Time Control Patents (Class 320/133)
  • Patent number: 11957861
    Abstract: A wirelessly powered tattoo machine is disclosed, which has a substantially radially symmetric exterior shape for optimal manipulability by a user, and integrated controls for on-device configuration and operation. The power supply component of the machine may be removed, and multiple battery packs may be utilized with a single machine for continuous use. The machine may also be powered by wire and simultaneously operate the machine while charging a connected battery pack. The machine may further include wireless communication with one or more separate devices to operate the machine or control the machine's settings, such as a foot pedal or mobile phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: FK IRONS INC.
    Inventor: Gaston Siciliano
  • Patent number: 11889271
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a method of charging a rechargeable battery, the method comprising the steps of: detecting the presence of a rechargeable hearing aid in a hearing aid recharger; generating a unique random ID in the charger; transmitting the unique random ID to the hearing aid using an extremely low power protocol; demodulating the unique ID in the hearing aid; using the demodulated unique ID in a low power protocol to advertise the hearing aid on a network which includes the charger; associating the hearing aid to the charger when the charger which broadcast the unique ID receives that unique ID from a hearing aid using a wireless protocol; using the wireless protocol to communicate between the associated charging station and hearing aid; radiating power from the charger to the hearing aid; and ending the association when the hearing aid is removed from the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Earlens Corporation
    Inventors: Kulbir Sandhu, Cem Shaquer, Kyu-Hwa Jeong
  • Patent number: 11855474
    Abstract: A method of charging a battery having a first voltage and a second voltage. In a first phase, applying a constant current to the battery; in a second phase, applying current pulses to the battery; repeating iteratively sampling the first voltage during a current pulse to obtain a measurement of the first voltage; sampling the first voltage during a current pause to obtain a measurement of the second voltage; generating a dynamic reference voltage based on the fixed reference voltage and on a difference between the measurement of the first voltage and the second voltage. There is a comparing the measurement of the first voltage with the dynamic reference voltage. There is a stopping of the current pulses when the measurement of the first voltage is equal to the dynamic reference voltage and the measurement of the second voltage is equal to the fixed reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventor: Sorin Laurentiu Negru
  • Patent number: 11844019
    Abstract: An electronic system electronic device includes: an internal battery, an external battery, a memory and a plurality of function modules. The internal battery is configured to generate a first power signal. The external battery is configured to be separated from the electronic device, and to generate a second power signal. The memory is configured to operate based on the first power signal. The plurality of function modules are configured to operate based on the second power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-taek Hong, Kwan-yong Jin, Byoung-sul Kim, Sang-hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 11824388
    Abstract: A battery of a preselected type advantageously has a beveled edge formed between a front-end surface and a lateral surface of the battery. In a battery charger, a slot has a cap formed with an interior channel for receiving a front-end portion of the preselected-type battery. The cap has a stopping member for stopping the preselected-type battery so as to receive recharging. Advantageously, the stopping member may be shaped to complement the beveled edge for seamlessly receiving the beveled edge when the preselected-type battery is inserted into the slot. A mismatch between the stopping member and a line edge of an unaccepted-type battery causes the stopping member to block the unaccepted-type battery from reaching deeper into the channel than the preselected-type battery when the unaccepted-type battery is inserted, disconnecting a positive charging terminal from the unaccepted-type battery to avoid the charger from accidentally recharging the unaccepted-type battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: GP Technology & Innovation Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun Bong Leung, Ping Hung Tang, Wei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11579205
    Abstract: Provided is an estimation device including: an acquisition unit that acquires measurement data on an energy storage device; an estimation unit that estimates the amount of deterioration for each deterioration mechanism of the energy storage device based on the acquired measurement data; and an output unit that outputs information based on an estimation result of the estimation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Okabe, Shota Yamauchi, Shuji Hitomi, Shigeki Yamate
  • Patent number: 11428718
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a period defining block suitable for generating a period defining signal corresponding to a predetermined test time period based on a test mode signal and one or more command signals; and a monitoring block suitable for generating a monitoring signal corresponding to an oscillation signal during the test time period based on the period defining signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc
    Inventors: Yu-Ri Lim, Jong-Man Im
  • Patent number: 11054482
