Patents Examined by Ramy Ramadan
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Patent number: 8536833Abstract: A power supplying apparatus for supplying power to a plurality of loads has been needed. Therefore, a power supplying apparatus for supplying power to a plurality of loads, including: a rectifying circuit connected to each of the plurality of loads; an AC circuit to sequentially connect between the rectifying circuits; and an AC generating circuit to apply AC voltage to the AC circuit, in which the AC circuit includes a capacitor and an inductor connected in series is provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2010Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yasumichi Ohnuki
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Patent number: 8531161Abstract: An energy consumption output device for outputting the still remaining usability of an electrical consumer which may be connected to an energy storage. The energy consumption output device has the following features: a unit for providing a residual capacity of the electrical energy storage; a power consumption ascertainment unit which is configured to ascertain a power consumption rate in an instantaneous operating mode of the electrical consumer; and an output unit which is configured to determine information concerning the maximum usability for a user of the energy consumption output device with regard to the instantaneous operating mode, using the provided residual capacity and the ascertained power consumption rate, and to output this information.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2009Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventor: Rainer Glauning
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Patent number: 8513913Abstract: A maximum power point tracking charge controller for photovoltaic systems includes a buck converter for receiving the maximum power voltage from a PV array as input and for supplying voltage output to charge a battery bank while converting the voltage input to a voltage output that matches the voltage required by the battery bank for charging. The buck converter includes an inductor, a first switch, and a second switch comprised of a first MOSFET and a second MOSFET connected in series with a parallel diode, wherein the configuration of the second MOSFET is reversed from the configuration of the first MOSFET.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2010Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Morningstar CorporationInventor: Stephen Dubovsky
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Patent number: 8508185Abstract: A charging method and system. The method includes detecting and monitoring by a computer processor, a frequency signal associated with an input voltage signal used for powering power consumption devices at a first specified location. The computer processor generates frequency level data associated with the monitoring. The computer processor receives a request to enable a charging process for charging a rechargeable power source and power source data associated with the rechargeable power source and a user. In response to the request, the computer processor enables a customized charging process associated with charging the rechargeable power source based on the frequency level data and/or the power source data.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2009Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert Beverley Basham, Gregory Jensen Boss, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Julianne Frances Haugh, Anne R. Sand
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Patent number: 8508192Abstract: A remaining capacity calculating section is provided that acquires a discharged capacity of a rechargeable battery based on a discharging current and a discharging time of the rechargeable battery, and calculates a relative remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery based on the discharged capacity and the fully-charged capacity of the rechargeable battery. The remaining capacity calculating section employs the rating capacity of the rechargeable battery or a learned fully-charged capacity as the fully-charged capacity when a high capacity mode is selected, and employs a capacity obtained by multiplying the rating capacity or learned fully-charged capacity by a predetermined factor not more than 1 as the fully-charged capacity when a long life mode is selected.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2010Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shinichi Matsuura, Atsushi Kawasumi
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Patent number: 8508190Abstract: An assembled battery system includes an assembled battery including a plurality of electric cell blocks connected in series, the electric cell blocks each including at least one nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery provided with a negative electrode current collector formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, a voltage measuring unit configured to measure a plurality of voltages of the electric cell blocks, a controller which controls charge/discharge of the assembled battery in accordance with the measured voltages, and bypass circuits connected in parallel to the electric cell blocks, the bypass circuits each bypassing a current that flows from a negative electrode of one of the electric cell blocks to a positive electrode of the one of electric cell blocks when the measured voltage of the one of electric cell blocks is a negative value not greater than a threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2010Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Yoshinao Tatebayashi, Shoji Otaka, Tetsuro Itakura, Norio Takami
