Patents by Inventor Daniel A. Konopka

Daniel A. Konopka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240339843
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure analyzing one or more signals that include both uncorrelated random signals as well as correlated information pertaining to electrochemical and/or electrodynamic processes occurring within a battery, characterizing the battery for charging, discharging, storage and other uses and/or controlling charging, discharging and other aspects of battery management based on the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2024
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel A. KONOPKA, Zhong WANG
  • Publication number: 20240243601
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure analyzing one or more signals that include both uncorrelated random signals as well as correlated information pertaining to electrochemical and/or electrodynamic processes occurring within a battery, characterizing the battery for charging, discharging, storage and other uses and/or controlling charging, discharging and other aspects of battery management based on the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2024
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel A. KONOPKA, Zhong WANG
  • Publication number: 20240243600
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve methods, which may be to manage control of a battery such as through charging, comprising obtaining a value indicative of at least one of a dynamic state of equilibrium, periodic behavior, quasi-periodic behavior, chaotic behavior and random behavior of a battery, which may involve electrodynamic parameters of Lyapunov Exponent, Correlation Dimension, Sample Entropy and Hurst Exponent, among others, the value obtained from a voltage measurement or a current measurement from the battery, and based on the value, operating the battery to maintain the battery within one of the dynamic states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2024
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel A. KONOPKA, Zhong WANG, Alan GHAZARIANS
  • Publication number: 20240178696
    Abstract: Systems and methods for heating a battery, which may be performed alone or in combination with charging or discharging a battery. In some implementations, heating involves applying an alternating current waveform, which may be sinusoidal, to a battery. In some implementations, the heating signal is applied at a frequency and/or current with little or no net charge to the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2024
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel A. Konopka, John Richard HOWLETT, III, William E. CHECK, Chris MORRONI, Davit KESSNER, Zhong WANG, Ryan WU
  • Publication number: 20240088696
    Abstract: Aspects of a charging system may involve altering the duty cycle of the shaped charge signal over a period of time to alter an average current supplied to an electrochemical device while maintain the maximum current of the charge signal. For example, the average current of the charge signal used to charge a battery may be adjusted by varying the duty cycle or peak current of the shaped charge signal, and may be based, in some instances, on the state of charge, temperature, and/or impedance of the battery. In some instances, control over the average or total current of the charge signal is constrained by the maximum current that the system can supply, such that altering the duty cycle of the charge signal provides control over an average current of the charge signal without needing to supply additional current sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: John Richard Howlett, III, Garrett P. Wheeler, Daniel A. Konopka, Ryan Wu
  • Publication number: 20240053403
    Abstract: A model predictive controller and related charging components producing a charge signal for a battery wherein predicted battery parameters such as state of charge, battery temperature, state of health (e.g., anode overpotential), are used to generate constraints that are subsequently used, such as through an optimizer running a cost function, to produce a charge signal that may include one or more optimized charge attributes including a charge current magnitude or a mean current, a shaped leading edge, an edge time, a body time, and a rest time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Zhong WANG, John Richard Howlett, Daniel A. Konopka, Ruzhou Yang, Lang Xia
  • Publication number: 20240039061
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve a smart battery for mobile devices, or otherwise, that incorporate a more sophisticated charge (and in some instances discharge) techniques that provide an integrated intelligence, which may involve processing capability and/or memory, to facilitate sophisticated and more effective charging techniques as compared to other charging schemes. The benefits of such charging techniques include faster charging rates, slower battery degradation, enhanced capacity, enhanced capacity maintenance, improved temperature operation, and/or others. Moreover, the integrated intelligence may facilitate the adaptation of new battery arrangements for a mobile device where conventionally a mobile device can only operate with the battery to which it was designed, leaving no option for upgrading battery technology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: John Richard HOWLETT, III, Manoj K. KOUL, Daniel A. KONOPKA
  • Publication number: 20230336017
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure analyzing one or more signals that include both uncorrelated random signals as well as correlated information pertaining to electrochemical and/or electrodynamic processes occurring within a battery, characterizing the battery for charging, discharging, storage and other uses and/or controlling charging, discharging and other aspects of battery management based on the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventor: Daniel A. KONOPKA
  • Publication number: 20230207916
    Abstract: Systems and methods for heating a battery, which may be performed alone or in combination with charging or discharging a battery. In some implementations, heating involves applying an alternating current waveform, which may be sinusoidal, to a battery. In some implementations, the heating signal is applied at a frequency and/or current with little or no net charge to the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel A. KONOPKA, John Richard Howlett, III, William E. Check, Chris Morroni, David Kessler, Zhong Wang, Ryan Wu
  • Publication number: 20220376517
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for charging (recharging) and discharging a battery pack comprising a plurality of battery cells. The system may execute an iterative process of monitoring a frequency corresponding to the minimum impedance value of the battery pack or cell(s) of the pack and adjusting the charge energy signals applied to the battery pack. In some instances, taps may be provided within the battery pack to monitor the frequency response to the charge energy signal for one or more cells of the battery pack. In other instances, the battery pack as a unit may be monitored iteratively. This process may maintain a relative charge balance across the cells of the battery pack, decrease the time to recharge the battery pack, extend the life of the pack, optimize the amount of current charging the battery pack, and avoid energy lost to various inefficiencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel A. KONOPKA, John Richard HOWLETT, III, Jeffrey J. HOLT
  • Publication number: 20220341999