    Abstract: A system that includes a battery, a power source, and a controller. The power source is configured to provide a charging current to the battery initially, and the controller is configured to associate a first impedance associated with a first state of charge (SOC) of the battery. Subsequently, the controller is configured to determine a second impedance of the battery during a discharge state of the battery. The controller may then determine a second SOC of the battery during the discharge state based on the first SOC of the battery when the second impedance corresponds to the first impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Chidong Yao
  • Patent number: 10998748
    Abstract: An electric power supply system 100 comprises a fuel cell system 20 including an FC auxiliary machine 23 that operates to causes fuel cells to generate an electric power, and a battery 10 that generates heat through discharging and charging. The electric power supply system 100 supplies the electric power to an electric load device 90. The electric power supply system 100 determines an operation state of the battery 10, and supplies the electric power discharged from the battery 10 to the FC auxiliary machine 23 of the fuel cell system 20 when it is determined that the battery 10 is a predetermined temperature or less. When it is determined that the battery 10 is in a charging state, the electric power supply system 100 reduces or stops the electric power supplied to the FC auxiliary machine 23.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuhide Shimada
  • Patent number: 10790552
    Abstract: An ECU controls a PCU to perform capacity recovery control of recovering a capacity of an assembled battery. The capacity recovery control includes a discharge mode and a capacity recovery mode. In the discharge mode, the ECU discharges the assembled battery to a predetermined overdischarge region. In the capacity recovery mode, the ECU repeatedly performs, in the overdischarge region, a voltage increase of increasing a voltage across a lithium ion secondary battery due to a stop of the discharging and a pulse discharge of discharging the lithium ion secondary battery while oscillating a discharge current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Isomura, Akira Kano
  • Patent number: 10688876
    Abstract: A battery charging device (30) is a battery charging device that charges a battery (10) used in vehicle (20), and comprises a battery pairing component (32), a usage battery state acquisition component (33), and a charging current determination component (37). The battery pairing component (32) is configured to set a charging objective battery (10) to be paired with a usage battery (10). The usage battery state acquisition component (33) is configured to acquire information about the state of the usage battery (10). The charging current determination component (37) is configured to determine the charging current of the charging objective battery (10) on the basis of information about the state acquired by the usage battery state acquisition component (33).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromasa Takatsuka, Kazuki Kasai
  • Patent number: 10576834
    Abstract: A method for controlling plural chargers equipped in a vehicle includes: recognizing a plurality of chargers, each configured to charge at least one battery supplying the vehicle with electric power, via an in-vehicle network; receiving an identification and at least one parameter from each recognized charger, which are delivered via the in-vehicle network; generating plural instructions, each instruction for each recognized charger in response to receiving the identification and the at least one parameter; and delivering the plural instructions to the plurality of recognized chargers via the in-vehicle network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jae Won Lee, Soung Han Noh, Jae Hyeon Park, Heuk Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 10569660
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a battery, and a controller programmed to charge and discharge the battery based on a health indicator output by a model that describes changes in internal resistance of the battery over time identified from (i) a plurality of different representative battery usage aggressiveness drive cycles and (ii) changes in internal resistance of the battery that are derived from a state of charge, temperature, and current associated with the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Tae-Kyung Lee, Imad Hassan Makki
  • Patent number: 10527680
    Abstract: Systems (50, 200) and methods for determining a state of charge of a battery (52, 102, 150, 202) are provided. The system (50, 200) includes a power source (56, 206) configured to provide a charging current to a battery (52, 102, 150, 202). A controller (54, 104, 204) is included and configured to determine a state of charge of the battery (52, 102, 150, 202) based on impedance of a battery (52, 102, 150, 202) during a discharge time period based on an impedance and a state of charge relationship of a battery (52, 102, 150, 202) during a charge time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Texas Insturments Incorporated
    Inventor: Chidong Yao
  • Patent number: 10424959
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus for charging a battery with an optimum charge profile corresponding to a pattern of use and a state of the battery is provided. The electronic apparatus may include a power supply configured to supply power to respective components of the electronic apparatus using power of a battery, and when receiving an input of power from an external adaptor, to charge the battery using the inputted power, and a processor configured to fully charge and discharge the battery to thus generate a charge curve and a discharge curve expressed in time and charge amount, and control the power supply to charge the battery using a charge profile corresponding to the generated charge curve and discharge curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bong-chul Kim, Ashish Khandelwal, Sung-rok Bang, Jason Michael Battle, Sanoop Ramachandran, Jae-hyun Park
  • Patent number: 10365334
