Patents Examined by Rafael Pacheco
  • Patent number: 9354259
    Abstract: A wireless energy transmission apparatus wirelessly transmits energy through resonance between a source resonator and a target resonator. The apparatus scans an amount of energy stored in the source resonator for a scanning period, calculates a total amount of energy stored in the source resonator and the target resonator during an off-resonant interval between the source resonator and the target resonator based on the amount of energy scanned, and estimates an amount of energy induced in the target resonator based on the amount of energy stored in the source resonator and the total amount of energy calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung Keun Yoon, Ui Kun Kwon, Sang Joon Kim
  • Patent number: 9356444
    Abstract: To solve problems arising when a power conditioner equivalent to that connected to a solar panel is connected to a power storage device. Direct-current power generated by the solar panel 9 is supplied to a DC-DC converter 51 and output as a predetermined direct-current voltage. The output voltage of the converter 51 is supplied to a DC-AC inverter 52. Direct-current power generated by the power storage device 11 is supplied to a DC-DC converter 55. Predetermined direct-current power from the converter 55 is supplied to a DC-AC inverter 56. Alternating-current power output by the inverter 56 is supplied to an alternating-current power system at home. The converter 55 is configured to have two output voltages. The first output voltage is a standby voltage. The second voltage is a voltage at which the inverter 56 starts power supply to outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiichiro Kubota, Antonio Avitabile, Costantino Cristiano Mariella, Christopher Michael Rutherford, Edward Grellier Colby, Nicholas George Bailey, Alexander Charles Knill, Harshul Deepak Mehta
  • Patent number: 9349532
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a turning joint for an electric excavator, which includes a direct current/alternating current convertor, an upper coil, a lower coil, and an inverter. A turning joint for an electric excavator (or a hybrid excavator) uses the principle of a transformer to transmit electric energy from the upper portion of the excavator to a travelling body in the lower portion thereof. Thus, even while an upper rotator body of an electric excavator performs a rotating operation, electric power can be supplied to a travelling electric motor in the lower portion of the electric excavator, to thereby perform a travelling operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: VOLVO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AB
    Inventor: Ji-Yun Kim
  • Patent number: 9340111
    Abstract: A control device for an electric vehicle includes a converter circuit that converts a voltage input from an external power supply to a direct current having a predetermined value and outputs the direct current to a power storage unit, an inverter circuit that receives an arbitrary power supply from the external power supply or the power storage unit and converts power to an alternating current having a predetermined value, a converter control unit that controls the converter circuit based on a detection result of an abnormal state of the converter circuit and generates a protection status signal based on the detection result, and a inverter control unit that executes emergency control with respect to the inverter circuit, when the protection status signal is input, which indicates that the converter circuit is in an abnormal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Kitanaka
  • Patent number: 9337658
    Abstract: Provided is a network system including: a utility network including an energy generating unit; a home network consuming energy generated from the energy generating unit and including an energy consuming unit operating based on energy information including at least one energy price information; and a power adjusting device through which a current or a voltage supplied for an operation of the energy consuming unit is passed, wherein the power adjusting device reduces energy cost or an energy amount used by adjusting a voltage or current amount applied to the energy consuming unit based on the energy information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Daeyong Kang, Yanghwan Kim, Junho Ahn, Jeongsang Seo, Koonseok Lee, Hoonbong Lee
  • Patent number: 9330836
    Abstract: Provided is a self-resonant apparatus in relation to electric and radio technologies, and more particularly, to a wireless power transmission system, the self-resonant apparatus including ring resonators. Here, the ring resonators may be represented by a combination having metamaterial features, the combination may include split-ring resonators (SRRs) connected in parallel to capacitors, a front surface and a rear surface of each of the SRRs may be connected to be twisted in an alternating pattern, and each SRR may be executed as a metal strip mounted on a dielectric layer and connected to a neighboring SRR by a series capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Orest Genrihovich Vendik, Dmitry Victorovich Kholodnyak, Dmitry Sergeevich Kozlov, Evgenia Yurevna Zameshaeva, Irina Borisovna Vendik, Keum Su Song, Mikhail Nikolaevich Makurin, Pavel Anatolevich Turalchuk
  • Patent number: 9325171
    Abstract: Power flow controllers based on Imputed DC Link (IDCL) cells are provided. The IDCL cell is a self-contained power electronic building block (PEBB). The IDCL cell may be stacked in series and parallel to achieve power flow control at higher voltage and current levels. Each IDCL cell may comprise a gate drive, a voltage sharing module, and a thermal management component in order to facilitate easy integration of the cell into a variety of applications. By providing direct AC conversion, the IDCL cell based AC/AC converters reduce device count, eliminate the use of electrolytic capacitors that have life and reliability issues, and improve system efficiency compared with similarly rated back-to-back inverter system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Deepakraj M. Divan, Anish Prasai, Jorge Hernendez, Rohit Moghe, Amrit Iyer, Rajendra Prasad Kandula