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involves a system for charging (or discharging) an electrochemical device, where the system may include a processing unit, such as a controller, operably coupled with a first memory and a second memory. The first memory includes a first measurement of an electrochemical device and the second memory includes a second measurement of the electrochemical device. Measurements of the electrochemical device, e.g., voltage and current measurements of a battery, may be interleavingly sampled and alternatingly stored in the respective memories. The processing unit computes impedance to the charge signal from the first measurement and the second measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel A. Konopka, John Richard Howlett, III
  • Publication number: 20220302733
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure for charging or discharging a battery. During charging or discharging, a measurement of losses due to parasitic pathways may be obtained and an adjustment to a harmonic content of the charge signal may be made to reduce the parasitic losses. The charge signal may be composed of one or more harmonic components selected in response to a measured parasitic effect of the charge environment. The system may therefore generate a charge signal such that it includes the harmonic component, amplifies specific harmonic components, filters or suppresses harmonic components, shifts harmonic components and otherwise control the make-up of the charge signal focusing on the harmonic components of the signal and the effect on energy transfer to or from the battery. Alterations to the harmonic component of the charge signal may be made in response to a detected parasitic loss of a battery during charge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: John Richard HOWLETT, III, Daniel A. KONOPKA
  • Publication number: 20220302728
    Abstract: A system for heating a battery comprising a first switch operably coupled with a power supply. An inductive element, which may be a part of filter, is in operable communication with the first switch and a second switch. The system includes a processor in communication with the switches to execute instructions to control the switches to controllably source current to and from the battery, wherein the sources current to and from the battery may be of arbitrary shapes tuned to harmonics optimized for heat generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: John Richard HOWLETT III, Daniel A. Konopka, David Kessner, William E. Check
  • Publication number: 20220282392
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method comprising inducing a first current between a source of a countercharge and a first electrode, the first current being through an electrolyte. A second current is induced across the first electrode, the second current being transverse to the first current, and the second current inducing a relativistic charge across the first electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel A. Konopka, Jason A. Seedig
  • Patent number: 11280018
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method comprising inducing a first current between a source of a countercharge and a first electrode, the first current being through an electrolyte. A second current is induced across the first electrode, the second current being transverse to the first current, and the second current inducing a relativistic charge across the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: lontra LLC
    Inventors: Daniel A. Konopka, Jason A. Seedig
  • Publication number: 20220085633
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve charging or discharging an electrochemical device such as a battery. The system generates a waveform, such as a charge signal, to tune harmonic attributes of the waveform based on the impedance of the battery to a harmonic or harmonics of the waveform. The system may enhance (e.g., add or increase magnitude) or suppress (e.g., delete or reduce magnitude) harmonics of the waveform. Such a harmonically tuned waveform may optimize energy transfer to or from the battery to achieve various possible goals including charging speed, enhancing battery charge capacity and/or enhancing battery cycle life.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventor: Daniel A. KONOPKA
  • Patent number: 11274374
    Abstract: Provided herein is a composition for forming a metal deposit on a substrate. The composition consists essentially of a carboxamide, trialkylamine chloride, and a metal salt. The carboxamide comprises Formula (I). The trialkylamine chloride and the carboxamide are in molar ratio between 1:1 and 1:30 to form an ionic liquid. The trialkylamine chloride is trimethylamine chloride (TMACl), triethylamine chloride (TEACl), triethanolamine chloride, or combinations thereof. The metal salt has the formula MXy, wherein M is a metal, X is a halide, and y is an oxidation number of M, the metal salt being in a concentration between about 0.2 and about 1.5 moles per liter of the ionic liquid. The metal deposit has an average grain size between about 0.2 ?m and about 3 ?m and contains less than about 1 mol % of each oxygen, carbon, and chlorine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Iontra LLC
    Inventors: Daniel A. Konopka, Li Hsien Chou
  • Publication number: 20220029443
    Abstract: Systems and methods that charge a battery using a signal with at least one harmonically tuned aspect based on impedance of the battery with a frequency or harmonic component. The system may further involve a power converter that may act in concert with charging to power a load. In some instances, an output signal is generated that is interleaved with the charge signal. Further, the output signal may be tuned based on output impedance to the discharge signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel A. Konopka, John Richard Howlett, III, Jeffrey J. Holt
  • Publication number: 20220029209
    Abstract: A method, and associated batteries and battery charging units, that involve inducing electric and/or magnetic fields (field-induced current) across an electrode of a electrochemical cell, such as an anode of a battery. The field and current across the electrode may be referred to herein as a transverse current as this current is typically transverse to the ionic charge current that may be applied when charging a battery. The field and current may be induced from connecting AC energy, e.g., AC current, across the electrode or at a discrete point or points of the electrode. The induced field and current may suppress dendrite growth, experienced in conventional batteries without AC energy, among other advantages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel A. KONOPKA, Reuben Sarkar
  • Publication number: 20220029208
    Abstract: A method, and associated batteries and battery charging units, that involve inducing electric and/or magnetic fields (field-induced current) across an electrode of a electrochemical cell, such as an anode of a battery. The field and current across the electrode may be referred to herein as a transverse current as this current is typically transverse to the ionic charge current that may be applied when charging a battery. The field and current may be induced from connecting AC energy, e.g., AC current, across the electrode or at a discrete point or points of the electrode. The induced field and current may suppress dendrite growth, experienced in conventional batteries without AC energy, among other advantages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel A. KONOPKA, Reuben A. Sarkar