Patents Examined by Jared Fureman
  • Patent number: 11890949
    Abstract: In a communication system, a control unit and driver units are connected in a daisy chain; each unit includes a corresponding insulated communication circuit, respectively. The control unit measures a communication delay time between the control unit and each driver unit from a response time to transmission of a pulse signal performed to each driver unit during a measurement period. Then, based on each communication delay time, the control unit transmits a shift time to each driver unit for equalizing the timing of signals output by the driver units. When each driver unit receives, from the control unit, an instruction instructing each driver unit to output a signal, each driver unit outputs the signal when the shift time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MIRISE Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hyoungjun Na, Yoshikazu Furuta, Shigeki Otsuka, Takasuke Ito, Tomohiro Nezuka
  • Patent number: 11894638
    Abstract: A wireless-controlled smart plug device and methods of use and operation, using a solid state switch to provide electrical power from an outlet to a load, and provide protection against overload, short circuit, ground, arc, or voltage surge faults. The switch includes a bidirectional semiconductor switch with two back-to-back connected transistors, such as silicon power MOSFETs, silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), silicon carbide (SiC) transistors, or gallium nitride (GaN) transistors, each configured to control the current flow from the electrical receptacle to the external electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Zheng Shen, Zhixi Deng, Yuanfeng Zhou
  • Patent number: 11894669
    Abstract: A power source control device that includes: a make-and-break relay configured to either make or break conduction between a first terminal of a load and a first electrode of a direct current power source; a dark current generation circuit configured to generate a dark current by lowering a voltage of the direct current power source, in a state in which a first terminal is connected to the first electrode of the direct current power source and a second terminal is connected to the first terminal of the load so as to be parallel to the make-and-break relay; and a bypass circuit configured to dissipate some of power supplied from an external charger by making conduction between a second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load in response to the direct current power source being charged by the external charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Yuichi Ota, Kazuki Yamamoto, Junya Takano
  • Patent number: 11894698
    Abstract: A wireless power receiver system includes a receiver antenna including a plurality of receiver coils, each of the plurality of receiver coils configured to receive alternating current (AC) wireless power signals from a wireless power transmission system. The system further includes a receiver controller configured to generate communications signals. The system further includes a plurality of modulation circuits, each of the plurality of modulation circuits operatively associated with one of the plurality of receiver coils and the receiver controller, each of the plurality of modulation circuits configured to partially dampen a magnetic field, coupling the wireless power receiver system with the wireless power transmission system, based on the communication signals provided to each of the plurality of modulation circuits by the receiver controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NuCurrent, Inc.
    Inventors: Anna Oleksiewicz, Alberto Peralta, Andy Yoon, Alireza Dayerizadeh, Michael Katz
  • Patent number: 11888439
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for determining a characteristic curve for a photovoltaic (PV) string of a photovoltaic system having an inverter which is connected to the photovoltaic string and to a power supply network. The photovoltaic string includes a series connection of a plurality of photovoltaic modules, in which series connection at least one of the photovoltaic modules is integrated into the series connection of the photovoltaic modules via a DC/DC converter. The at least one DC/DC converter operates the photovoltaic module assigned thereto in a first operating mode M1 at a maximum power point by varying, over time, a conversion ratio of output voltage (UOut) to input voltage (UIn), and operates the photovoltaic module in a second operating mode M2 with a conversion ratio of output voltage (UOut) to input voltage (UIn) that is constant over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Michael Viotto, Markus Hopf, Bernhard Schropp
  • Patent number: 11886863
    Abstract: A mobility system includes: one or more controllers; one or more batteries; a switching device configured to switch connections between the one or more controllers and the one or more batteries; and a processor configured to control an order of update target controllers among the one or more controllers and batteries to supply power to the update target controllers among the one or more batteries by controlling the switching device based on at least one of relative importance of the one or more controllers, a present state of the one or more batteries, or a vehicle driving state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tae Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 11887763
    Abstract: A system for degaussing a magnetized structure can include a given circuit that provides a differential alternating current (AC) signal that decays from an upper level to a lower level over a predetermined amount of time. The system also includes a given electrical coil coupled to the given circuit. The electrical coil circumscribes the magnetized structure. The electrical coil induces a decaying magnetic field on the magnetized structure in response to the differential AC signal to convert the magnetized structure into a degaussed structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Victor M. Cubias
  • Patent number: 11888321
