Patents Examined by Jared Fureman
  • Patent number: 11938875
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for wireless power transfer in a vehicle. A wireless power transfer system can include a high-frequency alternating current (HFAC) inverter electrically coupled to the power source and a transmitter to wirelessly transmit a HFAC power signal to at least one device of a vehicle, such as sensors (e.g., LiDAR, GPS etc.) and cameras. The HFAC power signal provides wireless power and a data signal to the at least one device of a vehicle. The wireless power transfer system can eliminate the need for cabling and wires to provide power to the device. Wireless power transfer can include use or a data modulation circuit and a pulse current source to inject a pulse current to the HFAC power signal as superimposed data. System configurations can power a plurality of devices. Systems can includes a plurality of HFAC inverters and transmitters to power multiple sets of devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Yanghe Liu, Chungchih Chou, Hiroshi Ukegawa, Qunfang Wu, Mengqi Wang, Weiyang Zhou
  • Patent number: 11940338
    Abstract: An electric-carrier power-supply device for use in an electric carrier is provided. The electric-carrier power-supply device includes a piezoresistive sensor, a battery interface, and a power-management unit (PMU). The battery interface is connected to an on-board battery and receives power from the on-board battery. The PMU controls power to a motor of the electric carrier. A piezoresistive strain gage is disposed between a contact area between the battery interface and the on-board battery, and is used to detect a pressure value of the contact area. The piezoresistive sensor receives the pressure value detected by the piezoresistive strain gage, and converts the pressure value into a resistance value. The piezoresistive sensor determines whether the resistance value is within a safe resistance value range to generate a resistance-value-determination signal. The PMU determines whether to provide power to the motor is according to the resistance-value-determination signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: WISTRON CORP.
    Inventors: Chen Yi Liang, Yung Chen Chang
  • Patent number: 11942786
    Abstract: A power supply circuit, a compensation circuit and a harmonic distortion compensation method thereof are disclosed. The power supply circuit includes a rectifier and filter module, a main power stage module, a voltage waveform detection module and a compensation module. The rectifier and filter module converts an AC voltage into a DC voltage. The main power stage module receives the DC voltage and provides power to a load. The voltage waveform detection module is configured to detect a waveform of the DC voltage and derive, from the waveform, information about each cycle of the DC voltage. The compensation module is configured to generate a compensation signal based on the information about each cycle of the DC voltage and trigger the main power stage module to perform compensation operation based on the compensation signal. The compensation operation is performed to accomplish total harmonic distortion compensation of the power supply circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SHANGHAI BRIGHT POWER SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jianjing Lv, Minmin Fan
  • Patent number: 11942927
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for short-circuit detection by saturation detection in power semiconductor switches and to a corresponding device. A reference voltage (Uref) is provided as a function of a supply voltage (UVDD) of a power semiconductor switch. A differential voltage (Udiff) is generated from the difference of a voltage drop (U?) of a load path of the power semiconductor switch and the provided reference voltage (Uref). The generated differential voltage (Udiff) is compared with a predetermined threshold voltage (Ulim). A short-circuit current in the load path of the power semiconductor switch is detected when the differential voltage (Udiff) exceeds the threshold voltage (Ulim). In this case, the power semiconductor switch is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Calin Purcarea, Daniel Schweiker, Deepa Mathai, Falko Friese
  • Patent number: 11943009
    Abstract: A communication barrier arrangement includes a first driver having a first interface for receiving signals from a first device destined for a second device, an isolation barrier including a first transformer for signal transfer and having a primary winding connected to the first driver and a secondary winding, a second driver connected to the secondary winding and having a first connection terminal for output of the signals towards the second device, a first signal conditioner having a second connection terminal for receiving the signals from the second driver and a second interface for delivering them to the second device and a protection circuit including a resistor in parallel with a first capacitor, the protection circuit being connected between the first and second connection terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Inventors: Ulf Hansson, Thomas Keul, Johan Wennerberg
  • Patent number: 11942799
