Patents Examined by Michael Warmflash
  • Patent number: 9715962
    Abstract: The embodiments relate to a circuit for transmitting an input voltage from an electrical energy source in a stator to a load within a device movable relative to the stator including an control element for converting an input voltage into a transmission voltage, a resonant circuit for receiving the transmission voltage, wherein the resonant circuit contains a capacitor and a primary winding of a transformer and the transformer having the primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding is provided for transmitting the transmission voltage to the secondary winding and the secondary winding is provided for supplying the received transmission voltage to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Walter Beyerlein, Stefan Henke, Florian Hofmann
  • Patent number: 9712132
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tunable capacitor. The tunable capacitor according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes: a variable capacitor unit placed between a first terminal and a second terminal; and a bypass switch which on/off controls a bypass connection between the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the variable capacitor unit and the bypass switch are integrated on one semiconductor die or on one module. The tunable capacitor according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes: a variable capacitor unit placed between a first terminal and a second terminal; an impedance tuner placed between aground terminal and either the first terminal or the second terminal; and a tuning switch which on/off controls the connection between the variable capacitor unit and an impedance tuner, wherein the variable capacitor unit, the impedance tuner and the tuning switch are integrated on one semiconductor die or on one module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: HiDeep Inc.
    Inventors: Bonkee Kim, Youngho Cho, Donggu Im, Bumkyum Kim
  • Patent number: 9703345
    Abstract: A power management method and associated electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a power management circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit is powered by a power path. The power management method includes detecting whether the control circuit is powered, forwarding a control authority of the power path to the control circuit when the control circuit is powered, and forwarding the control authority to the power management circuit when the control circuit is not powered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: MSTAR SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventor: Tien-Hua Yu
  • Patent number: 9705359
    Abstract: A mobile cart has a battery assembly, which includes an on-board charger for selectively recharging one or more batteries to ensure constant operation of the powered equipment provided on the cart. The battery assembly possesses a removable battery configuration and is operated by a Battery Control System (BCS). The BCS is an intelligent control system for removable batteries and battery cell packs to provide an improved system of charging and discharging the individual batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Scott-Clark, L.P.
    Inventor: James S Boyd
  • Patent number: 9705324
    Abstract: A converter system for coupling to an ac power source includes a rectifier and a bi-directional converter. The rectifier has a first set of terminals inductively coupled to an ac power source and a second set of terminals coupled in series with a series dc bus, and is operable to convert ac power at the first set of terminals to dc power at the second set of terminals. The bi-directional converter has a first set of terminals coupled to the ac power source and a second set of terminals coupled to a parallel bus, and is operable to transfer power from the ac source to the parallel bus in a first operating mode and transfer power from the parallel bus to the series dc bus via the rectifier in a second operating mode. A corresponding power generation network and power transmission method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Sandeep Bala
  • Patent number: 9692235
    Abstract: The supply of an electric equipment material (5), such as a telecommunications station, is implemented in priority by an intermittent power source (6), and makes use as much as possible of batteries (31) and as little use as possible of a fuel cell electrochemical generating unit (4) for increasing the life of the latter. The equipment and the generating unit are supplied by the source so as to produce and stock fuel in the generating unit when the power of the source exceeds the operation power of the equipment and the batteries are in full charge. Destocking the fuel in the generating unit, supplying the equipment by the generating unit and charging the batteries by the generating unit are carried out as soon as the power of the batteries is at a discharge threshold and until the batteries reach the full charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: POWIDIAN
    Inventors: Eric Munier, Jean-Marie Bourgeais, Marion De Gentile
  • Patent number: 9692487
    Abstract: A wireless power transmitter for transmitting power by wireless to a terminal includes a power conversion unit and a power transmission control unit. The power conversion unit forms a wireless power signal for wireless power transfer using power supplied from a power supply unit. The power transmission control unit regulates a characteristic of the supplied power, based on orientation information of the terminal. A terminal includes a power receiving unit and a control unit. The power receiving unit receives a wireless power signal formed by a wireless power transmitter. The control unit detects whether or not an orientation of the terminal is changed while the wireless power signal is received, and transmits a control message for power regulation to the wireless power transmitter when the change in the orientation of the terminal is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Kihyun Jung, Jinmoo Park, Inchang Chun, Jeongkyo Seo, Jaesung Lee
