Patents Examined by Richard Isla-Rodas
  • Patent number: 9643503
    Abstract: A hybrid battery charger is disclosed that includes a linear charger circuit for providing vehicle starting current and battery charging and a high frequency battery charging circuit that provides battery charging current. The linear charger circuit and the high frequency battery charging circuits are selectively enabled to provide vehicle starting current, maximum charging current and optimum efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Schumacher Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Xiao Ping Chen, Matthew Adam Heins, Shenzhong Zhu
  • Patent number: 9647470
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery system is disclosed. In an embodiment, the rechargeable battery system includes a rechargeable battery having a first electrical connector, an alignment plate mounted to the rechargeable battery, wherein the first electrical connector is aligned to the alignment plate, a battery management system having a second electrical connector configured to mate with the first electrical connector, wherein the second electrical connector comprises a housing, at least one alignment pin secured to the housing, and an electrical contact, wherein the alignment pin is disposed in the housing in a determined position relative to the electrical contact, and an interface plate having a first interface portion and a second interface portion wherein the first interface portion is configured to mate with the alignment plate and wherein the second interface portion is configured to mate with the alignment pin to align the first electrical connector with the second electrical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bharath Shripathy, Henry Jovanovic
  • Patent number: 9647479
    Abstract: A charging control device includes a control unit and a monitoring unit. The control unit performs at least one of controlling charging to a rechargeable battery and monitoring a state of a rechargeable battery, while outputting a state signal which indicates an operation state of the control unit. The monitoring unit determines whether or not the operation state of the control unit is a predesignated specified operation state based on the state signal outputted from the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuki Mori, Toru Yamada, Shinichi Hira, Hitoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9637020
    Abstract: A method for automatically charging the battery pack of an electric vehicle in accordance with a set of location sensitive charging instructions is provided. Exemplary location sensitive charging instructions include preset charging schedules and preset charge level limits. Different charging schedules and different charge level limits may be preset for different charging stations and locations, thus allowing the user to preset the charging instructions for each of multiple locations where the user routinely charges their car. Default charging instructions are used at those charging stations and locations where a set of location sensitive charging instructions has not been preset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Tesla, Inc.
    Inventors: Brennan Boblett, Nalinichandra Penke, Miriam Vu, Kevin Hsieh, Roy Goldman, Thorsten Hayer, Scott Ira Kohn
  • Patent number: 9640995
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a converter having an AC side and a DC side, a switch adapted to be connected to a transmission line on a first side and connected to a load on a second side connected to the AC side, an energy storage device, connected to the DC side. In a first operating mode, the switch is closed, such that an energy storage current flows to/from the energy storage device to charge/discharge the energy storage device, respectively. In a second operating mode, the switch is open, preventing current from flowing from the transmission line to the converter, and the energy storage device supplies a direct current which is converted to an alternating current by the converter. In the first operating mode, the apparatus is configured such that power transfer on the transmission line corresponds to a surge impedance loading of the transmission line, by affecting the energy storage current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: ABB RESEARCH LTD.
    Inventor: Stefan Thorburn
  • Patent number: 9641008
    Abstract: A rapid charging device for a battery includes a filtering stage of resistive-inductive-capacitive type to be connected to a three-phase network, a buck stage, a boost stage to be connected to the battery, an induction winding interposed between the buck stage and the boost stage, and a regulating unit capable of imposing chopping duty cycles on the buck stage and on the boost stage. The regulating unit compensates the phase shift induced by the filtering stage between the currents and the voltages taken from each phase of the three-phase network and also maintains the value of the current amplitude passing through the winding above a non-zero predefined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Mehdi Gati, Ahmed Ketfi-Cherif
  • Patent number: 9634516
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a temperature change of a power distribution circuit having a power line and return line includes measuring an output current and output voltage of the power distribution circuit at an input to a load electrically connected to the power distribution circuit, and determining a change in temperature of at least one of the power line and return line based on a change in at least one of the output current and output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Allan Roy Gale, Michael W. Degner, Larry Dean Elie
  • Patent number: 9634501
    Abstract: The protective circuit includes a voltage dividing circuit connected in parallel between a first electrode and a second electrode of the unit cell and including a first voltage dividing resistor and a second voltage dividing resistor; a first switching device connected to a junction between the first voltage dividing resistor and the second voltage dividing resistor; a second switching device connected between the junction and the third switching device; and a fourth switching device connected between the junction and the third switching device, wherein, when output voltage of the unit cell becomes equal to or lower than a first reference voltage, the fourth switching device and the first switching device are sequentially turned off, the second switching device is turned on, and the third switching device is turned off, so that voltage output through the first output terminal can be cut off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: VITZROCELL CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Jun-Ho Son, Hye-Won Shin, Yong-Hyun Lee, Kwang-Il Chung, Bum-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9634518
    Abstract: In order to improve the performance of a battery power supply unit for a bicycle electronic device at low atmospheric temperature, when its temperature is less than or equal to a lower temperature threshold, electrical energy is supplied by the power supply unit to a heating element thermally coupled with the power supply unit that, in this way, self-heats. Part of the electrical energy of the power supply unit can be simultaneously supplied to the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Campagnolo S.r.l.
