Patents Examined by Aaron Piggush
  • Patent number: 10320038
    Abstract: A method for charging a lithium ion secondary battery of the present invention includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, A, B, and C satisfy the relationship A>B and B<C, where A represents an average charging current value in the range where a charge rate of the lithium ion secondary battery is 0% or more and less than 40%, B represents an average charging current value in the range where the charge rate is 40% or more and 60% or less, and C represents an average charging current value in the range where the charge rate is more than 60%. In the first step, the ratio of CMAX to CMIN (CMAX/CMIN) is 1.01 to 3.00, where CMAX represents the maximum value of the charging current value and CMIN represents the minimum value of the charging current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Nomura, Kunihiko Koyama
  • Patent number: 10312703
    Abstract: A battery charger circuit having a regulator controller configured to control the switching transistors of a switching voltage regulator. A power path switch is disposed intermediate an output of the switching voltage regulator and a terminal of a battery to be charged, with the power path switch including at least two transistor segments having common respective drain electrodes, common respective source electrodes and separate respective gate electrodes. A power path switch controller operates to sequentially turn ON the at least two transistor segments of the power path switch, preferably in the order of a decreasing ON resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Sanjay Gurlahosur
  • Patent number: 10312742
    Abstract: The wireless power transmission system includes a wireless transmitter and wireless receiver for transmission of power. The wireless transmitter includes a DC power supply between 6V and 12V, which may be supplied by a lead-acid battery, or other source. A flat coil defines a radiator, and at least one capacitor parallel to the coil defines a tank circuit. Two banks of MOSFET amplifiers are disposed between the power supply and the tank circuit, each bank having parallel MOSFETS for greater current and power. Two diodes alternately switch the banks on and off. The wireless transmitter generates electromagnetic waves to a wireless receiver having a flat coil or loop inductor to receive the transmission of power, the receiver having a half-wave rectifier and a Zener diode to convert the received power to DC and regulate the voltage for charging a user device, such as a cell phone or other electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Inventor: Jenan E. S. SH. M. Al-Shehab
  • Patent number: 10298029
    Abstract: A battery pack for providing different power sources may include: a low voltage battery configured to supply a first voltage; a high voltage battery configured to supply a second voltage, the second voltage being higher than the first voltage; a charging circuit configured to charge the low voltage battery using the high voltage battery; and/or a controller configured to control the charging circuit to charge the low voltage battery when a charge state of the low voltage battery is less than a desired charge state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joon-Kee Cho, ChangHyun Roh, Youngbo Shim, Byung-Kwon Choi, Taesin Ha
  • Patent number: 10298061
    Abstract: A vehicle including a wireless vehicle recharging system which includes a receiver coupled to the vehicle and configured to receive electrical power through electromagnetic induction from a transmitter, an alignment system including a controller configured to autonomously align the receiver with the transmitter, and a first sensor configured to provide a first signal to the controller. The controller uses the first signal from the first sensor to control a position of the vehicle to align the receiver with the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
    Inventor: Francesco Mastrandrea
  • Patent number: 10298048
    Abstract: A wireless charging system is provided. The wireless charging system includes a wireless power receiver circuit and a power management unit. The wireless power receiver circuit is arranged for adjusting an output power according to charging information. The power management unit is coupled to the wireless power receiver circuit, and is arranged for receiving the output power from the wireless power receiver circuit to charge an energy source, and transmitting the charging information to the wireless power receiver circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventors: Kuan-Kai Juan, Li-Ting Tsai
  • Patent number: 10291044
    Abstract: A battery charger in one aspect of the present disclosure includes an attachment portion, a charging circuit, a positive electrode terminal, a negative electrode terminal, at least one signal input terminal, an analog value acquisition device, a charging current detector, a comparison processor, and a current value reflection processor. The current value reflection processor performs one of a variable determination process for reference values and an analog value correction process. The variable determination process is a process for the current value reflection processor to variably determine the reference value based on a value of a charging current detected by the charging current detector. The analog value correction process is a process for the current value reflection processor to correct an analog value to be used in a comparison by the comparison processor based on the value of the charging current detected by the charging current detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki Uesugi
  • Patent number: 10286806
    Abstract: An electrical storage system includes an electrical storage device, a voltage sensor, a current sensor and a controller. The electrical storage device is configured to be charged with electric power from an external power supply. The controller is configured to detect a first voltage value with the use of the voltage sensor in a state where external charging is temporarily stopped, and calculate a first state of charge corresponding to the first voltage value, when an elapsed time from when external charging at a predetermined electric power is started is longer than or equal to a predetermined time. The predetermined time is a time required until a convergence of a voltage variation resulting from polarization during external charging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10277051
    Abstract: A battery module includes a crystal lattice type battery, a detection circuit, a control circuit and an excitation circuit. The detection circuit is electrically coupled to the battery. The control circuit is electrically coupled to the detection circuit. The excitation circuit is electrically coupled to the control circuit and the battery. When the battery is charged or discharged, the detection circuit is configured to detect an impedance of the battery. The control circuit is configured to compare the impedance and a threshold. And the control circuit is configured to produce a control signal. The excitation circuit is configured to selectively provide an excitation signal to the battery according to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Shih-Hao Liang, Shou-Hung Ling, Tzi-Cker Chiueh
  • Patent number: 10263446
    Abstract: The battery control circuit includes: a battery; a DC power supply unit; a first DC-DC converter providing a current path in a first direction of supplying the DC energy from the DC power supply unit to the battery, and a current path in a second direction of discharging the DC energy in the battery to a ground; a first capacitor fully discharging the battery in a manner that the sum of a voltage across the first capacitor and a voltage across the flow battery to be higher than an output voltage of the first DC-DC converter; a second DC-DC converter supplying the DC energy from the DC power supply unit to the first capacitor; and a controller controlling the first DC-DC converter to form the current flow path in the second direction when a number of times of charging and discharging the flow battery reaches a preset number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiwoo Park, Jiheon Lee
