Patents Examined by Edward H. Tso
  • Battery saver circuit
    Patent number: 7166986
    Abstract: A circuit includes a battery connection portion and a motor control portion. The circuit further includes a driven component capable of receiving electric power from a battery connected to the circuit at the battery connection portion only when the motor control portion is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Husqvarna Outdoor Products Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Kendall
  • Method and system for protection of a lithium-based multicell battery pack including a heat sink
    Patent number: 7164257
    Abstract: A system and method for battery protection. In some aspects, a battery pack including a housing, a cell supported by the housing and power being transferable between the cell and an electrical device, a circuit supported by the housing and operable to control a function of the battery pack, and a heat sink in heat transfer relationship with the circuit and operable to dissipate heat from the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Todd W. Johnson, Dennis J. Grzybowski, Mark A. Kubale, Jay J. Rosenbecker, Karl F. Scheucher, Gary D. Meyer, Jeffrey M. Zeiler, Kevin L. Glasgow
  • Inductive battery charger system with primary transformer windings formed in a multi-layer structure
    Patent number: 7164255
    Abstract: There is provided a planar inductive battery charging system designed to enable electronic devices to be recharged. The system includes a planar charging module having a charging surface on which a device to be recharged is placed. Within the charging module and parallel to the charging surface is at least one and preferably an array of primary windings that couple energy inductively to a secondary winding formed in the device to be recharged. The invention also provides secondary modules that allow the system to be used with conventional electronic devices not formed with secondary windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
    Inventor: Shu-yuen Ron Hui
  • Method for and arrangement comprising means for determining the available power capacity of an electric power supply
    Patent number: 7161327
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for determining the available power capacity of an electric power supply, such as a battery, in a transmitter of a tracking and telemetry system by simulating, determining and analysing the secondary electrical behaviour of one or more electronic circuits fed by the power supply, among which electronic components and integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Sensite Solutions, B.V.
    Inventor: Jan Vet
  • Battery-powered electrical device having a detachable battery pack
    Patent number: 7161326
    Abstract: The battery pack used for the battery powered electrical device of the present invention comprises a case for accommodating at least two battery modules, a switching means provided on a side of the case, and an output terminal formed on the case. The switching means selectively closes and opens a series electrical connection of the at least two battery modules. The switching means cooperates with an actuator, which is provided on a side of a device's main body holding the battery pack detachably, to establish the series electrical connection when the case is attached to the device's main body, and to interrupt the series electrical connection when the case is detached from the device's main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsumasa Kubota, Toshiharu Ohashi
  • Method and system for battery protection employing averaging of measurements
    Patent number: 7157883
    Abstract: A system and method for battery protection. In some aspects, a method of a method for operating a battery pack. The battery pack having a battery pack condition, and the battery pack condition having a range. The method including the acts of conducting an operation including the battery pack, measuring a first measurement of the battery pack condition, measuring a second measurement of the battery pack condition, averaging the first measurement and the second measurement to provide an average measurement and if the average measurement is within the range, continuing the operation including the battery pack. At least one of the first measurement and the second measurement being outside of the range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Todd W. Johnson, Dennis J. Grzybowski, Mark A. Kubale, Jay J. Rosenbecker, Karl F. Scheucher, Gary D. Meyer, Jeffrey M. Zeiler, Kevin L. Glasgow
  • Method and system for battery protection employing a selectively-actuated switch
    Patent number: 7157882
    Abstract: A system and method for battery protection. In some aspects, a method of conducting an operation including a battery pack, includes the acts of monitoring a first battery pack condition at a first monitoring rate, determining when a second battery pack condition reaches a threshold, after the second battery pack condition reaches the threshold, monitoring the first battery pack condition at a second monitoring rate, the second monitoring rate being different than the first monitoring rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Todd W. Johnson, Dennis J. Grzybowski, Mark A. Kubale, Jay J. Rosenbecker, Karl F. Scheucher, Gary D. Meyer, Jeffrey M. Zeiler, Kevin L. Glasgow
  • Secondary battery state-of-charge estimating apparatus and method using polarization voltages, and recording medium usable thereby
    Patent number: 7154247
