Patents Examined by Brian Ngo
  • Patent number: 11764615
    Abstract: The technology provides for a wireless charger. The wireless charger may have a transmitter antenna array, one or more detectors, one or more sensors, and one or more processors. For instance, the processors may determine, based on signals from the detectors, that one or more receiver antennas are located within a near-field range of the transmitter antenna array. The processors may then control the transmitter antenna array to focus electromagnetic waves on a first receiver antenna of the one or more receiver antennas, and control the transmitter antenna array to transmit power to the first receiver antenna. In some instances, the processors may further determine, based on signals from the sensors, that a person is located within the near-field range of the transmitter antenna array. Based on this determination, the processors may control the transmitter antenna array to stop transmitting power to the first receiver antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Max Li-Hua Wang, Maryam Tabesh, Jiang Zhu
  • Patent number: 11763153
    Abstract: A processor-implemented neural network method includes: generating a bit vector based on whether each of a plurality of input activations within a neural network is 0; merging the bit vector into the input activations such that bit values within the neural network included in the bit vector are most significant bits (MSBs) of multi bit expressions of the input activations; merging the bit vector into weights such that the bit values included in the bit vector are MSBs of multi bit expressions of the weights; sorting the input activations and the weights based on bits corresponding to the MSBs; and implementing the neural network, including performing operations between the sorted input activations and the sorted weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Seoul National University R&DB Foundation
    Inventors: Yoojin Kim, Soonhoi Ha, Donghyun Kang, Jintaek Kang
  • Patent number: 11755044
    Abstract: An energy storage system stores potential energy and providing a regulated output of electrical energy for powering an electrical load. The system includes an array of storage capacitors including a plurality of storage capacitors coupled in series. A balance control device balances the voltage on each of the storage capacitors in the array. An input control device manages the input for charging the storage capacitor array. An output power supply has an input coupled to the storage capacitor array and provides regulated power to an electrical load. A power monitor device electrically decouples the storage capacitor array from the electrical load when the total voltage of the storage capacitor array falls below a preset minimum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Triad Pro Innovators, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald Bindl
  • Patent number: 11757297
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing flow batteries utilize a battery management controller (BMC) coupled between a flow battery and a DC/DC converter, which is coupled to an electrical grid or a photovoltaic device via an inverter. The inverter converts an AC voltage to a first DC voltage and the DC/DC converter steps down the first DC voltage to a second DC voltage. The BMC includes a first power route, a second power route, and a current source converter coupled to the second power route. The BMC initializes the flow battery with a third DC voltage using the current source converter until a sensing circuit senses that the voltage of the flow battery has reached a predetermined voltage. The sensing circuit may include a capacitor, which has a small capacitance and is coupled across each cell of the flow battery, coupled in series between two resistors having very large resistances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: NEXTRACKER LLC
    Inventors: Chen Li, Yang Liu, Jonathan Kenzo Kamei
  • Patent number: 11750042
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a wireless charging switching method, which includes steps as follows. After a proximity sensor disposed in the central area of a coil senses an object, it is determined whether a power bus voltage of a wireless power transceiver electrically connected to the coil has reached a predetermined voltage value during a predetermined period, so as to determine a receiver mode or a transmitter mode for the wireless power transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: MERRY ELECTRONICS (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ke-Yang Lai, Chih-Yung Wang, Huang-Wei Chen, Yung-Hsiang Liu
  • Patent number: 11748606
    Abstract: In an example, an apparatus comprises a compute engine comprising a high precision component and a low precision component; and logic, at least partially including hardware logic, to receive instructions in the compute engine; select at least one of the high precision component or the low precision component to execute the instructions; and apply a gate to at least one of the high precision component or the low precision component to execute the instructions. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kamal Sinha, Balaji Vembu, Eriko Nurvitadhi, Nicolas C. Galoppo Von Borries, Rajkishore Barik, Tsung-Han Lin, Joydeep Ray, Ping T. Tang, Michael S. Strickland, Xiaoming Chen, Anbang Yao, Tatiana Shpeisman, Abhishek R. Appu, Altug Koker, Farshad Akhbari, Narayan Srinivasa, Feng Chen, Dukhwan Kim, Nadathur Rajagopalan Satish, John C. Weast, Mike B. MacPherson, Linda L. Hurd, Vasanth Ranganathan, Sanjeev S. Jahagirdar
  • Patent number: 11742664
