Patents Examined by Jared Fureman
  • Patent number: 11967654
    Abstract: Distributed maximum power point tracking systems, structures, and processes are provided for power generation structures, such as for but not limited to a solar panel arrays. In an exemplary solar panel string structure, distributed maximum power point tracking (DMPPT) modules are provided, such as integrated into or retrofitted for each solar panel. The DMPPT modules provide panel level control for startup, operation, monitoring, and shutdown, and further provide flexible design and operation for strings of multiple panels. The strings are typically linked in parallel to a combiner box, and then toward and enhanced inverter module, which is typically connected to a power grid. Enhanced inverters are controllable either locally or remotely, wherein system status is readily determined, and operation of one or more sections of the system are readily controlled. The system provides increased operation time, and increased power production and efficiency, over a wide range of operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Argil E. Shaver, II, Ronald M. Newdoll
  • Patent number: 11964570
    Abstract: In a method for operating an electric vehicle, including an electrical drive device for driving the vehicle, a control device for controlling the driving of the vehicle, a first energy storage device for supplying the control device with a first DC voltage, a second energy storage device for supplying the drive device with a second DC voltage, and an energy supply unit providing an output DC voltage, the first energy storage device is connected to the energy supply unit via a converter device, the second energy storage device is connected to the energy supply unit, the converter device converts the output DC voltage into the first DC voltage, a first power flow from the first energy storage device to the second energy storage device is prevented and a second power flow from the second energy storage device to the first energy storage device is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SEW-EURODRIVE GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Jens Schäfer, Jan Becker, Gero Bockelmann, Matthias Hauck, Christian Schumann, Josef Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11958630
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include an aircraft with auxiliary components that are powered by an external power supply. Auxiliary components may include components that are used while the aircraft is grounded. Auxiliary components may be off while the aircraft is in flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: BETA AIR, LLC
    Inventor: Herman Wiegman
  • Patent number: 11962131
    Abstract: Integrated device having GDT and MOV functionalities. In some embodiments, an electrical device can include a first layer and a second layer joined with an interface, with each having an outer surface and an inner surface, such that the inner surfaces of the first and second layers define a sealed chamber therebetween. The electrical device can further include an outer electrode implemented on the outer surface of each of the first and second layers, and an inner electrode implemented on the inner surface of each of the first and second layers. The first layer can include a metal oxide material such that the first outer electrode, the first layer, and the first inner electrode provide a metal oxide varistor (MOV) functionality, and the first inner electrode, the second inner electrode, and the sealed chamber provide a gas discharge tube (GDT) functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Inventors: Kelly Casey, Gordon L. Bourns
  • Patent number: 11962149
    Abstract: Systems and methods for configuring, with an external device, a power distribution box having priority disconnects. The power distribution box includes a housing portion and a base portion elevating the housing portion. The power distribution box receives power from an external power source and distributes the power to a plurality of alternating current (AC) output receptacles. The power distribution box further includes an antenna and a power disconnect controller coupled to the antenna to communicate with and be configured by an external device, such as a smart phone, tablet, or laptop computer. Using the external device, a user can configure the priority level and mode of the AC output receptacles. In the case of high current, the power distribution box will disconnect receptacles in accordance with the priority level and mode configuration provided by the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Mergener, Jeremy R. Ebner
  • Patent number: 11962230
    Abstract: A method and device for controlling a DCDC converter, used for a hybrid electric vehicle and relating to the technical field of vehicle control. The method comprises: according to an output end current limit value and an actual voltage value, acquiring a first preset value corresponding to an input end power; according to the maximum discharge power of a high-voltage battery and the actual discharge power of an electric motor, acquiring a second preset value corresponding to the input end power; and determining the minimum value in the first preset value and the second preset value as an input end target power limit value. Multiple combination working conditions of sufficient or insufficient power sources at the input end are considered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: GREAT WALL MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Zhaolue Sun, Zepeng Li, Chao Qian, Haijun Song