    Abstract: When an ignition switch is turned ON, a CPU obtains a battery voltage detected by a voltage sensor and calculates a voltage difference between a battery voltage stored in ROM when the ignition switch was turned off and the obtained battery voltage. The CPU then compares the voltage difference with a determination value. If the voltage difference is less than the determination value, the CPU sets a polarization voltage stored in the ROM before a not-in-use period to a polarization voltage initial value. If the voltage difference is equal to, or greater than, the determination value, on the other hand, the CPU sets the polarization voltage initial value to 0. The CPU then calculates an open circuit voltage of a secondary battery using this polarization voltage initial value, and calculates a state-of-charge of the secondary battery from that calculated open circuit voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kikuchi, Hidenori Takahashi
  • Method of diagnosing a motor vehicle battery based on parameters related to an electric quantity supplied by the battery
    Patent number: 7148653
    Abstract: There is described a method of diagnosing a motor vehicle battery, wherein, at each start-up of the vehicle engine, a number of parameters, related to the pattern of an electric quantity supplied by the battery during a transient start-up state of the engine, are recorded; and the recorded parameters are then memorized to create a database which is used to determine the charge status of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societá Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Marco Mauro, Maria Paola Bianconi, Andrea Fortunato, Mario Gambera
  • Method and apparatus for monitoring fuel cell voltages
    Patent number: 7148654
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring cell voltages for a plurality of electrochemical cells connected in series forming a cell stack. The method includes dividing the cells into at least two cell groups, measuring the voltage across each cell group and estimating the minimum cell voltage for each group based on the average cell stack voltage and an estimated number of deficient cells in each group. The lowest minimum cell voltage for the entire cell stack is then determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Hydrogenics Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Burany, Ravi B. Gopal, Norman A. Freeman, Stéphane Massé
  • Battery protection circuit for simulating an overcurrent condition based on battery current flow
    Patent number: 7145313
    Abstract: A battery protection circuit is provided that includes current monitoring circuit. The current monitoring circuit senses current flowing to or from a rechargeable cell. When the current exceeds a maximum value, the current monitoring circuit actuates, whereby opening a transistor. The transistor has a resistor couple in parallel. When the transistor opens, current is forced through the resistor coupled in parallel with the transistor, thereby limiting the current to a maximum value. The current monitoring circuit also simulates an overcurrent condition in the safety circuit. The overcurrent condition causes a disconnect switch to open, thereby disconnecting the cell(s) from the external terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Motorola Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Geren, Jennifer K. Collier, John E. Herrmann
  • DC power source unit with battery charging function
    Patent number: 7145314
    Abstract: A DC power source unit supplies a DC voltage to a power tool through an adapter when a power switch of the tool is turned ON and also charges a battery pack used as an alternative power source of the tool when the power tool is not operated. A minimum battery temperature gradient amongst battery temperature gradients ever computed is used to determine whether the battery pack has cooling effect when forcibly cooled by a cooling fan or whether the battery pack has reached a full charge condition. When charging the battery pack is interrupted due to operation of the power tool, computing the battery temperature gradient is halted for some time or determination of the battery pack's full charge condition is not performed for some time in order to prevent the minimum battery temperature from being updated during interruption of charging of the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Takeshi Takeda, Hidekazu Harada, Nobuhiro Takano, Kenrou Ishimaru, Kazuhiko Funabashi
  • Method and system for selectivly diverting current during charging of multiple batteries
    Patent number: 7135837
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method (300) for charging a set of batteries. The method includes the steps of charging (314) a first battery (116) with a charging current from a power supply (138), monitoring (316) a parameter of the first battery during the charging step and selectively diverting (318) at least a portion of the charging current used to charge the first battery to charge a second battery (118). The first and second batteries are charged simultaneously after the parameter of the first battery reaches a predetermined threshold. As an example, the parameter can be a battery voltage or a battery temperature rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Patino
  • Modular and reconfigurable rapid battery charger
    Patent number: 7135836
