Patents Examined by Justen Fauth
  • Patent number: 8138627
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for managing network-connected devices in peak power periods. The method establishes a network of connected devices, identifying a first device in the network as an off-peak device, and a second device as a peak device. If a peak power warning signal is detected, the off-peak device is disabled, but not the peak device. Any job destined for the off-peak device from a source device is relayed to the peak device and processed by the peak device. If the job destined for the off-peak device is a job format associated with the off-peak device, relaying the job to the peak device may further include the operation of converting the job to a job format associated with the peak device. In one aspect, a destination change message is sent to the source device, indicating the location of the peak device processing the job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew Rodney Ferlitsch
  • Patent number: 8129865
    Abstract: An inductive rotary joint for non-contact transmission of electrical energy between a stationary part and a rotating part of the rotary joint comprises a power generator for generating an alternating voltage or an alternating current, which feeds a load by means of a rotatable power transmitter. An electrical parameter on the primary side of the power transmitter is determined with a measurement means, and from this, the condition of another electrical parameter at the load is approximated by means of a functional unit. Regulation of the power generator is effected with this approximated value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Schleifring und Apparatebau GmbH
    Inventors: Nils Krumme, Georg Lohr, Herbert Weithmann, Michael Bley
  • Patent number: 8130123
    Abstract: A rotary actuator includes a roller having a center shaft protruding along a center axis, a bearing for supporting the center shaft of the roller to allow the roller to rotate about the center axis, a ring magnet fixed to the center shaft of the roller, an elastic member having a ring shape provided between the center shaft of the roller and the bearing, and a fixed magnet facing the ring magnet. The ring magnet is alternately magnetized to an S-pole and an N-pole with predetermined angular intervals. This rotary actuator has a simple structure and operates with a preferable operation feeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroto Inoue, Tamotsu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8125100
    Abstract: An electric power-feeding structure for feeding electric power to a moving body which is driven to be raised or lowered, includes: an arm having a distal end connected to the moving body movably in a direction perpendicular to a raising or lowering direction of the moving body and a proximal end adapted to be rotatably driven so as to swing, to thereby drive the raising or lowering of the moving body. An electrical wire is routed alongside the arm, and one end of the electrical wire extending from the distal end of the arm is connected to the moving body to feed electric power to the moving body. The electrical wire is routed alongside a side surface of the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Suzuki, Atsuyoshi Yamaguchi, Takehiko Uehara
  • Patent number: 8120200
    Abstract: A control methodology for an engine-driven electric machine of a hybrid vehicle electrical system for enabling continued operation of the vehicle electrical system under failure mode conditions that require or result in disconnection of the battery pack from the electrical system. At the onset of a fault condition requiring battery disconnection, the electric machine is controlled to drive the battery pack current toward zero before disconnecting the battery pack. Once the battery pack is disconnected, whether by relay or fuse, the electric machine is controlled to maintain the bus voltage of the electrical system at a specified value. In both operating modes, the electric machine is controlled based on a synchronous vector current command that is determined directly as a function of the control objective (zero battery pack current or maintaining bus voltage) for improved response time compared to a traditional torque-based control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Walters, Gerald T. Fattic
  • Patent number: 8120206
    Abstract: A method of detecting a parallel source condition includes calculating a reactive power, comparing the reactive power to a predetermined threshold, and determining a parallel source condition in response to the reactive power exceeding the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Myroth, Vijay K. Maddali
  • Patent number: 8120199
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power inverter for use in converting 12VDC to 115VAC, the power inverter is adapted for securement to a conventional trailer hitch connector. The power inverter provides remote power to 115 volt accessory items by use of a conventional 115 volt output receptacle positionable at the rear of a vehicle by use of the trailer hitch connector so as to eliminate the need for extension cords commonly used when powering 115 volt accessories from a conventional vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Inventor: Mathew Inskeep
  • Patent number: 8120203
