Patents Examined by Dru Parries
  • Patent number: 11708008
    Abstract: A battery system for a motor vehicle or other system includes a voltage bus with positive and negative bus rails, and first and second battery packs. The battery packs are arranged between and connected to rails. High-voltage switches are collectively configured to selectively interconnect the battery packs in a series or parallel battery arrangement. The switches include a pair of mutually-exclusive three-way/two-position contactors each having a series connection position and parallel connection position corresponding to the respective series and parallel battery arrangements. An electric powertrain includes an electrical load connected to the battery system, and a controller coupled to the switches. In response to a battery mode selection signal, the controller selectively transitions the contactors from the series connection position to the parallel connection position, or vice versa. A motor vehicle includes road wheels, a body, and the electric powertrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Heydel, Christopher Schlaupitz
  • Patent number: 11673485
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for controlling an electrical system of an electrically drivable motor vehicle, wherein the electrical system includes at least one lead battery and at least one lithium battery. Initially, a lower and a first upper threshold value for a state of charge of the lithium battery are determined. Then, a second upper threshold value which is higher than the first upper threshold value is determined. During the driving operation of the motor vehicle, a state of charge of the lithium battery is set between a lower and a second upper threshold value. When the motor vehicle is switched off, the state of charge of the lithium battery is determined. If the state of charge of the lithium battery is higher than the first upper threshold value, the state of charge of the lithium battery is lowered to the first upper threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventor: Thomas Hackner
  • Patent number: 11648852
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a high-voltage system circuit including a high-voltage battery; a low-voltage system circuit including a low-voltage battery and an updater; a DC-DC converter coupled between the two circuits; and a controller that controls the two circuits and the DC-DC converter. The updater updates a program of an update-target device. The DC-DC converter reduces in voltage output electric power of the high-voltage battery and then supplies the electric power to the low-voltage system circuit. The controller determines whether the update-target device is a certain device relating to electric power supply from the high-voltage battery. If the update-target device is the certain device, the low-voltage battery is charged with the output electric power of the high-voltage battery, the certain device stops operating, and the updater updates the program of the certain device by using the output electric power of the low-voltage battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Komatsu, Masaru Oe
  • Patent number: 11631976
    Abstract: Harmonics of a power output of a power plant at a point of common coupling between the power plant and a utility grid, wherein the power plant comprises a plurality of energy production units. The method comprises determining an electrical characteristic at the point of common coupling; determining the electrical characteristic at an output terminal of each of the energy production units and dispatching a control signal to at least one of the energy production units to control the electrical characteristic at an output terminal of the respective energy production units. The control signal is based on the measurement of the electrical characteristic at the point of common coupling and arranged for damping the harmonic of the power output of the power plant at the point of common coupling, wherein the control signal is determined on the basis of a predetermined prioritizing sequence of said electrical characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Mu Wei, Dan Wu
  • Patent number: 11614784
    Abstract: An electrical power supplying and cord management system including: a module docking station having a module docking receptacle and base station portion having integrated external power cord storage compartments for power cord management; and a multi-function dockable module dockable in the module docking receptacle and manually removable and useable locally as well as at remote locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: PUCLINE, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey Fleisig
  • Patent number: 11611217
    Abstract: A method described delivers power to a first load and a second load from networked power plants. The method may include receiving a power delivery profile for the first load, receiving a power delivery profile for a second load, determining a power output capability of a first renewable energy power plant (REPP), and determining a power output capability of a second REPP. The method may also include setting a power output for the first REPP and a power output for the second REPP based on the power delivery profile for the first and second loads and the power output capabilities of the first and second REPPs. The method may also include allocating a combined power output of the first and second REPPs to the first and second loads and delivering the allocated combined power output to the first and second loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: 8ME NOVA, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas Buttgenbach
