Patents Examined by Arun C Williams
  • Patent number: 12003113
    Abstract: Devices for wireless charging with metal housings. The device comprises a wireless power receiving coil and an associated coil core, wherein the coil core defines a recess and at least a portion of the wireless power receiving coil is disposed in the recess; and a housing comprising one or more metal portions, wherein the housing is configured to receive at least a portion of the wireless power receiving coil and the associated coil core in an opening defined by the one or more metal portions. Alternatively, the device comprises a wireless power receiving coil and an associated coil core; a housing comprising one or more metal portions; and an alignment feature configured to interact with a magnet of a wireless charger to align the device with the wireless charger, wherein the alignment feature comprises a plurality of metal elements that are electrically insulated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventor: Liang Jia
  • Patent number: 11999224
    Abstract: A total task vehicle (TTV) may operate indoors to move a variety of different types of materials and accomplish a variety of different types of tasks, using tools and accessories powered by/connected to the TTV. One or more high power density (HD) battery packs may provide both 240V DC to 380V DC and 120V AC power to propel the TTV and also to function as a generator for tools and accessories attached to the TTV. A high torque/high speed convertible drive system may allow the TTV to operate in a ride-on mode, a walk-behind mode, providing for flexibility and adaptability in use of the TTV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: Ryan H. Peloquin, Jr., Daniel J. White, Matthew J. Velderman, Andrew E. Seman, Jr., Christopher Lemieux, Harry Zhong
  • Patent number: 11996726
    Abstract: A battery pack is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells connected in series to each other; a fuse connected between two of the plurality of battery cells; and a primary protective circuit configured to measure voltages of the plurality of battery cells and control a protective operation of the fuse according to a highest voltage of the measured voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chulseung Lee
  • Patent number: 11993158
    Abstract: An electrical energy system includes a fuel cell, a high-voltage battery, a direct-current converter with electrical isolation arranged between the fuel cell and the high-voltage battery, and a mains charging device connected between the fuel cell and the direct-current converter, wherein the mains charging device contains a rectifier but no DC-to-DC converter with electrical isolation. A method for operating such an electrical energy system for a motor vehicle includes charging the high-voltage battery by using the rectifier to rectify a mains voltage and passing the rectified mains voltage on to the high-voltage battery via the direct-current converter arranged between the fuel cell and the high-voltage battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Martin Breu, Maximilian Schiedermeier
  • Patent number: 11990767
    Abstract: A wireless communication device includes a battery, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a near field communication (NFC) integrated circuit connected to the battery and to the PMIC, and an internal device connected to the NFC integrated circuit and configured to support an NFC operation, wherein the NFC integrated circuit includes a power supply path control circuit configured to cut off a first power supply path from the PMIC to the internal device when the NFC integrated circuit is in an on-state or an operating state and to form a second power supply path from the battery to the internal device to supply power to the internal device based on existence or non-existence of a first supply voltage provided from the PMIC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In-hyuk Kim, Seok-hyun Kim, Young-seok Kim
  • Patent number: 11979112
    Abstract: A system, method, and solar photovoltaic (PV) network for solar PV variability reduction with reduced time delays and battery storage optimization are described. The system includes a Moving Regression (MR) filter; a State of Charge (SoC) feedback control; and a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The MR filter, SoC feedback control and BESS are configured to provide smoothing of solar PV variabilities. The MR filter is a non-parametric smoother that utilizes a machine learning concept of linear regression to smooth out solar PV variations at every time step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Muhammad Khalid, Miswar Akhtar Syed
  • Patent number: 11979044
    Abstract: Methods and devices for wired charging and communication with a wearable device are described. In one embodiment, a symmetrical contact interface comprises a first contact pad and a second contact pad, and particular wired circuitry is coupled to the first and second contact pad to enable charging as well as receive and transmit communications via the contact pads as part of various device states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: SNAP INC.
