Patents Examined by Justen Fauth
  • Patent number: 8093748
    Abstract: The Universal Power Inlet System, or UPIS, is a method of providing universal attachment of 3 different types of electrical power systems into the input circuitry of a Power Distribution Unit, or PDU. This method allows use of either fixed or detachable power cord options permitting the PDU to be powered by any of the following types of electrical power sources: 3-Phase Delta, 3-Phase Star (or Wye) and Single-Phase. This method also describes a way to uniquely identify the specific power system the mentioned PDU is currently attached to. The method also optionally allows derivation of supplementary information about the electrical power system such as current capacity, or ampacity, of the power cord being used. All this information can be used for capacity monitoring and reporting as well as protection of PDU circuitry and power cords.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Avocent Huntsville Corporation
    Inventor: Carlos E. Martins
  • Patent number: 8089180
    Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated circuit device comprising a startup operation circuit (101) for carrying out processing necessary for startup and a post-startup operation circuit (102) for carrying out a main operation after completion of the processing necessary for startup, wherein the post-startup operation circuit (102) has an operation guaranteed temperature whose lower limit is higher than a lower limit of an operation guaranteed temperature of the startup operation circuit (101), and the post-startup operation circuit (102) starts the main operation after a temperature of the integrated circuit device exceeds a threshold temperature which is equal to the lower limit of the operation guaranteed temperature of the post-startup operation circuit (102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yuka Takahashi, Norihiko Mizobata
  • Patent number: 8080900
    Abstract: Apparatus and associated method and computer program products involve a highly efficient uninterruptible power distribution architecture to support modular processing units. As an illustrative example, a modular processing unit includes an integrated uninterruptible power system in which a PFC-boost AC-to-DC conversion occurs between the utility AC grid and the processing circuit (e.g., microprocessor) loads. In an illustrative data center facility, a power distribution architecture includes a modular array of rack-mountable processing units, each of which has processing circuitry to handle network-related processing tasks. Associated with each modular processing unit is an integrated uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to supply operating power to the network processing circuitry. Each UPS includes a battery selectively connectable across a DC bus, and a AC-to-DC rectifier that converts an AC input voltage to a single output voltage on the DC bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Exaflop LLC
    Inventors: Selver Corhodzic, Andrew B. Carlson, William H. Whitted, Montgomery Sykora, Ken Krieger, William Hamburgen, Donald L. Beaty, Gerald Aigner, Jimmy Clidaras
  • Patent number: 8076794
    Abstract: A multi-voltage vehicle electrical system for a motor vehicle is provided, including at least one multi-voltage generator, a first energy store, whose energy may be fed into a first low-voltage vehicle electrical system branch having low-voltage consumers, and a second energy store, whose energy may be fed into a second high-voltage vehicle electrical system branch having high-voltage consumers, as well as at least one controllable switching device, using which the energy generated by the multi-voltage generator may be distributed to the first and the second vehicle electrical system branches, the first and the second energy stores being connected in series to one another and the first vehicle electrical system branch being connected to a node between the first and the second energy store and to a reference potential of the first energy store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hartmut Proebstle, Michael Roesler, Joerg Merwerth, Thomas Christ
  • Patent number: 8063506
    Abstract: A power source apparatus of a car is provided with contactors (2) connected to an output-side of a battery (1); a pre-charge circuit (3) made up of a series connected pre-charge resistor (6) and a pre-charge relay (7), which is connected with a contactor (2) to supply auxiliary charge to a capacitor (21) connected to a car-side of the battery (1); and a control circuit (4) to control the contactors (2) and the pre-charge relay (7). The pre-charge resistor (6) is connected in parallel with a contactor (2), and the pre-charge relay (7) is connected in series with that contactor (2). The control circuit (4) switches the pre-charge relay (7) ON to pre-charge the car-side capacitor (21), and then switches the contactor (2) ON to connect the battery (1) to the car-side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Sakata, Takeshi Oosawa, Akira Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8058746
    Abstract: This converter for electrical power recovery (1) for supplying power to a load (6) includes an in-house power generation device (5) for supplying power in cooperation with input terminal power at a power input terminal (2). Moreover, it includes a thermal storage unit (12) which, when surplus power is generated in a state in which a target value for input terminal power is set to zero, thermally stores this power. Furthermore, a control unit (9) is included which, when surplus power is generated, decides whether or not breakage of a wire of a CT (7) has occurred by raising the target value for the input terminal power from zero to a predetermined value, and by deciding whether or not the power input terminal current is somewhat elevated from zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sansha Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Suekane, Satoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8049373