    Abstract: The battery charger is modular and reconfigurable. It includes charging modular power stages that are configured to receive an alternating current (AC) input and provide a direct current (DC) output for charging a battery. These modular power stages include an inverter coupled to a rectifier circuit that outputs a battery charging current. The modular power stages can also each include a current mode controller coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit and configured to provide a current control signal for the modular power stage, a voltage mode controller coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit and configured to provide a voltage control signal for the modular power stage, and a droop sharing control and configured to ensure current sharing between a plurality of modular power stages under constant voltage operation. A system controller is configured to interface with the modular power stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Power Designers, LLC
    Inventors: Nasser H. Kutkut, David Brobst
  • Controlling re-charge of a nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) or nickel cadmuim (NiCd) battery
    Patent number: 7129676
    Abstract: A method of charging a NiMH or NiCd battery such that charging does not occupy a substantial amount of time and such that the operating temperature of the battery is reduced during the lifetime of the battery, thereby extending the life of the battery. This invention is a method of charging that is accomplished using a temperature differential method to continuously regulate the rate of charge injected into the battery. An amplifier is used to amplify the difference in temperature between one or more cases in which the battery is contained and ambient temperature. In this method, the greater the difference in temperature, the lower the charging current is injected into the battery. The method of charging may be incorporated into uninterruptible power supply equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: American Power Conversion
    Inventors: C. Michael Hoff, James E. Nelson
  • Battery charger with protection circuitry
    Patent number: 7112942
    Abstract: The charger includes a controller, a battery power source having at least two power settings connected to the controller, a power supply connectable to an outside power source, the power supply receiving a current and voltage from the outside power source for providing power to at least one of the controller and the battery power source, and a foldback circuit for switching between two power settings depending upon at least one of the current and voltage received from the outside power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Inventors: Geoffrey S. Howard, Nathanael A. Mackley, Vickie J. Mead, Brian C. Sterling, Danh T. Trinh, Robert A. Usselman, Fred S. Watts, Janelle Young
  • Method for estimating states and parameters of an electrochemical cell
    Patent number: 7109685
    Abstract: A method of estimating a state of charge (SOC) and a state of health (SOH) of an electrochemical cell (EC) includes modeling the EC with a linear equation, measuring a terminal current of the EC, measuring a terminal voltage of the EC and measuring a temperature of the EC. The linear equation is processed through a time-varying state and parameter estimator based on the terminal current, the terminal voltage and the temperature to determine states and parameters of the EC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Edward D. Tate, Jr., Mark W. Verbrugge, Brian J. Koch, Damon R. Frisch
  • Method of dynamically charging a battery using load profile parameters
    Patent number: 7106026
    Abstract: An energy system is formed of a plurality of battery cells, and has an application associated therewith that draws power from the energy system, thereby creating a load profile that is presented to the energy system. As the application is being used, voltage and current measurements are taken at a predetermined rate, and stored in a history table to create a series of time-based measurements. The measurements stored in the history table are then processed to produce an energy spectra and a power spectra corresponding to the load profile presented to the energy system by the application. A charging strategy in accordance with this energy spectra and power spectra is then defined and used to charge the energy system appropriately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Enerdel, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen W. Moore
  • Charging stand having open and closed positions
    Patent number: 7102328
    Abstract: A charging stand for selectively enclosing and exposing an appliance such as a hair trimmer having a rechargeable battery includes a base and a cover. The base has an access opening for supporting the appliance, and electrical contacts for charging the battery. The cover fits over the base to define an interior space for enclosing the appliance, and can be secured to the base in at least two positions. In a first position, the cover encloses the appliance with the base. In the second position, the cover exposes the appliance when the appliance is in a raised position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Wahl Clipper Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Long, Charles Hartwig
  • Defibrillator power source with replaceable and rechargeable power packs
    Patent number: 7095210
    Abstract: The power source in a portable defibrillator includes a replaceable first power pack and a rechargeable second power pack. The first power pack charges the second power pack. The second power pack supplies most of the energy needed to administer a defibrillation shock. The first power pack may include one or more lithium thionyl chloride batteries. The second power pack may include one or more lithium ion batteries and/or ultracapacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Medtronic Emergency Response Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul S. Tamura, Stephen B. Johnson, Richard C. Nova, Joseph L. Sullivan