Patents Examined by Drew A. Dunn
  • Patent number: 10910866
    Abstract: A charging system for a terminal, a charge method, and a power adapter are provided. The charging system includes a power adapter and a terminal. The power adapter includes a switch circuit, a second rectifying circuit, a first charging interface, and a control circuit. The control circuit modulates a duty cycle of a control signal based on voltage sampling value or current sampling value sampled by the sampling circuit so that voltage in a third pulsating waveform output by the second rectifying circuit satisfies a charging requirement. The terminal includes a battery and a second charging interface connected to the battery. The second charging interface applies the voltage in the third pulsating waveform to the battery when the second charging interface is connected to the first charging interface, so that the pulsating waveform output by the power adapter is directly applied on the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventors: Jialiang Zhang, Shiming Wan, Jun Zhang, Chen Tian, Shebiao Chen, Jiada Li
  • Patent number: 10910870
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a controller changes, when a charging state transitions from a first state of charging a first battery by using a power from an external power supply to a second state of charging the first battery by using a power from the second battery and if rated power of the external power supply and the rated discharge power of the second battery are different from each other, an upper limit of an input current to a charging circuit to a value corresponding to the rated discharge power of the second battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Horie
  • Patent number: 10886772
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a charging system and a charging method and a power adapter. The system includes a battery, a first rectifier, a switch unit, a transformer, a second rectifier, a first charging interface, a sampling unit and a control unit. The control unit outputs a control signal to the switch unit, and adjusts a duty ratio of the control signal according to a current sampling value and/or a voltage sampling value sampled by the sampling unit, such that a third voltage with a third ripple waveform outputted by the second rectifier meets a charging requirement of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventors: Jialiang Zhang, Shebiao Chen, Jun Zhang, Chen Tian, Shiming Wan, Jiada Li
  • Patent number: 10879720
    Abstract: Balancing circuits for an ultracapacitor module are provided. In some implementations, the balancing circuit can include a regulator having an input. The regulator can be configured to compare an input voltage associated with the ultracapacitor received at the input to a reference voltage and to provide an output via an output node. The balancing circuit can further include a switching circuit coupled to the regulator. The switching circuit can be configured to discharge the ultracapacitor based at least in part on the output of the regulator. The switching circuit can include at least one semiconductor switching element operated in a hard switching manner during operation of the switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: AVX Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph M. Hock
  • Patent number: 10879725
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device including: a first battery for supplying power; an attachable/detachable power supply device including a second battery for supplying power and a DC power connector; and a processor connected to the first battery, and connected to the second battery and the DC power connector when connecting to the power supply device, wherein the power supply device includes at least two MOSFETs for connecting the second battery and an element, for detection of the power supply device, provided to the electronic device when connecting the power supply device. In addition, other examples, which can be identified through the specification, are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Sung Min Hong
  • Patent number: 10847835
    Abstract: A battery management system monitors and controls the state of charge of a plurality of battery cells with a single data transceiver line. A sense board coupled to each cell monitors the battery cell voltage and temperature and reports the cell voltage in series, according to the location in series. A data request signal is sent by the control device of the battery management system through the single data transceiver line to initiate battery cell data transmission. The first battery cell in the series sends the first battery data upon receiving the data request signal and each subsequent battery cell in the series sends their respective battery data after a predetermined delay time set by two quaternary bits formed by a pair of voltage dividers. The state of charge may be displayed in real time on a graphical or numerical display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventor: William Jeffrey Schlanger
  • Patent number: 10843579