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Patent number: 8487581Abstract: A battery pack burn-in test system comprising first and second interconnection circuits for electrically interconnecting a first and a second battery pack respectively to the system; a data communication bus for coupling to respective battery management integrated circuits (ICs) of the first and second battery packs; and a system management unit coupled to the data communication bus. The system management unit may control a charging of the first battery pack during a burn-in test from a discharging of the second battery pack.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2008Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: STL Energy Technology (S) PTE Ltd.Inventors: Eng Soon Dave Tan, Shih-Fa Hung, Chit Tee Tan
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Patent number: 8487591Abstract: A power control system provides immunity from power supply dropout for a controller without compromising a startup time of the controller. In at least one embodiment, the power control system includes separate startup and dropout immunity capacitors. In at least one embodiment, selection of the capacitance of the startup capacitor is independent of selection of the capacitance of the dropout immunity capacitance. In at least one embodiment, the startup capacitance can be minimized to provide sufficient energy for the controller to normally operate during one missed cycle of an input voltage and, thus, provide a minimum startup time for the controller. The capacitance of the dropout immunity capacitor can be maximized to provide sufficient energy for the controller to operate normally during a time period longer than one cycle of the input voltage.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2009Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: William A. Draper, John L. Melanson, Zhaohui He
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Patent number: 8482260Abstract: A power management system is described. The power management system includes an input power selecting unit, a charging control unit and a power switching control unit. The input power selecting unit receives a plurality of input power sources for selecting one of the input power sources to be inputted to the electronic apparatus. The charging control unit includes a charging controller and a battery. The charging controller receives a charge-enabling signal. The battery is charged by a second voltage and selectively supplies a battery power. The power switching control unit outputs a driving voltage to drive the electrical apparatus based on an adaptor-enabling signal and a power-detecting signal when the power switching control unit switches the input power sources and the battery power to select one of the input power sources and the battery power.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2009Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: Genesys Logic, Inc.Inventors: Hsiang-chi Hsieh, Chin-ching Chan
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Patent number: 8482249Abstract: A charging apparatus with alternating current- and direct current-charging functions for a mobile vehicle is disclosed. The charging apparatus receives an external direct current (DC) power source or an external alternating current (AC) power source and converts the DC power source or the AC power source into the required voltage and current for charging a rechargeable battery installed in the charging apparatus. The charging apparatus mainly includes a DC/DC conversion unit, an integrated DC/DC conversion and PFC unit, and a control unit. The control unit detects that the external power source is the DC power source or the AC power source. Furthermore, the charging apparatus controls the DC/DC conversion unit and the integrated DC/DC conversion and PFC unit according the type of the detected external power source, thus providing the required DC voltage level and charging current to the rechargeable battery.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2011Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Tse-Hua Chi, Chang-Jyi Sheu
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Patent number: 8471533Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention includes a system and method of charging a battery using a switching regulator. In one embodiment, a switching regulator receives an input voltage and input current. The output of the switching regulator is coupled to a battery to be charged. The switching regulator provides a current into the battery that is larger than the current into the switching regulator. As the voltage on the battery increases, the current provided by the switching regulator is reduced. The present invention may be implemented using either analog or digital techniques for reducing the current into the battery as the battery voltage increases.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2012Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: M. Abid Hussain, Kenneth C. Adkins, Georgios Konstantinos Paparrizos
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Patent number: 8466684Abstract: A battery control module for use with a battery includes a voltage measuring module that measures battery voltage and a current measuring module that measures battery current. A power limit module communicates with the current and voltage measuring modules and once every time period estimates a battery current limit that corresponds with a future time period. The battery current limit is based on a predetermined voltage limit of the battery and a battery current and a battery voltage that correspond with a time period that precedes the future time period.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2006Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: Chevron Technology Ventures LLCInventor: Robert J. Melichar
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Patent number: 8441231Abstract: A novel switching hysteretic bidirectional power converter is presented. The converter includes the generation of a synthetic ripple signal and feedback networks to hysteretically control the power converter both when the converter operates as a boost converter with the flow of power in one direction, and when the converter operates as a buck power converter with the flow of power in the opposite direction. The presented approach provides a switching converter with a much simpler control method with respect to conventional inductive bidirectional power converters. The hysteretic control provides stable operation in all conditions with excellent load and line transient response. Furthermore this allows the operation of the bidirectional power converter with much higher switching frequencies with respect to state of the art conventional approaches, thus reducing the cost and size of the passive components storing energy during the conversion.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2011Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: ETA Semiconductor Inc.Inventors: Paolo Menegoli, Fabio Alessio Marino
