Patents Examined by Jeffrey Zweizig
  • Patent number: 9917474
    Abstract: Provided is a backup power system for providing power to a load when a primary lighting system is disabled. The backup power system includes an energy source configured to supply an amount of power to the backup power system, and a charger connectable to the energy source and a power source of the primary lighting system. The backup power system additionally includes a controller configured to measure a current value of the primary lighting system and determine a backup current value corresponding to an amount of backup current that is a fractional amount of the determined current value. The backup power system include a current source configured to provide the determined backup current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Yehuda Daniel Levy
  • Patent number: 9912487
    Abstract: The invention relates to a DC power distribution system, especially an EMerge DC power distribution system (1). The system is adapted such that power conductors (3, 4) electrically connected to different groups (5, 6) of ports (14) belong to separate power line communication (PLC) channels, wherein several electrical loads (7 . . . 10; 11 . . . 13) are in power line communication with a group of ports of a same PLC channel. The separation of the different PLC channels allows for a relatively simple determination to which group of ports which electrical loads are electrically connected. This information can be used by, for instance, a user to commission the electrical loads. For example, if the locations of the power conductors, which are electrically connected to certain groups of ports, are known, the information about which electrical loads are connected to which groups of ports can be used for determining the location of the respective electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Matthias Wendt, Bozena Erdmann, Manuel Eduardo Alarcon-Rivero, Maurice Herman Johan Draaijer
  • Patent number: 9906037
    Abstract: An inverter energy system supplies power to a site. The inverter energy system comprises a number of solar strings, each solar string including a solar panel(s) as a renewable energy source and an inverter. The inverter energy system is connected to a mains power supply (grid) and to a site load (sub circuits). The forward or reverse power flow into or out of the mains power supply is monitored at a monitoring point at the site. A rate limit is set for power flow into and/or or out of the mains power supply. The supply of power from the inverter energy system is controlled so that the power flow into or out of the mains power supply is within the set rate limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: HONEY BADGER INTERNATIONAL PTY LTD.
    Inventor: Gregory Neville Rogers
  • Patent number: 9906070
    Abstract: The present system 1 includes a distributed power source 2, a storage battery 4, a bidirectional inverter 7 having a smoothing capacitor 6 on its DC side, and a control section 10 for controlling the entire system, and supplies AC power to a load 9 while being interconnected with a power system 8. When active power supplied from the distributed power source 2 and/or the storage battery 4 to the smoothing capacitor 6 is equal to or greater than active power of load power, the control section 10 controls a power factor of inverter output current outputted from the bidirectional inverter 7 so as to coincide with a power factor of load current flowing to the load 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Tabuchi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidehiko Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 9905359
    Abstract: An inductor at a wireless power antenna includes a conductive winding. A portion of the conductive winding consists of a heat pipe. The heat pipe employs thermal conductivity and phase transition to transfer heat from the inductor. A heat sink is coupled to the heat pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: DELL PRODUCTS, LP
    Inventors: Andrew T. Sultenfuss, Travis C. North
  • Patent number: 9905384
    Abstract: An electromagnetic relay is provided. The electromagnetic relay includes a first port and a second port, a first coil and a second coil, a movable armature coupled between the first port and the second port constructed to connect and disconnect the first port and the second port, a switch circuit, and a coil control circuit. The switch circuit is constructed to connect the first coil to an external power source to induce the first coil to create a first magnetic field having a first direction and disconnect the first coil from the external power source to cause the first magnetic field to collapse. The coil control circuit is constructed to induce the second coil to create a second magnetic field having a second direction responsive to the switch circuit being in the second state, the second direction being opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jidong Liu
  • Patent number: 9906024
    Abstract: Devices (20) for coupling sources (11, 12) to loads (13) comprise first converters (21) for converting first input signals from first sources (11) into first output signals. The first converters (21) comprise control inputs for receiving control signals. Control values of the control signals define first parameters of the first output signals. Circuits (23) in the devices (20) receive the first output signals and receive second output signals originating from second sources (12) or from second converters (22) coupled to the second sources (12) and provide power signals to the loads (13). The second sources (12) comprise solar panels. Controllers (24) adapt the control values of the control signals in response to detections of changes in second parameters of the first input or output signals. The controllers (24) may operate independently from the second output signals and from second input signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Priya Ranjan Mishra, Rakeshbabu Panguloori, Vandana Prabhu
