Patents Examined by Drew A. Dunn
  • Patent number: 9997950
    Abstract: A receiving antenna of a wireless power receiving device wirelessly charging electric power according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate, a first soft magnetic layer stacked on the substrate, and including a soft magnetic material, and a receiving coil configured to receive electromagnetic energy emitted from a wireless power transmission device, and including a first coil layer wound in parallel with the soft magnetic layer, and a second coil layer electrically connected to the first coil layer and wound in parallel with the first coil layer, and a current direction of the first coil layer is opposite to a current direction of the second coil layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seok Bae, Yu Seon Kim, Sang Hak Lee, Don Chul Choi, Soon Young Hyun
  • Patent number: 9997942
    Abstract: In embodiments, apparatuses, methods and systems associated with battery charging are disclosed herein. In various embodiments, a reference current selector may receive a battery voltage sense input and output a reference current level signal, a power point check detector may receive a power supply sense input and output a power point check signal, and a controller coupled to the reference current selector and the power point check detector may receive a battery current sense input and switch a control output based at least in part on the reference current level signal, the battery current sense input, and the power point check signal. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lilly Huang, Suvankar Biswas, Vaibhav Vaidya, Krishnan Ravichandran
  • Patent number: 9991699
    Abstract: An electronic device is configured with sub-assemblies including a main logic board, flexible printed circuit, and dual battery packs that are assembled together with electrical connectors to enable power from the battery packs to flow over a power bus that is distributed along the flexible printed circuit and main logic board. A protection circuit module (PCM) in each battery pack is configured to determine a state of each of the connections among the sub-assemblies (i.e., whether or not properly assembled to provide electrical continuity through the connector) so that power from the battery packs is switched on to the power bus only when electrical continuity is verified at each of the connectors. In the event that any connection is faulty, for example due to a misalignment of a connector during assembly that prevents electrical continuity to be established through a connector, neither PCM will switch power on to the power bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Junius Penny, Agustya Mehta, David Lukofsky, Eugene Shoykhet
  • Patent number: 9991730
    Abstract: A charger for a starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) battery is provided. The charger includes a base unit having a pair of terminals that are adapted to engage a pair of conductive terminals coupled to a battery unit to electrically couple the base unit to the battery unit. The charger also includes charging circuitry having power conversion circuitry that is adapted to receive primary power and to convert the primary power to a battery power output compatible with a charging voltage of the battery unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Christine M. Feuell, Rebecca M. Conway, Julia A. Mazur, James C. Douglass, Kurt R. Dickmann, Feng Xue, William E. Spears, Deborah G. Spanic, Nancy I. Guerra Garcia
  • Patent number: 9991551
    Abstract: A method of charging an assembled battery, includes mechanically connecting two external terminals of an assembled battery and two connecting lines of a charging circuit, respectively, the assembled battery including a plurality of lithium ion battery cells connected in series, a lithium ion battery cell of the plurality of lithium ion battery cells including a positive electrode active material including a first lithium compound comprising iron, the two external terminals, and a first communicating unit. The method also includes electrically connecting the first communicating unit of the assembled battery to a second communicating unit of the charging circuit, charging the assembled battery through the two external terminals using a quasi-constant voltage charging procedure, and reducing a charging current toward a late stage during the charging of the assembled battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: GS YUASA INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamoto, Koichi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 9989596
    Abstract: A circuit for displaying the state of a battery that is almost discharged features a battery, an inductive load, and a controllable switch connected in series. The circuit also includes a display element connected in series with the inductive load and the battery. The controllable switch is opened when a voltage of the battery is lower than a first threshold level and is only closed again when the voltage of the battery is greater than a second threshold level. The circuit may also include a control circuit having a comparator which compares the voltage of the battery with the first threshold level and the second threshold level and triggers the controllable switch accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Gerrit Rönneberg
  • Patent number: 9982416
    Abstract: A shovel includes an electrical power storage device that may be made of a plurality of electrical power storage cells for charging electricity generated by a generator; and an electrical power storage administration part that includes equalizing circuits each of which may be connected to corresponding one of the plurality of electrical power storage cells, an equalizing circuit defect determination part which determines whether a defect exists in the equalizing circuit, and a shutoff part which shuts off a connection between the equalizing circuit in which the defect may be determined to exist and the electrical power storage cell connected to the equalizing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignees: SUMITOMO(S.H.I.) CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD., SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Jitsutaka Takeo, Makoto Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 9979202
    Abstract: A control, protection and power management system for an energy storage system, comprises an interface configured to communicate and provide energy exchange with a host power system, a local load, and the energy storage system, and processing structure configured to receive signals from the host power system and the energy storage system, to determine a mode of operation of the energy storage system and to provide control, protection and power management to the energy storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Ecamion Inc.
