Patents Examined by Alexis A Boateng
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Patent number: 9496726Abstract: A universal serial bus charging device for charging connected electronic devices is presented. The universal serial bus includes a microprocessor and a power supply configured to output a total charging current. The universal serial bus charging device further includes a plurality of low voltage ports in communication with the microprocessor and electrically coupled to the power supply. Each of the plurality of low voltage ports are capable of connecting with the electronic devices and providing the electronic devices a device charging current. The microprocessor is configured to enumerate the connected electronic devices and communicate to each of the enumerated electronic devices the device charging current available through its respective low voltage port connection. The available device charging current for each enumerated electronic device is determined by the microprocessor as a function of a total charging current and the enumerated electronic devices.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2014Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.Inventors: Eugene Frid, Michael Ostrovsky
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Patent number: 9496723Abstract: A battery system includes multiple battery cells having multiple cell voltages, and a balancing module. The battery module coupled to multiple battery cells and configured to specify a first voltage threshold according to an amount of a charging current supplied to the battery cells in constant current charging mode, and to initiate a balance check of the battery cells if the first voltage threshold is not satisfied by a cell voltage of the plurality of cell voltages.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2016Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: O2Micro Inc.Inventor: Xiaofei Gong
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Patent number: 9484767Abstract: There is provided a wireless power transmitter, including: a board having circuit wiring thereon; a connector mounted on a surface of the board; a terminal pin formed on one side of the connector and penetrating through the board; and a battery provided on the other surface of the board to be coupled to the terminal pin.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2014Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tae Seok Yang, Gun Ah Kim, Ted Kim
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Patent number: 9482722Abstract: A state of charge estimation device for estimating a state of charge of an electric storage device includes a voltage measurement component, a current measurement component, and a controller component. The controller component is configured to, when estimation of state of charge of the electric storage device based on an accumulated amount of currents measured by the current measurement component is defined as a current accumulation method and the estimation based on an open circuit voltage (OCV) of the electric storage device measured by the voltage measurement component is defined as an OCV method, permit estimation of state of charge by the OCV method when a condition that an error in estimation of state of charge of the electric storage device by the current accumulation method exceeds an error in estimation of state of charge of the electric storage device by the OCV method is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2014Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: GS YUASA INTERNATIONAL LTD.Inventors: Eiji Hayashi, Masashi Nakamura
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Patent number: 9469211Abstract: A first and second charging equipment for charging electric vehicles is wired on a single electrical circuit. Electric current is dynamically allocated to the first and second charging equipment such that the maximum amount of electric current supported by the single electrical circuit is prevented from being exceeded. Dynamically allocating electric current to the first and second charging equipment includes communicating a first and second current limit to a first and second electric vehicle respectively connected to the first and second charging equipment to cause the first and second electric vehicle to limit their current draw to not exceed the first and second current limit respectively. The sum of current being drawn at the first and second current limit does not exceed the maximum amount of electric current supported by the single electrical circuit.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: CHARGEPOINT, INC.Inventors: David Baxter, Carl F. Hagenmaier, Jr., Milton T. Tormey, Richard Lowenthal
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Patent number: 9472975Abstract: The embodiments provide a device including an enclosure having circuitry associated with the device and a battery configured to power the circuitry, and a power plug receiving unit configured to receive a power plug of a power charger to charge the battery. The power plug receiving unit includes a ground contact that is exposed through the enclosure for contact with a secondary ground contact of the power plug, and an active electrode configured to receive alternating current (AC) energy from the power charger for charging the battery or powering the circuitry via non-contact coupling.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2016Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Willis Calkins, Ajay Chandra Venkata Gummalla
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Patent number: 9461487Abstract: A reconfigurable multi-battery pack system for inclusion in a hand held device for more efficiently energizing battery powered operation of both a buck DC-DC converter and a boost DC-DC converter included in the device. Also disclosed is a power management circuit that autonomously: 1. connects the batteries in parallel during battery recharging; and 2. connects at least two (2) of the batteries in series when the batteries are not being recharged and are energizing operation of the DC-DC converters.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2013Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) LimitedInventor: Sorin Laurentiu Negru
