving the at least one PRE-PWM signal from the pre-drive circuit; and transmitting at least one post-PWM (POST-PWM) signal to the transistor gate; generating, by a first controller coupled to the gate driver, a protection signal, the protection signal comprising at least one of: (i) a fault signal indicating a fault in one or more components of the receiver; (ii) a signal indicating that the transistor gate should be latched; and/or (ii) at least one undervoltage signal indicating that an undervoltage condition exists in a power supply of the gate driver; and adjusting, by the gate driver based on the generated protection signal, the provided control signal to latch the transistor gate such that power is not transmitted to the load. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the transistor gate forms a part of an active rectifier, and wherein adjusting the control signal to latch the transistor gate causes a short circuit at an input of the active rectifier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the transistor gate is of a low-side transistor of the active rectifier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the fault signal comprises an under-voltage signal indicating that an output voltage of the power supply of the gate driver is below a predetermined voltage level. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the adjusted control signal is configured to turn on the transistor gate for a period of time. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the power supply comprises at least one of: a DC-DC converter or an energy storage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the control signal is a PWM signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising: generating, by a second controller coupled to the gate driver, the PWM signal. ### Claim 20 An apparatus for protecting one or more components of a wireless power receiver, the components comprising at least one transistor gate, the apparatus comprising: a safety controller configured to provide at least one fault signal to indicate a fault in one or more components of the receiver, wherein the at least one fault signal comprises a hardware enable signal; a power controller configured to provide at least one control signal to control a state of the at least one transistor gate, wherein the at least one control signal comprises at least one pre-pulse width modulation (PRE-PWM) signal; a pre-drive circuit coupled to the safety controller and the power controller, configured to: receive the at least one fault signal from the safety controller; receive the at least one control signal from the power controller; and transmit the at least one control signal; and a post-driver circuit, coupled to the pre-drive circuit, configured to: receive the at least one control signal from the pre-drive circuit; and transmit at least one post-PWM (POST-PWM) signal to the at least one transistor gate. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one control signal is a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal.