Patents Examined by Sailesh Thapa
  • Patent number: 10693304
    Abstract: Provided are a system and a method which allow an improved operating time of an energy storage system in a power system by reflecting a state of charge of a battery and a state of the power system on a control of an amount of charging power or discharging power of the energy storage system. The system includes: a battery configured to charge or discharge power; a battery monitor configured to monitor a state of the battery; a power system monitor configured to monitor a state of a power system; and a charge/discharge controller configured to control an amount of charging power or an amount of discharging power of the battery using a state of charge of the battery detected by the battery monitor and the state of the power system detected by the power system monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University
    Inventors: Jung-Wook Park, Jinah Noh, SeokJu Kang, Seoung Uk Jeon
  • Patent number: 10581251
    Abstract: A battery pack having an active thermal management system for use with a hybrid vehicle is provided. The active thermal management system is self-contained within a housing of the battery pack and includes a thermal channel configured to provide fluid communication between an interior of the housing and an exterior of the housing of the battery pack; a set of thermoelectric devices configured to transfer heat from battery cells of the battery pack to the thermal channel; an insulator arranged between the battery cells and the thermal channel; a device configured to control fluid flow via the thermal channel; and a controller configured to control the device to actively control heat transfer from the interior of the housing to the exterior of the housing of the battery pack to maintain the battery pack at a desired temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Oliver Gross, Dan Pannunzio, Steven L Clark, Roger Cortina
  • Patent number: 10574090
    Abstract: A mobile terminal is provided with a housing having a rectangular shape in a plan view of the housing defined by two short sides along a lateral direction and two long sides along a longitudinal direction. A camera, a battery, and a circuit board are included in the housing. A wireless charging coil is arranged in the housing and includes a winding portion and two leg portions. A sheet is arranged in the housing. The sheet has a rectangular shape including four edges and four corner portions, wherein each pair of adjacent edges forms a virtual corner, each corner portion is receded inwardly from its corresponding virtual corner by a receding distance, and one of four receding distances is greater than other three of the four receding distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC
    Inventors: Yoshio Koyanagi, Koichi Yamamoto, Takanori Hirobe, Hiroyuki Uejima, Kenichiro Tabata, Shuichiro Yamaguchi, Munenori Fujimura, Akio Hidaka, Takumi Naruse
  • Patent number: 10566795
    Abstract: A storage battery system control method includes at least the following steps. Respective current SOC (state of charge) values of the large capacity storage battery system and the high power storage battery system are acquired. Electrical power, which is required to operate the frequency control service for the purpose of suppressing frequency fluctuations, to the large capacity storage battery system and the high power storage battery system, in accordance with the respective SOC values. The respectively allocated electrical power is charged or discharged by driving the large capacity storage battery system, or alternatively, the high power storage battery system, or alternatively, the large capacity storage battery system and the high power storage battery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignees: Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc., NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Shibata, Youko Kimura, Yoichiro Tashiro, Masataka Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 10532663
    Abstract: Techniques for electric vehicle systems, and in particular to an electric vehicle emergency charging system and method of use. In one embodiment, a system for charging a moving electric vehicle is provided, the system comprising: an electrical storage unit disposed on the electric vehicle; a charging panel in electrical communication with the electrical storage unit; a vehicle controller that determines if the electrical storage unit requires charging and configured to determine if an overhead power source is available to charge the electrical storage unit; wherein the charging panel receives the charge from the overhead power source and charges the electrical storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: NIO USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci
  • Patent number: 10525844
    Abstract: A vehicle charging system may determine a charging schedule for an electric vehicle based on real-time cost information and a likelihood of communication errors related to charging commands. The vehicle charging system may determine a first cost to immediately charge the electric vehicle upon plug-in. The vehicle charging system may determine a second cost to delay charging the electric vehicle according to a charging schedule, the charging schedule including communicating charging commands with the vehicle at a later time. The vehicle charging system may determine a likelihood of communication errors related to the charging commands. The vehicle charging system may select a charging option of immediately charging the electric vehicle or delaying charging the electric vehicle based on the first cost, second cost, and the likelihood of communication errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Robert M. Uyeki
  • Patent number: 10527681
    Abstract: It is an object of an embodiment to provide a degradation estimator for an energy storage device, configured to estimate degradation of the energy storage device, an energy storage apparatus, an input-output control device for the energy storage device, and a method for controlling input and output of the energy storage device. The embodiment includes estimating a temporary power decrease rate of the energy storage device in accordance with at least one of an average load, a maximum load, and a ?SOC obtained from detected current of the energy storage device and detected temperature of the energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: GS YUASA INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Furukawa, Hiroki Matsui, Seijiro Ochiai, Takaaki Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10530179
