Patents Examined by John Trischler
  • Patent number: 10008888
    Abstract: Provided is a wireless power transmission system. The wireless power transmission system includes a power supply unit generating amplified power; a wireless power transmission unit receiving and converting the amplified power into wireless power; a wireless power reception unit receiving and converting the wireless power into charging power; and a charging unit receiving the charging power, wherein the charging unit includes a battery to store the charging power and the power supply unit includes a power detection unit identifies the charged state of the battery based on the amplified voltage and amplified current of the amplified power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: WooSub Youm, Sung Q Lee, Gunn Hwang
  • Patent number: 9991731
    Abstract: A wide charging area and communication area are ensured in a non-contact power supply system with wireless communication. The present invention includes a resonance coil, a wireless communication antenna coil, a power supply coil, and a sensitivity adjustment circuit coupled to the power supply coil. When electric power is supplied in a contactless manner, the power supply coil and the resonance coil are coupled electromagnetically and electric power supply from the resonance coil is performed by using a magnetic resonance method. When wireless communication is performed, the magnetic fluxes of the wireless communication antenna coil are coupled with those of the resonance coil and sensitivity is enhanced by the sensitivity adjustment circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuei Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9983267
    Abstract: The invention relates to a DC-DC converter which is designed to supply a low-voltage network comprising a low-voltage battery and a battery sensor circuit with a low voltage, having a pulse generation device which is designed to feed electrical pulses into the low-voltage network in order to test the low-voltage battery using the battery sensor circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jochen Fassnacht, Clemens Schmucker
  • Patent number: 9945910
    Abstract: The voltage monitoring module includes an input terminal, a cell balancing input terminal, a switch, and a control circuit. The input terminal is coupled to a high-voltage-side terminal of a battery cell through a filter resistor. The cell balancing input terminal is coupled to the high-voltage-side terminal of the battery cell. The switch is coupled to the input terminal. The control circuit- controls ON/OFF of the switch. A filter resistor is coupled between the switch and a ground. The control circuit turns on the switch, so that a high-voltage-side voltage is compared with a low-voltage-side voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 9929570
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a control apparatus, including: a discrimination section configured to discriminate a plurality of battery units which are to share and output electric power required by a load; and a control section configured to carry out discharge control for the battery units in response to a situation of each of batteries which the battery units individually have.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihito Ishibashi, Junichi Sawada, Rui Kamada
  • Patent number: 9837837
    Abstract: A protective device and a protective system for a battery assembly are provided. The battery assembly comprises N cells, and the protective device includes: a constant current source module comprising M (1<M?N) first constant current sources connected in parallel with M cells in the N cells respectively, and configured to generate an output current according to a voltage of the connected cell; a voltage sampling module including N voltage sampling units connected in parallel with the N cells respectively and configured to output a sampling voltage; a determining module connected with the voltage sampling module and configured to generate a first disconnection signal when the sampling voltage output from any voltage sampling unit reaches a predetermined value; and a protective control module, connected with the determining module and configured to control the battery assembly to turn off according to the first disconnection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Xiaoping Wang, Qinggang Bai
  • Patent number: 9831691
    Abstract: This power storage system is provided with a secondary cell pack and a system protection unit having a system protection function of cutting off the secondary cell pack from the outside of the power storage system. This secondary cell pack is provided with a secondary cell and a cell protection unit having a cell protection function of cutting off the secondary cell from the outside of the secondary cell pack. The cell protection unit further monitors a state value that indicates the state of the secondary cell and controls implementation of the system protection function and the cell protection function on the basis of the state value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: NEC ENERGY DEVICES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shin Suzuki, Ryou Shiozaki
  • Patent number: 9825478
    Abstract: A power system within a portable electronic device is disclosed. In order to discharge electricity stored in a rechargeable battery within the portable electronic device to a discharge cutoff voltage, a charge booster charges the rechargeable battery with electric power coming from an AC/DC adaptor. When the AC/DC adaptor is detached, the charge booster performs boosting operation to supply power to a load from the rechargeable battery. The charge booster operates only when input voltage of the load decreases. A direct discharge circuit operates in conjunction with the charge booster, and when the charge booster does not perform any boosting operation, electric power is supplied directly from the rechargeable battery to a DC/DC converter. The charge booster can keep the input voltage of the DC/DC converter until the voltage reaches a discharge cutoff voltage of the rechargeable battery, and then stops operation when electric power is being supplied from the direct discharge circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTD LTE