  • Patent number: 11962170
    Abstract: An inverter and power transmission coils are connected such that currents flow in opposite directions to each other when selection switches of respective power transmission coils adjacent to each other, out of a plurality of power transmission coils disposed in the movement direction of a mobile body, are caused to be conductive. The difference in currents flowing in the opposite directions is measured, and compared with a threshold, whereby whether or not a power reception coil mounted to the mobile body is present above the power transmission coil can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takuya Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 11962140
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods to coordinate protective elements in an electric power system (EPS). In one embodiment, a system may include a Time vs Normalized Impedance Length subsystem to determine a first plurality of times of operation of a first protective element for a plurality of fault locations in the EPS and to determine a second plurality of times of operation of a second protective element for the plurality of fault locations in the EPS. A protective action subsystem may coordinate a response of the first protective element and the second protective element. The protective action subsystem may establish a pickup and a protective action for the second protective element. Upon detection of a fault in the EPS, one of the first protective action and the second protective action may be implemented based on one of the first pickup and the second pickup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jai Ganesh Subbarayan, Jeremy William Blair, Brett Mitchell Cockerham
  • Patent number: 11962248
    Abstract: An energy conversion system, an energy conversion method, and a power system. The energy conversion system may include a bridge arm conversion module, a direct current (DC)/DC conversion module, a motor, a bus capacitor, and a control module. The control module may be configured to control a bridge arm switch action in the bridge arm conversion module, drive the motor based on an alternating current input voltage supplied by a power supply, form a bus voltage at two ends of the bus capacitor, and control the DC/DC conversion module to charge a traction battery and an auxiliary battery based on the bus voltage. The traction battery and the auxiliary battery can be charged while the motor is driven, thereby achieving higher energy conversion efficiency, low costs, and strong applicability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei Zhang, Zhaoxue Cui, Ningbo Feng
  • Patent number: 11952132
    Abstract: A supplementary function module is for vehicles for the supplementation of a function module supplied with electrical power via a power supply bus. The supplementary function module is configured to be supplied with electrical power via the power supply bus. The supplementary function module has a controller configured to detect a voltage in the power supply bus, and to deactivate the supplementary function module based upon a first predefined voltage variation being detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AG
    Inventor: Pawel Piotrowski
  • Patent number: 11951583
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes a ceramic base, a ceramic dielectric layer, an electrostatic electrode, and a ceramic insulating layer. The ceramic dielectric layer is positioned on the ceramic base and is thinner than the ceramic base. The electrostatic electrode is embedded between the ceramic dielectric layer and the ceramic base. The ceramic insulating layer is positioned on the ceramic dielectric layer and is thinner than the ceramic dielectric layer. The ceramic insulating layer has a higher volume resistivity and withstand voltage than the ceramic dielectric layer, and the ceramic dielectric layer has a higher dielectric constant than the ceramic insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takebayashi, Kenichiro Aikawa, Tatsuya Kuno
  • Patent number: 11955819
    Abstract: A wireless power receiver system includes a receiver antenna including a plurality of receiver coils, each of the plurality of receiver coils configured to receive alternating current (AC) wireless power signals from a wireless power transmission system. The system further includes a receiver controller configured to generate communications signals. The system further includes a plurality of modulation circuits, each of the plurality of modulation circuits operatively associated with one of the plurality of receiver coils and the receiver controller, each of the plurality of modulation circuits configured to partially dampen a magnetic field, coupling the wireless power receiver system with the wireless power transmission system, based on the communication signals provided to each of the plurality of modulation circuits by the receiver controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: NuCurrent, Inc.
