Patents Examined by Alexis Pacheco
  • Patent number: 10243385
    Abstract: A method of managing a battery system, the method including receiving at least one measured characteristic of the at least one battery cell from the at least one sensor, estimating at least one state of the at least one battery cell at a first time by applying an electrochemical-based battery model, estimating at least one physical parameter of the at least one battery cell based on the at least one measured characteristic and the estimation of the at least one state, estimating the at least one state at a second time, subsequent to the first time, by applying the electrochemical-based battery model based on the estimated at least one parameter, and regulating at least one of charging or discharging of the at least one battery cell based on the estimation of the at least one state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Anahita MirTabatabaei, Reinhardt Klein, Aleksandar Kojic, Nalin Chaturvedi, Christopher Mayhew, John F. Christensen
  • Patent number: 10239409
    Abstract: An energy supply system for supplying at least first and second components of a motor vehicle with electrical energy. The energy supply system is arranged in the motor vehicle and has a charging socket (60). At least the first component an energy store and at least the second component is a consumer. The at least one first component has a first electrical voltage and the at least one second component has a second electrical voltage. To carry out a charging mode, the motor vehicle is connected via the charging socket (60) to a charging station with which current which either has the first or the second electrical voltage is to be made available. A first charging mode, a second charging mode and a travel mode of the motor vehicle can be carried out with the energy supply system (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Dr.Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Dirk Herke
  • Patent number: 10231505
    Abstract: A charging system can include provisions for providing power to various systems or components associated with the article of footwear. A charging system may include a charging device dimensioned to be used with one or more articles of footwear, where the articles of footwear can include different sizes. In some cases, the charging system can be used to facilitate the transfer of power to components in a motorized tensioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Tiffany A. Beers, Andrew A. Owings
  • Patent number: 10220713
    Abstract: An electric vehicle charging system includes a computing device having a processor and a memory storage device. The computing device is programmed to initiate electric charging of an electric vehicle and provide access to a different vehicle while the electric vehicle is charging. An example method that may be executed by the charging station includes detecting a first vehicle at a charging station, initiating electric charging of the first vehicle at the charging station, transmitting a lock signal to a charge cord of the charging station to lock the charge cord to the first vehicle, providing access to a second vehicle while the first vehicle is charging, detecting a return of the second vehicle to the charging station, and transmitting an unlock signal to the charge cord to unlock the charge cord from the first vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Charles Everett Badger, II
  • Patent number: 10224566
    Abstract: An electrical combination. The combination comprises a hand held power tool, a battery pack and a controller. The battery pack includes a battery pack housing connectable to and supportable by the hand held power tool, a plurality of battery cells supported by the battery pack housing, each of the plurality of battery cells having a lithium-based chemistry, being individually tapped and having an individual state of charge. A communication path is provided by a battery pack sense terminal and a power tool sense terminal. The controller is operable to monitor a state of charge of a number of battery cells less than the plurality of battery cells and to generate a signal based on the monitored state of charge of the number of battery cells less than the plurality of battery cells, the signal being operable to control the operation of the hand held power tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Todd W. Johnson, Jay J. Rosenbecker, Gary D. Meyer, Jeffrey M. Zeiler, Kevin L. Glasgow, Jonathan A. Zick, Jeffrey M. Brozek, Karl F. Scheucher
  • Patent number: 10224745
    Abstract: An apparatus for a removable inductive power pad is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame with an opening in a top surface of the frame, and includes a removable pad with an inductive power transfer (“IPT”) pad embedded therein. The IPT pad is shaped to transmit power to a receiver pad positioned above the removable pad. The removable pad is sized to conform to the opening, where the opening of the frame is shaped to support the removable pad and the removable pad and the opening are sized so that a top surface of the removable pad is substantially level with the top surface of the frame. When the frame is located in a roadway, the frame and removable pad mounted in the opening of the frame are rated for vehicular traffic to drive over the frame and/or the removable pad without damaging the frame or the removable pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark H Easton, Jeff Easton
  • Patent number: 10224580