  • Patent number: 9887550
    Abstract: Methods and systems relating to a control system for an electrical energy outputting device are provided. The method may include receiving voltages from a plurality of power devices connected to a controller; identifying, by the controller in real time, relative levels of voltages output from each power devices; generating, by the system in real time, a waveform for each respective voltage of the power devices so that, for each cycle, power extracted from each generated waveform over a single waveform cycle is based the relative levels of voltages from each respective power device and so that the power level, for each cycle, from each waveform is higher than the power level of the other generated waveforms that have lower voltages; and summing, in real time, the generated waveforms to form an AC waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE
    Inventor: Madhav Manjrekar
  • Patent number: 9887587
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments for a guided surface wave receiver, comprising circuitry that identifies at least one frequency from a plurality of available frequencies associated with a transmission of a plurality of guided surface waves along a terrestrial medium; and circuitry that adjusts a frequency at which the guided surface wave receiver receives the transmission to the at least one frequency via the terrestrial medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: CPG Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James F. Corum, Kenneth L. Corum
  • Patent number: 9886929
    Abstract: A timing control chip includes a pulse signal generation module for generating first and second pulse signals, a data signal sending module having a data signal including valid and invalid data segments, and a synthesis module for synthesizing the first and second pulse signals into the invalid data segment to form a synthesized data signal and then transfer it to the data signal sending module. The data signal sending module is to connect a data driver chip to make the data driver chip decompose the synthesized data signal into the first and the second pulse signal, grab a state of the second pulse signal when the first pulse signal is at a first edge and control a polarity of an outputted driving voltage according to the grabbed state of the second pulse signal. The invention further provides a data driver chip and a driving circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectroics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhi Xiong
  • Patent number: 9882436
    Abstract: Aspects of return coupled wireless power transmission systems are described. In one embodiment, a system includes a guided surface waveguide probe including a charge terminal elevated at a height over a lossy conducting medium, a ground stake, and a feed network. The system further includes a conductor coupled to the ground stake that extends a distance away from the guided surface waveguide probe across the lossy conducting medium, and at least one guided surface wave receivers including a ground connection coupled to the conductor. The conductor can help to provide additional efficiency in power transfer between the guided surface waveguide probe and the guided surface wave receivers, especially when the operating frequency of the probe is in the medium, high, or very high frequency ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: CPG Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James F. Corum, Kenneth L. Corum
  • Patent number: 9873338
    Abstract: An electric vehicle disclosed in the specification includes a main battery, a main electric power supply wire connected with the main battery, an electric power control unit including a smoothing capacitor that smooths a voltage of the main electric power supply wire, a switch that switches the main electric power supply wire between conduction and non-conduction, a sub battery having a lower voltage than the main battery, a sub electric power supply wire connected with the sub battery, a first DC-DC converter that can perform a boost operation from the sub electric power supply wire to the main electric power supply wire on the electric power control unit side relative to the switch, and a second DC-DC converter that can perform a buck operation from the main electric power supply wire on the main battery side to the sub electric power supply wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Nozawa
  • Patent number: 9876488
    Abstract: A flip-flop circuit includes a D flip-flop and a gating controller. The D flip-flop generates an output signal according to a data signal and a gated clock signal. The gating controller receives an original clock signal. The gating controller further compares the output signal with the data signal. If the output signal is the same as the data signal, the gating controller will maintain the gated clock signal at a constant logic level. If the output signal is different from the data signal, the gating controller will use the original clock signal as the gated clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventor: Rei-Fu Huang
  • Patent number: 9871414
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a system for transferring power wirelessly from a transmitter to a receiver, the transmitter having a transmitter processor and a transmitter antenna. The system includes the transmitter processor configured to convert electric power signals to an electromagnetic field (EMF); associate each of a plurality of keys with one of a plurality of operating frequencies, and store the plurality of keys associated with the plurality of operating frequencies in a table; select one of the plurality of operating frequencies stored in the table as an active operating frequency, wherein the active operating frequency is assigned as the current operating frequency of the transmitter antenna, and wherein the key associated with the active operating frequency is assigned as an active key; wirelessly transmit to the receiver the EMF at the active operating frequency; and wirelessly transmit to the receiver the table and an identification of the active key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lydia M. Do, Sasikanth Eda, Riyazahamad M. Shiraguppi
