Patents Examined by Alexis B Pacheco
  • Patent number: 11975623
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for controlling a charging current of an electric vehicle and a charging device. The controlling method includes: sampling current temperature of the charging connection node; generating a current regulation amount according to the current temperature and a preset target temperature threshold; and regulating the charging current flowing through the charging connection node according to the current regulation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chao Yan, Peng Xue
  • Patent number: 11970073
    Abstract: A system for generating energy on board a vehicle can comprise a flywheel, a bearing, an energy generation unit, and a stabilization bracket. The flywheel can rotate based on at least a kinetic energy of a driven mass selectively coupled to the flywheel via the bearing. The energy generation unit can convert a mechanical energy received from the flywheel to an electrical energy and provide at least a portion of the electrical energy to a motor of the vehicle to power the vehicle. The stabilization bracket can support the flywheel and reduce vibrations of the flywheel or energy generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Inventor: Anthony Macaluso
  • Patent number: 11967895
    Abstract: A system includes a first coil configured to be magnetically coupled to a second coil, a rectifier coupled to the first coil through a capacitor, a first power stage connected between an output of the rectifier and an output voltage node, and a second power stage coupled between the output voltage node and a battery, wherein the first power stage is configured to charge the battery, and the second power stage is configured to provide isolation between the first power stage and the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: NuVolta Technologies (Hefei) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zeng Li, Jinbiao Huang, Xintao Wang
  • Patent number: 11964580
    Abstract: Robot docking stations and systems and methods thereof can provide for automatic charging of mobile robots. Such stations can include a guide system configured to guide a mobile robot onto or into the station and prevent the robot from moving off or out of the station. The guide system can have zones or position-sensing parts that correspond to walking or rotating parts of a mobile robot (such as legs, wheels, or crawler belts of a robot), and one or more sensors of the station can be configured to sense when the walking or rotating parts of the robot are positioned over, in, or abutting the zones or position-sensing parts of the station. And, an electrical charger assembly of the station can be configured to move into a charging position when the sensor(s) sense that the robot parts are positioned over, in, or abutting the station zones or parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SMP Robotics Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Sergei Poluboiarinov
  • Patent number: 11962173
    Abstract: A system for use with a direct current fast-charging (DCFC) station includes a controller and battery system. The battery system includes first and second battery packs, and first, second, and third switches. The switches have ON/OFF conductive states commanded by the controller to connect the battery packs in a parallel-connected (P-connected) or series-connected (S-connected) configuration. An electric powertrain with one or more electric machines is powered via the battery system. First and second charge ports of the system are connectable to the station via a corresponding charging cable. The first charge port receives a low or high charging voltage from the station. The second charge port receives a low charging voltage. When the station can supply the high charging voltage to the first charge port, the controller establishes the S-connected configuration via the switches, and thereafter charges the battery system solely via the first charge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Lei Hao, Yue-Yun Wang, Suresh Gopalakrishnan, Chandra S. Namuduri, Rashmi Prasad, Madhusudan Raghavan
  • Patent number: 11958372
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electric vehicle charger that may include power electronics, one or more controllers, and one or more cable/connector plugs. The disclosed bi-charger may operate bi-directionally. Power components may be arranged in a charger enclosure in a configuration providing the optimum air flow over a heat sink(s) that will allow the most heat to be moved out of the charger enclosure with the least effort. The disclosed charger may use a combination of forced and natural convection to effectively cool the system. Power stages may be mounted in the enclosure and a control tray may be mounted above the power stages. The disclosed charger may use a three-power stage architecture. The disclosed charger also uses a configuration and method of mounting and positioning the power components within the enclosure that results in a smaller and more power dense piece of equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Fermata Energy LLC
    Inventors: Glenn Skutt, Brian Maddox, Mike Barron
  • Patent number: 11962175
