Patents Examined by Sadia Kousar
  • Patent number: 11979047
    Abstract: Various disclosed embodiments include a switching module for a charger includes a support member, a first busbar coupled to the support member, the first busbar being configured to conduct electrical current, and a second busbar coupled to the support member, the second busbar being configured to conduct electrical current. The switching module also includes a first switch coupled to the first busbar and configured to move a first contactor. The switching module further includes a second switch coupled to the second busbar and configured to move a second contactor. The switching module also includes a third switch coupled to the first busbar and configured to move a third contactor. Further, the switching module includes a fourth switch coupled to the second busbar and configured to move a fourth contactor, the third and fourth switches being configured to electrically connect and disconnect the first and second busbar with at least a second power dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Shawn Warren Merritt, Thomas Hahn Kim, Jason Huang
  • Patent number: 11929632
    Abstract: A charger including a charging interface and a converter coupled to the charging interface. The converter includes a first plurality of switching transistors coupled to the charging interface and a transformer including a primary winding, a secondary winding, and an auxiliary winding. The primary winding is coupled to the first plurality of switching transistors. A second plurality of switching transistors is coupled between the secondary winding and a battery interface. An auxiliary system interface is coupled to the auxiliary winding. A controller is configured to control the first plurality of switching transistors and the second plurality of switching transistors to generate a first signal at the battery interface and a second signal at the auxiliary system interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: LiveWire EV, LLC
    Inventors: Hamidreza Hafezinasab, William Albert Stinnett
  • Patent number: 11923714
    Abstract: A device for controlling a storage battery system is provided. The device includes: a state information calculator configured to calculate state information on each of batteries of a plurality of storage battery modules; a conversion efficiency characteristics calculator configured to calculate a power conversion efficiency of each of DC/DC converters of the plurality of storage battery modules; and a storage battery module selector configured to select one or a plurality of storage battery modules to be used while the storage battery system is charged or discharged and to determine a charge power or a discharge power of each of the selected storage battery modules, based on the state information of the batteries and the power conversion efficiencies of the DC/DC converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Hara, Tomoki Takegami, Sadayuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 11923713
    Abstract: Various disclosed embodiments include illustrative apparatuses and methods for performing vehicle-to-vehicle and/or vehicle-to-load charging. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus includes a multi-function DC power unit and an interface unit configured to perform battery recharging between a donor battery-powered device and a receiver battery-powered device. The interface unit is configured to removably receive the multi-function DC power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Tyler Erikson, Steven Schulz, Kyle Underhill, Silva Hiti
  • Patent number: 11916419
    Abstract: A battery control device includes: a first identification unit configured to acquire an identification voltage which is output according to a type of a battery from the battery and to identify the type of the battery based on the acquired identification voltage; a second identification unit configured to acquire identification information for identifying the type of the battery from the battery and to identify the type of the battery based on the acquired identification information; and an estimation unit configured to estimate the type of the battery based on an identification result from the first identification unit and an identification result from the second identification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11909248
    Abstract: A device in a wireless power system may be operable with a removable accessory such as a case. The device may transmit or receive wireless power through the case while the electronic device is coupled to the case. The case may have a folio shape with a front cover portion that covers the display of the electronic device. The case may have an embedded ferrimagnetic core that relays magnetic flux during wireless power transfer operations. Magnetic alignment structures in the case may position the ferrimagnetic core in the case in a high magnetic flux density region between the power transmitting device and the power receiving device. The ferrimagnetic core relays the magnetic flux between a transmitting coil in the power transmitting device and a receiving coil in the power receiving device. The ferrimagnetic core may be formed in a front portion, a sidewall, or a rear wall of a case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zelin Xu, Nan Liu, Zaki Moussaoui, Gianpaolo Lisi, Kunal Bhargava, Madhusudanan Keezhveedi Sampath, Matthew J. Chabalko, Robert Scritzky
  • Patent number: 11870281