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus and a method for controlling an output impedance of a power conversion apparatus are provided to resolve a prior-art problem of relatively low accuracy of a method for determining a working status of a power conversion apparatus. The method includes: adjusting the output impedance of the power conversion apparatus to a first impedance when the power conversion apparatus does not satisfy a start condition; or adjusting the output impedance of the power conversion apparatus to a second impedance when the power conversion apparatus satisfies a start condition, where the first impedance is not equal to the second impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co.., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xiofeng Yao
  • Patent number: 11888467
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a current-based temperature compensation circuit having a reference buffer, a biasing current mirror, and a controller. The reference buffer is configured to receive a biasing reference voltage at a voltage input terminal and replicate the biasing reference voltage to first and second buffer terminals. At least one of the first and second buffer terminals is configured to be electrically connected to at least one gate terminal of an analog complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) physically unclonable function (PUF) cell. The biasing current mirror is configured to receive a reference current at a current input terminal and replicate the reference current to the first buffer terminal. The controller is configured to compensate an output of the CMOS PUF cell for temperature variation based on a weighted sum of a bandgap current, a current proportional to absolute temperature, and a current complementary to absolute temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Krishna Shivaram
  • Patent number: 11888398
    Abstract: A power conversion system for mobile power generation and support is configured to be adaptable to different, time-varying mission requirements, system statuses, environmental contexts, and for different power sources and power loads. Adaptability includes real-time, on-the-fly adaptation from DC-to-AC, AC-to-DC, AC-to-AC, and DC-to-DC conversion; adaptations from buck conversion to boost conversation; and from current source conversion mode to voltage source conversion mode. In an embodiment, individual internal power stages for one or more power electronics building blocks are equipped with multiple internal current routing switches/contactors. Current flow may be dynamically re-routed along different current paths associated with an H-bridge of each power stage. Alternative current routings allow for the introduction or removal of inductors at critical points along the current path. Such on-the-fly current rerouting, at the power transistor level, enables the adaptability of the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited
    Inventors: Zhi Zhou, Steven Mankevich
  • Patent number: 11888314
    Abstract: Techniques for distributing electrical power to a plurality of electrical loads can include coupling an existing group of electrical loads to a common power source through a load management system, measuring an aggregate group current drawn by at least the existing group of electrical loads and comparing the measured aggregate group current to an aggregate group current threshold value. When the measured aggregate group current exceeds the aggregate group current threshold value, increase a number of subgroups of the existing group, using subgroups that are formed without requiring information about individual current associated with the individual electrical loads, sequentially apply power to individual subgroups during non-overlapping time periods, sequentially measure at least a corresponding current drawn by the individual subgroups while power is applied to the subgroups, and sequentially comparing the measured current to a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ergotron, Inc.
    Inventor: William Dale Tischer
  • Patent number: 11888325
    Abstract: An implantable medical system includes an implantable medical device and a external charger. The implantable medical device includes a rechargeable power source, electronic components coupled to the rechargeable power source to deliver a therapy to or monitor a parameter of a patient, and a recharge system operably coupled to the rechargeable power source including a secondary coil to receive power via an inductive power transfer. The external charger includes a housing forming an internal compartment, recharger electronic components disposed on a printed circuit board assembly in the internal compartment, and a recharge coil assembly disposed within the internal compartment, the recharge coil assembly including a recharge coil to provide power to the secondary coil via the inductive power transfer and a flux guide having a ferrite sheet disposed between the recharge coil and the printed circuit board assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Schulzetenberg, Venkat R. Gaddam, Jason H. Harper, Brett Otteson
  • Patent number: 11889604
    Abstract: A load control system includes a load control device and a remote control for configuring and controlling operation of the load control device. The load control device and remote control may be mounted to an electrical wallbox. The system may be configured by associating the remote control with the load control device, and actuating a button on the remote control to configure the load control device. A second remote control device may be directly or indirectly associated with the load control device. The load control device and remote control may communicate via inductive coils that are magnetically coupled together. The remote control may be operable to charge a battery from energy derived from the magnetic coupling between the inductive coils. The load control device and remote control may include near-field communication modules that are operable to communicate wirelessly via near-field radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company, LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence R. Carmen, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11888322
    Abstract: This application provides a photovoltaic system and a maximum power point tracking control method for a photovoltaic system. The photovoltaic system includes an MPPT controller and a power converter, and the MPPT controller is connected to the power converter. The MPPT controller is configured to: be connected to a photovoltaic array, and track a global maximum power point MPP of the photovoltaic array. The MPPT controller may be further configured to obtain, when there is a periodic shade for the photovoltaic array, a multi-peak search start moment of global MPPT of the photovoltaic array based on a status of tracking the global MPP of the photovoltaic array in a target time period, so that when the multi-peak search start moment in each MPPT period arrives, the global MPPT of the photovoltaic array is started, to output a working point of the global MPP of the photovoltaic array to the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Binjie Cheng
