Patents Examined by James P Evans
  • Patent number: 9281712
    Abstract: An electrical power conditioning for an electrical power conditioning system comprises a first terminal for connecting either an electrical power generator or a battery; a second terminal for connecting either a battery or an electrical power generator, respectively; a third terminal for connecting a power bus; characterized in that it further comprises: a reactive structure connected between said second terminal and the ground, formed by a serial connection of a first inductor, a capacitor and a second inductor, first and second nodes being provided between the first inductor and the capacitor, and between the capacitor and the second inductor, respectively; at least one output switching structure for connecting the third terminal to the first and second nodes through respective first and second switches and a third in-series inductor; and at least one input switching structure for connecting the first terminal to at least the first node through a third switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: AGENCE SPATIALE EUROPEENNE
    Inventor: Olivier Mourra
  • Patent number: 9276421
    Abstract: Embodiments include a portable rechargeable battery pack, system, and external adapter that allow the portable rechargeable battery pack to both power a host device though a set of host contacts and provide power through a set of charging contacts. The portable rechargeable battery pack includes a charge protection circuit that prevents an excessive discharge current through the charging contacts and allows high charge current when charging the portable rechargeable battery pack. A discharge circuit allows a low level discharge current through the charging contacts to provide power to other devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick J. Weissinger, Jr., Warren B. Albert, Donald L. Flowers, Charles W. Friedli, John E. Herrmann, Viranga L. Wijeratne
  • Patent number: 9275789
    Abstract: A method for controlling a contactless power supplying device that excites a primary coil and supplies power using an electromagnetic induction effect to a secondary coil of a power receiving device arranged in an electric appliance is provided. A full-bridge circuit is full-bridge-operated to excite the primary coil when the electric appliance is on a setting surface. The full-bridge circuit is half-bridge-operated to excite the primary coil when the electric appliance is not on the setting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Irie, Masashi Kawada
  • Patent number: 9275790
    Abstract: A contactless power supplying device is provided. A primary coil and a basic power supplying unit circuit are arranged in a power supplying area. The primary coil supplies secondary power through electromagnetic induction to a secondary coil of a power receiving device in the power supplying area. The basic power supplying unit circuit excites the primary coil in the power supplying area. The basic power supplying unit circuit transmits an oscillation signal from the power supplying area to the power receiving device, receives a modulated wave signal from the power receiving device that detects a modulation wave that is in accordance with a magnetic flux change, and detects the modulated wave signal to demodulate the modulation wave. A system control unit determines whether or not a metal foreign object is present in the power supplying area corresponding to the basic power supplying unit circuit based on the modulation wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Irie, Satoshi Hyodo
  • Patent number: 9250696
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a reference voltage bias generator configured to generate a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. During a low supply mode, the first reference voltage is equal to a supply voltage potential and the second reference voltage is equal to a ground potential. During a high supply mode, the first reference voltage is equal to a first fraction times the supply voltage potential and the second reference voltage is equal to a second fraction times the supply voltage potential. The apparatus further includes a reference voltage booster coupled to the reference voltage bias generator, wherein the reference voltage booster is configured to generate the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage with increased drive capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Vinod Kumar, SaiyidMohammadIrshad Rizvi
  • Patent number: 9240270
    Abstract: A magnetic coupler is disclosed for wireless power transfer systems. A ferrimagnetic component is capable of guiding a magnetic field. A wire coil is wrapped around at least a portion of the ferrimagnetic component. A screen is capable of blocking leakage magnetic fields. The screen may be positioned to cover at least one side of the ferrimagnetic component and the coil. A distance across the screen may be at least six times an air gap distance between the ferrimagnetic component and a receiving magnetic coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Utah State University
    Inventors: Hunter Wu, Aaron Gilchrist, Kylee Sealy
  • Patent number: 9219339
    Abstract: A computer host power management system having extension cord sockets is disclosed, comprising a socket body providing alternative current (AC) power to a computer host, in which the socket body includes AC power output plugholes, an AC power input plug, a control device and a power supply device. Herein the control device is configured with Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports and capable of determining whether the computer host signal transferred from the USB port is normal. In case of abnormal conditions, a second microprocessor in the power supply device is driven to cause a power automatic switch to turn off the AC power such that the computer host enters into the shutdown status. Later, after a lapse of preset time, the second microprocessor drives once again the power automatic switch to turn on AC power thereby rebooting the computer host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Inventor: Li-Chun Lai