    Abstract: The invention provides a voltage balancing system for balancing controlling of voltage of battery cells including a first set of battery cells and a second set of battery cells connected in series. The system includes a high-side analog front end (AFE) connected to the first set of battery cells, a low-side analog front end (AFE) connected to the second set of battery cells, a microcontroller communicating with the high-side AFE and the low-side AFE, and a communication isolating module interconnecting between the high-side AFE and the microcontroller. The system further includes a balancing module arranged at a back end of the low-side AFE or the high-side AFE to equalize voltages output by the low-side AFE and the high-side AFE. Compared with the prior arts, the system employs a balancing module to balance the voltages of the two sets of battery cells, which can shorten the voltage difference therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Globe (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Ming Luo, Chuanjun Liu, Xian Zhuang
  • Patent number: 11864720
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery for powering a vacuum cleaner includes a casing, a latch for securing the rechargeable battery in the vacuum cleaner, an electrical connection interface, and a battery core disposed within the casing. The casing includes a cover plate, a sidewall extending from the cover plate, and first and second rails that extend longitudinally along the cover plate. Each rail is L-shaped and includes ribs for support. The latch is selectively releasable, and the electrical connection interface is disposed between the first and second rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventor: Joseph T. Gierer
  • Patent number: 11870290
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: an electrical load; a generator; a battery; and a controller configured to, control the operation of the generator based on the charging rate of the battery, identify a power generation margin representing a ratio of the power that the generator can output to a maximum power based on the duty ratio of the input voltage applied to the generator, and reduce power consumption of the electrical load based on a comparison between the power generation margin and a target margin. The vehicle can prevent or minimize the voltage drop phenomenon of the generator by using the power generation margin of the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: Avundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Sang Jae Han, Changseob Lim, Shinhae Kim
  • Patent number: 11862998
    Abstract: To improve reliability in balancing while suppressing power consumption during balancing. A battery management device 1 includes cell cons 41 and 42 that perform balancing for adjusting voltages of a plurality of battery cells 2 that are secondary batteries, and a control unit 3 that controls the cell cons 41 and 42. The cell con 41 includes the main timer 412 that measures the elapsed time for stopping the cell con 41, and the stop management unit 413 that stops the cell con 41 when the main timer 412 is abnormal. In the battery management device 1, the battery cell 2 that supplies power to the main timer 412 and the stop management unit 413, and the lead storage battery 7 that supplies power to the control unit 3 are power supplies different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonori Kanai, Hikaru Miura, Tomoyuki Arima
  • Patent number: 11848425
    Abstract: An energy storage system includes a DC bus; a plurality of battery strings, each battery string comprising batteries coupled electrically together; a plurality of DC/DC converters electrically coupling respective battery strings to the DC bus; an enclosure housing the battery strings and the DC/DC converters; and a temperature control system. The temperature control system includes at least one heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Keith Garrette Brown, Honggang Wang, Alistair Martin Waddell
  • Patent number: 11831194
    Abstract: A charger includes a rectifier including two input terminals for connection to an AC power supply, a cathode terminal and an anode terminal, a DC/DC converter including a first terminal be connected to the cathode terminal, a second terminal to be connected to the anode terminal, and two output terminals for connection to a battery, a power pulsation absorbing circuit including a first diode, a second diode, a third diode, an inductor, a capacitor, a first switch and a second switch, and a control section configured to control a switch of the DC/DC converter, the first switch and the second switch, wherein the control section is configured to control the DC/DC converter, the first switch and the second switch in such a way that a sum of a power outputted from the AC power supply and a power outputted from the capacitor is constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentaro Imoto, Akinori Maruyama, Keisuke Ueta, Yoshiya Ohnuma, Shohei Komeda
  • Patent number: 11831190
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes: a display; a processor configured to, when a battery of the electronic apparatus is to be charged, obtain a display state of the display and generate a mode-selection signal according to the display state; and a battery management circuit connected to the processor and configured to, upon receiving the mode-selection signal, switch to one of a charge pump charging mode or a direct charging mode based on the mode-selection signal to charge the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jie Fan
  • Patent number: 11824382
    Abstract: A charging control device including: a first and second electrode supply path; a voltage measurement circuit configured to measure a voltage between the first and second electrode side supply paths; a first and second electrode side relays on the first and second electrode side supply paths which are located closer to the battery than the voltage measurement circuit; a series circuit of a resistor and a resistance regulation relay, the series circuit being connected in parallel to the voltage measurement circuit; and a controller configured to control opening and closing the first electrode side relay, the second electrode side relay and the resistance regulation relay, wherein the controller is configured to control the resistance regulation relay to be closed when performing welding determination of the first electrode side relay and/or the second electrode side relay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko Yoshida, Yasutaka Wakasugi, Kyohei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11791652