    Abstract: A distributed power management system may include a communication bus and a plurality of POL (point-of-load) regulators coupled to the communication bus and configured in a current sharing arrangement in which each POL regulator of the plurality of POL regulators has a respective output stage coupled to a common load and configured to generate a respective output current. Each POL regulator may have a respective phase in the current sharing configuration, and may transmit and receive information over the bus according to a bus communication protocol corresponding to the bus. The plurality of POL regulators may autonomously arbitrate a new master assignment, when a POL regulator operating as a master device drops out of regulation when a fault occurs, the respective phase of the master device is dropped, and/or the communication interface of the master device to the communication bus fails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas E. Heineman, Nicholas J. Havens
  • Patent number: 8120209
    Abstract: A voltage sensing device with which high-precision voltage sensing is possible without the need to obtain a unique correction constant for each device. A pair of voltage input nodes NCk and NCk-1 is selected from voltage input nodes NC0-NCn in switch part 10, and they are connected to sensing input nodes NA and NB in two types of patterns with different polarity (forward connection, reverse connection). Sensing input nodes NA and NB are held at reference potential Vm by voltage sensing part 20, and current Ina and Inb corresponding to the voltage at voltage input nodes NCk and NCk-1 flows to input resistors RIk and RIk-1. Currents Ina and Inb are synthesized at different ratios in voltage sensing part 20, and sensed voltage signal S20 is generated according to the synthesized current Ic. Sensed voltage data S40 with low error is generated according to the difference between the two sensed voltage signals S20 generated in the two connection patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Toru Tanaka, Akio Ogura, Kazuya Omagari, Nariaki Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 8120212
    Abstract: Method for the control of an electric fence energizer of any given power, guaranteeing that, during each pulse emitted by the energizer, any human body that might have come into contact with the electric fence since a recent pulse does not run the risk of receiving a dangerous electric shock by reason of the pulse in progress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Lacme Holding
    Inventors: Valéry Hamm, Yves Mulet-Marquis
  • Patent number: 8120211
    Abstract: A timing-device equipped energy-saving socket includes an enclosure, in which the enclosure is deposed a power plug on one side, and deposed a variety of power sockets on the sides without deposing the power plug. The enclosure is deposed a control device inside. When the power plug receives the AC power, the AC power can not be transmitted to the control device and the power socket if the control device does not operate. If the control device operates, the AC power is supposed to supply power to the control device and the power socket. When the control device measures that the power supply time is out, the AC power supply ceases to supply power to the power socket. Thus the AC power can not be transmitted to the control device and the power socket, and the purpose of energy saving and zero power consumption can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Inventor: Li-Chun Lai
  • Patent number: 8115339
    Abstract: Disclosed is a UPS isolation control high speed transfer switch for switching a power supply path of a UPS to a bypass line and a power supply system equipped with the high speed transfer switch. The switch is isolated from the UPS and detects the output power of UPS, and switches a power supply path from a normal power line to the bypass line, by turning off the transfer switch of the bypass line after turning off an output breaker of a normal power line when the output power is deviated from a preset normal range. Furthermore, the switch performs a switching to the bypass line only when the output breaker of the UPS is actually turned off, after confirming the turn-off of the output breaker when switching the power supply path to the bypass line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: KT Corporation
    Inventors: Hyun Chul Jung, Byoung Sam Kim
  • Patent number: 8115342
    Abstract: The vehicle power supply apparatus 100 has a power transmitting unit 110 including a power transmission side coil 111 for generating an alternating magnetic field, a positioning member 112 for positioning the power transmission side coil 111 in a vehicle 20, and a power transmission side circuit 114 supplying an electric current to the power transmission side coil 111; and a power receiving unit 120 including a power receipt side coil 121 disposed in a rear window member 30 which is a non-magnetic portion of the vehicle 20 and generating an induced current based on an alternating magnetic field generated by the power transmission side coil 111 and a power receipt side circuit 122 supplying, to a power-supplied object, electric power based on the induced current generated by the power receipt side coil 121.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventor: Koji Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 8110945
