{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-8471584","patent":{"patent_number":"US-8471584","title":"Switching device failure detection system and method for multilevel converters","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2010-05-28T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2013-06-25T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["H02M","H02M"],"num_claims":16,"abstract":"A multilevel converter includes a plurality of phase legs each having at least two inner switching devices, at least two outer switching devices, at least two clamping diodes, a split DC link and a switching device failure detection circuit. The switching device failure detection circuit includes a logic module for each of the switching devices, a voltage calculation module and a failure detection algorithm. The logic module generates a blocking state logic signal by comparing a switching device voltage and a threshold reference voltage and the voltage calculation module determines an expected voltage blocking state for each of the switching devices based on the gate drive signals of the switching devices and an output current direction. The failure detection algorithm detects a failure condition in any of the switching devices based on the blocking state logic signals and the expected voltage blocking states of the switching devices."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Switching device failure detection system and method for multilevel converters","description":"A multilevel converter includes a plurality of phase legs each having at least two inner switching devices, at least two outer switching devices, at least two clamping diodes, a split DC link and a sw","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-8471584","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-8471584","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Switching device failure detection system and method for multilevel converters\" (US-8471584). https://patentable.app/patents/US-8471584","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-8471584","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-8471584","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-05-30T21:47:22.449Z"}