Patents Examined by Alexis Pacheco
  • Patent number: 9780590
    Abstract: Power management techniques are disclosed. For instance, an apparatus may include a bidirectional voltage converter circuit, and a control module that selectively operates the bidirectional voltage converter circuit in a charging mode and a delivery mode. The charging mode converts a voltage provided by an interface (e.g., a USB interface) into a charging voltage employed by an energy storage module (e.g., a rechargeable battery). Conversely, the delivery mode converts a voltage provided by the energy storage module into a voltage employed by the interface. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Don J. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9780597
    Abstract: A system for providing power signals to peripheral devices on a vehicle using magnetic resonance coupling. The system includes a transmitter circuit having a variable current source, a base coil and a variable capacitor, where the current source and the capacitor are tuned to provide a predetermined AC current to the base coil so as to generate an oscillating magnetic field at a predetermined frequency. The system also includes a receiver circuit for each peripheral device, where each receiver circuit includes a receiver coil and a rechargeable power source. When the base coil is tuned to the receiver coil the power source can be recharged through magnetic resonance coupling to power the device. The transmitter circuit can be on the vehicle or can be separate from the vehicle, such as in a charging pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Moshe Laifenfeld, Eilon Riess
  • Patent number: 9778831
    Abstract: A vehicle including one or more computers to interface with electronics of the vehicle to access status data for systems of the vehicle and to make input settings to one or more of the systems. The vehicle includes wireless communication circuitry for providing connection to the Internet and to one or more wireless devices when paired with the vehicle. An occupancy sensor of the vehicle is configured to interface with the one or more computers of the vehicle to identify occupancy of seats of the vehicle. A processor of the one or more computers of the vehicle is configured to execute instructions to receive data from a wireless device that is paired with the vehicle. The data is used to identify a seat in the vehicle that is associated with a passenger. The processor executes instructions to provide data to a user interface accessed by the wireless device to expose a plurality of systems of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
    Inventors: Angel A. Penilla, Albert S. Penilla
  • Patent number: 9770993
    Abstract: A vehicle charging station includes a track configured to extend across a plurality of vehicle parking spaces and a movable charging apparatus supported by the track. The movable charging apparatus is translatable along the track between the plurality of vehicle parking spaces to charge one or more vehicles. The movable charging apparatus includes a base slidably coupled with the track, an end effector in mechanical communication with the base and configured to electrically couple with an electric vehicle disposed within one of the plurality of vehicle parking spaces, and a power delivery circuit configured to receive an electrical charge from a power source and to controllably provide the electrical charge to the electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Xiang Zhao, Dalong Gao, Roland J. Menassa
  • Patent number: 9764654
    Abstract: A device for charging a battery, or a battery of an electric traction automotive vehicle, based on a three-phase or single-phase power supply network, including a filtering stage including a capacitive assembly and configured to be connected to the power supply network. The device includes a mechanism to monitor capacitive assembly and to detect a deviation in value of the capacitance of at least one capacitor of the capacitive assembly on the basis of voltages and currents measured across the input terminals of the filtering stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s
    Inventor: Julien Malrieu
  • Patent number: 9764653
    Abstract: Systems and methods for charging an electric bus having a charging interface on its roof may include determining that an approaching bus is supposed to be charged at the charging station, lowering the charging head of the charging station to land on the roof of the bus, and moving the bus with the charge head on its roof to engage the charging head with the charging interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Proterra Inc.
    Inventors: Reuben Sarkar, Michael Alan Finnern, Michael Walker
  • Patent number: 9761915
    Abstract: A method for inspecting a battery, comprising: a first withstanding voltage determination step of housing an electrode laminate within a package and applying a first voltage between a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal to perform a first withstanding voltage determination in a state in which an electrolyte solution is not poured in the package; and a second withstanding voltage determination step of applying a second voltage which is higher than the first voltage between the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal and metallic layers of pair of laminate films to perform a second withstanding voltage determination in the state in which the electrolyte solution is not poured in the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOMOTIVE ENERGY SUPPLY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masatomo Mizuta, Aika Kimura
  • Patent number: 9758980
    Abstract: A system for extraction of a pool cleaning robot from a pool, the system may include a pool cleaning robot interface that is arranged to be coupled to a pool cleaning robot during an exit process during which the pool cleaning robot is extracted from the pool; and a pool cleaning robot manipulator that is coupled to the pool cleaning robot interface, wherein the pool cleaning robot manipulator is arranged to move the pool cleaning robot interface between a first and second portion; wherein when the pool cleaning robot interface is at the first position and is coupled to the pool cleaning robot, the pool cleaning robot is within the pool; wherein when the pool cleaning robot interface is at the second position and is coupled to the pool cleaning robot, the pool cleaning robot is positioned outside the pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: MAYTRONICS LTD.