    Abstract: A storage battery control device includes: a voltage measurement means for measuring terminal voltage of a storage battery; a current measurement means for measuring charge current and discharge current of the storage battery; a capacity calculation means for calculating a cumulative capacity of the storage battery by using the charge current measured by a current measurement unit; a control means for determining an operation of the storage battery, based on at least one of the terminal voltage, the charge current, the discharge current, and the cumulative capacity; and a charging/discharging control means for causing the storage battery to operate in accordance with an instruction from the control means, and the charging/discharging control means causes the storage battery to charge by a first charging method from a discharge end voltage to a first charge voltage, to charge by a second charging method at the first charge voltage, to charge by the first charging method from the first charge voltage to a secon
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi Miyamoto, Hiroshi Kajitani, Sho Ohtani
  • Patent number: 10259342
    Abstract: An overall loss L during non-execution of intermittent boosting (in ordinary boosting) is calculated from losses L1 and L2 of motors and a loss LC of a boost converter during non-execution of intermittent boosting. The overall loss L during execution of intermittent boosting is calculated from the losses L1 and L2 of the motors and the loss LC of the boost converter during execution of intermittent boosting. A minimum loss-time boosting voltage Vtmp at which the overall loss L provides a minimum loss Ltmp is set to a target voltage VH*. The boost converter is then controlled in a control state corresponding to the minimum loss-time boosting voltage Vtmp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Oyanagi, Tatsuhiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10180693
    Abstract: A processing circuit including a reference voltage generator and a voltage detector is provided. The reference voltage generator is configured to generate a first reference voltage to a controller. The voltage detector is configured to detect the first reference voltage. When the first reference voltage is not within a predetermined range, the voltage detector triggers the reference voltage generator such that the reference voltage generator generates a second reference voltage to the controller. When the second reference voltage is lower than a predetermined value, the voltage detector resets the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Nuvoton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Bo-Yi Lee
  • Patent number: 10062927
    Abstract: An accumulator battery system has stages, a power connection, a controller, and circuits. The stages are series-connected. Each has an electrochemical accumulator and a switch. A power connection connects a load to the stages. Each the circuit is associated with a stage. Each circuit generates a voltage variation at terminals of its associated stage, and applies, to a switch of the associated stage, a binary sequence at a frequency. The sequence differs from those of other stages, thus allowing distinguishing between stages based on the sequence. The controller, which is connected to the stages by the power connection, measures a voltage variation across terminals of the stage in response to application of the binary sequence to the stage, identifies a stage from which the variation originates by searching for its associate sequence, and determines, from the variation, an impedance of the identified stage for that frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Viviane Cattin, Rouba Al Nazer, Maxime Montaru
  • Patent number: 9941725
    Abstract: A method and an electronic device for supplying power to a battery are provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a battery disposed inside the housing, and a power management circuit configured to control power supplied from an external power source to the battery. The power management circuit is configured to supply power from the external power source to the battery to apply a substantially constant current to the battery during a first time interval, supply power from the external power source to the battery to maintain a substantially constant voltage in the battery during a second time interval following the first time interval, sense a current value applied to the battery and a voltage value of the battery, and determine a duration of the first time interval based on at least part of the sensed current value and the sensed voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kwang-Yoon Lee
  • Patent number: 9929570
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a control apparatus, including: a discrimination section configured to discriminate a plurality of battery units which are to share and output electric power required by a load; and a control section configured to carry out discharge control for the battery units in response to a situation of each of batteries which the battery units individually have.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihito Ishibashi, Junichi Sawada, Rui Kamada
  • Patent number: 9910097
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a battery stack having a plurality of cells are provided. One system includes a plurality of time delay circuits. Each of the time delay circuits is electrically coupled to at least one of the plurality of cells. The time delay circuits are configured to execute a time delay in response to receiving a trigger signal and output a time delay marking signal indicating that the time delay has elapsed. The time delay is based on a voltage of the cell(s) to which the respective time delay circuit is electrically coupled. The system further includes a control circuit configured to receive the time delay marking signal from each of the time delay circuits and, for each received time delay marking signal, to determine the voltage of the at least one of the plurality of cells associated with the respective time delay marking signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Jabil Circuit, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey David Danner
  • Patent number: 9789781