    Abstract: A method of allocating power across a microgrid having a plurality of energy storage systems with different power and/or energy capacities, and different states of charge. The method includes allocating a total charge request and/or a total discharge request across the energy storage systems as a function of a usable energy capacity of each energy storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin J. Sergott, Ronald C. Gayles
  • Patent number: 11741288
    Abstract: A method (of manufacturing a semiconductor device) includes, for a layout diagram stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the semiconductor device being based on the layout diagram, the layout diagram including a first level of metallization (M_1st level) and a first level of interconnection (VIA_1st level) thereover corresponding to a first layer of metallization and a first layer of interconnection thereover in the semiconductor device, generating the layout diagram including: selecting a candidate pattern in the layout diagram, the candidate pattern being a first conductive pattern in the M_1st level (first M_1st pattern); determining that the candidate pattern satisfies one or more criteria; and increasing a size of the candidate pattern thereby revising the layout diagram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shih-Wei Peng, Jiann-Tyng Tzeng, Wei-Cheng Lin, Jay Yang
  • Patent number: 11742686
    Abstract: A battery device includes a battery unit, a temperature port, a temperature sensitive component, a switch component and a battery management unit. The temperature sensitive component senses a temperature of the battery unit, and provides a temperature indication signal at the temperature port. The switch component is electrically connected to the temperature sensitive component. When the battery device operates abnormally, the battery management unit controls the switch component to make the switch component stop provision of the temperature indication signal at the temperature port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Basso Industry Corp.
    Inventors: Cheng-En Tsai, Chun-Min Shih
  • Patent number: 11742771
    Abstract: A portable power source. The portable power source includes a housing, a first battery pack support configured to receive a first removable and rechargeable battery pack, a second battery pack support configured to receive a second removable and rechargeable battery pack, an inverter within the housing, and an alternating current power outlet. The inverter is configured to receive output power from the first removable and rechargeable battery pack and the second removable and rechargeable battery pack. The inverter is configured to produce an alternating current power output. The alternating current power outlet is configured to receive the alternating current power output from the inverter. The inverter is configured to be disabled when the first removable and rechargeable battery pack is received in the first battery pack support and the second removable and rechargeable battery pack is not received in the second battery pack support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Gareth Mueckl, Dean W. Nowalis, Jay J. Rosenbecker, Benjamin Tesch, Michael A. Matthews, Amanda M. Kachar, Dalton F. Hansen
  • Patent number: 11735946
    Abstract: A voltage stabilizing system of a switching direct current (DC) power supply equipment is provided. DC power outputted by battery modules and a rectifier is boosted, bucked, or boosted and bucked by a voltage stabilizer circuit, and is then distributed to a plurality of external electronic devices or the battery modules. The voltage stabilizer circuit includes a main voltage stabilizer circuit and one or more slave voltage stabilizer circuits. The main voltage stabilizer circuit controls the slave voltage stabilizer circuits, and distributes the DC power respectively to the main voltage stabilizer circuit and the slave voltage stabilizer circuits. Circuit boards of the main voltage stabilizer circuit and the slave voltage stabilizer circuits are pluggably installed in a machine cabinet of the switching direct current power supply equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: C-TECH UNITED CORPORATION
    Inventor: Feng-Wen Fu
  • Patent number: 11728691
    Abstract: A wireless power system may include wireless power transmitting devices, wireless power receiving devices, and wireless power transmitting and receiving devices. The devices in the wireless power system may exchange packets in order to transfer various types of data. The data may be transmitted using in-band communication (e.g., amplitude-shift keying modulation or frequency-shift keying modulation). The devices may use locally assigned addresses to communicate with any other device in the wireless power system. Even if a first device is not inductively coupled to a second device, the locally assigned addresses may identify an inductive coupling path from the first device to the second device that includes at least one intervening device. The first device may therefore communicate with the second device using in-band communication packets that are relayed by at least one intervening device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zaid A. AbuKhalaf, Alexei E. Kosut
  • Patent number: 11727188
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a cell region which includes components representing a circuit arranged such that a rectangular virtual perimeter is drawable around substantially all of the components and includes first and second virtual side boundaries, the components including: a first conductor which is an intra-cell conductor of a first signal that is internal to the circuit, a first end of the intra-cell conductor being substantially a minimum virtual boundary offset inside the first virtual side boundary; and a second conductor of a second signal of the circuit; a portion of the second conductor having a first end which extends outside the first virtual side boundary by a protrusion length substantially greater than the minimum virtual boundary offset; and a second end of the second conductor being receded inside the second virtual side boundary by a first gap substantially greater than the minimum virtual boundary offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Fong-Yuan Chang, Chin-Chou Liu, Sheng-Hsiung Chen, Po-Hsiang Huang
