Patents by Inventor Richard William Kautz

Richard William Kautz 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).

  • Patent number: 11374402
    Abstract: Surge protection circuitry includes a pair of series connected diodes sharing a first common terminal that is directly electrically connected to only one of a pair of transmission lines, a pair of series connected Zener diodes, in parallel with the series connected diodes, sharing a second common terminal that is directly electrically connected to only the other of the transmission lines, and a pair of series connected power supplies each configured to reverse bias one of the series connected diodes such that the diodes prevent electrical coupling of the Zener diodes to the transmission lines responsive to a voltage of the signal source being less than a threshold value, and the diodes permit electrical coupling of at least one of the Zener diodes to the transmission lines responsive to the voltage being greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Krishna Prasad Bhat, Chingchi Chen, Richard William Kautz
  • Patent number: 11108371
    Abstract: A power system includes a traction battery, and a rectifier including a pair of diodes, a pair of switches, and a pair of capacitors each in parallel with a different one of the switches such that alternating current input to the rectifier results in alternating voltage having parabolic approaches to maximum magnitude values being input to the rectifier. The maximum magnitude values correspond to a magnitude of voltage output to the traction battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, The Ohio State Innovation Foundation
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Richard William Kautz, Chingchi Chen, Jin Wang, John Paul Gibeau
  • Publication number: 20210152145
    Abstract: A power system includes a traction battery, and a rectifier including a pair of diodes, a pair of switches, and a pair of capacitors each in parallel with a different one of the switches such that alternating current input to the rectifier results in alternating voltage having parabolic approaches to maximum magnitude values being input to the rectifier. The maximum magnitude values correspond to a magnitude of voltage output to the traction battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Richard William Kautz, Chingchi Chen, Jin Wang, John Paul Gibeau
  • Patent number: 10707673
    Abstract: A system includes a surge protection circuit electrically connected via a signal transmission line between a source and an oscilloscope, and including a diode configured to be reverse biased, responsive to a voltage of the source being less than a threshold, to decouple an impedance of the circuit from the transmission line and forward biased, responsive to the voltage being greater than the threshold, to couple the impedance to absorb excess energy of the voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chingchi Chen, Richard William Kautz, Krishna Prasad Bhat
  • Publication number: 20200106265
    Abstract: Surge protection circuitry includes a pair of series connected diodes sharing a first common terminal that is directly electrically connected to only one of a pair of transmission lines, a pair of series connected Zener diodes, in parallel with the series connected diodes, sharing a second common terminal that is directly electrically connected to only the other of the transmission lines, and a pair of series connected power supplies each configured to reverse bias one of the series connected diodes such that the diodes prevent electrical coupling of the Zener diodes to the transmission lines responsive to a voltage of the signal source being less than a threshold value, and the diodes permit electrical coupling of at least one of the Zener diodes to the transmission lines responsive to the voltage being greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Krishna Prasad Bhat, Chingchi Chen, Richard William Kautz
  • Patent number: 10527653
    Abstract: A method includes measuring an impedance of a shunt as a function of frequency and converting the impedance to an admittance in a time domain. The method further includes connecting the shunt in a circuit and measuring voltage data across the shunt over a predetermined interval. The method includes outputting a signal indicative of a current through the shunt derived from the voltage data convolved with the admittance. The method may be implemented in a controller configured to interface with the shunt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Richard William Kautz, Xi Lu, Zhuxian Xu, Guangyin Lei, Chingchi Chen, Lan Yu, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 10414279
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system has a coil assembly including a ferrite pad and a pair of spaced apart inductive coils on the ferrite pad, and a switching network that, in response to an indication of a corresponding inductive coil assembly configuration, controls a direction of current flow through each of the coils to selectively operate the coils in a two-pole mode or a three-pole mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Richard William Kautz, Nevin Altunyurt
  • Patent number: 10266060
    Abstract: A secondary side wireless power transfer compensation circuit includes a secondary coil, a capacitor in series with the secondary coil, and an inductor in parallel with the secondary coil and capacitor. The inductor has an impedance matching a reflected impedance of a load electrically connected thereacross such that the secondary coil achieves resonance with a primary coil coupled therewith at a predetermined frequency that depends on the impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Nevin Altunyurt, Richard William Kautz, Hadi Malek
  • Patent number: 10141748
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system includes a coil assembly including a pair of spaced apart inductive coils positioned on a same side of a ferrite pad, and a switching network. The switching network, in response to an indication of a corresponding inductive coil assembly configuration, selectively operates the coils in a two-pole mode or a three-pole mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Richard William Kautz, Nevin Altunyurt
  • Patent number: 10112495
    Abstract: A wireless vehicle charging system includes at least one controller configured to operate an inverter to control a voltage input to a power converter in a vehicle to drive an impedance phase angle at an output of the inverter toward a predetermined angle and achieve a power demand at an output of the vehicle power converter. The at least one controller is further configured to operate the vehicle power converter to achieve the power demand. The at least one controller may control a frequency output of the inverter to adjust the voltage input to the power converter based on a rate of change of an objective function that is configured to reduce an output power error of the power converter and an impedance phase angle error at the output of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Hadi Malek, Richard William Kautz, Nevin Altunyurt, Christopher W. Bell
  • Publication number: 20180284160
