Patents Examined by Swarna N Chowdhuri
  • Patent number: 9764856
    Abstract: An external power supply system for an aircraft includes a power receptacle configured to connect to an external power source to provide external power, a power switch operative to switch between a battery power source and the external power source, and a voltage check system configured to prevent at least one of under-voltage or over-voltage of an aircraft electrical system. The voltage check system includes a voltage relay sensor configured to determine if the external power is within a suitable voltage range and a check switch operatively connected to the voltage relay sensor, wherein if the external power is within a suitable voltage range, the voltage relay sensor activates the check switch to allow external power to the aircraft electrical system, and wherein if the external power is outside the suitable voltage range, then the voltage relay sensor does not allow power to the aircraft electrical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford G. Stevens, Kenneth Kramer
  • Patent number: 9768633
    Abstract: An external battery and a driving method thereof are disclosed. In one aspect, the external battery includes a battery, a charging unit, a detecting unit and a main controller unit (MCU). The charging unit generates a charging current using external power supplied from an external charger to an input stage, and provides the charging current to the battery or to an external device. The detecting unit detects whether the external charger and the external device are both coupled to the external battery. The MCU controls the charging current to be provided to the external device, when the external charger and the external device are both coupled to the external battery. Accordingly, when the external charger and the external device are both coupled to the external battery, the external device can be directly charged using the charging current applied from the external charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seo-Taek Oh
  • Patent number: 9755431
    Abstract: A power management system has power supplying means, measuring means that measures power generation environment for the power supplying means, and communication means that transmits information measured by the measuring means. The power management system comprises: a control unit that controls the measuring means and the communication means. The power supplying means is used as a power source for the measuring means and the communication means. The control unit sets a first power threshold to be used for determining whether or not to switch operation states of the measuring means and a second power threshold to be used for determining whether or not to switch operation states of the communication means on the basis of a power supply that is supplied from the power supplying means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Sasaki, Nobuo Kuchiki, Takashi Baba, Mitsuhiro Kitaji
  • Patent number: 9748881
    Abstract: A voltage regulator, an operation method thereof, and a voltage regulating system, and a mobile vehicle are provided. The voltage regulator coupled to an alternator and a battery includes a voltage detection unit which is coupled to the alternator and a startup assisting unit. The voltage detection unit operatively generates an enable signal responsive to an output voltage of the alternator. The startup assisting unit is coupled to the alternator, the battery, and the voltage detection unit. The startup assisting unit operatively generates a first exciting current to excite a rotor coil according to the enable signal. When the voltage detection unit detects that the output voltage is greater than a predetermined voltage threshold, the voltage detection unit outputs the enable signal causing the startup assisting unit to generate the first exciting current to the rotor coil, thereby facilitating the alternator to establish voltage under low rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD., UNIVERSAL GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hsin-Hung Wu
  • Patent number: 9742210
    Abstract: Remote control device comprising a generator (PVU) intended to convert light or mechanical energy to electrical energy, a wireless transmitter (RF) able to send messages to a remote receiver, a first electrical energy storage element (C1) connected to the energy generator (PVU) and intended to be charged with the electrical energy generated by the generator (PVU) in order to supply power to the wireless transmitter (RF) in a first operating mode of the control device, and a second electrical energy storage element (C2) intended to supply power to the wireless transmitter (RF) in a second operating mode. The second electrical energy storage element is connected to the generator (PVU) via parallel connection of a first resistor (R1) and a first diode (D1), the cathode of the first diode being connected to the positive terminal of the generator (PVU).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: SOMFY SAS
    Inventor: Bruno Lambersend
  • Patent number: 9735832
    Abstract: An output circuit sends a control pilot signal generated in a voltage generator to an input circuit. A communication unit is connected between an earthed wire and a control pilot wire on the output side of the output circuit via a bandpass filter. A communication unit is connected between the earthed wire and the control pilot wire on the input side of the input circuit via a bandpass filter. A low-pass filter is interposed between the output circuit and the communication unit. A low-pass filter is interposed between the input circuit and the communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Hagihara, Yutaka Komatsu, Tatsuya Izumi, Kazuhiko Nii, Ryou Okada, Yousuke Takata, Hiroya Andoh, Yuta Ochiai, Ryuichi Kamaga, Atsushi Iwai, Yukihiro Miyashita, Nobuyuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 9728918
    Abstract: The invention relates to a distribution strip for distributing electrical energy for equipment, device and/or server cabinets. The distribution strip has an inner chamber which is defined by an upper, lower, two lateral side faces and two end faces. A feed cable is provided on one of the end faces. An end face forms, with a side face, an inner angle of greater than 105°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Knuerr GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Feigl, Christian Stepputat
