Patents Examined by Richard V. Muralidar
  • Patent number: 10992177
    Abstract: A device includes a charge controller to regulate a battery output voltage based on an input voltage and an input current received from a charging circuit. A loop controller monitors the input voltage and the input current to generate a feedback signal to adjust the input voltage to the charge controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Stephen C. Terry, Paul Brohlin
  • Patent number: 10988045
    Abstract: A method for detecting charging current curves for electric vehicles at charging stations. In the method, a charging current curve is captured at a charging station, and the charging current curve is stored together with a vehicle identification of the charging vehicle. For each respective vehicle identification, a charging current curve at a plurality of charging stations is stored, and for the respective vehicle identification, a present charging current curve can be compared with the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations. In the event of a deviation of the present charging current curve from the stored charging current curves at the plurality of charging stations which is greater than a threshold, a signal is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: innogy SE
    Inventors: Srdan Skrbic, Jürgen Waffner
  • Patent number: 10985575
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a thermal runaway detection circuit and a method, which is directed to field of batteries. The circuit includes: a sensing module including a terminating resistor; a detection module including a first voltage dividing resistor set and a second voltage dividing resistor set; and a processing module connected to the detection module, wherein the processing module is configured to obtain thermal runaway detection data, and determine whether thermal runaway occurs in the battery pack based on the thermal runaway detection data. The thermal runaway detection data includes first sampled data and second sampled data. The technical solutions in the present disclosure can improve safety of the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited
    Inventors: Zhimin Dan, Chao Zeng, Xiao Wang, Jia Xu, Yizhen Hou, Wei Zhang, Guoliang Hu
  • Patent number: 10981452
    Abstract: A portable or handheld device or apparatus for jump starting a vehicle engine having a depleted or discharged starting battery. The portable or handheld device or apparatus for jump starting a vehicle engine includes a rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery pack and a battery cell equalization circuit configured to prevent overcharging of one or more individual lithium-ion battery cells, which can cause fire, damage to the battery pack and device or apparatus for jump starting a vehicle, or personal injury to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: THE NOCO COMPANY
    Inventors: Jonathan Lewis Nook, William Knight Nook, Sr., James Richard Stanfield, Derek Michael Underhill
  • Patent number: 10978899
    Abstract: A wireless power transmitting device transmits wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving device by supplying drive signals with a duty cycle to a wireless power transmitting coil. The wireless power receiving device has a rectifier and a wireless power receiving coil that receives wireless power signals having the duty cycle from the wireless power transmitting device. The rectifier is coupled to an integrated circuit such as a battery charger integrated circuit. The amount of current drawn by the integrated circuit from the rectifier is adjustable. During operation, control circuitry in the wireless power receiving device sets the current to multiple different values while using sensor circuitry to measure output power from the rectifier. A satisfactory value for the duty cycle can be identified by adjusting the duty cycle while observing when peaks in the output power arise as a function of the different current values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Weihong Qiu, Rohan Dayal, Zaki Moussaoui
  • Patent number: 10959481
    Abstract: A footwear apparatus has a bottom portion on which a foot of a user is positioned. The bottom portion has a heel portion and a toe portion. Further, the footwear apparatus has a rear portion operably attached to the heel portion. Additionally, the footwear apparatus has a force-to-energy conversion device that is operably attached to the heel portion in proximity to the rear portion. The force-to-energy conversion device receives one or more external forces from an environment external to the shoe. Further, the force-to-energy conversion device converts the one or more external forces to electrical energy. Moreover, the footwear apparatus has a removable power supply assembly that is operably connected to the rear portion. The removable power supply assembly has a power supply that stores the electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Zero Point Energy Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Yasha Gruben, Maral Kalinian
  • Patent number: 10950911
    Abstract: A battery pack includes a casing, a battery cell assembly, an encoder, and a monitoring unit; the battery cell assembly is disposed in the casing; the encoder is adapted to generate one of a plurality of types of encoding configurations, and includes an operating section which is adapted for a user to set one of the encoding configurations of the encoder manually; the monitoring unit is adapted to sense a state of the battery cell assembly and generate an identification code according to the encoding configuration of the encoder; wherein, the monitoring unit is further adapted to output a state signal which includes the aforementioned identification code. Whereby, the battery pack of the present invention would be a universal battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: MOBILETRON ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Meng-Chang Lin
  • Patent number: 10940766
    Abstract: A communication unit or a vehicle has a control unit, a first connection, a second connection, a first switchable resistance bridge, a second switchable resistance bridge and a measuring apparatus for generating a measurement signal characterizing the voltage at the first resistance bridge. The first switchable resistance bridge and the second switchable resistance bridge are each provided between the first connection and the second connection and are connected in parallel with one another. The control unit has at least one first state and one second state, which first state corresponds to an active charging operation, and which second state occurs when the control unit in the first state receives an external abort signal via the first connection and the second connection. In the event of a change to the second state, the control unit turns off the first switch, turns off the second switch, and turns on the second switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Inventor: Daniel Spesser
  • Patent number: 10926644
    Abstract: Electronic or electrical systems and related methods provide a fast charging system for electrical vehicles and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventor: James Willson
  • Patent number: 10931120
    Abstract: An electronic power control circuit includes a power conditioner circuit (120, 130) having a charging input line (116), a battery-related line (133) of the power conditioner circuit (120, 130), and a power voltage output line (137); and an anti-crash loop mechanism (170) coupled to the battery-related line (133) and to the power voltage output line (137) of the power conditioner circuit (120, 130), the anti-crash loop mechanism (170) having a control output line (172, PWGOOD) to be selectively active and inactive in response to voltage levels over time on the battery-related line (133) and on the power voltage output line (137) of the power conditioner circuit (120, 130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jean-Yves Carré, Pasi Juha Matias Palojärvi