    Abstract: In a cooling system used in cooling of a heater housing box, the present invention presents an apparatus for stabilizing power supply of heater housing box cooling apparatus capable of changing over a plurality of taps provided in the winding of a power transformer before the output voltage exceeds an allowable voltage range when turning on alternating-current power supply. For this purpose, first resistor 1 for elevating slowly the output voltage of the power transformer when turning on the alternating-current power supply is provided at the secondary side of the power transformer, direct-current voltage V1 rectified and smoothed from the output voltage is delayed by the charging time of a first capacitor, and an electronic controller for operating a tap changeover relay for automatically changing over the plurality of taps provided in the power transformer is started before the output voltage exceeds the allowable voltage range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kouichi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8049367
    Abstract: When a vehicle is set to a travel control mode or external charging mode, a vehicle system is activated for executing the control mode to which the vehicle is set. A converter ECU selects one sub power storage unit to be used first after activation of the vehicle system, based on a power storage unit used after preceding activation as read from a memory unit contained in the converter ECU and based on respective states of charge of sub power storage units, and electrically connects the selected sub power storage unit and a converter via a switch circuit. When the vehicle system is activated for executing the travel control mode, the converter ECU updates information about the power storage unit used after preceding activation as stored in the memory unit, to information about the power storage unit used first after the present activation of the vehicle system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junta Izumi, Kiyohito Machida
  • Patent number: 8044539
    Abstract: A street-lighting and solar energy collection system is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of lighting/solar energy collecting units, an AC and DC power transmission means and a control unit. The system operates in one of the two operation modes. In the first operation mode as the street-lighting system, the units receive AC power from the power grid for lighting. In the second operation mode as the solar energy collecting system, the units transmit generated DC electricity to a centralized DC to AC converter in the control unit. The control unit further provides a means for switching the system in between two modes. When the system is operated as the solar energy collection system, it is disconnected from the power grid. The generated DC electricity from each unit is converted by the AC to DC converter in the control unit and is subsequently injected into the power grid. Communication devices in the units and in the control unit form an ad hoc communication network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Inventor: Yang Pan
  • Patent number: 8039991
    Abstract: In a cogeneration system having a first power plant connected to an AC power feed line between a power network and an electrical load and a first internal combustion engine for driving the first power plant such that exhaust heat of the first engine is supplied to a thermal load, power supply from the first power plant to the power network is interrupted by turning off a switch installed in the feed line, when outage of the power network is detected and a second power plant is operated, such that outputs of the first and second power plants are supplied to the electrical load. With this, it becomes possible to respond to a commercial power network outage for preventing reverse flow of the power output by the cogeneration system into the power network and supplying as much electric power as possible to the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Wakitani, Yoshinori Nakagawa, Hiroyuki Eguchi
  • Patent number: 8039989
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a low cost multiple output redundant power supply. Disclosed is a power supply that includes a primary stage for regulating voltage on an internal bus. The power supply includes a first regulator stage and a second regulator stage connected to the internal bus. The first regulator stage regulates voltage on a bus configured to connect to a first system. The second regulator stage regulates voltage on a bus configured to connect to a second system. The each regulator stage continues to operate in the event the other regulator stage is not operating. A disconnecting means is connected between the primary stage and the each regulator stage for isolating the failed regulator stage from the other regulator stage and the primary stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chu T. Chung, Cecil C. Dishman, Randhir S. Malik
  • Patent number: 8035247
    Abstract: A power supply device for a vehicle includes a battery, a power line (power supply line and ground line, a connection unit, a charger that is an electric power supply unit, an accessory load, a voltage sensor and a control device. When the accessory load is operating, the control device sends signals to the connection unit to turn off all of three system main relays. Thereby, battery is electrically disconnected from charger. The control device further produces a power command based on a predetermined target voltage and a voltage detected by the voltage sensor such that the detected voltage attains the target voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8022578