    Inventors: Boaz Ben Don, Shay Witelson
  • Patent number: 9759781
    Abstract: The battery monitoring chips each include a battery monitoring function section that is provided so as to correspond to a respective battery cell group and to monitor a state of each battery cell contained in the corresponding battery cell group, and a regulator that generates a drive voltage to supply to a configuration circuit of the battery monitoring function section based on power supplied from the battery. The battery monitoring chips are connected together in series to give a communication path, with an input end of the regulator electrically connected to an output end of another regulator. A microcomputer is connected to a battery monitoring chip, and is driven by a drive voltage generated by the regulator of the battery monitoring chip accompanying power consumption by each of the battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: LAPIS SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hisao Ohtake
  • Patent number: 9759779
    Abstract: A state of charge estimation device for estimating a state of charge of iron phosphate lithium ion batteries includes a voltage measurement component configured to measure a voltage across the iron phosphate lithium ion batteries, a current measurement component configured to measure a current flowing through the iron phosphate lithium ion batteries, and a controller component configured to, when an estimation of the state of charge of the iron phosphate lithium ion batteries based on an accumulated amount of currents measured by the current measurement component is defined as a current accumulation method and an estimation of the state of charge of the iron phosphate lithium ion batteries based on an open circuit voltage (OCV) of the iron phosphate lithium ion batteries measured by the voltage measurement component is defined as an OCV method, permit the estimation of the state of charge by the OCV method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: GS YUASA INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji Hayashi, Masashi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9755442
    Abstract: A battery protection IC has detection circuits to detect faults of an overcharge, an over-discharge, and an overcurrent of a secondary battery; a control circuit to protect the secondary battery, by controlling (dis)charging the secondary battery upon the fault; and a delay circuit to generate delay after the fault before the controlling. The IC includes a memory unit to store data for setting and adjusting a circuit characteristic of the IC; and a setting circuit to set and adjust the circuit characteristic, based on the data from the memory unit. The memory unit includes a pair of non-volatile memory cells to complementarily store one bit, and a latch circuit directly cross-coupled with the memory cells, for each bit of the data. The latch circuit statically outputs the data from the memory cells to the setting circuit when the IC is turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryota Kageyama, Tsutomu Yamauchi, Nobuhito Tanaka, Takashi Takeda, Yoshihiro Satake, Takeshi Yamaguchi, Koji Koshimizu, Norihito Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 9753094
    Abstract: A battery system for a portable information handling system may modify charging parameters based on temperature exposure of a battery. When the battery is charged and exposed to a high temperature, the battery may be discharged to a lower voltage. After a cumulative period of exposure to a high temperature, a top-of-charge (TOC) voltage may be permanently reduced for the battery. Prior to charging at a high temperature, the TOC voltage may be reduced for a next charge cycle. Reducing the TOC voltage may minimize adverse effects for battery performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Richard C. Thompson, Wen-Yung Chang
  • Patent number: 9755280
    Abstract: A control device of a secondary battery uses, as material of a positive electrode, positive electrode active material that shows a difference of an open circuit voltage curve between charging and discharging. A storing unit stores, as discharge open circuit voltage information, a relationship between an SOC in a discharge process and an open circuit voltage for each changeover SOC that is an SOC when changing a state of the secondary battery from the charge to the discharge. An SOC calculating unit calculates the SOC of the secondary battery in the discharge process on the basis of a changeover SOC when actually performing the change from the charge to the discharge and the discharge open circuit voltage information stored in the storing unit. It is therefore possible to properly detect the SOC during the discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kaburagi, Yasuhiko Ohsawa, Atsushi Itou, Takuya Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9751418
    Abstract: A charge managing system includes a power receiving device 102 for receiving, from a commercial power supply 1, power to be used for charge, a storage battery 104 for accumulating power to be used for charge, a rapid charger 105 for performing charge to an electric vehicle, and a charge managing server 106 for controlling the rapid charger 105 and calculating a charge capacity of the rapid charger 105. The charge managing server 106 includes a communicating unit 1061 for acquiring information on power that can be used for charge from the power receiving device 102 and the storage battery 104, and rated output information on the rapid charger 105, and a charge-capacity calculating unit 1062 for calculating a charge capacity of the rapid charger 105, based on power that can be used for charge from the power receiving device 102 and the storage battery 104, and rated output power of the rapid charger 105.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Nyu
  • Patent number: 9728822
    Abstract: A charger has a housing with a receptacle configured to receive a battery, an electrical circuit board, a fan to circulate air within the housing and to cool the battery, and a fan-supporting member to support the fan. The fan is located above the electrical circuit board. A part of the fan-supporting member is positioned between the fan and the electrical circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideyuki Taga