  • Patent number: 9722424
    Abstract: A system (0) includes an electrical load system (54) with a load network battery (82), and a fuel cell system (1). Operation is simplified, especially during start of the fuel cell system (1) if the fuel cell system (1) has a system battery (56). A system voltage across the system battery (56) can be supplied to electrical system loads (80) of the fuel cell system (1) and, via a load voltage converter (77) and at least one additional voltage converter (86), to the load system (54) and secondary electrical loads (84, 85).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Eberspächer Climate Control Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Kaupert, Valentin Notemann, Karsten Reiners, Markus Willkommen
  • Patent number: 9716496
    Abstract: The present disclosure aims to provide a high-durability switch device. The switch device includes: a switch key top and a switch key bottom that are freely displaceable relative to each other, the switch key top including key top reception and transmitting coils that are connected to each other, and the switch key bottom including: a key bottom transmitting coil having a relative positional relationship with the key top receiving coil that changes according to a relative displacement operation with respect to the switch key top; a key bottom receiving coil having a relative positional relationship with the key top transmitting coil that changes according to the relative displacement operation with respect to the switch key top; a current supplier supplying current to the key bottom transmitting coil; and a determiner determining relative displacement with respect to the switch key top from induced current in the key bottom receiving coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Watanabe, Kouichi Ishino, Takeshi Nakayama, Masahiro Ishii
  • Patent number: 9685790
    Abstract: Approximately one-half of the loss of delivered power from a solar panel having photovoltaic (PV) cells connected in series to form sub-panels due to shading is recovered at low hardware cost by connecting sub-panels in series and providing maximum power point tracking control in common for the series connected sub-panels such that the respective sub-panels produce equal voltages even in the presence of shading of a portion of one or more sub-panels. By doing so, the input voltage of respective power converters which control the voltage at which each sub-panel is operated can be placed close to the maximum power point of each sub-panel regardless of shading and maximum total power harvested even though the respective sub-panels are not operated at optimum voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinke Wu, Zijian Wang, Fred C. Lee, Feng Wang
  • Patent number: 9647578
    Abstract: An energy harvester having a converter suitable for converting a variation of the energy to be harvested into a corresponding excess of electrical charges. There is a circuit for collecting the excess of electrical charges, the circuit is equipped with a controllable switch and a control device for the switch designed to control the switching of this switch to its closed position. The control device is suitable for exerting a force which stresses the electrical contacts towards one another. The force varies continually as a function of the quantity of electrical charges present on the first terminal and bringing the electrical contacts to bear on one another only when the excess of electrical charges exceeds a predetermined threshold, and/or for ionizing the electrically insulating medium to produce an electrical arc between the two electrical contacts only when the excess of electrical charges exceeds the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignees: COMMISSARIAT À L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES, INSTITUT POLYTECHNIQUE DE GRENOBLE, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
    Inventors: Jérome Delamare, Bernard Viala, Orphée Cugat, Thibault Ricart
  • Patent number: 9644870
    Abstract: An engine driven heat pump is such that when a self-sustaining switch is turned on during power failure, and a self-sustaining signal is received, it switches to a self-sustaining mode and start an engine and a generator, and when output power from an inverter is received, it supplies the output power to a power supply circuit and a battery charging circuit by means of an independent power supply relay, and it supplies the output power to the outside via an independent output unit, and during the supply of the output power, it maintains cutoff with respect to connection between a system, and the power supply circuit and the battery charging circuit by means of a system cutoff relay and maintain the output of the output power until the self-sustaining signal is interrupted, and it recovers the connection when power is restored and the output power is interrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shohei Amakawa, Masaya Horibe, Kyoko Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9640993
    Abstract: A control unit with data analyzer is connected to database and configured to receive user inputs such as time driven mode, supply driven mode and automatic mode and operate the system with respect to the selected mode, tariff opted and user input commands, and signals the storage unit to get charged from the input source or to supply power to all the lines or to the selected lines from storage unit. The control unit during the time when energy prices are less, signals to charge the storage unit and supplies power to all appliances through the input source and during the time when energy prices are more, signals to shut off the non critical loads and utilize the charged power from storage unit to selected lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
    Inventor: Rohit Pai
  • Patent number: 9634485
