Patents Examined by Tae-Sik Kang
  • Patent number: 12044065
    Abstract: A window system includes a window frame; a transparent window pane; an energy harvesting device coupled to the window frame or the transparent window frame; an output device that uses or transmits electricity; and a battery housed in the window frame, the battery being in electrical communication with the energy harvesting device and the output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Newtonoid Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Fielding B. Staton, David Strumpf
  • Patent number: 12041797
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element including a substrate, and a photoelectric conversion layer disposed on or above the substrate, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer includes an organic material (A) represented by General Formula (1), an electron-donating material (B) having a repeating unit structure and having an energy level of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) being 5.0 eV or greater, and an electron-accepting material (C), wherein a mass ratio (A+B):C is from 1.0:1.0 through 3.0:1.0, where, in General Formula (1), R1 is each independently an alkyl group having from 2 through 8 carbon atoms; n is each independently an integer of from 1 through 2; X1 and X2 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; and A is represented by General Formula (2), General Formula (3), or General Formula (4) and R2 to R4 are each independently an alkyl group having from 8 through 22 carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryota Arai
  • Patent number: 12034402
    Abstract: One embodiment can provide a photovoltaic roof tile module. The photovoltaic roof tile module can include a front cover, a back cover assembly, photovoltaic structures positioned between the front cover and back cover assembly, and an internal circuit component electrically coupled to the photovoltaic structures. The internal circuit component is positioned between the front cover and the back cover assembly. The back cover assembly can include at least one through hole and a metallic plug inserted inside the through hole. A first surface of the metallic plug can electrically couple to the internal circuit component, and a second opposite surface of the metallic plug can be exposed to surroundings external to the photovoltaic roof tile module, thereby facilitating electrical coupling between the photovoltaic roof tile module and another photovoltaic roof tile module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Tesla, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter P. Nguyen, Kaleb A. Klauber
  • Patent number: 12029123
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes an optical component and a thermal control mechanism adjacent to the optical component and configured to control a temperature of the optical component. The thermal control mechanism includes a conductive structure, a first thermoelectric member and a second thermoelectric member opposite to the first thermoelectric member. The first thermoelectric member and the second thermoelectric member are electrically connected to the conductive structure. The first thermoelectric member and the second thermoelectric member have opposite conductive types. The semiconductor structure further includes a first dielectric layer surrounding the optical component and a portion of the thermal control mechanism, wherein the conductive structure is over the first dielectric layer, and the first thermoelectric member and the second thermoelectric member are surrounded by the first dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Hao Chen, Hui Yu Lee, Jui-Feng Kuan
  • Patent number: 12021478
    Abstract: There is provided a hybrid system for electricity and water generation, that includes a thermoelectric generator (TEG) layer for converting heat to electricity, an absorber layer arranged on one side of the TEG layer for converting solar energy to heat, a cooling structure arranged on the other side of the TEG layer for dissipating a waste heat from the TEG layer, and an evaporator configured to form an interfacial cooling region with the cooling structure for water generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Jian Lu, Zhengyi Mao, Qiliang Wang, Yao Yao, Zhaowenbo Cao
  • Patent number: 12000940
    Abstract: A management server in communication with one or more object tracking devices is disclosed. The management server may receive location information, configuration information, and orientation information associated with the one or more object tracking devices. Based at least in part on the location information, the management server may receive weather information associated with the locations of the one or more object tracking devices. Based at least in part on the location information, the weather information, the configuration information, and the orientation information, the management server can determine power generated and power consumed by the one or more object tracking devices, which then can be used to determine estimated operation time for the one or more object tracking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Samsara Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Russell Coates Lloyd, Neel Sheth, Gautam Ravi Ramaswamy, James Michael Rowson
  • Patent number: 12004425
    Abstract: A method and system for employing thermoelectric generators for capturing otherwise lost thermal energy associated with operation of an electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: ZEVX Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L Lewis, Damon Kuhn, Charles Maury, Sean Loehr, James Maury
  • Patent number: 12004424