    Inventor: Federico Miglioranza
  • Patent number: 9627911
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a power storage device, a power node, and a controller. The controller controls charging and discharging of the power storage device with respect to the outside of the vehicle when the power storage device is able to be charged or discharged with electric power with respect to the outside of the vehicle via the power node. The controller controls discharging of electric power from the power storage device so as to provide a first period in which discharging of electric power from the power storage device to the outside of the vehicle is limited after the power storage device is externally charged with a power supply outside the vehicle, and so as to provide a second period in which discharging limitation in the first period is released at least after the first period ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeki Kinomura
  • Patent number: 9627906
    Abstract: Disclosed are a load/charger detection circuit, a battery management system comprising the same and a driving method thereof. The load/charger detection circuit includes a current source; a current mirror connected to the current source to copy a current of the current mirror; at least two resistors connected between a first terminal providing a corresponding voltage to a charger or a load and a power supply; and a zener diode connected between the first terminal and the current mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor LTD
    Inventors: Jinhwa Chung, Sehwan Kim
  • Patent number: 9627915
    Abstract: A power transmission pad is configured to provide wireless power transmission to multiple portable electronic devices where each device is orientation-free relative to the pad. The power transmission pad is also configured to be power adaptive by changing the power transmission level depending on the number of devices being concurrently charged. Each device, is placed within the magnetic field for the purpose of charging the device battery. The power transmission pad includes a sweep frequency generator for generating power transmissions across a frequency spectrum. The number of devices to be charged is determined as well as an optimal frequency for maximum energy transfer to each device. A single combined optimal frequency is determined using the optimal frequencies determined for each individual device. The sweep frequency generator is locked to the single combined optimal frequency and a power transmission level is set according to the number of devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Telefus
  • Patent number: 9627897
    Abstract: Systems and methods for charging a plurality of battery strings are provided. The individual string current of each of the individual battery strings can be monitored and used to regulate a charging output provided by the charger. For instance, the output voltage of charger can be controlled as part of a closed loop control system based on the individual string current of the battery string under the constraint of an individual string current limit and/or a charging voltage limit. As the charging voltage of the charger increases as a result of the closed loop control based on the individual string current, other battery strings can be coupled to the charger when the charging voltage provided by the charger exceeds a battery string voltage associated with the battery string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jiucai Zhang, Charles Clarence Hicks, Jr., Sam T. Liu, Robert A. Kaucic, Leng Mao
  • Patent number: 9627896
    Abstract: A battery system comprises plural battery cells, a voltage detecting circuit detecting voltage of each of the battery cells, and plural voltage detecting lines connecting an electrode terminal of each of the battery cells to input side of the voltage detecting circuit, and the voltage detecting circuit detects the voltage of each of the battery cells through the voltage detecting lines. The voltage detecting lines have different lengths, and at least one of the voltage detecting lines has a resistance adjusting portion which equalizes electrical resistances of the long voltage detecting line and the short voltage detecting line, and through the plural voltage detecting lines of which electrical resistances are equalized by the resistance adjusting portion, the voltage detecting circuit detects the voltage of each of the battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshitomo Nishihara
  • Patent number: 9622366
    Abstract: A display panel having a wireless charging function is provided, and the display panel includes a first substrate, an induction coil layer, a display pixel layer, and a second substrate. The induction coil layer is disposed on the first substrate. The induction coil layer includes at least one induction coil. The induction coil layer is adapted for collaborating with a wireless charging power supply, such that the induction coil layer executes the wireless charging function. The display pixel layer is disposed on the induction coil layer. The second substrate is disposed on the display pixel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: E Ink Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Chin-Wen Lin, Po-Hsin Lin, Chi-Liang Wu, Ted-Hong Shinn