    Abstract: A method includes measuring an impedance of a shunt as a function of frequency and converting the impedance to an admittance in a time domain. The method further includes connecting the shunt in a circuit and measuring voltage data across the shunt over a predetermined interval. The method includes outputting a signal indicative of a current through the shunt derived from the voltage data convolved with the admittance. The method may be implemented in a controller configured to interface with the shunt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Richard William KAUTZ, Xi LU, Zhuxian XU, Guangyin LEI, Chingchi CHEN, Lan YU, Michael W. DEGNER
  • Publication number: 20180278043
    Abstract: A system includes a surge protection circuit electrically connected via a signal transmission line between a source and an oscilloscope, and including a diode configured to be reverse biased, responsive to a voltage of the source being less than a threshold, to decouple an impedance of the circuit from the transmission line and forward biased, responsive to the voltage being greater than the threshold, to couple the impedance to absorb excess energy of the voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Chingchi CHEN, Richard William KAUTZ, Krishna Prasad BHAT
  • Patent number: 10067165
    Abstract: A differential voltage probe for providing accurate measurement of differential voltage with high frequency components is disclosed that is further configured to accurately identify noise sources in EMI/EMC applications. The differential voltage probe is configured to provide the benefits of adequate differential voltage measurement bandwidth, galvanic isolation capability, high CMRR, flexible design to accommodate various requirements on voltage rating, loading effect, and frequency range of interest; and/or easy implementation and low cost. The differential voltage probe is able to achieve these optimized capabilities by implementing unique winding designs for transformer(s) used in the differential voltage probe circuit design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chingchi Chen, Richard William Kautz, Zhuxian Xu
  • Patent number: 9744877
    Abstract: A cooling system for a vehicular fuel cell utilizes packet pumps to electrically isolate the fuel from a grounded radiator. Fluid in a packet pump is transported from an inlet port to an outlet port in discrete packets. Because these packets are physically separated from one another, electricity does not flow through the fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port. Packet pumps include peristaltic pumps and external gear pumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Allan Roy Gale, John Peter Bilezikjian, Richard William Kautz
  • Publication number: 20170240056
    Abstract: A secondary side wireless power transfer compensation circuit includes a secondary coil, a capacitor in series with the secondary coil, and an inductor in parallel with the secondary coil and capacitor. The inductor has an impedance matching a reflected impedance of a load electrically connected thereacross such that the secondary coil achieves resonance with a primary coil coupled therewith at a predetermined frequency that depends on the impedance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Nevin Altunyurt, Richard William Kautz, Hadi Malek
  • Patent number: 9707852
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle coil assembly configured to couple with a ground coil assembly in a presence of a magnetic field therebetween for wireless power transfer to the vehicle. The vehicle coil assembly includes an inflatable shield configured to extend from the vehicle and form a barrier around a portion of the magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Richard William Kautz
  • Patent number: 9656552
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods for cancelling a noise voltage at a vehicle are presented. An noise cancellation system (NCS) can be configured to null an earth-to-body voltage at the vehicle to prevent its interference with a receiver system. An (NCS) can include a noise sensor (NSSR) configured to sense a noise voltage, and a noise-nulling device (NNDV) configured to provide an anti-noise output. An anti-noise injector (ANI) can be configured to drive the anti-noise output at an anti-noise injection site In an example embodiment, an anti-noise output can be provided directly to the receiver system by cable. Alternatively, an anti-noise signal can be inductively or capacitively coupled to a vehicle structure or component that is not part of the receiver system. A noise cancellation system can be arranged in a feedback or feed-forward arrangement. Radio frequency noise and non-radio frequency noise can be cancelled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Richard William Kautz
  • Publication number: 20170067940
    Abstract: A differential voltage probe for providing accurate measurement of differential voltage with high frequency components is disclosed that is further configured to accurately identify noise sources in EMI/EMC applications. The differential voltage probe is configured to provide the benefits of adequate differential voltage measurement bandwidth, galvanic isolation capability, high CMRR, flexible design to accommodate various requirements on voltage rating, loading effect, and frequency range of interest; and/or easy implementation and low cost. The differential voltage probe is able to achieve these optimized capabilities by implementing unique winding designs for transformer(s) used in the differential voltage probe circuit design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Chingchi Chen, Richard William Kautz, Zhuxian Xu
  • Publication number: 20170028853
    Abstract: A wireless vehicle charging system includes at least one controller configured to operate an inverter to control a voltage input to a power converter in a vehicle to drive an impedance phase angle at an output of the inverter toward a predetermined angle and achieve a power demand at an output of the vehicle power converter. The at least one controller is further configured to operate the vehicle power converter to achieve the power demand. The at least one controller may control a frequency output of the inverter to adjust the voltage input to the power converter based on a rate of change of an objective function that is configured to reduce an output power error of the power converter and an impedance phase angle error at the output of the inverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Mohamed ELSHAER, Hadi MALEK, Richard William KAUTZ, Nevin ALTUNYURT, Christopher W. BELL
  • Patent number: 9522604
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an inductive charge coupling arrangement that can be electrically connected with a traction battery. The arrangement includes a charge coil and a plurality of permeable panels surrounding the charge coil. The vehicle further includes at least one controller that, in response to an inductive charge request, causes the panels to move to positions selected to minimize electromagnetic field leakage between the charge coil and a charge station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nevin Altunyurt, Richard William Kautz, Sandeep Kamalakar Reddy Chandra