    Abstract: A charging configuration for the inductive wireless energy transfer to a receiver coil of an electrically operated vehicle. A first circularly wound electrically conductive coil extends in a plane and has a first central opening in the center of the first coil. A second circularly wound electrically conductive coil extends in a plane, coplanar with the first coil, and has a second central opening formed in its center. A ferrite core is supported on a shielding sheet with a rectangular base plate together with the coplanar coils. The coils are arranged in a coil holder on the shielding sheet such that a distance of between 15 and 25 mm remains between the shielding sheet and the bottom edge of the coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Komma, Monika Poebl
  • Patent number: 10840567
    Abstract: A storage battery cooling control device includes a system power calculator (18) configured to calculate power of an external power source as power information, and a charge/discharge control unit (20) configured to perform charge/discharge control of a storage battery based on the power information, and to perform power control of a cooling device by distributing power to the cooling device within a cooling power threshold, which is determined so that a heat generation increment of the storage battery is equal to or less than a heat exhaust increment of the cooling device calculated from a cooling air flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahito Ida, Keisuke Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 10840748
    Abstract: In an inductively coupled power transmitter a force detector that detects the presence of a potential device by monitoring forces applied to a surface of the power transmitter and activates the inductively coupled power transmitter upon detection of a potential device. An inductively coupled power transmitter having a proximity detector that detects the presence and location of a potential device by monitoring the proximity of devices to a surface of the power transmitter and activates the inductively coupled power transmitter upon detection of a potential device. The transmitter preferably has one or more detection coils each having an area much greater than that of the transmitter coils for detecting the presence of a potential device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kunal Bhargava, Fady Mishriki, Saining Ren, Daniel Robertson, Nigel James Gray, Rex Huang
  • Patent number: 10840729
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an electrical system (1) having a high-voltage section (2) and a low-voltage section (3) which are electrically connected to one another by means of a DC-DC converter (4), wherein the low-voltage section (3) has at least one rechargeable energy store (8) and at least one electrical consumer (9), wherein the DC-DC converter (4) is operated on the basis of an electrical load (P) acting on the low-voltage section (3). In order to determine the load (P), provision is made for all currents flowing through the DC-DC converter (4) to be recorded and added to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Haefele, Gholamabas Esteghlal, Markus Kretschmer
  • Patent number: 10833513
    Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring individual cell voltages of an energy storage system. The measured cell voltages can be reported back to a central controller. Based on parameters such as the overall health of the system, this controller can be adapted to decide which cells to balance, in which direction and optionally for how long. Balancing can be performed by cell monitoring and balancing units which can be implemented in hardware, i.e. as one or more circuits. The decision information from the controller can be reported to the cell monitoring and balancing units as a command. The cell monitoring and balancing means can execute the command, for example irrespective of the voltage or SoC of the cell connected to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: VITO NV
    Inventor: Peter Coenen
  • Patent number: 10828770
    Abstract: A vehicle charging station includes a track configured to extend across a plurality of vehicle parking spaces. The charging station further includes a movable charging apparatus supported by the track and translatable along the track between the plurality of vehicle parking spaces. The charging station further includes a first contact wire extending approximately parallel to the track. The charging station further includes a first conductor pole configured to couple the movable charging apparatus to the first contact wire at a plurality of locations along a width of the first contact wire. The first conductor pole is configured to move with the movable charging apparatus. In such a manner, a one-to-many charging station can be accomplished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Xiang Zhao, Ningjian Huang, Lei Zhang, Changfu Ye
  • Patent number: 10804743
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes techniques for estimating or measuring changes in peak magnetic flux levels based on the influence of a receive coil to the overall flux density over a transmit coil. The estimated or measured changes in peak magnetic flux levels are used to adjust currents in the coils to reduce the flux density while maintaining sufficient power transfer. In some aspects, an apparatus for controlling power transfer is provided. The apparatus includes a controller configured to receive or determine a measured or estimated magnetic flux level on or outside a housing configured to house a transmit coil. The controller is further configured to determine an electrical current level for at least one or both of the transmit coil or a receive coil that reduces a peak magnetic flux density level in proximity to the transmit coil based on the measured or estimated magnetic flux level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas Athol Keeling, Grzegorz Ombach, Edward Van Boheemen