    Abstract: A power control system is provided for AC mains, including an input bridge rectifier connected to the AC power mains, and a buck regulator circuit connected to the DC output of the input bridge rectifier, the output of the buck regulator circuit providing a DC power output bus. A current sensor is connected to the output of the buck regulator circuit, and one or more capacitors is connected across the DC power output bus for receiving current from the buck regulator circuit. The buck regulator circuit is controlled to limit peak output current thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: KOLLMORGEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Boris Semenov, Christian Rolf Jakschies, George Borkey Yundt, Kerim Feiler, Lars Lindner, Michael Capelle, Robert Pearce, Sergio Maggioni, Silvio Dus
  • Patent number: 11724569
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes: a secondary battery which is chargeable with electric power supplied from outside of a vehicle and store the electric power for running the vehicle; an air conditioning unit which performs air conditioning in a vehicle interior of the vehicle; a timer for managing a time for operating the air conditioning unit; and a control unit which sets a charging prohibition time period for prohibiting charging of the secondary battery for a time period set by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Takizawa, Hiroyuki Kurokawa, Masahito Watanabe, Kazuhiro Matsuoka, Akira Saita, Kazufumi Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11705609
    Abstract: A contact structure causing a first electric device to be electrically connected to a second electric device includes first terminals and second terminals. The second terminals include contact projections to be electrically connected to the first terminals, and cleaning projections located closer to an opening side of a fitting part of the second electric device than the contact projections to be brought into contact with the first terminals. The contact structure is configured such that the contact projections are not in contact with a surface of an outer case of the first electric device or surfaces of the first terminals before the cleaning projections climb over the first terminals. The contact structure is also configured such that the contact projections are brought into contact with the surfaces of the first terminals after the cleaning projections climb over the first terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: JVCKENWOOD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Chiba, Takashi Kuboki, Takeshi Kimura, Kenji Tanisho
  • Patent number: 11664723
    Abstract: A single-phase and three-phase compatible conversion circuit includes an EMC module, a PFC module, a switch K1 and a control module. The EMC module is connected between lines A, B, C and N of a power grid and the PFC module. Three lines A1, B1 and C1 are led out from the EMC module and are connected with the PFC module, and are respectively connected to a set virtual midpoint through capacitors CX1, CX2, and CX3. The virtual midpoint is connected to a bus midpoint of the PFC module through the switch K1. The control module is used for detecting a power grid input signal and controlling the state of the switch K1 according to the type of the power grid input signal. The common-mode noise of the three-phase conversion mode can be reduced, and the three-phase conversion mode can be controlled within a larger bus voltage regulation range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: SHENZHEN VMAX NEW ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Liu, Yingying Feng, Shun Yao, Renwei Feng
  • Patent number: 11652354
    Abstract: A charging device adapted to charge an automatic moving device includes a case, an electricity supply end, a baffle, an arm below the baffle, a blocking assembly on the arm, and a follower. The automatic moving device includes a driving part and an electricity reception end. The case has an opening. The baffle is pivotally connected to the case to cover or expose the opening. The arm has a fixed end and a free end. The blocking assembly is located at an inner side near the opening and movably located on a rotating path of the baffle. The follower is disposed on the free end. When the driving part approaches the opening, the follower moves away from the driving part to drive the blocking assembly to leave the rotating path. The automatic moving device pushes away the baffle, so that the electricity reception end docks with the electricity supply end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: PEGATRON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wen-Chang Chuang
  • Patent number: 11642976
    Abstract: In external charging, a first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage which is lower than the first threshold voltage are set. The ECU permits start of charging of a battery when a voltage of the battery is lower than the second threshold voltage. The ECU stops charging of the battery and notifies the user that the battery has been fully charged using an HMI when the voltage of the battery is higher than the first threshold voltage during charging of the battery. The ECU notifies the user that the battery has been fully charged using the HMI when the voltage of the battery after charging of the battery has been stopped is lower than the first threshold voltage and is higher than the second threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kentaro Munemoto