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of fabricating a thermoelectric device. The method includes disposing a metal layer on a dielectric layer to form a sub-assembly, forming patterned circuits on the metal layer, forming blind vias in the dielectric layer, fabricating first thermoelectric elements in a first series of blind vias, and fabricating second thermoelectric elements in a second series of blind vias to form thermoelectric units with the first thermoelectric elements and the patterned circuits. The sub-assembly is configured to be joined to an adjacent sub-assembly along a first direction, and the first and second thermoelectric elements of each thermoelectric unit are aligned in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The present disclosure further relates to a thermoelectric device which includes a plurality of thermoelectric units forming a strip extending in a first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Ravi Palaniswamy, Antonny Flor, Sheldon B. Ruiz, Milind B. Sabade
  • Patent number: 11996494
    Abstract: A preparation method of a low-cost passivated contact full-back electrode solar cell includes: performing alkali polishing on a Si wafer; performing RCA cleaning and HF cleaning; growing a tunnel SiOx film layer, an in-situ doped amorphous Si film layer, and a texturing mask layer on the back of the Si wafer; performing annealing activation on the amorphous Si film layer to form a polycrystalline Si film layer; etching the texturing mask layer; performing double-sided texturing on the Si wafer; performing HF cleaning to remove the texturing mask layer; depositing an AlOx film on the front and back of the Si wafer; depositing a SiNx passivation film on the front and back of the Si wafer; ablating a part of the AlOx film and a part of the SiNx passivation film on the back of the Si wafer; and performing screen-printing and sintering on the back of the Si wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: JIANGSU RUNERGY CENTURY PHOTOVOLTAIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yang Yang, Rulong Chen, Yanbin Zhu, Haibo Li, Zhuojian Yang, Longzhong Tao
  • Patent number: 11987737
    Abstract: A metamaterial shell architected on a core particle (comprising organic or inorganic material) so as to form a novel class of structurally hierarchical particle that has degrees of freedom in design parameters stemming from effective optical response of the metamaterial shell and from the electromagnetic modes in the core to elicit optical behaviours that are not easily achievable and designable in particles having simpler or smoother geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignees: California Institute of Technology, The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Alireza Marandi, Joon Hwan Bang, Saman Jahani, Nicholas Kotov, Douglas G. Montjoy
  • Patent number: 11964995
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a composition that includes a perovskite having a stoichiometry comprising A1-xFAxSn1-yBy(I1-zXz)3, where A is a first cation, B is a second cation, X is a halide, and 0.5?x?0.9, 0.5?y?0.9, and 0?z?1. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, A may include at least one of cesium, guanidinium, and/or methylammonium. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, X may include at least one of bromide and/or chloride. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, z may be equal to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, Brown University
    Inventors: Kai Zhu, Jinhui Tong, Yuanyuan Zhou, Nitin P. Padture, Jue Gong
  • Patent number: 11963447
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing a thermoelectric thick film. The method includes: determining a brittle-to-ductile transition temperature of a thermoelectric material; rolling the blocky thermoelectric material within a temperature range above the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature and below a melting point; parameters of the rolling being as follows: a linear speed of rollers is 0.01 mm/s to 10 mm/s, preferably 0.1 mm/s to 5 mm/s, and an amount of pressing each time of the rollers is controlled at 0.0005 mm to 0.1 mm, preferably 0.001 mm to 0.05 mm; repeating the rolling until a thermoelectric thick film with a specified thickness is obtained; and annealing the obtained thermoelectric thick film; a temperature of the annealing being 100° C. to 800° C., preferably 300° C. to 500° C., and a duration of the annealing being 10 to 500 hours, preferably 100 to 300 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF CERAMICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Xun Shi, Pengfei Qiu, Zhiqiang Gao, Lidong Chen, Shiqi Yang, Qingyu Yang
  • Patent number: 11963448
    Abstract: When a size is increased for mass production, an area of a pressurized surface is increased. This raised a problem in that insufficient load or the like causes a pressure during pressure sintering and a relative density of a thermoelectric conversion element to be likely to become insufficient. As a solution, there is provided a method for producing a thermoelectric conversion element, including: a step of mixing a skutterudite-type thermoelectric conversion material powder containing Sb and a sintering agent containing a compound including Mn and Sb, to obtain a mixture; and a step of sintering the mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Proterial, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michiko Matsuda, Takeshi Shimada
  • Patent number: 11962155
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a photovoltaic power generation system, relating to the technical field of new energy resources, including at least two photovoltaic power generation devices; each photovoltaic power generation device includes: a photovoltaic panel unit, which is configured to generate light-sensitive electrical energy based on photovoltaic effect; an energy storage unit, which is connected to an output end of the photovoltaic panel unit, and is configured to store the light-sensitive electrical energy; an input unit, of which one end is connected to the energy storage unit, and the other end is connected to the output end of the photovoltaic panel unit of the other photovoltaic power generation device; and an output unit, of which one end is connected to the output end of the photovoltaic panel unit, and the other end is connected to the energy storage unit of the other photovoltaic power generation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: HANGZHOU BINARY OPTOELECTRONICS & TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gaole Zhang, Zhixuan Zhang