  • Patent number: 11728689
    Abstract: A charging device has a first printed circuit board (PCB) having a top metal layer and a bottom metal layer, where a first plurality of charging cells is provided on the top metal layer of the first PCB and a second plurality of charging cells is provided on the bottom metal layer of the first PCB. The charging device may have a second PCB having a top metal layer and a bottom metal layer, where a third plurality of charging cells is provided on the top metal layer of the second PCB and a fourth plurality of charging cells is provided on the bottom metal layer of the second PCB. An adhesive layer may join the first and second PCBs. One or more interconnects may be provided between the bottom metal layer of the first PCB and the top metal layer of the second PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Aira, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Heindel Goodchild, Camron Vossberg, Kevin Slatnick
  • Patent number: 11727180
    Abstract: Installation of electrical systems can require a large amount of branch circuits that can lead to a labeling degeneracy that can require a customized on-site tagging step to identify each conductor to be installed, or cause technicians to install additional circuit housing runs to circumvent the degeneracy. Circuit grouping systems and methods, and circuit installation methods, are disclosed herein that prevent such inefficiencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Southwire Company, LLC
    Inventors: Richard M. Temblador, Jason Clark, Dan Enfinger, Sam Eaton
  • Patent number: 11728670
    Abstract: Devices and methods described herein facilitate rapid wireless recharging, while reducing risk of injury, damage, or discomfort caused by heat generated during recharging. The embodiments described herein are useful in a variety of context, including for IoT devices, personal electronics, electric vehicles, and medical devices, among others. Such devices can prevent localized over-heating of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew T. Fried, Venkat R. Gaddam, Brett Otteson
  • Patent number: 11728328
    Abstract: Techniques to determine whether the design of integrated circuit (IC) has been tampered with during wafer manufacturing by using an enhanced library and layout methodology. The enhanced library may include location sensitive cells networked together in a mesh architecture where paths through the mesh can be used to detect relative position of location sensitive cells. The techniques further include algorithms that fill any unused space on an IC with additional elements from the enhanced library to minimize the opportunity to modify the IC by including additional circuit function or manipulating the layout. By physically locking down the circuit placement such that there is no available area and gives improved ability to detect changes in the physical location behavior of the circuit, therefore reduces the risk that unauthorized circuit manipulation will go undetected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: James L. Tucker
  • Patent number: 11720737
    Abstract: A structure includes a first transistor of a first type, the first transistor including a first channel, a first conductive segment, and a second conductive segment, a second transistor of a second type, the second transistor including a second channel, a third conductive segment, and a fourth conductive segment, and a gate. The first channel extends through the gate between the first and second conductive segments, the second channel extends through the gate between the third and fourth conductive segments and is aligned with the first channel at a center of the first transistor, the first and third conductive segments extend away from the center of the first transistor in opposite directions, and the second and fourth conductive segments extend away from the center of the first transistor in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shih-Wei Peng, Jiann-Tyng Tzeng, Wei-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 11715961
    Abstract: A switching-mode power system and method utilizing a rechargeable primary higher-current density energy cell and a rechargeable secondary lower-current density cell are disclosed. The system and method employ a collection of switches that are dynamically actuated so as to selectively interconnect and repurpose a minimal arrangement of components. This facilitates the selective provision of power to a portable device or system from a rechargeable primary high-current density energy cell or a rechargeable secondary lower-current density cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: FUNDAMENTAL INNOVATION SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventor: Dusan Veselic
  • Patent number: 11714948
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for use in an electronic circuit design. Embodiments may include receiving, using a processor, one or more DFM rules files from at least one PCB fabricator and importing the one or more DFM rules files to a DFM rule aggregator database. Embodiments may also include grouping one or more rules associated with the one or more DFM rules files using an automated or manual operation. Embodiments may further include performing automatic or manual rule aggregation on the grouped rules based upon, at least in part, rules aggregation information including a DFM template file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Utpal Bhattacharyya, Randall Scott Lawson, Edward Brian Acheson, Amit Sharma