  • Patent number: 10923956
    Abstract: An inductive power transmitter comprising: a converter configured to generate at least two object detection signals at substantially different frequencies, at least one transmitting coil configured to generate a magnetic field based on the object detection signals, and a controller configured to determine or measure circuit parameter(s) in relation to the coil to determine the inductance of the coil at each of the frequencies, and determine whether and/or what kind of object is present depending on a change in inductance between each of the frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Liang Chen
  • Patent number: 10923941
    Abstract: Systems and methods for universal serial bus (USB) power delivery with multiple charging ports or connectors to charge multiple electronic devices. The systems include a power supply having converter(s) that converts an input voltage to different output voltages and outputs; charging ports electrically coupled to the power supply outputs; and a controller electrically coupled to the power supply and the charging ports or connectors. Each of the charging ports is configured to connect to and provide an output voltage selected from the different output voltages to an electronic device. The controller communicates or publishes information regarding the different output voltage levels that can be provided by the power supply to the electronic devices; receives voltage levels selected by the electronic devices via the charging ports; and controls the power supply to provide the selected voltages to the first and second device, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: A. M. Sarwar Jahan, Levan Papismedov, Tint Y. Aung
  • Patent number: 10913373
    Abstract: A charging system including means designed to detect the charging state of a traction battery of an electric vehicle, determination means for determining a charging curve for the traction battery starting from the detected charging state of the traction battery, and calculation means designed to calculate a charge profile which is formed from at least two time intervals with a respective interval-specific constant electric power. The charging curve defines the respective electrical power within a time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: innogy SE
    Inventor: Jürgen Waffner
  • Patent number: 10910680
    Abstract: A battery thermal management system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a battery pack, a coolant subsystem configured to cool the battery pack, and a thermoelectric device disposed within the coolant subsystem and selectively activated to augment cooling of the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Fleming, Erik J. Christen, Ray C. Siciak
  • Patent number: 10906511
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and associated systems for managing a plurality of device-exchange stations. The method includes, for example, (1) receiving empirical information regarding exchanges of energy storage devices from each of the plurality of device-exchange stations in an initial time period; (2) determining a target time period; (3) identifying a plurality of reference factors and associated weighting values based on empirical information regarding exchanges of energy storage devices; (4) determining demand information during the target time period for each of the plurality of device-exchange stations during the target time period for each of the device-exchange stations; and (5) forming a plurality of charging plans for each of the plurality of device-exchange stations according to demand information during the target time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
    Inventors: I-Fen Shih, Yun-Chun Lai, Sheng-Chin Chuang, Daniel Vickery, Hok-Sum Horace Luke, Bo-Yu Chu
  • Patent number: 10912226
    Abstract: A wireless charging transmitter module may include a plurality of coil devices, a magnetic field shielding sheet to cover one side of the plurality of coil devices, and a heat dissipation plate to cover the magnetic shielding sheet, so that heat may be more efficiently dissipated through the heat dissipation plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, AMOTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyoungchun Kweon, Hwi Chul Shin, Seung Jae Hwang, Jong Eun Kim
  • Patent number: 10870364
    Abstract: A method for autonomously charging an electric motor vehicle based on a customer order using an autonomous vehicle having electric battery storage includes receiving a request to charge the electric motor vehicle, loading into a memory of the autonomous vehicle a customer profile that includes a location of the electric motor vehicle, a vehicle identifier, and an electric charge amount, autonomously driving to the location of the electric motor vehicle, identifying the electric motor vehicle based on the vehicle identifier, and charging the electric motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Bedestrian LLC
    Inventor: Shadi Mere
  • Patent number: 10870362
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for charging an electrical energy storage unit, in particular installed in a vehicle, from a continuous charging terminal, using a DC/DC voltage converter to adapt the voltage between said continuous charging terminal and said electrical energy storage unit, said DC/DC voltage converter comprising at least two interleaved cells operating out of phase, each cell having respective switches; said method comprising control of the switches of said DC/DC voltage converter by pulse width modulation with a duty cycle to adapt the voltage between said continuous charging terminal and the electrical energy storage unit, said duty cycle having a given value ?v that is substantially constant over several interleaving cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: VALEO SIEMENS EAUTOMOTIVE FRANCE SAS
    Inventors: Boris Bouchez, Bruno Condamin, Pierre-Alexandre Chauvenet
  • Patent number: 10868585
    Abstract: Disclosed is a control method of a wireless power transmitter, including transmitting power to a plurality of wireless power receivers based on a first power value required by a first wireless power receiver from among the plurality of wireless power receivers, selecting, before reaching a threshold condition in which a system error occurs in the wireless power transmitter, a second wireless power receiver from among the plurality of wireless power receivers, and in response to the second wireless power receiver being selected, transmitting power to the plurality of wireless power receivers based on a second power value required by the second wireless power receiver, wherein the system error comprises at least one of an over-temperature error, an over-current error, and an over-voltage error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Inventors: Kyung-Woo Lee, Hee-Won Jung, Keum-Su Song
  • Patent number: 10857900
    Abstract: Systems and methods for an electric vehicle to be charged according to a charging schedule. The system includes a memory that stores instructions for executing processes for scheduling charging of an electric vehicle. The system also includes a a processor configured to execute the instructions The instructions cause the processor to: determine a location of an electric vehicle and a time corresponding to when the electric vehicle is connected to a charging station; determine charging preferences of a user based upon a preselected set of choices defined by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Robert Uyeki, Narendran Ravi, Mohitash Brijwasi, Maira Malik, Steven Rho, Aparajithan Rajendran