    Inventors: Himanshu Sudan, Carmine Pizzurro, Reza Iravani, Milan Graovac
  • Patent number: 9979221
    Abstract: A device may identify a wireless charging device within a threshold proximity to the device. The device may provide information associated with aligning the device and the wireless charging device. The device may determine that the wireless charging connection is enabled with the wireless charging device based on providing information associated with aligning the device and the wireless charging device. The device may determine a charging status associated with the wireless charging connection. The device may provide information identifying the charging status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Chin, Graham David Sysko, Denise Nicole Lyn-Shue, Bradford A. Jackvony
  • Patent number: 9979217
    Abstract: An electrical power supply apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a plurality of rechargeable battery components, a solar panel and a control unit enclosed in a main body and electrically connected to the rechargeable battery components and the solar panel. The control unit controls the apparatus to alternately use each rechargeable battery component for outputting electrical power, and alternately charging each rechargeable battery component using the solar panel. The control unit further comprises an orientation sensor for detecting the orientation of the main body and determining the state of the apparatus based on the signal received from the orientation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: SAS E&P LTD.
    Inventor: Zhentang Fu
  • Patent number: 9969293
    Abstract: A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, conditioning a battery assembly of an electrified vehicle to a desired thermal level in a manner that extends useful life of the battery assembly, the conditioning step including heating or cooling the battery assembly with a thermal management system operable during both vehicle ON conditions and vehicle OFF conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mazen Hammoud, Thomas Scott Gee, Kevin Layden
  • Patent number: 9973025
    Abstract: An operating method includes receiving a power signal from a power providing equipment, transmit a first end power transfer message to the power providing equipment under a condition that the power of the battery is full, so that the power providing equipment stops providing the wireless power signal according to the first end power transfer message; charging the battery by utilizing the wireless power signal under a condition that the power of the battery is not full; and transmitting a second end power transfer message to the power providing equipment under a condition that the battery is fully charged by the charging module, so that the power providing equipment stops providing the wireless power signal according to the second end power transfer message. The first end power transfer message and the second end power transfer message are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventor: Feng-Seng Chu
  • Patent number: 9973237
    Abstract: A wireless charging method and apparatus are provided. A non-contact wireless local communication unit performs non-contact wireless local communication for wireless charging authentication through a non-contact wireless local communication antenna. A wireless power receiver receives supply power from a wireless power transmitter by using a resonator resonating on a resonance frequency equal to that of the wireless power transmitter after the wireless charging authentication. A charging controller performs wireless charging by using the supply power received by the wireless power receiver. One or more switches switch between a connection between the non-contact wireless local communication antenna and the non-contact wireless local communication unit, and a connection between the wireless power receiver and the charging controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Woo-Ram Lee, Joon-Il Kim, Kyu-Jae Jang
  • Patent number: 9973020
    Abstract: A method for charging a rechargeable battery (3) of an electric device in different charging steps applying different charging currents is described, said charging steps comprising at least: a first charging step applying a first constant charging current (I1) to the battery (3) while the battery voltage is smaller than a first voltage threshold (V1) and/or while the battery temperature is smaller than a first temperature threshold, said first charging (I1) current being smaller than a second charging current (I2); a second charging step applying said second constant charging current (I2) to the battery (3) while the battery voltage is higher than said first battery voltage threshold (V1) and lower than a second battery voltage threshold (V2) and/or while the battery temperature is higher than said first temperature threshold and smaller than a second temperature threshold; a third charging step applying a constant charging current (I3) to the battery (3), wherein said third constant charging current (I3)
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: Hartmut Loth-Krausser, Mathias Amann, Christian Wachter, Holger Hild
  • Patent number: 9969276