    Abstract: An improved power manager includes a power bus (410) and multiple device ports (1-5), with at least one device port configured as a universal port (3 and 4) to be selectively connected to the power bus over an input power channel that includes an input power converter (510) or over a output or universal power channel (412, 416) that includes an output power converter (440, 442). The universal power channel (412) allows the input port (4) to be selected as an output power channel instead of an input power channel (i.e. operated as a universal port) for outputting power to device port (4) over power converter (440). The improved power manager (500) includes operating modes for altering an operating voltage of the power bus (505), to minimize overall power conversion losses due to DC to DC power conversions used to connect non-bus voltage compatible power devices to the power bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Protonex Technology Corporation
    Inventors: David N. Long, Seth M. Dziengeleski, James D. Kazmierczak, Benjamin Apollonio, Michael J. Grennan, My H. Lac
  • Patent number: 9625501
    Abstract: The invention proposes a method of calculating power loss in an inductive power transfer system comprising a power transmitter (112) for transmitting power inductively to a power receiver (110) via transmitter coil (114) and receiver coil (104), the method comprising a step of obtaining, by power transmitter, time information for time alignment to enable the power transmitter to align the time of calculating the power loss with the power receiver; and a step of calculating power loss during power transfer according to the obtained time information and received power parameter communicated from the power receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Andries Van Wageningen
  • Patent number: 9614402
    Abstract: There is provided a power transmission apparatus capable of selecting a power transmission apparatus for power feeding easily from among a plurality of power transmission apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryohei Yamada
  • Patent number: 9608443
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are the energy storage system of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) equipped with the battery and a method of driving the same. The energy storage system includes a commercial power source unit configured to supply a first power source to a load, and the battery configured to supply a second power source to the load. And the system monitors a power failure state in the commercial power source unit, determines a charging state of the battery, and controls the commercial power source unit and the battery in response to output of monitoring or determination, so that the first power source or the second power source is supplied to the load. A power reservation ratio for the use of power can be increased by reducing power used during daytime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: EHWA TECHNOLOGIES INFORMATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Won Chung, Kyung Suk Lee, Dong Hun Yum
  • Patent number: 9602049
    Abstract: In a circuit device controlling an operating point of each of two or more series-connected photovoltaic cells or other power supply cells in a module, the output voltage of the module can be boosted without reducing the generated electric power. The operating point control circuit device includes capacitors connected in parallel to the respective series-connected cells, switching elements connected in parallel to the respective series-connected cells through an inductor, an additional capacitor connected in series to the capacitor row, and an additional switching element connected in series to the switching element row. The switching elements are controlled to shut off electrical conduction between the corresponding terminals connected thereto in the same predetermined cycle and in mutually different periods so as to always establish a condition that one switching element is in the non-conductive state and the others are is in the conductive state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo Metropolitan University
    Inventors: Shinichi Urabe, Toshihisa Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9548611
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for generating an injected current of a fuel cell stack performed in an apparatus for generating an injected current of a fuel cell stack, the method including: extracting a first frequency current and a second frequency current by passing alternating currents of different frequencies through a plurality of filters, respectively; generating a summed frequency current by summing the first frequency current and the second frequency current; and applying the summed frequency current to the fuel cell stack. Therefore, it is possible to operate the fuel cell stack by applying the summed current obtained by summing the alternating current for calculating the total harmonic distortion (THD) and the alternating current for calculating the impedance to the fuel cell stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Autron Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun-Seok Park, Sung-Mog Yu, Jin-Ho Cho
  • Patent number: 9520725
    Abstract: A wireless power transfer system includes a power receiving device that receives transmission by wireless power transfer, a transmission device that has a transmission element that transmits transmission power to the power receiving device, the transmission device having a control mechanism that controls an oriented direction of the transmission element, and a positioning device that is connected communicably with the transmission device, the positioning device receiving with a plurality of antennas arranged adjacent to each other a positioning signal that is a wireless signal transmitted from the power receiving device, the positioning device having a positioning function that calculates a direction ? in which the power receiving device exists when seen from the positioning device itself and a position of the power receiving device, based on a phase difference between the received positioning signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: THE CHUGOKU ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC.
    Inventors: Shinya Masaoka, Katsuhiko Mito, Akira Hirano, Norihiro Okubo, Masaki Naito, Yasunori Takeuchi