    Abstract: A charging device for a vehicle carries out timer charging in which the charging device is set in a standby state without charging until charging start time comes when the charging start time is set for a vehicle-mounted electrical storage device. The charging device for the vehicle includes a charger that charges the electrical storage device with electric power supplied from a device outside the vehicle, and an ECU that determines whether to carry out timer charging or carry out instant charging without carrying out the timer charging on the basis of a state of a switch associated with an open/close state of a charging lid, and that controls the charger. Desirably, a timer cancellation or determination switch is also used as a switch for detecting the open/close state of the lid or a switch for opening the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomokazu Masuda
  • Patent number: 9606186
    Abstract: A system for managing a battery may comprise: an interruption determiner configured to determine an interruption of a vehicle battery voltage; a State Of Charge (SOC) calculator configured to calculate the SOC of the vehicle battery and reset the SOC if the interruption of the battery voltage occurs; and an After Sale Service (AS) generation determiner configured to determine whether the AS of a vehicle component is performed if the interruption of the battery voltage does not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kyung In Min
  • Patent number: 9417677
    Abstract: Power management notifications are provided to a user of a portable electronic device by monitoring a current power level of a power supply in a portable electronic device. A determination is made, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to a given threshold. One or more wireless detection operations are performed to determine whether a power supply charging device is in proximity to the portable electronic device. The power supply charging device is unattached to the portable electronic device. A notification is presented at the portable electronic device, in response to both the current power level is determined to be one of less than and equal to the given threshold, and the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to the portable electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Robert Cary Gray
  • Patent number: 9337684
    Abstract: An improved battery charging method is usable by a battery charger to charge a battery. The charging method may include an optional desulfation process, a first constant current process, a constant voltage process, a second constant current process and a float charge process. The charging method preferably improves various charge and usage characteristics of the battery through a single or continued use of the battery charger utilizing the charging method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Ronald A. Rizzo
  • Patent number: 9327321
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for performing charging port detection control are provided, where the method is applied to an electronic device, a communication port of the electronic device has a functionality of obtaining power from an external power source for the electronic device, and a power path switching unit of the electronic device is arranged to control electrical connection between a system within the electronic device and a battery of the electronic device. The method may include the steps of: performing charging port detection; and control operation(s) according to the charging port detection. For example, the method may include: controlling the power path switching unit to have different configuration according to the charging port detection in order to charge the battery with different charging profiles; and detecting the system voltage level during charging for switching from the constant current mode to the constant voltage mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Pi-Fen Chen, Chih-Yuan Hsu, Hung-I Wang
  • Patent number: 9280193
    Abstract: A server chassis includes an uninterruptible power supply, and a server including a controller. The uninterruptible power supply is configured to provide a reserve power when a primary power is lost, and to send a power loss signal when the primary power is lost. The controller is configured to receive a desired server uptime, to receive an indication that a power limit for the server is fixed or decreasing over the desired server, to receive the power loss signal from the uninterruptible power supply, to send a power capacity query to the uninterruptible power supply, to receive a reserve power capacity of the uninterruptible power supply in response to the power capacity query, to calculate the power limit for the server based on the reserve power capacity of the uninterruptible power supply and on the desired server uptime, and to enforce the power limit on the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Wayne R. Weilnau, Jr., Elie A. Jreij
  • Patent number: 9263909
    Abstract: A control device that controls discharge of a nonaqueous secondary battery in order that discharge electric power of the nonaqueous secondary battery does not exceed an upper limit value includes a current sensor and a controller. The controller calculates an evaluation value for evaluating a first deterioration component based on a discharge state detected by using the current sensor. The first deterioration component is a component that reduces output performance of the nonaqueous secondary battery due to an imbalance of ion concentrations in an electrolytic solution caused by discharging the nonaqueous secondary battery. The controller integrates a value obtained by subtracting a correction coefficient from a first integrated value obtained by integrating the evaluation values in past, which exceed a target value, and the evaluation value at present, which exceeds the target value, to calculate a second integrated value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Obata, Makoto Nakashima, Hiroki Omae
  • Patent number: 9153974