    Abstract: An electric power supply cut-off circuit comprises an IC which outputs a normal operation signal when the IC is operated normally, a switch which makes connection or disconnection between the IC and a power source, and a switching control circuit which continuously outputs a connection instruction signal during a period in which the normal operation signal is inputted from the IC, wherein the switch connects the IC and the power source when the connection instruction signal is inputted, and the switch cuts off the connection between the IC and the power source when the connection instruction signal is not inputted. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably avoid any excessive increase in the temperature of the IC and the ignition of the IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kondo
  • Patent number: 8022577
    Abstract: A three-way or four-way switching circuit for lighting, and the like, is described. One three-way switch is replaced with an electronic switch. Both legs of the switching circuit are powered all the time and current is sensed in the legs to determine when one of the three-way or four-way switches has been switched. This information is used to turn the light on and off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Echelon Corporation
    Inventor: Gordon T. Grice
  • Patent number: 8022575
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and controller for damping multimode electromagnetic oscillations in electric power systems which interconnect a plurality of generators and consumers. The controller for damping such oscillations includes a phasor measurement unit (PMU) and a power oscillation damper (POD) controller. Each oscillating mode signal is damped and then superposed to derive a control signal. A feedback controller is used to feedback the control signal to a power flow control device in the power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Petr Korba, Mats Larsson
  • Patent number: 8018091
    Abstract: A selectable backup power supply device for providing power to a real time clock (RTC) and a memory unit is disclosed. The device includes a backup battery, a first power outputting unit and a second power outputting unit, wherein the backup battery outputs a backup voltage, the first power outputting unit is connected to the backup battery and the RTC for receiving the backup voltage and outputting a first supply voltage to the RTC, and the second power outputting unit is connected to the backup battery and the memory unit, for receiving the backup voltage and, in accordance with a selection signal, outputting a second supply voltage to the memory unit or stopping the output of the second supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignees: Universal Scientific Industrial (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Universal Global Scientific Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Huang-Chu Liu, Chun-Ta Wu
  • Patent number: 8013469
    Abstract: A power supply system for a railway vehicle is provided including a converter able to receive information from a transmission system between a power supply unit and air-conditioning units and to deduce from this information the demand for electrical power from each air-conditioning unit, this demand indicating the electrical power required by that air-conditioning unit to cool and/or dehumidify the air within a car in which it is installed, and the first electrical converter being equipped with a module for adjusting the amplitude and/or frequency of the three-phase voltage in a power supply network in response to the demands transmitted by each air-conditioning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Alstom Transport SA
    Inventor: Jean Emmanuel Masselus
  • Patent number: 8008800
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle including a plurality of engines, a plurality of loads, a plurality of electrical generators, at least one load sensor, at least one electrical energy storage device, and a controller. The plurality of engines include a first engine and a second engine. The plurality of loads include a first mechanical load, a second mechanical load, a first electrical load, and a second electrical load. The first mechanical load is coupled to the first engine and the second mechanical load is coupled to the second engine. The plurality of electrical generator include a first generator and a second generator. The first generator is coupled to the first engine and the second generator is coupled to the second engine. The first generator is electrically coupled to the first electrical load and the second generator is electrically coupled to the second electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Ryan P. Mackin, Alan D. Sheidler
  • Patent number: 8004108
    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. In a vicinity of a rotating shaft of the arm, the electrical wire is routed around the rotating shaft to be bent and deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Suzuki, Atsuyoshi Yamaguchi, Takehiko Uehara, Katsuaki Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8004119
    Abstract: A new multi-function shunt active filter has been successfully implemented. The proposed decoupler and cascade controller provide a simple solution to power factor correction, reduction of harmonics loads and load balancing. The mathematical burden of resolving the load current to fundamental and harmonics is not required. The decoupler and controller can easily be implemented using low-cost analogue devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
    Inventors: Kai Ming Tsang, Wai Lok Chan