    Abstract: A battery pack including: a lithium air battery configured to receive air and discharge a discharge gas, the lithium air battery including a cell module configured to generate electricity based on oxidation of a lithium metal and reduction of oxygen; and a battery management unit configured to control charging and discharging of the lithium air battery, wherein the battery management unit includes a measurement unit configured to measure a composition ratio of the discharge gas, measure a current, and to generate discharge gas data and current data; a capacity estimation unit configured to estimate a present capacity of the lithium air battery based on the discharge gas data and the current data and to generate a present capacity data; and a state of health estimation unit configured to estimate a state of health of the lithium air battery based on the present capacity data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taeyoung Kim, Dongjoon Lee, Dongmin Im
  • Patent number: 10224732
    Abstract: A portable information handling system battery module has a self-contained housing having a battery charger, integrated rechargeable batteries and plural ports to transfer power, such as USB Type C ports having bi-directional power transfer capability. A cable couples first battery module port to a portable information handling system port to provide power to the portable information handling system and accept power from the portable information handling system. Plural additional battery modules daisy chain to the first battery module to accept power from and provide power to the portable information handling system. Power transfer is coordinated with communications through the ports, such as by a USB power transfer protocol supported at the information handling system and each battery module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Mohammed K. Hijazi, Merle J. Wood, III, Matthew J. McGowan
  • Patent number: 10195949
    Abstract: A charger, in one possible configuration, has an AC/DC converter that converts alternating current power supplied from an external alternating current power supply into direct current power and outputs the direct current power, a DC/DC converter that transforms the direct current power output by the AC/DC converter and supplies the transformed direct current power to a vehicle-mounted battery, and a safety control unit that forcibly stops the DC/DC converter with detection of an occurrence of a fault during charging of the vehicle-mounted battery as a trigger, and subsequently causes the AC/DC converter to stop normally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Osamu Takei, Akio Toba, Yasuaki Hachisu, Masakazu Gekinozu, Hiroji Nishida
  • Patent number: 10164468
    Abstract: A protective cover for a portable electronic device includes a protective shell for receiving and at least partially covering the portable electronic device. The protective cover includes a rechargeable power storage device and an electrical coil proximate a back surface of the shell. The protective cover also includes electrical circuitry configured to transfer first electrical power from the rechargeable power storage device to the installed portable electronic device. The electrical circuitry is also configured to transfer second electrical power from the rechargeable power storage device to the electrical coil. The electrical coil is configured to wirelessly transfer at least a portion of the second electrical power to a second portable electronic device. The protective cover may also include a visual indicator for indicating a status of the wireless transfer of the second electrical power to the second portable electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Otter Products, LLC
    Inventors: John P. Fitzgerald, Carlton R. Lay
  • Patent number: 10150376
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an inductive energy transfer system and a method for the diagnosis of a foreign object detection of an inductive energy transfer system. For this purpose, a defined fault is introduced into the region to-be-monitored between primary coil and secondary coil of the inductive energy transfer system, and the response of the foreign object detection to said defined fault is then evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Mayer, Florian Malchow, Markus Becker, Steffen Eppler, Philipp Schumann
  • Patent number: 10139452
    Abstract: State based full and empty control for rechargeable batteries that will assure a uniform battery empty condition, even in the presence of a load on the battery. A fuel gauge provides a prediction of the open circuit voltage of the battery, and when the predicted open circuit voltage of the battery reaches the predetermined open circuit voltage of an empty battery, the load is terminated, after which the battery will relax back to the predetermined open circuit voltage of an empty battery. A similar technique is disclosed for battery charging, allowing faster battery charging without overcharging. Preferably an RC battery model is used as the fuel gauge to provide the prediction, but as an alternative, a coulomb counter may be used to provide the prediction, with error correction between successive charge discharge cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Maxim Integraqted Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Allen Wortham
  • Patent number: 10135241
    Abstract: A solar array power generation system includes a solar array electrically connected to a control system. The solar array has a plurality of solar modules, each module having at least one DC/DC converter for converting the raw panel output to an optimized high voltage, low current output. In a further embodiment, each DC/DC converter requires a signal to enable power output of the solar modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Solaredge Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: F. William Capp, William J. Driscoll
  • Patent number: 10128670