    Abstract: A power transmitter for wireless power transfer includes a sensing system, a feedback mechanism and a control and communications unit includes a controller configured to receive object detection data from the sensing system, if a power receiver is detected, reset an alert timer, if the power receiver has been detected and a disconnect is detected, determine if an alert timer value is greater than an alert threshold, if a disconnect is detected and the alert timer value is greater than the alert threshold, instruct the feedback mechanism to output an alert. The power transmitter further includes an inverter circuit configured to receive a direct current (DC) power and convert the input power to a power signal and a coil configured to transmit the power signal to a power receiver, the coil formed of wound Litz wire and including at least one layer, the coil defining, at least, a top face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: NuCurrent, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Kovacs, Jason Green
  • Patent number: 11942813
    Abstract: When a module controller of a battery system detects an abnormality of a battery module, the module controller selects the battery module without stopping the battery module. After that, the module controller compares a current value of a current supplied to a load, with a total value of rated currents of all battery modules that are normal and that are supplying power to the load. When the current value of the current supplied to the load is greater than the total value of the rated currents of the battery modules, the module controller performs a control to stop all the battery modules. When the current value of the current supplied to the load is less than or equal to the total value of the rated currents of all the battery modules that are supplying power to the load, the module controller performs a control to stop the abnormal battery module and not to stop the normal battery modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Suzuki, Michiya Mori
  • Patent number: 11932123
    Abstract: Discharge systems for electric vehicles and electric vehicles having discharge systems. In one implementation, a discharge system for an electric vehicle includes a step-down power converter configured to step down an input voltage to an output voltage; discharge circuitry coupled to the output of the step-down power converter, wherein the discharge circuitry is reversibly driveable to load the step-down power converter; an input component configured to receive input that originated from a human user or a sensor of the electric vehicle, wherein the input indicates that the electric vehicle is to shutdown; and discharge drive circuitry configured to drive the discharge circuitry to load the step-down power converter in response to the indication that the electric vehicle is to shutdown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Christoph Dustert, Andreas Volke, Klaus Harmann
  • Patent number: 11936176
    Abstract: A contactor includes: a first and second power terminal; a sub-circuit connected between this first and second power terminal and comprising the following three elements connected in series: an electrical conductor portion, a primary switch, and a fuse. The primary switch has a movable part driven by an actuator. The contactor further has a magnetic sensor for measuring a primary current flowing through the electrical conductor portion, and a controller connected to the magnetic sensor and to the actuator. The controller has a communication port for receiving commands. The contactor can detect whether the primary switch is actually open. The controller is configured for: (i) receiving a command to open the switch; (ii) operating the actuator, (iii) detecting if the primary switch is actually open; and (iv) blowing the fuse if the switch is not open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES SA
    Inventors: Bruno Boury, Stephane Rauw
  • Patent number: 11936201
    Abstract: A wireless power transmitter (101) an output circuit (203, 103) comprises a transmitter coil (103) for which generates the power transfer signal a drive signal generated by a driver circuit (201) is applied. A power loop controller (209) implements a power control loop for controlling the drive signal to adjust a power level of the power transfer signal in response to power control error messages received from the power receiver (105). A mode store (213) stores a plurality of power level modes for the power receiver where each power level mode is associated with a reference power level for the power transfer signal. A mode circuit (211) adapts the drive signal to set the power level of the power transfer signal to a first reference value in response to receiving a mode request message where the first reference value corresponds to a reference power level for a first power level mode indicated in the mode request message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Wilhelmus Draak, Klaas Jacob Lulofs, Pascal Leonard Maria Theodoor Lebens, Andries van Wageningen
  • Patent number: 11935692
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless charging are disclosed. A wireless charging device has a plurality of charging cells provided on a first surface and a processor configured to provide a charging current to a first charging coil in a surface of the wireless charging device, determine that an impedance of a resonant circuit has varied from a threshold or setpoint impedance, and restore the threshold or setpoint impedance by modifying frequency of the charging current. The resonant circuit may include the first charging coil. A method for operating the wireless charging device includes providing a charging current to a first charging coil in a surface of the wireless charging device, determining that an impedance of a resonant circuit has varied from a threshold or setpoint impedance, and restoring the threshold or setpoint impedance by modifying frequency of the charging current. The resonant circuit may include the charging coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: AIRA, INC.