  • Patent number: 11957055
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion element includes a P-type thermoelectric conversion layer, a first metal layer, a second metal layer, a first joining layer, and a second joining layer. The P-type thermoelectric conversion layer includes a thermoelectric conversion material containing Mg and at least one selected from the group consisting of Sb and Bi. The first metal layer and the second metal layer each include Cu or a Cu alloy. The first joining layer and the second joining layer each include Al or an Al alloy containing Mg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kawabe, Yuriko Kaneko, Tsutomu Kanno, Hiromasa Tamaki
  • Patent number: 11957056
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion unit includes a pair of low-temperature fluid flow path sections arranged to face each other, a high-temperature fluid flow path section arranged between the pair of low-temperature fluid flow path sections, a pair of thermoelectric modules each arranged between the high-temperature fluid flow path section and one of the pair of low-temperature fluid flow path sections in a one-to-one relation, and a rod-shaped convex fin and concave fin both arranged in the high-temperature fluid flow path section. The concave fin includes a recess fitted to the convex fin. An outer peripheral surface of the convex fin and an inner peripheral surface of the recess of the concave fin are in contact with each other, and a gap is formed between a tip of the convex fin and a bottom of the recess of the concave fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiromasa Tamaki
  • Patent number: 11949027
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a solar module, including solar cells and electrode lines. Each of the solar cells includes a solar cell substrate and a plurality of busbars located on one side of the solar cell substrate. Each of the electrode lines has one end connected to the busbar on a front surface of one solar cell, and the other end connected to the busbar on a rear surface of another solar cell adjacent to the one cell sheet. First electrode pads are provided at each busbar, a number of the first electrode pads ranges from 6 to 12. A relation between a diameter of the electrode line and a number of busbars is 2.987x?1.144?1.9<y<3.2742x?1.134+1.7, where x denotes the diameter of the electrode line, and y denotes the number of busbars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignees: ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD., TINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhiqiu Guo, Guohui Hao, Shiliang Huang, Ningbo Zhang, Hengshuo Zhang
  • Patent number: 11950436
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device that includes an irregular network of interconnected ridges in physical contact with a planar substrate and a perovskite layer, where the planar substrate include a support layer and a first charge selective contact layer, the first charge selective contact layer is positioned between the support layer and the interconnected ridges, each ridge includes a second charge selective contact layer and an insulating layer, the insulating layer is positioned between the first charge selective contact layer and the second charge selective contact layer, and the perovskite layer substantially covers the plurality of interconnected ridges and the underlying planar substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Lance Michael Wheeler, Kevin Joseph Prince, Colin Andrew Wolden, Mirzojamshed M. Mirzokarimov, Christopher Paul Muzzillo
  • Patent number: 11942575
    Abstract: The embodiment provides a transparent electrode having low resistance and high stability against impurities such as halogen and sulfur, a method of producing the transparent electrode, and an electronic device using the transparent electrode. A transparent electrode according to an embodiment includes a transparent substrate and a plurality of conductive regions disposed on a surface of the transparent substrate and separated from each other by a separation region, wherein the conductive region has a structure in which a first transparent conductive metal oxide layer, a metal layer, and a second transparent conductive metal oxide layer are laminated in this order from the substrate side, and in the separation region, there is disposed a trapping material. This transparent electrode can be produced by scribing the conductive region to form a separation region, and then using a halide or a sulfur compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ENERGY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Naito, Naomi Shida, Yutaka Saita
  • Patent number: 11929705
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing and controlling solar panel arrays are provided. The solar panel array may include one or more articulating joints that may provide variability in the arrangement of solar panels, which may allow the solar panel array to be distributed over varying types of underlying surfaces. The articulating joints may allow orientations of solar panels to be different relative to one another. The articulating joints may convey rotational force across the joints, so that a rotational force used to drive a first solar panel may also be conveyed across the joint and used to drive a second solar panel. The controls system may include row-specific semi-autonomous, or autonomous, controllers as well as controllers to interface with multiple rows. The controllers may include sensors to measure system power generation and basic operations aspects of the solar field to directly measure, or infer, module shading within the solar field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Nevados Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Yezin Taha, Norman Xiao