    Inventors: Shigefumi Odaohhara, Nozomu Nagata
  • Patent number: 9780598
    Abstract: Provided is a power-receiving device according to at least one embodiment includes: a transmission/reception unit (2) including a resonant circuit having an antenna (2a) configured to receive a power transmitted from a contactless charging device (50) and to transmit and receive data to and from the contactless charging device (50); a charge control unit (5) configured to perform power source control; and a control unit (3) configured to generate control state data indicating a charging state of the secondary cell (6) and/or a power source state of an apparatus main unit (30) operated with the secondary cell (6) and to transmit the control state data to the contactless charging device (50). The control unit (3) has a power-receiving mode in which normal power supply is performed and a regulation mode in which the received power is regulated by regulating a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: DEXERIALS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masayoshi Kanno
  • Patent number: 9755446
    Abstract: A mobile charging table and a method of use are configured for ease of mobility and ease of service. The table has a tabletop, a base, a battery powered charging hub, and a battery compartment. The tabletop may be connected to the base by a hinge arrangement permitting tabletop movement between its first and second positions. Movement of the tabletop to its second position exposes an opening of the battery compartment for servicing a battery that supplies power to the charging hub. In the flipped down position, the tabletop extends substantially horizontally to overlie the opening in the battery compartment and to allow user(s) to use the tabletop as a workspace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Palmer Hamilton, LLC
    Inventors: Jeff Allen Schreiner, John Gregory Gardner, Tod Andrew Friske
  • Patent number: 9731610
    Abstract: A vehicle electric system for a vehicle may include a first vehicle electric system branch having a first energy store and a first dynamic electric load, a second vehicle electric system branch having a second sensitive electric load, and a first controllable switching device arranged between the first and second vehicle electric system branches and designed to assume (a) a first switch state in which a current is conducted unidirectionally from the first vehicle electric system branch to the second vehicle electric system branch only in a first current flow direction or (b) a second switch state in which a current is conducted bidirectionally between the second vehicle electric system branch and the first vehicle electric system branch both in the first current flow direction as well as in a second current flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk Reichow, Michael Leitherer
  • Patent number: 9728989
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for charging a battery in an electronic device In one exemplary method for charging the battery in the electronic device includes detecting a charging input from a plurality of external devices, and when detecting the charging input, charging the battery with power supplied from the external devices using a plurality of charging modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Soo-Hyung Kim
  • Patent number: 9673658
    Abstract: A non-contact type power charging apparatus and a non-contact type battery apparatus may transmit power to each of a plurality of battery cells in a capacitive coupling scheme. The non-contact type power charging apparatus may include a power transmitting apparatus transmitting power in a capacitive coupling scheme, and a power receiving apparatus receiving the power transmitted from the power transmitting apparatus to charge each of a plurality of battery cells with the power. The non-contact type battery apparatus may include a plurality of power receiving electrodes each receiving power transmitted in a capacitive coupling scheme, and a plurality of battery cells each charged with the power transmitted to the plurality of power receiving electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In Wha Jeong, Jae Suk Sung, Hugh Kim
  • Patent number: 9673640
    Abstract: A battery system monitoring apparatus for monitoring a cell group having a plurality of battery cells, and includes a cell controller IC which monitors and controls the states of the plurality of battery cells. A battery controller controls the cell controller IC and a plurality of voltage detection lines measure the voltage across the terminals of the battery cell. The voltage detection lines connect positive and negative electrodes of the battery cell, respectively, to a plurality of voltage input terminals of the cell controller IC. A power line connects the positive electrode of the battery cell having the highest potential among the plurality of battery cells to a power supply terminal of the cell controller IC and a ground line which connects the negative electrode of the battery cell having the lowest potential among the plurality of battery cells to a ground terminal of the cell controller IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Emori
  • Patent number: 9653948
    Abstract: A wireless electric field power transmission system comprises: a transmitter comprising a transmitter antenna, the transmitter antenna comprising at least two conductors defining a volume therebetween; and at least one receiver, wherein the transmitter antenna transfers power wirelessly via electric field coupling when the at least one receiver is within the volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SOLACE POWER INC.