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a traction battery, an auxiliary battery, a charger, and two DC-DC converters. A first DC-DC converter is connected between the traction battery and the auxiliary battery through a main contactor. A second DC-DC converter is connected between the charger and the auxiliary battery. The charger is configured to charge the auxiliary battery via the second DC-DC converter when the charger is receiving power. The second DC-DC converter is configured to charge the auxiliary battery when the first DC-DC converter is disconnected from the traction battery. The second DC-DC converter can charge the auxiliary battery independent of the charger charging the traction battery. The second DC-DC converter may be configured to generally maximize power conversion efficiency in a range of power outputs associated with charging the auxiliary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Roger DeDona, Arthur M. Rutyna, Mark J. Ferrel, Bo Wu, Hilde Anne Heremans, Christopher W. Bell
  • Patent number: 9970990
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including: lines connected to lines between respective neighboring battery cells of plural battery cells connected in series; at each of the battery cells, a voltage detection portion that detects a battery voltage value of the battery cell based on a voltage provided by the lines connected to the high potential side of the battery cell and to the low potential side of the battery cell; and at each of the lines, a regulation portion that regulates current to make a first current and a second current cancel out, the first current being caused to flow in a first direction in the resistor element by the battery cell at the high potential side of the line, and the second current being caused to flow in a second direction in the resistor element by the battery cell at the low potential side of the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9969288
    Abstract: A power control system, a power control method, a power control device and a power control program supplies power to an electric device and charge an electric vehicle. A control device and method includes a receiver that receives charge information pertaining to the charging of the rechargeable battery prior to an arrival of the electric vehicle at a location where power is supplied to the electric vehicle, and a control determination unit that determines an operation start time of starting the operation of the electric device on the basis of the charge information received by the receiver. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium stores a control program that controls the charging of a rechargeable battery of an electric vehicle and controls operation of the electric device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihisa Ikeda, Yasuo Yoshimura, Satoshi Tsujimura, Naofumi Nakatani, Kazunori Kurimoto, Tetsuya Kouda
  • Patent number: 9966771
    Abstract: Power bank system. In one embodiment, a power bank system includes a docking station and a power bank configured to dock with the docking station such that the power bank is configured to provide electrical power to the docking station while the power bank is docked with the docking station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: GOPLUG BAGS, INC.
    Inventor: Joshua Seth Mark Cross
  • Patent number: 9966767
    Abstract: A charge control device uses external electricity to charge a plurality of battery devices. A constant current source uses the external electricity to generate and adjust an output current amount to a constant target value. A selector selects one battery device from the plurality of battery devices and supplies output current from the constant current source to the one battery device. A measurer measures an amount of actual current flowing from the constant current source to the one battery device. An instructor monitors a measured value provided by the measurer and instructs the selector, when the measured value meets a condition for a reduction of charging current amount to be regarded as having occurred, to change a destination to which the output current of the constant current source is supplied from the one battery device to a different battery device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhei Tatsumoto, Tomonobu Tamura, Satoshi Teshima
  • Patent number: 9960624
    Abstract: Within examples, systems for power distribution within the cabin of an aircraft are provided and methods for operation. The system includes a passenger seat of the aircraft. The passenger seat includes a charging module. The charging module is configured to supply power to a connected device of the passenger seat. The passenger seat also includes a passenger control unit (PCU) coupled to the charging module. The passenger control unit is configured to determine a power requirement for the connected device. Additionally, the passenger seat is associated with a seat grouping of the aircraft. The seat grouping of the aircraft includes at least one passenger seat. Further, the power distribution system includes a power supply configured to supply power to at least one charging module based on the determined power requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Yakentim M. Ibrahim