    Abstract: A power stealing circuit for stealing power to operate a control device is disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment, power may be periodically or intermittently diverted from a power source to a power stealing block. When power is diverted to the power stealing block, the power stealing block may steal power from the power source and store the stolen power on a storage device. The storage device may then provide operating power to a control device. In some embodiments, the power stealing block may include a first path for charging the storage device when a switch is ON, and a second path for charging the storage device when the switch is off. The switch may be switched OFF when, for example, when the voltage provided by the rectifier is greater than a threshold voltage, the voltage detected on the storage device is greater than a threshold value, and/or when a control signal from a controller disables the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Pierre Simard, Benoit Meilleur, Daniel Tousignant
  • Patent number: 8106540
    Abstract: A system is provided for compensating a power transmission line having one or more non-conventional power generating sources connected to the power transmission line. At least one series compensation circuit is connected to a portion the power transmission line, and at least one damping circuit is connected in parallel with the series compensation circuit. The damping circuit reduces subsynchronous series resonance caused by the series compensation circuit on the power transmission line, and the series compensation circuit compensates the power transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Einar V. Larsen, Bruce E. English, Goran Drobnjak
  • Patent number: 8102077
    Abstract: A power generation and distribution system for providing power to at least one motor configured to drive a wheel of a vehicle includes: at least one power module having at least one generator configured to generate alternating current having a frequency and voltage; a common alternating current bus in electrical communication with the at least one power module through a contactor and configured to receive the alternating current therefrom; at least one power conversion module in electrical communication with the common alternating current bus and configured to convert the alternating current to a specified direct current for delivery to the at least one motor; and a controller configured to communicate with and operatively control at least one of the following: at least one component of the at least one power module; at least one component of the common alternating current bus; at least one component of the at least one power conversion module; or any combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Wabtec Holding Corp.
    Inventor: Charles E. Neher
  • Patent number: 8097978
    Abstract: A system for extending backup times using networks of direct current (DC) uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) is provided. A first DC UPS has a first input and a first output. A second DC UPS has a second input coupled to the first output of the first DC UPS, a second output coupled to at least one electrical load, and a third output coupled to the first input of the first DC UPS. Battery current from the first and second DC UPS is shared with the at least one electrical load in the event of a power loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Mark Groff, Trung Le
  • Patent number: 8093749
    Abstract: A system may include a switchover element configurable to source or sink power from or to an electronic device electrically coupled to the switchover element and a controller in communication with the switchover element. The controller may be configured to determine if the electronic device is healthy. When the electronic device is healthy, the controller may configure the switchover element to deliver power from the electronic device to the system and configure the switchover element to provide the power to any unhealthy electronic device electrically coupled to the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Juniper Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Hogan Lew, Ankur Singla, Harshad Nakil
  • Patent number: 8093759
    Abstract: A device (12) supplies energy to a rapid cycling and/or rapidly cycled integrated circuit (13, 52) which includes a circuit load (17) and an internal capacity (15) connected parallel to the circuit load (17). The integrated circuit (13, 52) has a high cycle frequency (f1) especially at least in the MHz range. A supply unit (14) especially designed as a current source is directly connected to the internal capacity (15). The supply unit (14) has an internal resistance, the impedance level of which is so high at the cycle frequency (f1) that a current (ID2) supplying the circuit load (17) originates to a greater degree from the internal capacity (15) than from the supply unit (14). At least one auxiliary load, current sink or load controller is provided as an integral component of the integrated circuit and is connected to the circuit load to smooth load fluctuations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignees: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung e. V., Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Goeran Schubert, Thomas Steinecke, Uwe Keller, Thomas Mager
  • Patent number: 8093745
    Abstract: There is provided a method for measuring a parameter of a power frequency current being carried by a power line. The method that includes (a) transducing a power frequency current flowing through a power line, into a power frequency voltage, via an inductive coupler that couples a communications signal from the power line, (b) separating the power frequency voltage from the communications signal, and (c) determining a value of a parameter of the power frequency current from the power frequency voltage. There is also provided a system and an apparatus for measuring the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ambient Corporation
    Inventor: Yehuda Cern