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Patent number: 9438035Abstract: A solar array power generation system includes a solar array electrically connected to a control system. The solar array has a plurality of solar modules, each module having at least one DC/DC converter for converting the raw panel output to an optimized high voltage, low current output. In a further embodiment, each DC/DC converter requires a signal to enable power output of the solar modules.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2011Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Ltd.Inventors: F. William Capp, William J. Driscoll
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Patent number: 9419462Abstract: A rechargeable battery including a housing formed from two components formed from polyphenysulfone plastic. One housing component has a lip that is located inwardly of the other housing component. The housing components are further formed so that photonic energy at a select wavelength passes through the outer component and is absorbed by the lip of the second component. Once a rechargeable cell is placed in in one of the housing components, the housing components are placed together so the lip of the second component abuts an inner surface of the first component. Photonic energy at the select wavelength is directed to the joint between the components. The photonic energy passes through the first component and heats the lip of the second component. The heat causes the lip to melt. The melting plastic forms a hermetic weld between the housing components.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2015Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATIONInventor: Jeff Sollanek
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Patent number: 9413567Abstract: System and methods are provided for signal processing. For example, an input signal is received at a finite impulse response filter circuit including a plurality of stages, where each stage of the plurality of stages is associated with a sample value of the input signal and a stage weight. An output signal is generated using the finite impulse response filter circuit, the output signal being equal to a weighted sum of the sample values of the input signal. An error signal is generated to indicate a difference between the output signal and a target. A constraint is applied to one or more of the stage weights. The stage weights are changed within the constraint to reduce a magnitude of the error signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2014Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.Inventors: Yu-Yao Chang, Jun Gao, Gregory Burd
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Patent number: 9411387Abstract: A circuit for a switching charger includes multiple input supply nodes, and a number of charging paths. Each input supply node is connectable to a power source. Each charging path may include a middle node connected to a coupling switch and a pass transistor. The coupling switch may be configured to activate a corresponding charging path of the charging paths. A pre-charging switch may be coupled to a corresponding middle node of each charging path. The pass transistor of an activated one of the charging paths may be configured to provide a switching voltage at an input of a charging sub-circuit. The pre-charging switch may be configurable to pre-charge a middle node of a non-activated path to a high voltage to prevent an unwanted high current passing through a body diode of a corresponding pass transistor of the non-activated path.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2014Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Prasanna Obala Bhuvanesh, Jay Edward Ackerman, Michael Owen Baker, Ryan Michael Desrosiers
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Patent number: 9413186Abstract: There is disclosed a dynamic boost charging system having a monitoring component configured to measure total DC current and/or battery current and a reporting component configured to transmit output data of the total DC current and/or battery current measured. A battery charger control system in operable connection with the monitoring component receives the data of the total DC current and/or battery current measured by the monitoring component, and is configured to: obtain an initial time and/or charge measurement; determine a time and/or charge to complete a recharge cycle based on the time and/or charge measurement; selectively use at least two preset DC output voltage settings, one of the at least two preset DC voltage settings being a float voltage, and another of the at least two preset DC voltage settings being a boost voltage; and maintain the boost voltage until the time has passed the charge has been provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Stored Energy Systems, a Limited Liability CompanyInventors: Timothy C. Groat, Herbert R. Kaewert
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Patent number: 9403443Abstract: A power system may perform charge balancing for a vehicle. The power system may include a battery including a plurality of modules, each module including a cell and associated resistive circuitry. The system may also include at least one controller configured to, in response to a cell achieving a threshold voltage and/or SOC, activate the associated resistive circuitry for the cell and reduce a charge current applied to the battery to prevent the cell from acquiring additional charge.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2014Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Michael Edward Loftus, Fazal Urrahman Syed, Michael Schamber, Venkatapathi Raju Nallapa, Shailesh Shrikant Kozarekar