    Inventors: Eric Heindel Goodchild, John Winters
  • Patent number: 11936199
    Abstract: Polyphase wireless power transfer systems are provided. The transfer system may be used for charging hybrid and electric vehicles. The systems are capable of transferring over 50 KW over an air gap of 15 cm. The systems use a rotating magnetic field to transfer power. The system may comprise transmitter coil assembly. The coil assembly may be one or more layers. The system may employ either unipolar or bipolar coils. The transmitter also comprises compensating capacitance connected in series with at least one coil for each phase. A value of the compensating capacitance for each phase is determined such that the transmitter has at least two independently excitable resonant modes at a resonant frequency. The transmitter is compatible with a plurality of different receivers including three-phase, single phase with a circular coil and single phase with DD coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Jason L. Pries, Veda Prakash Galigekere, Gui-Jia Su
  • Patent number: 11935714
    Abstract: A load control device may control power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source. The load control device may include a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the electrical load, a zero-cross detect circuit configured to generate a zero-cross signal representative of the zero-crossings of an AC voltage. The zero-cross signal may be characterized by pulses occurring in time with the zero-crossings of the AC voltage. The load control device may include a control circuit operatively coupled to the controllably conductive device and the zero cross detect circuit. The control circuit may be configured to identify a rising-edge time and a falling-edge time of one of the pulses of the zero-cross signal, and may control a conductive state of the controllably conductive device based on the rising-edge time and the falling-edge time of the pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Robert W. Lenig, Michael Sizemore, Joshua W. Thaler, Russell L. MacAdam
  • Patent number: 11936220
    Abstract: Embodiments of this application provide an energy storage device and system as well as a power system, and relate to the technical field of a power grid. The energy storage device includes: at least two parallel-connected energy storage units, where each energy storage unit includes: a battery cluster and a power conversion system; and the battery cluster includes at least two cells; a direct-current side of the power conversion system is electrically connected to the battery cluster, an alternating-current side of the power conversion system is configured to electrically connect to an input side of an alternating-current combiner cabinet, and an output side of the alternating-current combiner cabinet is configured to electrically connect to an alternating-current side of a transformer. The energy storage device is configured to improve safety and reliability of the energy storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
    Inventors: Chenling Zheng, Yanhua Lu, Jinbo Cai, Bingtuan Luo
  • Patent number: 11932181
    Abstract: An electronic component includes external ground connections for connecting to a cable harness and internal ground connections electrically coupled to paired external ground connections so that the potential at each internal ground connection corresponds to the potential at the paired external ground connection. An analysis circuit determines on which internal ground connections first and second signal information is applied to infer a coding of the component from the pattern of the internal ground connections being supplied with the first and second potential. A combination circuit connects the internal ground connections to the external ground connections such that when a ground line of a cable harness is connected to precisely one of the external ground connections, the first signal information is applied to a respective different sub-quantity of internal ground connections depending on which of the external ground connections the ground line is connected to.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Fabian Bajfus, Stephan Fahrnbauer
  • Patent number: 11935681
    Abstract: A power converter comprises a chassis and an AC connector, a low-voltage DC connector and a high-voltage DC connector at an exterior surface of the chassis. An AC-DC converter circuit is positioned at least partially within the chassis and is coupled to the AC connector. A first converter circuit is positioned at least partially within the chassis and is coupled to the AC-DC converter circuit and to a high-voltage DC bus. The high-voltage DC bus is connected to the high-voltage DC connector. A second converter circuit is positioned at least partially within the chassis and is coupled to the high-voltage DC bus to a low-voltage DC bus. The low-voltage DC bus is connected to the low-voltage DC connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Navitas Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Hao Sun, Zhen Zhou
  • Patent number: 11929606
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a safety control circuit and an automobile emergency starting clamp provided with the same. The safety control circuit is integrated with an EC5 input module, an ignition clip module, a relay module, a timing control module, an input high-voltage protection module, a voltage-stabilizing power supply module, an input low-voltage protection module, a high-temperature protection module, a low-temperature protection module, an error alarm module, a first timing module, a second timing module and a light display module, and has fast response and high safety. The automobile emergency starting clamp provided with the circuit includes an anode cable clamp, a cathode cable clamp and a control box; and the control box includes a control box upper shell, a control box lower shell, an on/off button and the above-mentioned safety control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Dongguan Hang Che Bao Future Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Guozhi Zeng
  • Patent number: 11929580
    Abstract: A power strip and method for providing and controlling power to power strip outlets and for differing amperages and/or voltages is disclosed. The power strip includes a power cord for connecting to a power outlet and a plurality of electrical outlets of the same of differing amperage and voltage connected to receive the electrical current from the power cord. At least one of the plurality of electrical outlets is powered continuously with electrical current from the power outlet. Electrical current from the power outlet to the plurality of electrical outlets is controlled by load presence controlled circuit, current limiting circuit, and/or soft-start circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: RAYMOND INNOVATIONS, LLC
    Inventor: Will Hansen
  • Patent number: 11929604
    Abstract: One or more examples relate, generally, to a programmable voltage lockout circuit provided at an electronic device. Such a programmable voltage lockout circuit asserts a lockout of the electronic device at least partially responsive to a user-programmed threshold and a supply voltage of the electronic device. One or more examples relate, generally, to configuring a programmable voltage lockout circuit utilizing a user-programmed threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventor: Daniel Harfert
  • Patent number: 11929198
    Abstract: A magnetic structure in a power converter includes at least two multilayer boards, such as a primary board containing the primary windings and some auxiliary windings, and a secondary board containing the secondary windings and some auxiliary windings. The primary and secondary boards are on top of each other. On the layer on the primary board adjacent to the secondary board, is a dual function shield to reduce the total common mode noise in the converter towards zero. The controlled dual function shield can be placed on the secondary board on the layer adjacent to the primary board, and in some embodiments can be placed on both primary and secondary board on the layers adjacent to the other board. The embodiments herein offer a very good solution for cost reduction of the planar transformers and offers an avenue for total elimination of the common mode noise in a power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Rompower Technology Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Ionel Jitaru