  • Patent number: 11524582
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a battery, an electric machine, an electrical outlet, and a controller. The electric machine is configured to charge the battery. The electrical outlet is configured to draw power from the battery to power an external device. The controller is programmed to adjust a rate at which the electric machine charges the battery based on a power consumption at the electrical outlet exceeding a threshold and a battery degradation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Seth Anthony Bryan, William David Treharne, Fazal Urrahman Syed, Garrett Carlson, Douglas Michael Smith
  • Patent number: 11509143
    Abstract: A nanogrid and a virtual inverter controller for the nanogrid are disclosed. The nanogrid includes at least one parallel branch, and at least one branch is equipped with a protector. At least one of the protectors is equipped with one virtual inverter controller. The virtual inverter controller includes a sensor component configured to detect at least one characteristic parameter on the branch, and a control component affecting the electrical connection state of the corresponding protector of the virtual inverter controller according to the characteristic parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Feng Du, Wei Gang Chen, Zhen Liu, Yue Zhuo
  • Patent number: 11476668
    Abstract: An electronic commuting device for controlling the energy current flow in a wire bidirectionally within an electrical installation, in which the electronic commuting device can be used to supply power from a neutral wire of an electrical installation to a smart home controller device is disclosed, which operates only with a line wire and a load wire, to energize an electrical contact and to supply power to a wireless controller coupled thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KLEVERNESS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Dan Nurko Elliot, Samuel Nurko Yomtow
  • Patent number: 11453295
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle to prevent a reduction in a drive force due to increase in an internal resistance of a battery. A controller calculates a command value of an output power of the battery to be transmitted to a motor in future, and predicts an internal resistance of the battery at the point to discharge the electric power from the battery in the amount of the command value. If it is expected that the battery will not be possible to discharge the electric power in the amount of the command value, the controller reduces a load on the battery by increasing an amount of the electric power supplied to the motor from the generator before the battery can no longer discharge the electric power in the amount of the command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Iwata, Taiga Hagimoto, Hideto Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11447021
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus mounted on a vehicle including a DC-DC converter that supplies electric power from a first battery to a second battery and an auxiliary load includes an electronic control unit configured to control an operation of the converter, determine a state of a starter switch of the vehicle, detect a user operation to the vehicle, and acquire charging status information of the second battery. The electronic control unit is configured to, when the electronic control unit detects a first operation by the user and determines that the starter switch is off, drive the converter such that the converter charges the second battery, and, when an electric power amount charged in the second battery reaches a target amount of charge set based on an amount of electric power to be consumed by the auxiliary load while the starter switch is off, stop the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro Kawai, Shinichi Inoue, Toru Ono, Yasushi Kusaka
  • Patent number: 11411399
    Abstract: A method for a direct current (DC) power distribution arrangement and a direct current (DC) power distribution arrangement, comprising a plurality of DC power distribution subsystems. Each DC power distribution subsystem comprises an inverter unit (INU) configured to operate as a subsystem-specific circuit breaker for intercoupling/separating the DC power distribution subsystem to/from the rest of the DC power distribution arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Vacon Oy
    Inventors: Stefan Strandberg, Risto Komulainen
  • Patent number: 11404882
    Abstract: A method increases the power of an AC grid by means of the conductors which connect the grid coils of the grid transformer. The conductor-ground voltages and the AC phase voltage are kept lower than a voltage value. The sinusoidal phase voltages of the expanded grid are increased by up to 25% compared to the AC phase voltages, while the phase currents always remain sinusoidal. To this end, the ? generators couple harmonic voltages between the conductors and ground and reduce the amplitude of the resulting hypersinusoidal conductor-ground voltages such that they always remain below the Uix value. In addition, the ? generators control the transferred grid power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: ReEnergy Holding AG
    Inventor: Alexander Stoev
  • Patent number: 11368022