  • Patent number: 9319108
    Abstract: A system for the contactless transfer of energy and data includes a transfer path with a primary coil and with a secondary coil. The primary control unit is designed to lead data-modulated first alternating-voltage signals of a first frequency range into the primary coil. The secondary control unit is designed to receive the first alternating-voltage signals of the first frequency range from the secondary coil, and to demodulate the modulated-on data. The system further includes a feed-in line for feeding a second alternating-voltage signal of a second frequency range to a primary line leading to a primary coil and an activation line that is connected to a secondary line that is connected to the secondary coil. A first filter filters the second alternating-voltage signal from the secondary line and provides the signal to an activation connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Achim Bauer, Andre Zybala
  • Patent number: 9306420
    Abstract: There is provided a power management system including a detecting apparatus configured to detect electromagnetic waves generated in relation to an operation of an appliance and a receiving apparatus including an appliance determining unit configured to determine a type of the appliance based on a power spectrum of the electromagnetic waves, an operation determining unit configured to determine the operation of the appliance based on the power spectrum of the electromagnetic waves, and a power estimating unit configured to estimate power consumption of the appliance based on the type and operation of the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Noboru Murabayashi, Hiroshige Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9297105
    Abstract: A circuit configuration for operating a household device contains a power supply connector, an electrical load that is connected via a power connection cable to the power supply connector, and a controller for an endangering component. The controller is connected via a power connection cable to the power supply connector. A device for switching the controller on and off is arranged between the controller and the power supply connector. Safety equipment for disconnecting the controller from the power supply connector is arranged between the power supply connector and the device for switching. In order to supply the controller with electrical power even when the safety equipment is active, the electrical load is connected between the power supply connector and the safety equipment. A connecting cable is provided that connects the controller via the electrical load to the power supply connector, and in which the device for switching is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventor: Roland Mueller
  • Patent number: 9300161
    Abstract: A coil arrangement is described for an implantable medical system. A coil winding has a planar ring shape winding that encloses a coil interior area. The coil winding is adapted for placement parallel to a corresponding partner coil for communication of an implant link signal having an associated magnetic field component characterized by a coupling factor k representing fractional amount of magnetic field coupling between the coils. A coil coupling lens of magnetic conductive material has multiple lens surfaces and is adapted to shape the magnetic field component to increase the coupling factor and minimize self-heating of adjacent tissues due to the magnetic field component. The lens surfaces include: i. an inner lens surface lying substantially parallel to the plane of the ring shape winding and having an inner lens surface perimeter enclosed within the coil interior area, ii.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Wissenwasser, Andreas Mitterer
  • Patent number: 9287864
    Abstract: A proximity switch assembly and method for detecting activation of a proximity switch assembly and calibrating the switch assembly. The assembly includes proximity switches each having a proximity sensor providing a sense activation field and control circuitry processing the activation field to sense activation. The control circuitry generates an activation output when a differential change in the signal exceeds a threshold and distinguishes an activation from an exploration of the plurality of switches. The control circuit further determines a rate of change and generates an output when the rate of change exceeds a threshold rate to enable activation of a switch and performs a calibration of the signals to reduce effects caused by changes in condensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Pietro Buttolo, Stuart C. Salter, Matthew Majkowski, James J. Surman, James Stewart Rankin
  • Patent number: 9276435
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for a receiving device to wirelessly receive electric power from a transmitting device. A power capacity is configured at the receiving device, based on a default power capacity known by both the receiving device and the transmitting device. A first value of a dependent parameter is read. The dependent parameter is associated with the electric power and varies in accordance with an independent parameter adjustable by the transmitting device. A second value of the dependent parameter is then read. A maximum power capacity of the transmitting device is identified based on at least the first and second values and a predetermined threshold. The electric power is then received from the transmitting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: MAISHI ELECTRONIC (SHANGHAI) LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Chen, Qiang Wang, Mei Yu, Xinsheng Peng, James Wang