  • Patent number: 9866040
    Abstract: A power transmission device applies a alternating-current voltage to an active electrode OPPOSING an active electrode of a power reception device with a gap therebetween, and to a passive electrode OPPOSING a passive electrode of the power reception device with a gap therebetween and transmits power via electric field coupling. The power transmission device includes a controller that monitors a voltage applied to the passive electrode. If a change in the voltage per unit time exceeds a threshold, the controller determines that a metal foreign object has become interposed between the active electrodes and a user has touched the metal foreign object, and stops the transmission of power to the power reception device. Thus, a power transmission device and a wireless power transmission system are provided that are capable of preventing with certainty a malfunction due to a foreign object when a foreign object has become interposed between electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuya Kato
  • Patent number: 9866070
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a system for transferring power wirelessly from a transmitter to a receiver, the transmitter having a transmitter processor and a transmitter antenna. The system includes the transmitter processor configured to convert electric power signals to an electromagnetic field (EMF); associate each of a plurality of keys with one of a plurality of operating frequencies, and store the plurality of keys associated with the plurality of operating frequencies in a table; select one of the plurality of operating frequencies stored in the table as an active operating frequency, wherein the active operating frequency is assigned as the current operating frequency of the transmitter antenna, and wherein the key associated with the active operating frequency is assigned as an active key; wirelessly transmit to the receiver the EMF at the active operating frequency; and wirelessly transmit to the receiver the table and an identification of the active key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lydia M. Do, Sasikanth Eda, Riyazahamad M. Shiraguppi
  • Patent number: 9866112
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus providing an ultra-low power bandgap reference using a clocked amplifier are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a clocked comparator to compare a first voltage to a second voltage when a clock signal pulses and output a comparison signal based on the comparison, the comparison signal being (A) a first signal when the first voltage is higher than the second voltage and (B) a second signal when the first voltage is lower than the second voltage; a monoshot to when the comparison signal is a first signal, output a first pulse; and when the comparison signal is a second signal, output a second pulse; and a charge pump to increase an output voltage when the monoshot outputs the first pulse; decrease the output voltage when the monoshot outputs the second pulse; and hold the output voltage when the monoshot is not outputting a pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Rajat Chauhan
  • Patent number: 9859895
    Abstract: The present invention teaches a level shift device and a related method. The level shift device contains a first input terminal, a second input terminal, a number of output terminals, and a pulse generation circuit. The first input terminal is for receiving a first pulse input signal. The second input terminal is for receiving a second pulse input signal. The pulse generation circuit cyclically produces pulse output signals, one on each output terminal, according to the first and second pulse input signals. The level shift device further contains a third input terminal for receiving a third pulse input signal. The pulse generation circuit controls the number of pulse output signals produced within each cycle according to third pulse input signal. The present invention is able to produce various numbers of pulse output signals, which is flexible for different applications without investing a new design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Hua Zhang
  • Patent number: 9857402
    Abstract: Disclosed are various approaches for measuring and reporting the amount of electrical power consumed by an electrical load attached to a guided surface wave receive structure. A guided surface wave receive structure is configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium. An electrical load is coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure, the electrical load being experienced as a load at an excitation source coupled to a guided surface waveguide probe generating the guided surface wave. An electric power meter coupled to the electrical load and configured to measure the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: CPG Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventors: James F. Corum, Kenneth L. Corum, Joseph F. Pinzone, James D. Lilly, Michael W. Miller, Stephen W. Wilson
  • Patent number: 9859886
    Abstract: A switch device (1) and its operation from an actuation side (51) are disclosed, the switch device having a plate-shaped main body (10), a plate-shaped actuation part (20), a connection device (30) located between the main body (10) and the actuation part (20) made from an elastic material, and at least one sensor (41, 42, 43, 44), which are located between the main body (10) and the actuation part (20) and viewed in the thickness direction (Z) are located at the side of the connection device (30), so that each sensor (41, 42, 43, 44) can be used to detect a position of one region, arranged on said sensor, of the second surface in the thickness direction (Z).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandte Forschung e.v.
    Inventors: Jan Soeren Emmerich, Michael Ten Hompel