    Abstract: An integrated external controller/charger system for an implantable medical device is disclosed comprising an external controller/charger device with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and first battery, and an external charging coil assembly coupleable to the external controller/charger device and including or associated with a second battery. The second battery is used to energize a charging coil in the external charging coil assembly, while the first battery is used to power other aspects of the system (data telemetry circuitry, control circuitry, the GUI, etc.). Because the second battery powers the relatively high-power charging function, the first battery in the external controller/charger device can be made smaller. Additionally, the second battery enables a suitable external controller device (e.g. a mobile device such as a cell phone) to provide charging functionality even if its first battery is otherwise inadequate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Aghassian, Terril G. Lewis
  • Patent number: 10525834
    Abstract: A vehicle charge control device includes a charge unit and a correction unit. The charge unit is configured to perform a charge operation for suppressing a deterioration in a battery by charging the battery until a charge end phase in which an acceptance current of the battery is smaller than a predetermined current value, the battery being mounted on a vehicle. The correction unit is configured to correct a charge rate of the battery based on a behavior of the acceptance current. In addition, the correction unit is configured to correct the charge rate based on the behavior in the charge end phase, in synchronization with the charge operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sakakibara, Koji Ito, Hiroshi Sato, Ken Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10500967
    Abstract: An electrical charging apparatus (10) for charging an electrical energy store of a motor vehicle (12) has an electrical connection (16) to electrically connect the charging apparatus (10) to a charging station (14) and to interchange electrical energy with the charging station (14). An electrical converter (18) is connected to the electrical connection (16) to interchange the electrical energy with the charging station (14) via the electrical connection (16) and to convert the electrical energy. A control unit (20) is connected to the electrical converter (18) to control the interchange of the electrical energy. A communication interface (22) is assigned to the control unit (20) and is designed to interchange data (34) with the charging station (14). The control unit (20) is designed to control the interchange of the electrical energy on the basis of the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Daniel Spesser, Thomas Krauss, Dirk Herke
  • Patent number: 10505403
    Abstract: A wireless power transmitting device transmits wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving device. To detect foreign objects, the wireless power transmitting device has an array of temperature sensors. The array of temperature sensors may include temperature sensor components such as temperature sensitive thin-film resistors or other temperature sensitive components. A temperature sensor may have thin-film resistors formed on opposing sides of a substrate. The thin-film resistors may be formed from meandered metal traces to reduce eddy current formation during operation of the wireless power transmitting device. Signal paths coupling control circuitry on the wireless power transmitting device to the array of temperature sensors may be configured to extend along columns of the temperature sensors without running along each row of the temperature sensors, thereby reducing eddy currents from loops of signal routing lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: J. Stephen Smith, Siddharth Seth, Douglas J. Adams, Michael A. Cretella
  • Patent number: 10483800
    Abstract: A portable device has an outer wall member exposed outside, and a power-receiving module at least a portion of which is arranged along the surface shape of the outer wall member to receive power by way of the resonance phenomenon. The power-receiving module has a power-receiving resonance coil and a power-drawing coil. The portable device creates a space portion with a weak magnetic field at the inner position or the peripheral position of the power receiving module during power feeding using the resonance phenomenon so that an electronic device is arranged in the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takezo Hatanaka, Hisashi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 10476280
    Abstract: Provided is an energy storage device management device which includes a controller configured to decide a charge voltage to be applied to a plurality of energy storage devices connected in series, wherein the controller is configured to perform deciding the charge voltage based on a difference in charge amount or a voltage difference between the energy storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: GS YUASA INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Fukushima
  • Patent number: 10424947
    Abstract: A battery monitoring device includes a battery information input terminal, a battery state monitoring unit, an output terminal, a circuit board, and a housing member. The battery information input terminal is electrically connected to a battery state detecting member. The battery state monitoring unit receives a battery state detection signal via the battery information input terminal. The output terminal outputs monitoring information on the battery state corresponding to the battery state detection signal to an external arithmetic processor. The circuit board is provided with the battery information input terminal, the battery state monitoring unit, and the output terminal. The housing member is integrally formed with the battery information input terminal, the battery state monitoring unit, the output terminal, and the circuit board so as to accommodate at least the whole battery state monitoring unit and the whole circuit board and expose terminal connecting portions to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Chiyajo, Yoshiaki Nakayama, Kimihiro Matsuura, Haruhiko Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10399448
    Abstract: Disclosed are alignment methods and apparatuses for power transmission/reception coils in an electric vehicle wireless power transfer system. An alignment method may comprise moving a primary coil such that a reference center point of the primary coil sequentially passes through a plurality of measurement points located on the primary coil or located outside the primary coil; measuring physical quantities induced in the primary coil by a power or a magnetic field of a secondary coil magnetically coupled with the primary coil at the reference center point and the plurality of measurement points; and calculating a relative position of the primary coil with respect to the secondary coil based on the measured physical quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Konkuk University Industrial Cooperation Corp.