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Patent number: 9397517Abstract: Methods, devices, and circuits are disclosed delivering a first level of output voltage to a rechargeable battery from a battery charger, the rechargeable battery is coupled to the battery charger by a charging cable. The methods, device, and circuits may further be disclosed applying, in response to an indication of an altered output voltage, a compensation current to one or more elements of the battery charger including a zero crossing (ZC) pin and a selected resistor, the selected resistor is defined by the charging cable coupling the battery charger to the rechargeable battery, and applying the compensation current to the ZC pin and the selected resistor causes an adjustment of the output voltage from the first level of output voltage to a second level of output voltage corresponding to the voltage drop from the impedance of the selected charging cable.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2014Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AGInventors: Yong Siang Teo, Kok Kee Lim
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Patent number: 9389277Abstract: A voltage measuring apparatus is configured to measure voltages of respective battery cells of a battery cell array including a plurality of battery cell groups each including a predetermined number of battery cells connected in series. The voltage measuring apparatus includes a plurality of measuring units each provided for each of the battery cell groups. The adjacent measuring units are connected through a communication channel so as to perform current communication therebetween. A bidirectional diode circuit element is connected to the communication channel extending between the adjacent measuring units.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2013Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Akira Kawabe, Gorou Mori
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Patent number: 9385556Abstract: There is disclosed a dynamic boost charging system having a monitoring component configured to measure total DC current and/or battery current and a reporting component configured to transmit output data of the total DC current and/or battery current measured. A battery charger control system in operable connection with the monitoring component receives the data of the total DC current and/or battery current measured by the monitoring component, and is configured to: obtain an initial time and/or charge measurement; determine a time and/or charge to complete a recharge cycle based on the time and/or charge measurement; selectively use at least two preset DC output voltage settings, one of the at least two preset DC voltage settings being a float voltage, and another of the at least two preset DC voltage settings being a boost voltage; and maintain the boost voltage until the time has passed the charge has been provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: Stored Energy Systems, LLCInventors: Timothy C. Groat, Herbert R. Kaewert
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Patent number: 9385558Abstract: Provided are an electric automobile to which a power supply device supplies power, and an electricity supply system capable of accurately associating the power supply device and the electric automobile carrying out communication therewith. A power supply-side control unit (24) controls such that electricity that a power supply unit (21) supplies reaches a first electricity quantity Pa before a power supply-side communications unit (23) receives a request signal from a vehicle-side communications unit (43), and controls such that electricity that the power supply unit (21) supplies reaches a second electricity quantity Pb, which is greater than the first electricity quantity Pa, after the power supply-side communications unit (23) receives the request signal from the vehicle-side communications unit (43). The vehicle-side communications unit (43) activates on the basis of the first electricity quantity Pa received from the power supply unit (21) of a power supply device (2).Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2011Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventor: Akihisa Kawasaki
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Patent number: 9385550Abstract: The present application is directed to a power dissipation apparatus including a conductive trace formed on a substrate and to methods of using the power dissipation apparatus. The power dissipation apparatus may be used to dissipate heat generated from electrical current passed through the conductive trace of the power dissipation apparatus. The current may be provided from, for example, a battery conditioner.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2015Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: ZOLL Medical CorporationInventors: Michael Lopin, James G. Radzelovage, Hailong Xu, Frederick Faller
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Patent number: 9376027Abstract: A robotic mower inductive charging station includes a plurality of transmitter coils mounted on a horizontal base structure in a pattern for inductive charging of a robotic mower that may enter and approach the charging station from any direction. The horizontal base structure may have a plurality of slots, perforations or holes covering at least about 50% of the base structure's surface area.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2013Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: DEERE & COMPANYInventor: Troy W Harris
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Patent number: 9373971Abstract: A contactless power supply system contactlessly transmits electric power from a power transmitting device to a vehicle. The vehicle includes: a power receiving unit that contactlessly receives electric power from the power transmitting device; an electrical storage device that stores electric power received by the power receiving unit; and an impedance adjustment unit that includes a DC/DC converter and a relay and that is used to adjust an impedance between the power receiving unit and the electrical storage device. A vehicle ECU switches between a power supply path of which the impedance is adjusted by the DC/DC converter and a power supply path that does not use the DC/DC converter on the basis of a state of charge of the electrical storage device.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2013Date of Patent: June 21, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shinji Ichikawa, Tadashi Kondo, Naoki Gorai