    Abstract: A method and device for regulating charging and discharging current through a battery pack. Two or more battery packs are connected in parallel to an inverter, such that the inverter can use grid power to charge the battery packs or the battery packs can provide AC power through the inverter. A current balancing circuit device is placed in series with each battery pack and is used to regulate the current through the battery pack so that none of the battery packs is excessively charged or discharged. The current balancing circuit includes two field effect transistors (FETs) arranged in series and in opposite directions, where one FET controls charging current and the other controls discharging current. The balancing circuit also includes a current sensor, and uses proportional-integral control to provide a signal to the FETs such that the actual current flowing through the circuit is regulated to a target current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Michael G. Reynolds, Chandra S. Namuduri, Peter T. Karlson, Daniel G. Foisy
  • Patent number: 9013150
    Abstract: Provided is a power supply device integrally combined with an electrical device body including a motor, comprising a rechargeable battery for supplying power to the motor, a microcomputer for detecting a residual capacity and a battery voltage of the battery, and a switching element provided between the battery and the microcomputer. The microcomputer stops charging the battery when the detected residual capacity has become 100%, and when the detected value of the battery voltage has become lower than a peak value after the value of the battery voltage passes the peak value, making it possible to prevent overcharging of the battery. The microcomputer also controls to turn off the switching element to stop the power supply from the battery to the microcomputer when the residual capacity becomes less than a predetermined threshold value, making it possible to reduce power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Watanabe, Koji Asakawa
  • Patent number: 9014749
    Abstract: A system and method to initiate a housekeeping operation at a mobile device is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method at a mobile device includes modifying a scheduled housekeeping operation in response to determining that the mobile device is in a charging mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas R. Toms, Hari M. Rao, Seung H. Kang, Jung Pill Kim, Jungwon Suh
  • Patent number: 9013138
    Abstract: A charging apparatus includes an electric power supply device and a control device. The control device that estimates a first region in which first charging power is supplied from the electric power supply device to a electric storage device; estimates a second region, in which second charging power that is smaller than the first charging power is supplied from the electric power supply device to the electric storage device, based on temperature of the electric storage device and a state-of-charge of the electric storage; estimates a first charging time that corresponds to the first region; estimates a second charging time that corresponds to the second region; estimates a total charging time by using the first charging time and the second charging time; obtains a charging completion time; and sets a charging start time based on the charging completion time and the total charging time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 9007034
    Abstract: An electric power generation control system for a vehicle, which enables generation of electric power by a generator as much as possible while preventing an electrical component from being overheated by power generation by the generator. The electric power generation control system selectively switches a mode of the generator between first and second modes in which an instruction voltage is higher and not higher than an allowable voltage of a wire harness, respectively. A counter value is counted up in the first mode and down in the second mode. When the counter value has reached a higher limit value, the first mode is inhibited and the power generation mode is set to the second mode. This increase the proportion of an execution time period of the first, and accordingly, when a possibility of overheating the wire harness becomes high, the instruction voltage is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Iida, Masahiko Asakura, Satoru Sunada, Hiroshi Endo, Kojiro Tsutsumi, Ryuko Komatsu, Nobumasa Toyoshima
  • Patent number: 9000730
    Abstract: A user inputs a travel distance after last charging of a storage battery of a vehicle into an input field. A capacity of the storage battery at a current charge starting point in time is estimated from a capacity of the storage battery at a last charge ending point in time stored at the last charging and the input travel distance. The estimated capacity of the storage battery is displayed in a display field. During charging of the storage battery, detecting charge current and voltage to estimate a current capacity of the storage battery during charging, a remaining charging period of time and a distance-to-empty by the current capacity and displaying the estimated current capacity, remaining charging period of time and distance-to-empty in display fields are repeated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Housing Corporation
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Murawaka
  • Patent number: 9000552
    Abstract: In a semiconductor integrated circuit device including a digital circuit region in which a digital circuit is formed, and an analog circuit region in which an analog circuit is formed, the analog circuit region is separated into an active element region in which an active element of the analog circuit is formed, and a resistive and capacitive element region in which a resistor or a capacitor of the analog circuit is formed, the resistive and capacitive element region is arranged in a region adjacent to the digital circuit region, and the active element region is arranged in a region separated from the digital circuit region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takatoshi Itagaki