  • Patent number: 9277298
    Abstract: An energy storage system having a number of trays with each tray having a number of battery cells in which power is controllably stored and discharged. A first Battery Management System (BMS) is electrically coupled to a tray contained in a rack of trays. A second BMS is electrically coupled to and controls the first BMS. The first BMS includes a control unit electrically coupled to and controlling the battery cells. It further includes a switch unit electrically coupled to the control unit and selectively applying driving power according to a control signal from the second BMS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Woon Yang, Tetsuya Okada, Eui-Jeong Hwang
  • Patent number: 9270174
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a set of electronic circuits, a voltage regulator, and a power management module. The power management module includes a set of dummy circuits connected to the set of electronic circuits, a control signal generator, a counter and a shift register. The control signal generator generates a control signal based on the current consumption of the set of electronic circuits dropping below a threshold value over a predefined period of time. The counter generates a count signal for a predetermined time period when the control signal is activated. The shift register receives the count signal, enables the dummy circuits when the count signal is received, and disables the dummy circuits in a daisy chain fashion during the predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Lalit Mohan Singh Miyan, Kumar Abhishek, Nitin Singh
  • Patent number: 9270143
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a combination power supply module containing the main drive electronics and backup drive electronics along with a backup power supply for a light emitting diode (LED) based luminaire are described herein. The power supply module may include a main LED driver that is electrically connected to a main power supply through active power factor correction circuitry and is also electrically connected to an LED or array of LEDs. The power supply module further includes power management circuitry electrically connected to a backup power supply and an emergency LED driver, where the power management circuitry discharges the backup power supply to supply power to the emergency LED driver for powering at least a subset of the LEDs when power is no longer being supplied to the main LED driver. The main LED driver and the emergency LED driver are contained in the same module housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company
    Inventors: Anthony A. Mangiaracina, Kevin Odith Porter
  • Patent number: 9270116
    Abstract: A system for controlling energy usage includes: one or more configurable electrical outlet interfaces, where each given interface includes a switch configured in one of a plurality of positions corresponding to one of a plurality of energy usage modes; and a control panel displaying, for each given mode, configurable parameters to control energy usage of a device coupled to each interface configured with the given mode. Each given configurable electrical outlet interface comprises two states: a first state for allowing electrical current to flow through the given interface; and a second state for blocking the electrical current from flowing through the given interface. For each given mode determined to be “on”, the control panel places each interface configured with the given mode in the first state. For each given mode determined to be “off”, the control panel places each interface configured with the given mode in the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Tina M Adams
  • Patent number: 9263890
    Abstract: A power management apparatus including an information collecting unit configured to collect at least one reference electric signal and at least one product information that correspond to at least one load, a storage unit configured to store the collected at least one reference electric signal and the collected at least one product information that correspond to the at least one load, a measurement unit configured to measure electric signals of loads provided in a power management domain, and a control unit configured to find a reference electric signal, corresponding to the measured electric signal, among the stored reference electric signals, check product information corresponding to the found electric signal and display the checked product information. The reference electric signal of each load is acquired in advance, and electric signals of loads are distinguished among all electric signals, thereby enhancing the efficiency in recognizing each load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun Soo Park, Young Jin Park, Sung Mok Seo, Jong Hyun Shin
  • Patent number: 9254786
    Abstract: A vehicle horn control assembly comprises a sensor assembly and a controller. The sensor assembly has a sensor array that includes a plurality of sensor zones, with each of the sensor zones being configured to output a respective pressure signal in response to a respective amount of force applied thereto. The controller is configured to determine, based on the respective pressure signals output over a period of time, a touching characteristic representing a manner in which a user touches the sensor assembly to activate a vehicle horn. The controller is further configured to set a respective pressure threshold for each of the sensor zones above which the controller activates the vehicle horn based on the touching characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Sarah Verner
  • Patent number: 9246330
    Abstract: A method and system for operating a photovoltaic module includes providing a reversed electrical bias to the photovoltaic module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Benyamin Buller, Dmitriy Marinskiy