  • Patent number: 9684316
    Abstract: A thermostat for use in a climate control system has a power stealing circuit that provides power from a voltage supply through a load of the climate control system when the load is in an “off” mode. The power stealing circuit has a current limiting circuit that provides a maximum level of instantaneous current predetermined to be a threshold beyond which the load is switched to an “on” mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Anil Ramachandran, Bradley C. Zikes
  • Patent number: 9676352
    Abstract: A power distribution device is electrically connected to a battery, a power control unit that controls electric power in a vehicle, and high-voltage driven devices driven at a specified voltage or higher. The power distribution device distributes electric power supplied from the battery to the high-voltage driven devices, the power distribution device is installed in a front portion of the vehicle, and a high-voltage power line is disposed behind a position at which the power distribution device is installed. The power distribution device includes a projected portion provided on a surface of a case of the power distribution device, the projected portion having a height corresponding to a vehicle component disposed behind the power distribution device in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Katano
  • Patent number: 9673628
    Abstract: A microgrid having a plurality of electrical phases A, B & C. The microgrid includes an energy storage connected to a first phase A and a second phase B. The microgrid also includes a first single-phase distributed generator (DG) connected to the first phase and configured for injecting power into the first phase. The microgrid also includes a second single-phase DG connected to the second phase and configured for injecting power into the second phase. The microgrid also includes a first single-phase load connected to the first phase. The microgrid also includes a second single-phase load connected to the second phase. The microgrid also includes a control system configured for controlling the microgrid such that power is redistributed from the second phase to the first phase via the energy storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Ritwik Majumder
  • Patent number: 9660482
    Abstract: A power conversion device able to supply a constant load voltage even when the voltage of a 3-phase alternating current power supply fluctuates. A series circuit formed of switching element Q1 and switching element Q2 and a series circuit formed of switching element Q3 and switching element Q4 are connected to both ends of direct current power supply series circuit 3 formed of direct current power supply Psp and direct current power supply Psn, a bidirectional switch element S1 is connected between alternating current output terminals U and R, a bidirectional switch element S2 is connected between alternating current output terminal U and neutral terminal O, a bidirectional switch element S3 is connected between alternating current output terminal W and neutral terminal O, a bidirectional switch element S4 is connected between alternating current output terminal W and terminal T, and alternating current output terminals V and terminal S are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Fujita, Ryuji Yamada
  • Patent number: 9660453
    Abstract: A method of controlling a microgrid including at least one distributed generator (DG) and arranged for being connected to a power grid, by means of a converter via which the DG is connected in said microgrid. The method includes running the converter in a current control mode for controlling at least one current output of the DG in the microgrid; obtaining an indication that the converter should change from the current control mode towards a voltage control mode for controlling a voltage output of the DG in the microgrid; and entering the converter in an interstate mode, in response to the obtained indication, in which interstate mode the converter is configured for controlling both the current output and the voltage output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Ritwik Majumder
  • Patent number: 9646763
    Abstract: A contactless inductively coupled power transfer system is provided including multiple pairs of power transmitter and power receiver coils and a power management module for controlling the supply of power to transmitter coils or the power supplied by the power receiver module to loads. The design is particularly suited for use in a wind turbine to supply power to the nacelle. The transmitter coils may be driven in phase at the same frequency or at different frequencies selected to avoid interaction between transmitter coils and the power transmitter module. The transmitter and receiver coils may be arranged in a traditional slip ring type configuration with adjacent coil pairs are physically spaced apart to avoid cross coupling with adjacent transmitter and receiver coil pairs shielded from each other. The power transmitter module may employ Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: PowerbyProxi Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Robertson, Kunal Bhargava, Fady Mishriki, Saining Sunny Ren, Robert Walton, Eugenio Sia Lecias, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9641067