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for determining whether an electronic device contacts a fluid or not. The electronic device may include: a housing; at least one sensor arranged in the housing; a coupling member connected to a part of the housing and configured to detachably couple the electronic device to a part of a body of a user; a conductive member arranged on a surface of the housing or on a surface of the coupling member and exposed to an outside while being electrically connectible to the at least one sensor; a processor electrically connected to the at least one sensor and the conductive member; and a memory electrically connected to the processor. The processor determines whether the conductive member has contacted a fluid or not using the at least one sensor and executes a second action at least partially based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youngkyun Ban, Soyoung Lee
  • Patent number: 10106043
    Abstract: The invention relates to a charging device for an electric vehicle that can be driven by an electrical energy store. The charging device has a charging interface outside the electric vehicle, which can be fed by a three-phase alternating current from an external three-phase alternating current network. The charging device provides a charging current at the output that can be fed via a charging cable to the electric vehicle in order to charge the electrical energy store. The charging interface comprises a converter device configured to convert the three-phase alternating current into a single-phase alternating current as the charging current, and to distribute a phase load on the conduction phase of the single-phase alternating current substantially uniformly onto the three conduction phases of the three-phase alternating current during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Weber, Andreas Kurtz
  • Patent number: 10110021
    Abstract: There is provided a balancing device that equalizes voltages between storage cells of a battery composed of a plurality of series-connected storage cells or voltages between electrical storage modules composed of a plurality of series-connected storage cells of the battery. The balancing device equalizes voltages between the energy storage modules by transferring electric power between the electrical storage modules through an element to which all of the electrical storage modules are connected, the transferring being realized by on-off control of current supply to each of the electrical storage modules, the on-off control being performed with a first duty cycle. Further, the balancing device introduces a period in which the on-off control is performed with a second duty cycle, the second duty cycle being different from the first duty cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: FDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Hamada, Masatsuru Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 10099567
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an auxiliary battery charging system for monitoring and regulating the energy flow to an auxiliary battery in a vehicle. More specifically, the auxiliary battery charging system of the present disclosure includes a monitoring controller configured to operate with a plurality of sensors, a display device and a battery charger to display the battery status (such as temperature, voltage, time of last charge); initiate charging of the auxiliary battery when the auxiliary battery voltage reaches a predetermined minimum voltage; and disable the charging process when the auxiliary battery voltage has reached an optimum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Oscar Hernandez Cervantes, Antonio Espiritu Santo Rincon, Luis Antonio Ocegueda Perez, Rodrigo Del Moral Diaz
  • Patent number: 10090686
    Abstract: An electrical storage system includes an electrical storage device, a voltage sensor, a current sensor and a controller. The controller calculates a full charge capacity of the electrical storage device on the basis of a state of charge of the electrical storage device at the time when external charging is started, a state of charge of the electrical storage device at the time when the external charging is completed, and an accumulated value of a current value during the period when the external charging is being carried out, and sets a polarization elimination time. When a stopped time during the period when charging or discharging of the electrical storage device is stopped is longer than the polarization elimination time, the controller regards a voltage value of the electrical storage device at the time of at least one of the start of the external charging or the completion of the external charging as an open circuit voltage of the electrical storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10090712
    Abstract: A computing device can include a wireless power module and a haptic module to move the computing device in a direction. A controller in the computing device can detect a misalignment of the wireless power module with a wireless power transmitter. The controller can control the haptic module to move the computing device to be aligned with the wireless power transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Monji G Jabori, Hui Leng Lim, Charles J Stancil
  • Patent number: 10067198
    Abstract: The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to determining data which is representative of the state of health, or a change therein, of the battery using the data which is representative of (i) the relaxation time of the battery and/or (ii) the overpotential of the battery. In another aspect the present inventions are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adapt one or more characteristics of a charge signal using data which is representative of the state of health, or a change therein, of the battery. In yet another aspect the present inventions are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to determine a state of charge of the battery using data which is representative of the state of health, or a change therein, of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Qnovo Inc.
    Inventors: Nadim Maluf, Dania Ghantous, Fred Berkowitz, Christina Peabody