Patents Examined by Michael Dibenedetto
  • Patent number: 8836275
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a charging and discharging management apparatus and a mobile terminal. The charging and discharging management apparatus may include a charging and discharging management chip, primary battery positive and negative electrode contacts, secondary battery positive and negative electrode contacts, and electronic switches connected to the primary battery positive and negative electrode contacts and the secondary battery positive and negative electrode contacts, a detecting unit configured to detect in-place states of a primary battery and a secondary battery, and an electronic switch controlling unit connected to the detecting unit and configured to control the electronic switches to be on/off according to the in-place states of the batteries to enable the charging and discharging management chip to perform charging and discharging management for a battery in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Huawei Device Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Changqi Li, Nan Lu, Fengxin Wang
  • Patent number: 8829849
    Abstract: Provided is a roof-type charging apparatus that charges multi-target device, while transmitting a resonance power. A roof-type charging apparatus using resonance power transmission includes a source resonance unit configured to transmit resonance power including a source resonator having a generally planar loop configuration and defining a space therein; a receiving unit configured to receive the resonance power transmitted from the source resonator; and a connecting unit configured to separate the source resonator and the receiving unit by a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Zo Kim, Sang Wook Kwon, Yun Kwon Park, Eun Seok Park, Young Tack Hong, Young Ho Ryu, Nam Yun Kim, Jin Sung Choi
  • Patent number: 8796989
    Abstract: A coil structure and a charging control method in a wireless charger having a primary coil are provided to supply an induced electromotive force suitable for a charging target having a secondary coil. Concentric coils having different radii are arranged in a wireless charger, and a coil suitable for the location of a charging target placed on the wireless charger is selected. An input power corresponding to the selected coil is determined, and the determined power is applied to the selected coil. Then the same charging efficiency can be provided irrespective of a location of a charging target placed on the wireless charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Woo-Ram Lee, Sung-Kweon Park, Ki-Hyun Kim, Hong-Kweun Kim, Se-Ho Park
  • Patent number: 8796998
    Abstract: Method and circuits for sensing a bidirectional current without requiring an external sense resistor are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the invention is applied for fuel gauging of one or more batteries and comprises a charger/active diode, which can source current into the battery and sink current from the battery to supply a mobile electronic device. The invention can be applied to any other application requiring sensing of bidirectional currents. A regulated cascode forces a voltage drop over a power transistor and a sense transistor to be the same. A feedback current is measured by an ADC. The integration of these current measurements over time is equal to the actual charge of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Wolf, Stefano Scaldaferri
  • Patent number: 8766590
    Abstract: An energy storage system of an apartment building, an integrated power management system, and a method of controlling the integrated power management system. Power may be efficiently consumed by supplying remaining power stored in an energy storage system of each apartment to a common load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Woog-Young Lee
  • Patent number: 8749201
    Abstract: A method that considers battery capacity for providing cell balancing for battery cells in a battery pack. The method includes providing a current state-of-charge for each battery cell in the battery pack for a current time frame and a previous state-of-charge for each battery cell in the battery pack from a previous time frame. The method also includes subtracting the current state-of-charge from the previous state-of-charge for each battery cell to generate a cell delta state-of-charge for each cell and providing an average cell delta state-of-charge of the cell delta state-of-charges for all of the cells. The method also includes dividing each cell delta state-of-charge by the average cell delta state-of-charge to provide a relative cell delta state-of-charge for each cell and dividing the current state-of-charge by the relative cell delta state-of-charge for that cell to generate a capacity adjustment state-of-charge that identifies the capacity of the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Scott M. Skelton
  • Patent number: 8742729
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery is disclosed. The rechargeable battery of the invention includes a high density capacitor and an integrated circuit. The high density capacitor is connected to a ground terminal and a first node carrying a first voltage. The integrated circuit includes a band gap circuit, a first detecting unit, a voltage divider, a second detecting unit and at least one low dropout voltage regulator. The band gap circuit generates a band gap voltage according to the first voltage. The first detecting unit measures the first voltage and determines whether to apply an input charging voltage to the high density capacitor. The voltage divider is connected in parallel with the high density capacitor and has a second node carrying a second voltage. The second detecting unit measures the second voltage according to the band gap voltage and determines whether to connect a third node to the first node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Flashsilicon Incorporation
    Inventor: Lee Z. Wang
  • Patent number: 8736273