  • Patent number: 9214303
    Abstract: A system includes a switch operation unit configured to be mechanically operated to be in on or off state; a detecting unit configured to detect whether the switch operation unit is in on or off state; a first mechanism configured to close electrical contacts of at least one circuit when the switch operation unit is operated to be in on state; a second mechanism configured to maintain the contacts in closed state and switch the contacts to open state in response to electrical signals of off, on, and, off while the switch operation unit is in off state when the switch operation unit is operated to be in off state; and a first unit configured to notify a user of an abnormal state when the contacts are in the closed state and the switch operation unit is in off state at start of control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Atsuki Iwata
  • Patent number: 9205753
    Abstract: A plastic part such as an automotive vehicle interior plastic part having a dampening support surface is provided. The surface is capable of wirelessly and conductively allowing electrical signals including power signals to travel between the part and an electrical device such as a cell phone arbitrarily positioned and supported on the surface during vehicle motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Larry J. Winget, Darius J. Preisler, Christopher A. Heikkila
  • Patent number: 9190865
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle interior plastic part having a vibration and shock damping support surface capable of wirelessly supplying electrical power to a supported electronic device during vehicle motion is provided. A part of the surface includes first and second sets of conductive, anti-vibration and anti-shock thermoplastic pads. Another part of the surface includes a non-conductive or insulating, unitary, anti-vibration and anti-shock plastic substrate bonded to the different sets of pads. The substrate electrically insulates the first set of pads from the second set of pads. A power source coupling includes first and second conductive power traces. The first trace is electrically coupled to each of the first set of pads and the second trace is electrically coupled to each of the second set of pads. The first and second traces form separate conductive pathways and are operable for biasing the different sets of pads at different voltage levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Larry J. Winget, Darius J. Preisler, Christopher A. Heikkila, Jason T. Murar
  • Patent number: 9191076
    Abstract: An assembly having a support surface capable of simultaneously supporting and wirelessly supplying electrical power to a portable electronic device supported on the support surface is provided. The assembly includes first and second members each of which is formed as a unitary molded part from at least one plastic formulated with an electrically conductive filler in a molding process. The members are assembled together so that a first set of surface portions of the first member are spaced apart and electrically isolated from a second set of surface portions of the second member to at least partially define the support surface and to allow the first and second sets of surface portions to be biased at first and second different voltage levels, respectively, at the same time to allow the wireless power transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Larry J. Winget, Darius J. Preisler, Christopher A. Heikkila
  • Patent number: 9191074
    Abstract: An assembly capable of simultaneously supporting and wirelessly supplying electrical power to a portable electronic device within a passenger compartment of a vehicle is provided. The assembly includes a base adapted to be coupled to an interior component of the vehicle and a device holder supported in spaced relationship relative to the interior component. The device holder has a vibration and shock damping bottom support surface capable of wirelessly supplying electrical power to the supported electronic device during vehicle motion. A part of the surface includes first and second sets of conductive, anti-vibration and anti-shock thermoplastic pads. Another part of the surface includes a non-conductive or insulating, unitary, anti-vibration and anti-shock plastic substrate bonded to the different sets of pads. The substrate electrically insulates the first set of pads from the second set of pads. The different sets of pads are adapted to be biased at different voltage levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Jason T. Murar
  • Patent number: 9170622
    Abstract: A system for supply of power source currents, the system includes: a power source input terminal configured to be supplied with a power source current; a plurality of power source output terminals, coupled to the power source input terminal in parallel, configured to output a power source current; a protecting circuit configured to protect a supply of a excessive power source current to the power source input terminal; a plurality of data signal terminals each corresponding to one of the plurality of power source output terminals; and a connector coupled to at least one pair of one of the plurality of power source output terminals and one of the plurality of data signal terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Miki Nakagai, Toshihiro Miyamoto, Norio Nagahama