    Inventors: Russell Douglas Patton, Jonathan M Rodriguez, II, Stephen Andrew Steger
  • Patent number: 11973362
    Abstract: A charging cable is configured to rotate freely while attached to a cable plug on a chargeable device. The plug has contact pads separated by an insulator, and the matching cable head has pins for contacting the pads of the plug. There may be a ‘deadzone’ position where one or more pins of the cable head rest of the separator and do not make contact with the charge pads on the cable plug. The examples include pins in the cable head for redundant charging paths that are complimentary such that only one of the power paths will be on at any given time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventor: Shaheen Moubedi
  • Patent number: 11967450
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing component at least partially defining an internal volume and including a wall. A component can be disposed within the wall and at least partially surrounded by a material forming the housing. A battery can be disposed in the internal volume and electrically connected to the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jiahui Liang, Eric X. Zhou
  • Patent number: 11964587
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power control device for a hybrid vehicle that can allow power generation by a generator connected to a low-voltage battery regardless of a charging rate of the low-voltage battery. The hybrid vehicle includes: a motor (21) that can be coupled to a drive wheel (18) of the vehicle; a generator (22) that can be coupled to an internal combustion engine (11); a first secondary battery (21) connected to the motor (21); a second secondary battery (32) that is connected to the generator (22), and a voltage of which is lower than that of the first secondary battery (31); and a converter (33) that steps up a DC voltage received from the second secondary battery (32) and can output the stepped-up DC voltage to the first secondary battery (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Bosch Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Yukawa
  • Patent number: 11958376
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method using temperature data to protect battery health during bidirectional charging in conjunction with monetization activities. The method includes receiving temperature data and determining anticipated energy needs of a building. The temperature data includes at least the temperature of one or more electric vehicle batteries or information required to determine the temperature of the one or more electric vehicle batteries while the anticipated energy needs are relative to ambient air temperature. The method includes determining an amount of discharge of the one or more electric vehicle batteries required to offset the anticipated needs of the building by a predetermined amount and determining based on the temperature data whether discharging the one or more electric vehicle batteries would be harmful to the health of the one or more electric vehicle batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: FERMATA ENERGY LLC
    Inventors: David Lee Slutzky, John Parsons Wheeler
  • Patent number: 11938830
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless charging and wireless power alignment of wireless power antennas associated with a vehicle. A wireless power charging apparatus includes an antenna including first and second orthogonal magnetic elements for detecting a horizontal component of a magnetic field generated from a second charging base antenna. A processor determines a directional vector between the antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
    Inventors: Hans Peter Widmer, Nigel P. Cook, Lukas Sieber
  • Patent number: 11938835
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell generator, a rechargeable energy storage circuit, an auxiliary load, a converter circuit, and a switch circuit. The fuel cell generator is operable to generate electrical power in a stack output signal. The auxiliary load is powered by the rechargeable energy storage circuit while in a first mode, and powered by a local signal while in a second mode. The converter circuit is operable to convert the stack output signal into a plurality of recharge signals while in the first mode and in the second mode, and convert the stack output signal into the local signal while in the second mode. The switch circuit is operable switch the plurality of recharge signals to one or more electric vehicles, and switch the local signal to the auxiliary load while in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan B. Martin, Matthew C. Kirklin, Margarita M. Mann, William H. Pettit, Charles E. Freese, V
  • Patent number: 11942871
    Abstract: A system includes a transformer, a first controller, a discharge circuit to discharge an external capacitor based on an undervoltage threshold, and a second controller. The second controller is coupled to the discharge circuit, and is also coupled to receive a rectified Ac voltage and to receive control signals from the first controller. The second controller includes a gate driver to turn on a primary field effect transistor (FET). The second controller also includes a startup controller coupled to the gate driver. The startup controller is configured to increase a duty cycle of the primary FET based on whether a control signal is received from the first controller. The startup controller is also configured to determine a current duty cycle of the primary FET and to turn off the primary FET based on whether the voltage of the AC-DC converter is above an undervoltage threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Rashed Ahmed, Pavan Kumar Kuchipudi, Myeongseok Lee, Murtuza Lilamwala
  • Patent number: 11929468
    Abstract: A battery charging method includes: charging a battery with a charging current; and changing the charging current in response to a current change event occurring during the charging of the battery, wherein the current change event occurs when the battery reaches a threshold voltage at which an anode potential of the battery reaches a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ju Wan Lim, Duk Jin Oh, Myunghoon Kim
  • Patent number: 11912143
    Abstract: The invention enables efficient wireless power transfer, and charging of devices and batteries, in a manner that allows freedom of placement of devices or batteries in one or multiple dimensions. Provided is a base unit for wireless power transfer or charging through a time varying magnetic field. The unit typically includes a magnetic material or layer that guides magnetic flux generated by a charger coil as to create a preferential path for returning magnetic flux from a receiver coil in one or multiple dimensions. The receiver may include a magnetic core having a magnetic permeability exceeding 1 with copper Litz wire around a ferrite core. With power receivers proximate to the base unit, the base unit coil may inductively generate a current in receiver coils or receivers associated with the power receivers. Uni-directionally or bi-directionally wireless communication protocols include NFC, Bluetooth, WiFi, and etc. control and optimize power transfer therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Mojo Mobility Inc.