  • Patent number: 8988045
    Abstract: The method for charging or discharging a battery comprises measurement of the voltage at the terminals of the battery and comparison of the measured voltage with an end of charging or discharging voltage threshold. The method also comprises measurement of a temperature representative of the temperature of the battery and measurement of the current flowing in the battery to form a pair of measurements. The voltage threshold is then determined according to the pair of measurements. Charging or discharging of the battery is stopped when the voltage threshold is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Jean-Marie Klein, Arnaud Delaille, Sylvie Genies
  • Patent number: 8942855
    Abstract: A power distribution system for distributing an electric power charged in a battery to a plurality of dwelling units includes a power generation device which has a independent power generation function and is configured to generate an electric power and charge the battery with at least a part of the electric power thus generated, a first control device having a residual amount measuring unit for measuring a residual amount of the electric power charged in the battery and a plurality of second control devices which are provided in a corresponding relationship with the dwelling units and make communications with the first control device. The first control device is configured to adjust an amount of the electric power supplied from the battery to the dwelling units based on a measurement result of the residual amount measuring unit and information received from each of the second control devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Kawaguchi, Hiroaki Koshin
  • Patent number: 8932739
    Abstract: A battery pack, or battery pack module, is provided that is configured to respond to a short circuit of moderate current in a manner that minimizes the risk of an initial thermal runaway event propagating throughout the battery pack/battery pack module. In general, the battery pack/battery module allows pre-selection of which cell of the cells comprising the battery pack/battery pack module will be the last cell to respond to the short circuit. As a result, a thermal isolation barrier may be used to separate the preselected cell from the other cells of the battery pack/battery pack module, thereby minimizing the risk of excessive heating and extensive collateral damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Tesla Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Weston Arthur Hermann, Scott Ira Kohn, David G. Beck
  • Patent number: 8933670
    Abstract: There are provided a power supply system, an electric vehicle and a charging adapter. Electric power from a commercial power supply is distributed to electric lines by way of a distribution board and provided to electric apparatuses and an electric vehicle from the electric lines. When power consumption of electric apparatuses exceeds a predetermined value upon charging the electric vehicle, charging power to be supplied to the electric vehicle is decreased. Decreasing the charging power to the electric vehicle can avoid the restriction of the use of the electric apparatuses, thereby improving user's satisfaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosuke Ohtomo
  • Patent number: 8896269
    Abstract: The present invention provides a battery management device and a portable computer, the battery management device is for managing the rechargeable battery provided in a portable computer, the portable computer is provided with a charge circuit for charging a battery, the battery management device comprises: a discharge circuit for discharge the battery; a acquiring module for acquire the mode determining parameter; a first determining module for judging whether the battery storage mode is entered according to the mode determining parameter; a first control module for controlling the charge circuit or the discharge circuit to control the amount of electrical charge of the battery so that the amount of electrical charge of the battery is lower than the second amount of electrical charge threshold in the battery storage mode; the performance of the battery when deposited with the amount of electrical charge lower than the second amount of electrical charge threshold is better than the performance when deposited
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignees: Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd., Lenovo (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuangcheng Zhao, Xiaoren Cheng, Weizhi Lin, Ling Yao
  • Patent number: 8868279
    Abstract: A power system for a vehicle may include at least one controller and a battery having a plurality of cells. The at least one controller may, for each of the cells, determine a voltage of the cell, determine a discharge time to reduce the voltage to a value approximately equal to a minimum of the determined voltages, and cause the cell to discharge for the discharge time to balance the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Carvell Blakemore, Allan Roy Gale, Larry Dean Elie
  • Patent number: 8854006
    Abstract: A charge control device includes: a communication unit that receives a first instruction for setting a charging wait period, which is a period for waiting the charging operation by the battery charger, and a second instruction for setting a charging period, which is a period for executing the charging operation; a first timing unit that starts first timing operation for calculating a remaining charging wait period, which is a remaining period of the charging wait period, by subtracting an elapsed period from the charging wait period; a charging start unit that allows the battery charger to start the charging operation when the remaining charging wait period becomes zero; a second timing unit that starts second timing operation, together with start of the charging operation, for calculating a remaining charging period, which is a remaining period of the charging period, by subtracting an elapsed period from the charging period; and a charging stop unit that allows the battery charger to stop the charging opera