    Inventors: Nagesh Polu, Md. Jahangir Alam, Sheikh Mominul Islam, Nima Soltani
  • Patent number: 9643508
    Abstract: A method for initializing and operating a battery management system is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps. First, start the battery management system. Next, read battery variables which are stored in a nonvolatile memory of the battery and comprise the last state of charge of the battery. Then measure the open-circuit voltage of the battery. Next, determine an instantaneous state of charge value on the basis of the measured open-circuit voltage. Then determine an estimated value of the state of charge of the battery as a function of both the stored last state of charge of the battery and the instantaneous state of charge value. Then initialize the state of charge in the battery management system using the determined estimated value of the state of charge. Finally, operate the battery management system with the initialized values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andre Boehm, Stefan Wickert
  • Patent number: 9647463
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cell balancing module, particularly for voltage balancing of a stack of batteries. The cell balancing module comprises an interface (SPI, VrefH, VrefL) to input a coded reference voltage (Vref) and input nodes (In1, . . . , InN) for connecting a stack of energy storage cells (BAT1, . . . , BATn). A switching unit (SW) is connected to each of the input nodes (In1, . . . , InN) and a local balancing unit (loc) coupled to the switching unit (SW) and the interface (SPI, VrefH, VrefL). The local balancing unit (loc) is designed to compare the coded reference voltage (Vref) with cell voltages (VBAT1, . . . , VBATn) of the stack of energy storage cells (BAT1, . . . , BATn) to be connected and to charge balance the stack of energy storage cells (BAT1, . . . , BATn) to be connected depending on the comparison of coded reference voltage (Vref) and cell voltages (VBAT1, . . . , VBATn).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventors: Manfred Brandl, Sandeep Vernekar, Vijay Ele, Sudhakar Singamala, V. Veeresh Babu
  • Patent number: 9641011
    Abstract: A battery control device capable of carrying out current limitation in consideration of constraints on other components than a battery main body is provided. A battery control device according to the invention has an average current table describing an average current allowed for each of plural time window widths, and limits a battery current in accordance with the description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Keiichiro Ohkawa, Ryouhei Nakao, Youhei Kawahara
  • Patent number: 9614397
    Abstract: A battery charging apparatus for a vehicle includes a driver, a position detector, and a controller. The driver includes switching elements to convert three-phase AC power outputted from a winding of each phase of a stator of a three-phase AC generator into DC power to supply the DC power to a battery. The position detector is configured to output a position detection signal indicating a position of a rotor of the three-phase AC generator. The controller is configured to control the switching elements to be switched between an energized state and non-energized state. The controller is configured to have a maintenance period during a period until next input of the position detection signal if the period exceeds an energization period. The switching elements are to be maintained in the maintenance period in the energized state or non-energized state immediately before the period exceeding the energization period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Sonoda, Katsuhiro Ouchi, Kazuhiko Ono, Keishi Takayama
  • Patent number: 9586497
    Abstract: An electric vehicle recharging station is provided. The electric vehicle recharging station includes an electric power supply system for rapidly recharging an onboard electric vehicle battery. The electric power supply system includes a first energy source and a battery bank including one or more rechargeable charging batteries for rapidly recharging the onboard electric vehicle battery. The electric vehicle recharging station also includes a temperature management system providing heat exchange fluid to both the onboard electric vehicle battery and the battery bank to thermally condition the onboard electric vehicle battery and the battery bank. A method of recharging onboard electric vehicle batteries is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Lightening Energy
    Inventors: Michael L. Epstein, Christopher K. Dyer