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Patent number: 8436588Abstract: The method of charging a battery array performs constant current, constant voltage charging of a battery array while detecting the voltage of each battery. The battery array is a plurality of series connected batteries. The charge method detects the voltage of each battery cell at a prescribed sampling rate. When the voltage of any battery cell exceeds a preset maximum specified voltage, charging power is reduced for constant current, constant voltage charging of the battery array.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2012Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenichi Morina, Katsuhiro Suzuki, Yoshiro Uenaka, Tomomi Kaino
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Patent number: 8436574Abstract: A solar power supply system includes a load device, a solar panel that converts light energy into electrical energy, an energy storage device storing the electrical energy from the solar panel, a charge/discharge control device, and a transformer device. The charge/discharge control device selects one of the energy storage device and the solar panel as an operation power supply to the charge/discharge control device and generates an output voltage. The transformer device transforms the output voltage of the charge/discharge control device into a driving voltage to drive the load device. A feedback circuit generates a feedback signal according to an actual power consumption of the load device. A power detector detects an instant output power of the charge/discharge control device. A power regulator minimizes the output power of the charge/discharge control device according to the instant output power of the charge/discharge control device and the actual power consumption of the load device.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2010Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.Inventor: Chih-Chen Lai
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Patent number: 8432136Abstract: A battery pack includes: a plurality of rechargeable batteries (11a to 11n) connected in series or in parallel; a voltage detector (13) for detecting voltages of the respective batteries; a calculator (15) for calculating optimal charging current values based on the voltages of the respective batteries detected by the voltage detector so as to recharge the respective batteries; and a communicator (19) for transmitting the charging current values calculated by the calculator to a battery charger (3).Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2008Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventor: Kazuhide Ashida
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Patent number: 8427109Abstract: A battery control module is provided for use with a battery and includes a voltage measuring module that measures battery voltage, a current measuring module that measures battery current, and a state of charge (SOC) module. The SOC module communicates with the current and voltage measuring modules, determines a reset voltage based on the battery current, compares the battery voltage and the reset voltage, and resets a battery SOC based on an outcome of the comparison.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2005Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: Chevron Technology Ventures LLCInventor: Robert J. Melichar
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Patent number: 8427166Abstract: An invention is provided for determining a state of health of a battery. The invention includes applying a predefined load profile to a battery, and obtaining a plurality of battery response voltage data corresponding to points along the predefined load profile. The battery electrical double layer capacity data is calculated from the battery response voltage data, and thereafter utilized to determine the state of health of the battery.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2009Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: GEM Power, LLCInventors: Boris J. Tsenter, John E. James
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Patent number: 8427103Abstract: The present invention provides a charging device for an electric vehicle with which optimal charging can be performed reliably when charging a storage device of the electric vehicle, without performing fast charging and normal charging at the same time.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2008Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yosuke Ohtomo
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Patent number: 8421418Abstract: In a charging/discharging unit provided with: a lithium secondary battery, a voltage detecting sensor for detecting a voltage and a current detecting sensor; the charging/discharging control unit is further provided with a controller, and a discharging element for performing a constant voltage discharging operation of 3 V. A voltage, V0, of the battery when a discharging operation is terminated (t=0) is measured by the voltage detecting sensor. If V0?3.6 V, within a rest time during which the battery is not charged/discharged until a next charging operation, a voltage, V1, of the battery when a time, t1, has elapsed is measured by the voltage detecting sensor. If this voltage charge is in a range of V1-V0?0.2 V, then the constant voltage discharging operation of 3 V is carried out for a time duration longer than or equal to 1 hour.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2009Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiaki Kumashiro, Yoshimi Yanai, Eiji Seki