    Abstract: A device for controlling a load flow in an alternating-voltage network includes first and second modular series connections of double-pole switching modules interconnected in a parallel circuit to be inserted in series into a phase line of the alternating-voltage network. At least one switching module of each connection has an energy store and semiconductor switches to be switched on and off. The semiconductor switches can be controlled in such a way that a switching module voltage can be generated at terminals of the switching module. The switching module voltage corresponds to a positive or negative storage voltage or a zero voltage. A control apparatus for controlling the switching modules is configured to generate an equalizing current between the modular series connections. A method for controlling a load flow by using the device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Burkard Endres, Martin Pieschel
  • Patent number: 11362547
    Abstract: A wireless power supply apparatus including a signal transmitting terminal and a signal receiving terminal is provided. The signal transmitting terminal encodes a digital data into a control signal and transmits a power supply signal in a manner of wireless communication according to the control signal. The signal receiving terminal receives the power supply signal from the signal transmitting terminal in the manner of wireless communication. The signal receiving terminal converts the power supply signal into a power source signal and a data signal and decodes the data signal into the digital data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: E Ink Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Chuen-Jen Liu, Yi-Jhou Shen, Liang-Yu Yan
  • Patent number: 11355957
    Abstract: An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is provided. The UPS system includes a plurality of UPSs, a ring bus coupled to the UPSs, a plurality of chokes, and at least one static switch coupled between an associated UPS of the UPSs and the ring bus. Each choke electrically couples an associated UPS to the ring bus. The static switch is switchable to selectively bypass at least one choke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Lorenzo Giuntini, Andrea Mannuccini, Silvio Colombi
  • Patent number: 11322939
    Abstract: One example provides a power quality improvement system for an electrical power distribution system including a parameter measurement module to measure a power factor of the electrical power distribution system, a number of capacitor steps selectively connectable to the electrical power distribution system, and a number of harmonic filters connected to the electrical power distribution system, wherein a number and size of each capacitor step and a type of the harmonic filters are based on a load profile of the electrical power distribution system. A controller monitors a status of the harmonic filters and automatically connects or disconnects selected capacitor steps from the electrical power distribution to maintain the measured power factor at a set-point power factor, where a delay before connecting or disconnecting each selected capacitor step is based on a load stability factor of the electrical power distribution system, the load stability factor based on the load profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Royal Power Energy Inc.
    Inventors: Frank J. Spano, Sr., Richard A. Sweatt, Daniel Simon
  • Patent number: 11305670
    Abstract: A device for controlling a battery in a vehicle is provided and includes a sensor that senses states of charge of a plurality of batteries and a controller that controls connection of one of the plurality of batteries to adjust voltages applied to the plurality of batteries and an electronic device based on a determination result of whether a load has occurred on the electronic device connected to the one of the plurality of batteries and a state of charge of the one of the plurality of batteries. Thus, when the load occurs on the electronic device, the device controls the connection of the battery to improve a fuel efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Dae Kwang Kim
  • Patent number: 11309709
    Abstract: A harmonic current compensating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a harmonic current compensating device including a power converter including at least a pair of arms each including a switching element, the harmonic current compensating device being configured to drive the switching element and supply compensating current to load current flowing between a system power source and a harmonic generating load, in which the switching element includes a unipolar device using a wide bandgap semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Ishikura, Shinsaku Kusube, Kazuyuki Mitsushima, Keiichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11296506
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bidirectional charging panel (BCP). The BCP includes a relay for controlling a combustion engine and a battery voltage sensor for monitoring a battery voltage. The BCP also includes a grid switch to transfer continuous power between the battery and a grid interface, where the grid interface further includes a grid voltage sensor for monitoring a grid voltage of a grid of devices and a grid direct current outlet to transfer power to and from a grid of devices. The BCP also includes a controller to manage the flow of power between the battery and the grid of devices, where the controller uses the relay to start or stop the combustion according to the battery voltage and uses the grid interface to transfer power from the grid of devices to the battery in response to determining the battery voltage is lower than the grid voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Austin Galya Fleming, Elizabeth Ann Geiss, Benjamin William Rathwell, Anthony Gerard Pollman