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroki Fukatsu
  • Patent number: 8823327
    Abstract: A battery management method of an electrical device, including an internal power source and a battery management unit, includes the following steps. The battery management unit detects whether the electrical device is electrically connected with an external power source. If the electrical device is electrically connected with the external power source, the battery management unit utilizes a timer to determine whether the electrical device has been electrically connected with the external power source for a predetermined time. If the electrical device has been electrically connected with the external power source for the predetermined time, the battery management unit resets the timer and controls the internal power source to discharge fast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventors: Luna Wang, Tai-Hang Fu
  • Patent number: 8729863
    Abstract: An energy management circuit (100) for use with one or more rechargeable cells (201) is capable of prohibiting discharge in response to temporal or other inputs. In one embodiment, a control circuit (102) applies a control signal to a discharge control node (105) when a charging current is applied for less than a charging duration threshold. The control signal causes a discharge disconnect switch (202) to open. In another embodiment, the control circuit (102) applies the control signal to the discharge control node (105) after failing to detect a charging current for at least a non-charging duration threshold. Discharge can again be allowed by applying a charging current for at least a reset duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: James Robinson, Marc Riley
  • Patent number: 8692518
    Abstract: The invention provides a compact and highly reliable electronic apparatus that can be driven by a small-capacity battery, and that can achieve high-speed continuous driving of a load by quickly judging the recovery state of the battery after driving the load. More particularly, the invention provides an electronic apparatus includes a power supply, a load, a load driver for driving the load by the power supply, a power supply state detecter for outputting power supply recovery information by measuring physical quantity of the power supply at predetermined intervals of time after the driving of the load is stopped, and a controller for instructing the load driver to drive the load, based on the power supply recovery information supplied from the power supply state detecter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Uchida, Kohichi Satoh, Masaaki Namekawa
  • Patent number: 8676419
    Abstract: A power system for a vehicle may include at least one controller and a battery having a plurality of cells. The at least one controller may, for each of the cells, determine a voltage of the cell, determine a discharge time to reduce the voltage to a value approximately equal to a minimum of the determined voltages, and cause the cell to discharge for the discharge time to balance the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Carvell Blakemore, Allan Roy Gale, Larry Dean Elie
  • Patent number: 8669741
    Abstract: A battery management system (BMS) manages a battery for a hybrid vehicle including an engine control unit and a motor generator controlled by the engine control unit and connected to a battery including at least one battery pack, each pack including a plurality of battery cells. The BMS includes a sensor and an MCU unit. The sensor detects temperature, current, and open circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery. The MCU receives the detected temperature, current, and OCV, calculates a key-off time period which is a period between a time point when a battery key-on state ends and a time point when a subsequent battery key-on state begins, calculates an OCV error range corresponding to an SOC error range detected at the key-off time point, and infers an initial SOC of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Se-Wook Seo, Soo-Seok Choi, Young-Jo Lee, Yong-Jun Tae, Han-Seok Yun, Gye-Jong Lim, Beom-Gyu Kim, Ho-Young Park
  • Patent number: 8659266
    Abstract: A method includes steps of dividing resistance R into a physical and chemical resistances Ro and Rp, obtaining corrected open-circuit voltages Vo corresponding to setting currents Ia to Ix, acquiring predicted reaching voltages Va to Vx corresponding to the setting currents Ia to Ix, and creating a current-voltage curve. The corrected open-circuit voltages Vo are obtained to predict available maximum currents I—target in a particular time t2. The predicted reaching voltages Va to Vx are acquired based on corrected physical and chemical resistances Ro and Rp, and the corrected open-circuit voltages Vo. The current-voltage curve is creased based on the setting currents Ia to Ix and the predicted reaching voltages Va to Vx to acquire upper and lower limit voltages Vmax and Vmin, and upper and lower limit currents Imax and Imin at a temperature whereby assigning these limit currents to available maximum currents I—target in charging and discharging operations, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeto Tamezane
  • Patent number: 8653794
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for estimating a voltage of a secondary battery which includes a cathode comprising a first cathode material and a second cathode material with different operating voltage ranges, an anode comprising an anode material and a separator for separating the cathode from the anode. The apparatus comprises a control unit configured to estimate a voltage of a secondary battery based on a circuit model including a first cathode material circuit, a second cathode material circuit and an anode material circuit, each circuit modeled to change its voltage according to State Of Charge (SOC) of the electrode material corresponding the circuit and a current flowing through the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-Tae Joe, Geun-Chang Chung, Sun-Young Cha