    Abstract: A testing system and a method for testing a battery cell are provided. The system includes a nest member that receives the battery cell, and a clamping device that secures a first battery tab between first and second connectors, and secures a second battery tab between third and fourth connectors. The system further includes a voltmeter that measures a voltage level between the first and third connectors when the first and second battery tabs are contacting the first and third connectors, respectively. The system further includes an ohmmeter that measures a first resistance level between a first portion of the outer housing and the first connector when the first battery tab is contacting the first connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Janina Stancu, Kenneth J. Oswandel
  • Patent number: 8723474
    Abstract: An electric vehicle energy system is provided. The electrical vehicle energy system includes an electrical control unit used for producing the electric vehicle mode according to the external input signals. The electrical vehicle energy further includes an energy storage system used for producing a motor control signal according to an electric vehicle mode. The power loop structure includes at least a first power module and a second power module. The structure further includes at least a first detector and a second detector used for producing a first detecting signal and a second detecting signal according to the first power module and the second power module. The power loop structure further includes an energy storage controller used for producing the plurality of switch control signals according to the electric vehicle mode, the first detecting signal and the second detecting signal through a control area network by a voltage-difference hysteresis operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yi-Hsien Chiang, Wu-Yang Sean
  • Patent number: 8690591
    Abstract: A secondary (backup) release (unlocking and unlatching) of a charge cord for plug-in electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles is provided. A charging port is configured to receive a charging cord and includes a lock bolt configured to lock the charging cord in the charging port during charging. The vehicle also includes a hood assembly having a hood latch with a first cable coupled to the hood latch. A second cable is coupled to the latch bolt and a sheath of the first cable for unlocking the lock bolt. A retainer is coupled to the hood assembly and is configured to limit movement of the second cable until the hood latch has released the hood assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Scott P. Charnesky, Paul W. Alexander, Tony Argote, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8624559
    Abstract: A method for controlling charging and discharging of a battery pack for an electric or hybrid vehicle to prevent overheating damage. Current flowing into or out of the battery pack is monitored, and root mean square (RMS) current is integrated over a time window and compared to a threshold to determine if power needs to be regulated in order to prevent damage to the cells in the battery pack. If the time-integrated RMS current exceeds the threshold, a closed-loop proportional-integral (PI) controller is activated to regulate power input or output. The controller will continue to regulate power until the time-integrated RMS current drops below the threshold. Various thresholds can be defined for different time windows. The gains used in the PI controller can also be adjusted to scale the amount of power regulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Asif A. Syed, Andrew H. Leutheuser, Jian Lin, Joseph M. Lograsso, Roland Mattheā€²
  • Patent number: 8618806
    Abstract: A circuit used for determining a cell number of several battery cells. The circuit includes a detection block and a controller, and operates in a first detection mode and a second detection mode. The detection block is coupled to each of the battery cells. In the first detection mode, the detection block provides a terminal voltage signal indicative of a terminal voltage of a battery cell. In the second detection mode, the detection block provides a cell voltage signal indicative of a cell voltage of the battery cell. The controller compares the terminal voltage signal with a first threshold in the first detection mode and compares the cell voltage signal with a second threshold in the second detection mode, and provides a cell count signal indicative of the cell number based on the terminal voltage signal and the cell voltage signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: 02Micro, Inc.
    Inventor: Wei Zhang
  • Patent number: 8525520
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a voltage pump to determine the status of a battery connected to the voltage pump are provided. The operation of the voltage pump is monitored during at least one monitoring period which corresponds to a period of relatively heavy consistent load. The operation of the voltage pump can be monitored by sampling a control signal that corresponds to the operation of the voltage pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Edwards, Eric Norrod
  • Patent number: 8471523
    Abstract: A charging/discharging device having at least one concealed universal serial bus (USB) plug has a housing having at least one plug hoe, and at least one retractable plug assembly mounted in the housing. Each of the at least one retractable plug assembly has a slidable second circuit board, a resilient element pushing the second circuit board toward a corresponding one of the plug hole of the housing, a USB plug mounted on the second circuit board and corresponding to the corresponding plug hole of the housing, and a locker mounted through and selectively engaging the second circuit board to prevent the second circuit board from sliding when the USB plug is stored in or protrudes out of the housing. Therefore, since the USB plug is able to be concealed in the housing, the USB plug is not damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Multi-Function Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wei-Jong Lin