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an electronic device may include a battery, a resonance circuit, a rectifier, a DC/DC converter, a charger, a switch, an overvoltage protection circuit configured to perform an overvoltage protection operation or to stop the overvoltage protection operation based on the voltage at the output terminal of the rectifier, a control circuit, and a communication circuit, and the control circuit may be configured to: based on a periodic repetition of a performance of the overvoltage protection operation and a stop of the overvoltage protection while the switch is in an off state, identify a first period during which the overvoltage protection operation is stopped, based on the first period, identify an expected voltage at an output terminal of the rectifier, to be expected, wherein the expected voltage is a voltage if the switch is in an on state, based on the expected voltage, identify whether an occurrence of an overvoltage is expected if the switch is in the on state, and control the c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Beomwoo Gu, Kangho Byun, Hyunseok Shin, Sungku Yeo, Youngho Ryu, Chongmin Lee
  • Patent number: 11958374
    Abstract: An electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is provided with an integrated arc fault detection circuit interruption (AFCI) device to supply electricity to an electric vehicle (EV) being a load. The EVSE comprises a coupler and an AFCI device including: a controller including a processor and a memory, circuitry and computer-readable firmware code stored in the memory which, when executed by the processor, causes the controller to: detect an arcing level of arcing between the coupler and a charge port of the EV or any other series or parallel arcing within the EVSE, compare the arcing level to a threshold level to determine a hazardous nature of arching, and analyze the arcing level to determine not only if it is currently hazardous but if it is likely to become hazardous in a near term and recommend repair or replacement of the coupler and the charge port before damage occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. King, Jr., Elton C. Johnson, Harry Price Haas, Matthew Leidy
  • Patent number: 11945324
    Abstract: A charging station for charging the battery of a vehicle, comprising: a base portion configured for mounting in a substructure; a charging portion having a charging outlet for connection to a vehicle; and a retraction mechanism for moving the charging portion between an extended position in which it extends out of the base portion and a retracted position; and a controller for controlling the retraction mechanism; the controller being configured to: determine whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the most recent charging from the charging outlet ceased; and cause the retraction mechanism to move the charging portion to the retracted position if the predetermined period of time is determined to have elapsed since the most recent electrical supply from the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: URBAN ELECTRIC NETWORKS LTD
    Inventor: Olivier Freeling-Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 11949170
    Abstract: Apparatus, system and method to provide switchable coils in a computing device, comprising: a plurality of electrically conductive coils to transfer electromagnetic energy; a sensor coupled to a processor, to select a coil from among the plurality of electrically conductive coils; a switch to energize the selected coil; and a switch controller coupled to the switch and to the processor. In some embodiments, the plurality of coils may comprise an inductive charging interface. Some embodiments may further include a communication interface between the processor to the plurality of electrically conductive coils, the plurality of coils comprising an interface for near-field communications (NFC). The antenna coils may be arranged to provide improved NFC coverage when the computing device is in a respective predetermined physical configuration. Sensors may be used to detect the configuration and switch NFC communications to use a preferred antenna coil for the detected configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Anand S. Konanur, Songnan Yang, Ulun Karacaoglu, Jiancheng Tao, Farid Adrangi
  • Patent number: 11945326
    Abstract: A method for charging a high-voltage battery of an electric vehicle, comprising: providing the high-voltage battery having a nominal battery voltage; providing a charging station outputting a DC charging voltage; selectively pre-charging a second charging terminal of the charging station to a predetermined pre-charge voltage using a controllably limited pre-charge current supplied by electric power from the high-voltage battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignees: PREH GMBA, BRUSA ELEKTRONIK AG
    Inventors: Marc Neitz, Alexander Matthias, Axel Krause, Andreas Kruspan, Marc Hanselmann, Hannes Hobi, Rudolf Meusburger
  • Patent number: 11938836
    Abstract: An electric car charging apparatus using a pad-mounted transformer according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first port configured to supply power to an electric car, a second port electrically connected to the first port and configured to receive power from a pad-mounted transformer, and a breaking unit configured to switch between connection and disconnection of the first port and the second port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: KOREA ELECTRIC POWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seong-Man Kim, Hyeong-Chan Kim, Ho-Seong Yun, Sang-Kyoum Kim, Min-Kab Kim, Chang-Muk Kim
  • Patent number: 11919413