    Inventors: Anna Oleksiewicz, Alberto Peralta, Andy Yoon, Alireza Dayerizadeh, Michael Katz
  • Patent number: 11955792
    Abstract: A method for protecting at least a part of a network segment of an electrical power distribution network has: detecting voltage dips at the intermediate feeding devices of the line arrangements by the voltage dip detection devices; generating and feeding an electrical signal into the line arrangement by the signal generating device at each intermediate feeding device at which one of the voltage dips is detected, the electrical signals having frequencies different from a network frequency of the network segment; receiving the electrical signals via the line arrangements by the receiving devices of the line protection devices; detecting electrical faults on the line arrangement using the electrical signals received by the triggering device of the respective line protection device; and triggering the disconnecting device of the line protection device of the line arrangement, where an electric fault is detected, by the triggering device so that the line arrangement is electrically disconnected from the further el
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Wolfram Heckmann, Philipp STRAUß
  • Patent number: 11954948
    Abstract: A vehicle communication interface cable includes a vehicle connector having a connector body and configured to connect to a diagnostic port of a vehicle, a vehicle communication interface connector having a connector body and configured to connect to a vehicle communication interface, a flexible cable portion having one or more conductors and extending between the vehicle connector and the vehicle communication interface connector, and a battery module comprising a housing for a battery. The battery module is integrated with the cable portion and a pair of battery wires extend from the housing to the vehicle communication interface connector to provide power to a vehicle communication interface from a battery within the housing when the vehicle communication interface connector is connected to the vehicle communication interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Opus IVS, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Herron, Mark W. Wine
  • Patent number: 11955794
    Abstract: A surge protection system includes a receptacle body, at least one power output jack, a power obtaining device, at least one surge protection module, a microcontroller unit, and a surge detection circuit. The at least one surge protection module includes a housing, a memory element, and a surge protection circuit that includes a surge absorption element and a thermal fuse connected in series and parallel. The surge absorption element absorbs a surge inputted from an external power supply, and the memory element records a number of surges carried by the surge absorption element. When the surge enters the surge protection system from the external power supply, the surge absorption element absorbs the surge, and the surge detection circuit outputs a signal to the microcontroller unit that writes the number of surges carried by the surge absorption element into the memory element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: POWERTECH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-Hui Hsu, Po-Hua Hsu, Chi-Chien Chen
  • Patent number: 11951855
    Abstract: A powertrain for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle applications with integrated three-phase AC charging featuring buck-boost operation and optional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability, along with corresponding methods and machine instruction sets for switch control. The powertrain can include of a three-phase current source converter (CSC) front-end with an associated input filter, a polarity inversion module, and in an embodiment, a dual-inverter motor drive. The dual-inverter drive is the source of both the back emf and requisite DC inductance for the CSC. A compact design is thus provided as no additional magnetics are required and the on-board cooling system required for traction mode can be re-deployed for charging and V2G mode. The powertrain is mode shifted between charging and V2G mode through an optional polarity inversion module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ELEAPPOWER LTD.
    Inventors: Peter Lehn, Philippe Gray
  • Patent number: 11955320
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a ceramic susceptor. The ceramic susceptor of the present disclosure includes: an insulating plate on which a high-frequency electrode is disposed; a shaft connected to the insulating plate; a connection mount connected to a longitudinal end of the shaft; a first rod and a second rod, which are connected to the high-frequency electrode, pass through the longitudinal end of the shaft, and extend to the connection mount; and a connection member disposed in the connection mount, wherein the connection member connects the first rod to the second rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: MICO CERAMICS LTD.
    Inventors: Ju Sung Lee, Haneum Bae
  • Patent number: 11951843
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply device converts power from high voltage to low voltage by selectively connecting a predetermined power storage element group to a low voltage electric load from a high voltage power supply formed by connecting power storage elements in series. A leakage current from the high voltage power supply is measured during the dead time period when the power storage element group is not connected to the low voltage electric load. When the value exceeds a predetermined value, the connection between the power storage element group and the low-voltage electric load is interrupted, so that electric shock is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: IMASEN ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Makio, Koichi Yamanoue
  • Patent number: 11955790
    Abstract: An electronic fuse circuit for safeguarding a multi-channel electronic power distributor includes a driver circuit for each channel of the power distributor configured to control an electronic switch of a corresponding channel to assume a certain state, and a microcontroller interface configured to receive from a microcontroller a command for setting the state of the electronic switch of a corresponding channel. The driver circuit of the corresponding channel is configured to set the state of the electronic switch of the corresponding channel according to the command from the microcontroller. The electronic fuse circuit further includes a safety circuit for detecting a malfunction in the microcontroller and/or the power distributor. In the event of a detected malfunction in the microcontroller and/or the power distributor, the driver circuit of each channel is configured to set the state of the electronic switch of the corresponding channel according to a channel-specific preconfigured safety state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Lisa Draexlmaier GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Wortberg
  • Patent number: 11950642
    Abstract: An article of apparel, system, and methods optionally include a textile material, a mobile device holder, coupled to the textile material, configured to secure a mobile device with respect to the article of apparel, and an electrical system. The electrical system includes an antenna, configured to communicatively couple with a primary antenna of the mobile device, positioned in relation to the holder, a power supply, coupled to the antenna, configured to output power based on a current as generated in the antenna when communicatively coupled with the primary antenna, a controller, coupled to the power supply, operable based on the power as output by the power supply, and a sensor, coupled to the textile material, communicatively coupled to the controller via a conductor, configured to detect a sensor condition and output a sensor signal when powered by the power output by the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Vikram Malhotra, Holli Pheil, Summer L. Schneider