    Inventor: Afshin Partovi
  • Patent number: 11916427
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a battery module and a power arrangement method. The battery module includes a battery unit, an energy storage element, a switch, a functional circuit and a control unit. The energy storage element is coupled to the battery unit. The switch is coupled to the energy storage element. The functional circuit is respectively coupled to the battery unit and the energy storage element. The control unit is respectively coupled to the functional circuit and the switch, configured to control the functional circuit to cause the energy storage element to be coupled to the battery unit so that the battery unit charges the energy storage unit, or configured to control the functional circuit to cause the energy storage element to be decoupled with the battery unit so that a discharge path is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignees: LITE-ON ELECTRONICS (GUANGZHOU) LIMITED, LITE-ON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yung-Ping Tong, Yu-Kang Lo
  • Patent number: 11909225
    Abstract: A wireless charging transmitter includes at least two transmit coils and at least two transmit circuit units; wherein the at least two transmit coils are configured to simultaneously transmit electric energy to an external receive coil, the at least two transmit coils are coupled such that orientations of magnetic fields generated by currents on the at least two transmit coils are not parallel and form a first angle, a coupling coefficient between the at least two transmit coils is less than a predetermined threshold and each of the transmit circuit units is electrically connected to each of the transmit coils and configured to supply a current to the transmit coil. Therefore, the current on each of the transmit coils in the wireless charging transmitter generates a corresponding magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Halo Microelectronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yueguo Hao, Songnan Yang
  • Patent number: 11902732
    Abstract: A wireless charger inductively charges devices of various shapes and/or types, such as with multiple bend radii. Smartphones, headphones, key fobs, and other wireless devices may be laid atop the wireless charger. The wireless charger has flexible and pliable features that conform to the shape of the wireless device. The flexible and pliable features maintain a conformal relationship with the wireless device laid atop the wireless charger. The flexible and pliable features increase the efficiency of inductive power transfer and can reduce charge times and/or reduce heat generated due to thermal losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Jonathan C. Giffen, Gregory L. Henderson, Mikaela M. Noe, Stefanie Marie Thompson
  • Patent number: 11872901
    Abstract: Described herein are vehicle charging systems, each comprising a recharge vehicle and a work vehicle configured to form an electrical connection and charge the work vehicle battery from the recharge vehicle battery. In some examples, this charging is performed at 500 kW or more or even at 1,000 kW or more. Furthermore, the connection and/or charging can be performed while both vehicles are moving (e.g., the recharge vehicle moving in front of the work vehicle). The recharge vehicle comprises one or more DC-DC converters, configured to boost a first voltage (V1) of the recharge vehicle battery to a second voltage (V2) of the work vehicle battery. It should be noted that these voltages vary depending on the state of charge of these batteries. In some examples, each DC-DC converter utilizes a combination of immersion, conductive, and convective cooling for different components of the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: DIMAAG-AI, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Wright, Max Chapman, Sean McLean