  • Patent number: 10763680
    Abstract: A battery pack includes a battery, a suspension unit that establishes or breaks an electrical connection between the battery and an external device, and a control unit that controls the suspension unit to break the electrical connection between the battery and the external device when a usage state of the battery pack does not satisfy a usage condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoichi Toya, Yutaka Iwahori
  • Patent number: 10759508
    Abstract: A charging system for an autonomous underwater vehicle includes: a sea floating body; a charging station suspended in water from the body through a string-shaped body and located downstream of the sea floating body by receiving a water flow, the station including a noncontact electricity supplying portion located away from the string-shaped body; and an autonomous underwater vehicle coupled to the station that is rotatable about the string-shaped body, the vehicle including a noncontact electricity receiving portion configured to receive electricity supplied from the supplying portion, wherein: the station takes by the water flow such a posture that the noncontact electricity supplying portion is located downstream of the string-shaped body in a water flow direction; and when the vehicle is coupled to the station, the vehicle takes by the water flow such a posture that the receiving portion is located downstream of the string-shaped body in the water flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sakaue, Minehiko Mukaida, Noriyuki Okaya, Takashi Okada, Fumitaka Tachinami
  • Patent number: 10737577
    Abstract: A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, controlling charging of a battery pack of an electrified vehicle over a plurality of charging locations of a drive route, the controlling step including scheduling charging based at least on a cost to charge at each of the plurality of charging locations and an amount of charging time available at each of the plurality of charging locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jimmy Kapadia, Kenneth James Miller
  • Patent number: 10703219
    Abstract: An adjustable vehicle traction battery charge setpoint strategy is disclosed which enables the adjustment of the maximum battery State of Charge (SOC) setpoint used for battery charging from an electric utility grid. Based on knowledge of the upcoming route and related driving behavior, the vehicle calculates a setpoint less than the maximum battery SOC charging setpoint so that when the vehicle begins operation, it can utilize regenerative braking and historical driving behavior to allow the battery charge to be maximized during the trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yonghua Li, Johannes Geir Kristinsson, Fling Tseng
  • Patent number: 10696169
    Abstract: A charging station for an electrically powered vehicle has a connection for an electrical energy source, an inverter and an electronic coil connected to the inverter for wireless energy-transferring coupling of the electrically powered vehicle. The inverter is configured to apply an alternating electric voltage to the electronic coil in resonant operation. The electronic coil is connected to the inverter by way of a compensating circuit with a settable passive electronic energy storage device. The compensating circuit is configured to set a frequency of the alternating voltage by means of the settable passive electronic energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Thomas Komma, Mirjam Mantel, Monika Poebl
  • Patent number: 10690725
    Abstract: A battery pack management system adjusts the relative state-of-charge of respective battery blocks in a battery pack to equalize (i.e., align, balance or otherwise make similar) the peak battery block voltages (i.e., maximum or “upper peak” battery block voltages when the battery pack is being charged and/or minimum or “lower peak” battery block voltages when the battery is being discharged). Upon detecting an anomalous battery block that exhibits outlier upper and lower peak voltages, the battery pack management system adjusts the relative state of charge of respective battery blocks to center their respective upper and lower peak voltages between operating limits, thus maximizing the operating margin of the battery pack as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Steven Diamond, Gabriel Risk, Stanley Hu, Albert Shih-Young Liu, Martin Helliwell
  • Patent number: 10693304
    Abstract: Provided are a system and a method which allow an improved operating time of an energy storage system in a power system by reflecting a state of charge of a battery and a state of the power system on a control of an amount of charging power or discharging power of the energy storage system. The system includes: a battery configured to charge or discharge power; a battery monitor configured to monitor a state of the battery; a power system monitor configured to monitor a state of a power system; and a charge/discharge controller configured to control an amount of charging power or an amount of discharging power of the battery using a state of charge of the battery detected by the battery monitor and the state of the power system detected by the power system monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University
    Inventors: Jung-Wook Park, Jinah Noh, SeokJu Kang, Seoung Uk Jeon