    Inventors: Jae Yong Seong, Kong Pengfei, Won Shil Kang, Hyun Chul Ku, Jong Gyun Lim
  • Patent number: 10399454
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply apparatus includes a motor generator, a first electricity storage device, a second electricity storage device, a switch, a switch controller, and an electricity storage device determiner. The switch controller is configured to cause the first cutoff state of the switch, switchable between a first electrically conductive state that allows the motor generator and the first electricity storage device to be coupled to each other and a first cutoff state that allows the motor generator and the first electricity storage device to be isolated from each other, to be maintained in a situation where the first electricity storage device discharges beyond a threshold, on a condition that the switch is switched to the first cutoff state in accordance with controlling of the motor generator into a powering state and the second electricity storage device is determined as being in an abnormal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 10389144
    Abstract: A battery protection circuit includes a charging switch, a resistor, a charging controller, a switching circuit, a fuse circuit, and a fuse driving circuit. The charging switch is connected to a first electrode of a battery cell. The resistor includes a first end connected to a second electrode of the battery cell. The charging controller supplies a charging control current. The switching circuit connects a second end of the resistor with a control terminal of the charging switch or blocks connection between the second end of the resistor and control terminal of the charging switch depending on the charging control current. The fuse circuit is connected to a charging path of the battery cell and blocks the charging path depending on a voltage applied to a control terminal of the fuse circuit. The fuse driving circuit switches the voltage applied to the control terminal of the fuse circuit depending on a voltage between the ends of the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kyong-Pil Jin
  • Patent number: 10379170
    Abstract: Relatively inexpensive and practical cell deterioration diagnostic method and cell deterioration diagnostic device are provided. A cell deterioration diagnostic method diagnoses cell deterioration of a secondary cell having a transient characteristic. The method includes: a charging step of charging the secondary cell; a calculation step of calculating an integrated value of a potential difference obtained by subtracting a cell internal voltage V0 of the secondary cell from a cell inter-terminal voltage of the secondary cell by integrating the potential difference as the cell inter-terminal voltage converges to the cell internal voltage V0 after completion of charging; and a diagnosis step of diagnosing the cell deterioration of the secondary cell based on the integrated value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: The Doshisha
    Inventors: Naoto Nagaoka, Naoyuki Yoshioka, Naoya Narita
  • Patent number: 10365307
    Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for sensing opening of a current interrupt device (CID) of a battery unit. An apparatus for sensing opening of a current interrupt device of a battery unit according to the present invention is configured to include: a setting unit setting a predetermined voltage section when discharge of one or more battery units starts; a measuring unit measuring a voltage section pass time which is the time when the one or more battery units pass through the predetermined voltage section for each battery unit; and a detecting unit detecting a battery unit in which the current interrupt device (CID) is opened among the one or more battery units and detecting the number of battery cells in which the CID is opened among one or more battery cells included in the battery unit in which the CID is opened based on the voltage section pass time for each battery unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Mi So Park, Jongmin Park, Hyunchul Lee
  • Patent number: 10355320
    Abstract: The power storage device includes a battery group in which n series circuits C1 (wherein n represents an integer of 2 or greater) are connected in parallel and a battery controller controlling a switching device based on allowable charge/discharge power of the capacitor. The series circuit C1 includes a capacitor and the switching device which are connected in parallel. The battery controller controls the switching device to maximize the allowable charge/discharge power of the battery group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Fujita