  • Patent number: 11882235
    Abstract: A protection circuit for use with an electronic DSL component having a tip connection and a ring connection, the protection circuit including: a first unidirectional transient-voltage-suppression (TVS) diode, having a negative TVS breakdown voltage BDV and diode forward voltage DV clamp, connected between Vcc and the tip connection of the DSL component; a second unidirectional TVS diode, having a diode forward voltage DV, connected between the tip connection of the DSL component and a negative ground clamp node; a third unidirectional TVS diode, having a negative TVS breakdown voltage BDV and diode forward voltage DV clamp, connected between Vcc and the ring connection of the DSL component; and a fourth unidirectional TVS diode, having a diode forward voltage DV, connected between the ring connection of the DSL component and the negative ground clamp node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC
    Inventors: Christopher John Choulos, Robert Charles Burk, Viswanath Bhagavatula Rao, Andrew Carl Brost
  • Patent number: 11878594
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting and characterizing arc faults in an aerospace electric propulsion system and then coordinating the operation of various elements of the protection system to execute a fault-clearing sequence. In a current-based method, the arc is detected and characterized based on differential readouts from current sensors. The difference between currents measured at two ends of a protection zone are compared to a difference threshold. In a power-based method, the arc is detected and characterized based on differential readouts from voltage and current sensors. The differential voltage and current readouts are used to compute the respective powers at two ends of a protection zone. The difference between the respective powers is integrated over a period of time and then the integrated difference is compared to a difference threshold. A differential protection trip mode is invoked when the difference threshold is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Vyacheslav Khozikov, Eugene V. Solodovnik, Frederic Lacaux, Kamiar J. Karimi
  • Patent number: 11881742
    Abstract: Electrical systems for providing uninterruptible power to a critical load. One electrical system includes a ring bus, multiple power blocks including one or more generators electrically coupled to the ring bus, and uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) electrically coupled to the ring bus. In some aspects, the electrical system includes a UPS switchgear electrically coupled between the ring bus and the UPSs. In other aspects, the UPSs are electrically coupled together in parallel. Another electrical system includes a utility switchgear, UPS blocks electrically coupled together in parallel and electrically coupled to the utility switchgear via transformers, low voltage (LV) power blocks electrically coupled to the UPS blocks, and medium voltage (MV) switchgear electrically coupled to the UPS blocks via transformers. Each of the LV power blocks include one or more generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: INERTECH IP LLC
    Inventors: Jakob Carnemark, Robert S. Stone
  • Patent number: 11881707
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit electrically coupled to the protection circuit, and a battery pack, a positive supply line of the battery pack being electrically coupled to the cutoff circuit, wherein the protection circuit may include each of an input electrically coupled to a control input of the cutoff circuit, an output electrically coupled to an output of the cutoff circuit, and a control input of the protection circuit electrically coupled to the output of the cutoff circuit. In some examples, the protection circuit may further include a low-current leakage transistor configured to maintain the cutoff circuit in an OFF state upon detection of a reverse bias voltage. In this way, the protection circuit may mitigate unexpected switching ON of the cutoff circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventors: Yue Li, Weiwei Lin, Steve Gierlach, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
  • Patent number: 11881704
    Abstract: A circuit protection device is provided. The circuit protection device includes an active energy absorber that is coupled between two power lines in an electrical power distribution system and is configured to selectively conduct fault current responsive to overvoltage conditions. The active energy absorber includes an overvoltage protection module that includes two thyristors that are connected in anti-parallel with one another and a varistor that is connected with the overvoltage protection module as a series circuit. The series circuit including the varistor and the overvoltage protection module is connected between the power lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: RIPD RESEARCH AND IP DEVELOPMENT LTD.
    Inventors: Grigoris Kostakis, Zafiris G. Politis, Fotis Xepapas, Alexis Chorozoglou, Christos Prevezianos
  • Patent number: 11879908
    Abstract: A control method for determining an operational status of an electrical load of a heavy-duty vehicle includes measuring a global current consumption of the electrical network when the electrical load is not activated, detecting an activation of the electrical load, measuring the global current consumption of the electrical network after the electrical load has been activated, determining an electrical current consumption of the electrical load, determining a reference current consumption of the electrical load, if the difference between the determined electrical current consumption of the electrical load and the determined reference current consumption is higher than a first predetermined threshold and lower than a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold being higher than the first predetermined threshold, set the operational status of the electrical load to a first status called “nominal operation”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Julien Maitre, Maxime Valero, Benjamin Foras