  • Patent number: 9621065
    Abstract: An energy efficient apparatus includes a switching device, a frequency dependent reactive device, and a control element is provided. The switching device is coupled to a source of electrical power and includes a pair of transistors and is adapted to receive a control signal and to produce an alternating current power signal. The frequency of the alternating current power signal is responsive to the control signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is electrically coupled to the pair of transistors for receiving the alternating current power signal and producing an output power signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is chosen to achieve a desired voltage of the output power signal relative to the frequency of the alternating current power signal. The control element senses an actual voltage of the direct current power signal and modifies the control signal delivered to achieve the desired voltage of the direct current power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: ADVANCED CHARGING TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael H. Freeman, W. J. “Jim” Weaver, Jr., Mitchael C. Freeman, Robert Dieter, Brian Santee
  • Patent number: 9614387
    Abstract: A battery pack including a housing, a terminal block, a printed circuit board electrically connected to the terminal block, at least one battery cell, and a spark gap device on the printed circuit board to provide electrostatic discharge protection and disposed between the printed circuit board and the terminal block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan J. Cruise, Daniel J. White, Robert J. Marcinkowski, Geoffrey S. Howard, Alexis W. Johnson, Nathan J. Osborne, Michael W. Roberts, Steven J. Phillips, Michelle L. Bowers
  • Patent number: 9614396
    Abstract: The multi-element portable wireless charging device includes a transmitter having a DC power source (battery), an oscillator connected to the battery for converting the DC to AC, a power amplifier connected to the AC output of the oscillator, and at least one flat, planar primary coil connected as a load of the power amplifier circuit. The system also includes a receiver (typically installed in the device requiring recharging) that has a flat, planar secondary coil in which an AC current is induced when placed in close proximity (1-3 cm) to the primary coil, a full-wave bridge rectifier to rectify the AC current to DC, and a voltage regulator connected to the rectifier to provide a steady DC voltage required by the charging circuit to charge the mobile device. Power is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver by magnetic inductive coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Mohammed M. Bait-Suwailam, Mohammed Nasser Al Kindi, Ammar Khamis Al Mahrami, Jaafar Abdullah Al Dawood, Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Balushi
  • Patent number: 9608473
    Abstract: A near field communication and wireless charging device includes a coil, a tuning module, a near field communication module, a wireless charging module, and a power storage device. The coil is configured to receive electromagnetic waves. The tuning module is electrically connected to the coil. The near field communication module includes an attenuator and a near field communication control circuit. The attenuator is configured to attenuate the energy of electromagnetic waves transmitted from the tuning module. The near field communication control circuit is electrically connected to the attenuator. The power storage device is electrically connected to the wireless charging module. Electromagnetic waves are magnetically coupling to the coil, and the coil transmits signals of the electromagnetic waves to the near field communication module through the tuning module, or transmits the energy of the electromagnetic waves to the power storage device through the tuning module and the wireless charging module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Chien-TIng Ho, Chien-Chih Chen, Keng-Chih Lin, Yen-Liang Kuo, Chih-Jen Hu
  • Patent number: 9597964
    Abstract: A device for compensating ripples in the output voltage of a PFC converter and a battery charging device for an electric vehicle are disclosed. The disclosed device for compensating the ripples included in the output voltage of a PFC converter includes: a first switching element having one end connected with an output terminal that is not connected with a ground from among two output terminals forming an output end of the PFC converter; a second switching element having one end connected with the other end of the first switching element and having the other end connected with a ground; a compensation inductor having one end connected with the other end of the first switching element and with one end of the second switching element; and a compensation capacitor having one end connected with the other end of the compensation inductor and having the other end connected with a ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Myongji University Industry and Academia Cooperation Foundation
    Inventors: Jun-Young Lee, Gwang-Min Yoo, Won-Yong Kim