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a single-pole switching unit for limiting the energy flow in a series circuit having photovoltaic modules by a pulsating control signal present on at least one DC line is provided. The switching unit may include: a switching element, which is designed to reduce the current flow in the at least one DC line of the photovoltaic modules; a transmission element, which is designed to couple out an electrical control signal present on the DC line and to control the switching element merely with the energy of the coupled-out control signal; and a coupling element, which is arranged in parallel with the switching element and which conducts the control signal through the switching unit when the switching element is nonconducting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Solarworld Innovations GmbH
    Inventors: Olaf Storbeck, Michael Wolf, Matthias Georgi
  • Patent number: 9640316
    Abstract: A parent device power transmission unit determines a power to be supplied to a plurality of coils such that the power is proportional to an eigenvector of a real part of an impedance matrix which is based on a mutual inductance of the plurality of coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ishi, Akio Shokaku, Koichiro Iwasa, Masanori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9637021
    Abstract: An emergency start device of a fuel cell vehicle having a motor as a driving source is provided and includes a fuel cell that supplies power to a motor and an air blower that supplies air to the fuel cell. A high voltage battery supplies power to the air blower and a direct current (DC) converter increases an output of the high voltage battery to transfer the output to the air blower. In addition, a first switch transfers or intercepts an output of the high voltage battery to the air blower. By directly transferring a voltage of the high voltage battery to the air blower, the fuel cell is driven, when the DC converter fails while driving by the high voltage battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Kyuil Lee, Kyung Won Suh, Sung Gone Yoon
  • Patent number: 9601269
    Abstract: Disclosed is a coil for wirelessly transmitting or receiving power. The coil includes a coil unit formed by winding a plurality of wires insulated from each other; and a capacitor connected to the coil unit. The wires of the coil unit are shorted at a predetermined interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Su Ho Bae
  • Patent number: 9583970
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer and rapid charging system with maximum power tracking and a method for the same are revealed. The system includes a transmitter device and a receiver device. First the transmitter device performs maximum power tracking and outputs a fixed resonant frequency. Now the receiver device charges a battery. A voltage detection circuit of the receiver device is detecting charging state of the battery. A high-frequency receiving circuit of the transmitter device checks whether a high-frequency transmission circuit transmits a fully-charged signal. When the high-frequency receiving circuit of the transmitter device receives the fully-charged signal that represents the battery is fully charged, the transmitter device shuts down the power and enters standby mode. Thereby wireless charging can be carried out in different environments. The greater transfer distances, lower output impedance, and higher wireless transmission efficiency can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: National Yunlin University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Shih-Chang Hsia, Jhen-Wun Fan
  • Patent number: 9577474
    Abstract: A demodulator is mounted on a wireless power transmitter that conforms to the Qi standard, and demodulates an amplitude modulated signal superimposed on a coil current ICOIL that flows through a primary coil of a transmission antenna, or otherwise on a coil voltage across both ends of the primary coil. Multiple demodulating units are each configured to have respectively different configurations, to operate in parallel, to extract a demodulated component from the coil current ICOIL or otherwise from the coil voltage, and to generate baseband signals as demodulated signals. A signal processing unit employs a baseband signal that is correctly received, from among the multiple baseband signals generated by the multiple demodulating units, based on an error detection result obtained using a checksum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Watanabe, Manabu Miyata, Tatsuya Iwasaki, Tomoya Morinaga
  • Patent number: 9564754
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an energy router for an energy internet, which comprises a three-phase three-level bi-directional rectifying unit, a six-phase interleaved DC/DC bi-directional conversion unit, a self-excitation soft start push-pull full-bridge DC/DC bi-directional conversion unit, a three-phase resonant soft switching bi-directional inversion unit, a single-phase full-bridge bi-directional inversion unit, a high-voltage DC bus and a low-voltage DC bus. The three-phase three-level bi-directional rectifying unit, the six-phase interleaved DC/DC bi-directional conversion unit, the self-excitation soft start push-pull full-bridge DC/DC bi-directional conversion unit, the three-phase resonant soft switching bi-directional inversion unit and the single-phase full-bridge bi-directional inversion unit each have three energy flow operating modes: a forward conduction, a reverse conduction and a non-conduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Qiuye Sun, Huaguang Zhang, Dazhong Ma, Bonan Huang, Lei Chen, Heng Du, Zhenwei Liu, Fei Teng, Guotao Hui