    Abstract: This application is directed to an apparatus for providing electrical charge to a vehicle. The apparatus can comprise a generator, a hardware controller, a capacitor, and a battery. The controller can control whether the capacitor is electrically coupled with the battery based on one or more conditions. The controller can control whether the generator is electrically coupled with the capacitor and/or the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Inventor: Anthony Macaluso
  • Patent number: 11912144
    Abstract: A transportable unit for charging an electric vehicle has a vehicle docking pad and a source of renewable energy mounted on the docking pad that includes a solar array and/or a wind turbine. Also included is a storage battery for receiving electricity from the source of renewable energy. Structurally, a primary induction coil is affixed to the docking pad where it is connected to receive a converted a.c. current from the storage battery. With this connection, the primary induction coil generates an alternating electromagnetic field that establishes a resonant inductive coupling with a secondary induction coil mounted on the electric vehicle. Thus, an electric current is generated at the secondary induction coil for recharging the battery of the electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Beam Global
    Inventor: Desmond Wheatley
  • Patent number: 11897355
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a charging system for charging an electric vehicle. A controller may control operation of the charging system by causing a motor to rotate to charge the vehicle. The controller can receive vehicle identity data and vehicle permission data. The controller can determine whether the vehicle has permission to be charged based on the permission data. The controller can initiate a charging sequence based on vehicle data including the vehicle identity data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventor: Anthony Macaluso
  • Patent number: 11890952
    Abstract: An example operation includes one or more of maneuvering, by a Mobile Energy Storage Unit (MESU), to a transport that is stationary for an amount of time, that is not currently being charged, that is at a distance between the transport and the MESU and that is within a timeframe for the MESU to reach the transport, and retrieving, by MESU, a minimum amount of energy from the transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOT MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Norman Lu
  • Patent number: 11884168
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a power electronic energy conversion system comprising a first energy storage device configured to store DC energy and a first voltage converter configured to convert a second voltage from a remote power supply into a first charging voltage configured to charge the first energy storage device. The apparatus also includes a first controller configured to control the first voltage converter to convert the second voltage into the first charging voltage and to provide the first charging voltage to the first energy storage device during a charging mode of operation and communicate with a second controller located remotely from the power electronic energy conversion system to cause a second charging voltage to be provided to the first energy storage device during the charging mode of operation to rapidly charge the first energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Dean King, Robert Louis Steigerwald
  • Patent number: 11865939
    Abstract: An example operation includes one or more of determining, by a station, a first group of transports in need of charge and a second group of transports capable of providing charge, prioritizing, by the station, at least one transport of the second group to come to the station at a time prior to when at least one transport of the first group comes to the station, receiving, at the station, a first amount of charge from the at least one transport of the second group, and providing, from the station, a second amount of charge to the at least one transport of the first group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Norman Lu, Maximilian Parness
  • Patent number: 11857045
    Abstract: A carry case for an electronics-enabled eyewear device has incorporated therein electronic components for connection to the eyewear device while storing the eyewear device. The case comprises a rigid frame structure defining an openable holding space for the pair of smart glasses, and a compressible shock-resistant protective cover on the frame structure. The exterior of the case may be predominantly defined by the shock resistant protective cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Andrew Steger, Tiffany Ming Tsao, Qiaokun Huang
  • Patent number: 11855476
    Abstract: A charger and a control method are disclosed. A charger according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a transceiver configured to obtain, from a battery of a cleaner, temperature information of the battery, and a processor configured to apply power to the battery based on the temperature information transmitted from the transceiver, wherein the processor applies a pulse wave of a first period to the battery when the temperature of the battery is measured within a predetermined first section. Accordingly, even if the temperature of the battery is outside the charge allowance range due to the discharge of the battery built in the cleaner, the battery can be charged more quickly, thereby reducing the total time required for charging the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hyunkeun Shin, Seonghoon Han