  • Patent number: 10243374
    Abstract: A device which includes interfaces, a measurement unit, a switching unit, and a control unit is used to parcel out charging currents to other chargeable devices, and allow partial charging of certain devices when full power is not available. The interfaces are connected to the chargeable devices. The measurement unit is connected to the power supply unit and the interfaces, and obtains a maximum supply current of the power supply unit and charging currents for the chargeable devices. The switching unit is connected between the measurement unit and the interfaces. The control unit is connected to the measurement unit and the switching unit, and selectively allows charging of the chargeable devices by controlling the switching unit according to the maximum supply current and the charging currents required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignees: HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD., HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ming-Yu Liao
  • Patent number: 10226636
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and techniques for estimating energy transfer to tissue of a patient during battery charging for an implantable medical device are disclosed. Implantable medical devices may include a rechargeable power source that can be transcutaneously charged. An external charging device may calculate an estimated energy transfer to tissue of the patient that may include a resistive heat loss from the rechargeable power source and/or electromagnetic energy transfer directly to tissue. Based on the estimated energy transfer, the external charging device may select a power level for charging of the rechargeable power source. In one example, the charging device may select a high power level when the estimated energy transfer has not exceeded an energy transfer threshold and select a low power level when the estimated energy transfer has exceeded the energy transfer threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Venkat R. Gaddam, Reid K. Bornhoft, David P. Olson, Prabhakar A. Tamirisa
  • Patent number: 10220711
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide control means for a vehicle, the control means being operable to control charging of tractive energy storage means of the vehicle, the control means being configured to allow charging of the energy storage means in dependence on a location of the vehicle and a time of day, wherein if the location of the vehicle corresponds to one or more prescribed locations the control means is operable to permit charging only during one or more prescribed periods of the day.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventor: Clement Dextreit
  • Patent number: 10211668
    Abstract: Techniques for charging and communication with electronic devices, such as headphones, are provided. Specifically, systems and methods to provide charging of, and communication with, audio devices, such as by photovoltaic (PV) cells, infrared (IR) illumination, audio signals, and LEDs such as laser LEDs, are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC
    Inventors: Armando J. Lucrecio, Jiayin Ma, Shaily Deva
  • Patent number: 10202046
    Abstract: A charging device for an energy store of an electrically driven vehicle, which includes a charging plug for transmitting an electrical charge to the energy store of the motor vehicle, a charging line for connecting the charging plug to a power grid, and a charging pillar with a docking station for receiving the charging plug when it is not in use and for connecting the charging line to the power grid. A cooling device for cooling the charging plug is arranged in the docking station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: David Köhler, Volker Reber
  • Patent number: 10199839
    Abstract: A battery pack includes one or more battery cells including at one side electrode tabs of different polarities, the electrode tabs distanced from each other in a first direction and each protruding in a second direction transverse to the first direction; and a protective circuit module connected to the one side of the one or more battery cells to control charging/discharging of the one or more battery cells, and the protective circuit module is arranged to be superposed on the one or more battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Min Kim, Dae Yon Moon, Byung Kook Ahn
  • Patent number: 10193355
    Abstract: An electric power supply system includes a first power storage, a second power, an input, and a processor. Information including priority information is to be input through the input. The processor is configured to determine whether the first power storage is charged up to a first target residual capacity and the second power storage is charged up to a second target residual capacity by a timing at which at least one of the first power storage and the second power storage starts discharging. The processor is configured to charge either one of or both of the first power storage and the second power storage according to the priority information when it is determined that the first power storage is not charged up to the first target residual capacity and/or the second power storage is not charged up to the second target residual capacity by the timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ito, Akira Yanagimoto
  • Patent number: 10186884
    Abstract: A charging apparatus for a mobile device includes a charging apparatus case having a slot into which a mobile device is inserted and mounted, wherein the front and rear surfaces of the mobile device are exposed in the slot; and a UV light source configured to irradiate UV light onto the front and rear surfaces of the mobile device, which are exposed in the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: SEOUL VIOSYS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jong-Rack Kim, Seong-Min Lee
  • Patent number: 10177577
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage battery device includes a battery group, a charge-and-discharge control FET unit, and a drive controller. The battery group includes a plurality of battery cells connected in series. The charge-and-discharge control FET unit is connected to a low potential side of the battery group and includes at least a pair of N-channel MOSFETs source terminals of which are back-to-back connected. The drive controller outputs a drive control signal to a gate terminal of the respective N-channel MOSFETs included in the charge-and-discharge control FET unit. The drive control signal is generated based on a potential level of the source terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Fuyuki Kanbe, Kazuto Kuroda, Shinichiro Kosugi, Masahiro Sekino, Minoru Gyoda, Yosuke Saeki
  • Patent number: 10166874
    Abstract: A system includes a vehicle and an induction charging unit, where the induction charging unit includes a primary coil and the vehicle includes a secondary coil. During a charging operation in a charging position, electric power is inductively transmissible from the primary coil to the secondary coil, in the charging position, the secondary coil being situated in a preferred spatial position area with respect to the primary coil, such that, for setting the charging position, by means of electromagnetic distance and angle measuring, by triangulation, the system detects a location position which describes a time-dependent spatial position of the secondary coil with respect to the primary coil. Moreover, by means of the location position and the charging position, the system detects at least a partial travel trajectory, along which the location position of the charging position can be approximated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jens Berger, Josef Krammer