Patents Examined by Terrence R. Willoughby
  • Patent number: 12065956
    Abstract: A method for operating an exhaust system of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine upstream of the exhaust system and having an energy network is provided. The method includes operating the energy network in an operating situation with a voltage at a starting position, wherein a heating element is associated with the exhaust system, the heating element being connected to the energy network via a switching element, wherein the heating element in a first switching state of the switching element, when the switching element is switched on, is connected to the energy network in an electrically conductive manner, and in a second switching state of the switching element, when the switching element is switched off, is electrically separated from the energy network, and changing the voltage from the starting position to a switchover position when switching the switching element between the first and second switching states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Christian Glück
  • Patent number: 12051937
    Abstract: A method of controlling a wireless power transfer system comprising a primary stage and a secondary stage is provided. The primary stage comprises a DC/DC converter configured to generate a DC output, a DC/AC inverter configured to receive the DC output and to generate an AC output according to a variable switching frequency, and a primary coil configured to transfer power to the secondary stage in response to the DC/AC inverter generating the AC output. The switching frequency of the DC/AC inverter is adjusted to cause a phase angle between an input current and an input voltage of the primary coil to be less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. The DC output of the DC/DC converter is controlled to cause a desired amount of power to be transferred from the primary coil at the adjusted switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: EnerSys Delaware Inc.
    Inventors: Damien Brelivet, Maxime Roudaut, Patrick Dehem, Paul Antoine Gori, David Letombe
  • Patent number: 12052331
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load may include a controllably conductive device. The apparatus may also include a first wireless communication circuit that may be operable to communicate on a first wireless communication network via a first protocol and the first communication circuit may be in communication with the controller. The apparatus may also include a second communication circuit that may be operable to communicate on a second communication network via a second protocol. The controller may be further operable to control the first wireless communication circuit to communicate configuration data with the first wireless communication network via the first protocol. The controller may also be operable to control the second wireless communication circuit to communicate operational data with the second communication network via the second protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Robert C. Newman, Jr., Lawrence R. Carmen, Jr., John H. Bull
  • Patent number: 12043124
    Abstract: A vehicle power system includes at least one main switch to electrically connect a traction battery and electric machine, at least one DC charge switch to electrically connect the traction battery and a DC charge port when the at least one main switch is closed, and a controller to, while the DC charge port is disconnected from a DC power source, sequentially close the at least one DC charge switch and then the at least one main switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Graham Lynn Briggs, Yuan Zhang, Jonathan Andrew Butcher, Wai Hwa Fong
  • Patent number: 12043191
    Abstract: A vehicle starting power supply is provided, which includes a control module; a charging and discharging circuit, an input of which is connected with an output of the control module, the charging and discharging circuit being configured for charging and discharging a lithium battery; a battery voltage detection circuit, an input of which is connected with an automobile battery, an output of the battery voltage detection circuit being connected with an input of the control module; a battery reverse connection detection circuit, an input of which is connected with the automobile battery, an output of the battery reverse connection detection circuit being connected with the input of the control module; an alarm response circuit, an input of which is connected with the output of the control module; and a relay driving circuit being configured for connecting or disconnecting a discharge circuit between the lithium battery and the automobile battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Zhejiang Safemate Automotive Safety & Emergency Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhonghua Wu, Naixing Wang
  • Patent number: 12040626
    Abstract: A wireless power transmitting device according to an embodiment may include a power transmission circuit and a processor. The processor may be configured to control the power transmission circuit to wirelessly transmit power to a first area around the wireless power transmitting device, perform a predetermined first operation when an obstacle is detected in a second area around the first area, and perform a predetermined second operation when it is detected that the obstacle has entered the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-Seok Park, Young-Ho Ryu, Chang-hyun Kim, Myung-ho Kim, Woong-Il Choi
  • Patent number: 12027871
    Abstract: An electric power supply system for an aircraft includes: a first electric source and a second electric source coupled together to supply electric power to a set of electrical loads, and a controller configured to acquire a piece of information on the current electric consumption consumed by the set of electrical loads; acquire a piece of information corresponding to a target ratio of the distribution, between the first and second electric sources, of the current electric consumption consumed by the set of electrical loads; perform frequency filtering of the current electric consumption to determine a transient consumption portion of the current electric consumption; determine control setpoints for the first electric source and for the second electric source in accordance with the target distribution ratio and with the transient consumption portion; and apply the control setpoints to the first and second electric sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Matthieu Bradier, Ludovic Lam Shang Leen
  • Patent number: 12027908
    Abstract: A system in a vehicle includes a first set of one or more windings and a second set of one or more windings electrically isolated from the first set of one or more windings. The system also includes a first inverter coupled to a battery of the vehicle and the first set of one or more windings and a second inverter electrically separated from the first inverter and coupled to the second set of one or more windings. A universal charger includes an alternative current (AC) charging port and a direct current (DC) charging port. A switch is controlled to close to connect the second inverter to the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Lei Hao, Suresh Gopalakrishnan, Chandra S. Namuduri, Dongxu Li
  • Patent number: 12027870
    Abstract: Systems and methods for power and data distribution on an aircraft. One embodiment provides an aircraft comprising a plurality of nodes, a power system controller, and an aircraft controller. Each node is connected to a plurality of LRUs, and each node includes a node controller. The power system controller is configured to control power distribution to each node. The aircraft controller is configured to transmit data to each node and to receive data from each node. The node controller includes an electronic processor and a memory. The node controller is configured to control power to the plurality of LRUs, receive first data from at least one LRU of the plurality of LRUs, and provide the first data to the aircraft controller. The node controller is further configured to receive second data from the aircraft controller and provide the second data to at least one LRU of the plurality of LRUs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Robert F. Longley, John Chellgren, Christopher Patrick Sullivan
  • Patent number: 12017543
    Abstract: In an in-motion power supply system with a plurality of power supply segments to supply power to a vehicle, a vehicle position detection unit detects a position of the vehicle relative to each segment. An electrical characteristic acquisition unit acquires electrical characteristics in the segment involved in power transfer, and an abnormality determination unit uses the electrical characteristics to determine whether there is an abnormality in the segment involved in power transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Kanesaki, Mitsuru Shibanuma, Hayato Sumiya, Takuya Kiguchi, Eisuke Takahashi, Shinpei Takita, Masaya Takahashi, Kazuhiro Uda, Yuusei Nakayashiki, Kazuyoshi Obayashi, Nobuhisa Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11984737
    Abstract: A wireless charging system having a power transmitter may wirelessly transfer power to a power receiver. Shield saturation, such as saturation of a ferrite structure, in the wireless power receiver may occur under some operating conditions. Saturation can lead to disruptive oscillations in power transfer. The power transmitting may include control circuitry for detecting and mitigating saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Adam L. Schwartz, Alireza Safaee, Stephen C. Terry, Zhiyuan Hu
  • Patent number: 11967836
    Abstract: Metal object detection may be performed in a wireless power system by monitoring the 5th or other order harmonic current of a dual-frequency power transmitter driven by a voltage-fed inverter with square-wave output. While power transfer is maintained by tuning at the fundamental frequency, the transmitter circuit is tuned simultaneously at the 5th order frequency or other harmonic frequencies to increase or decrease the flow of the harmonic current for when a metal object is present. The receiver circuit may include a notch filter to filter out the 5th order frequency. With the dual-frequency tuning configuration, the presence of a metal object causes a significant drop of the increase in the harmonic current at the transmitter side while the receiver behaves as an open circuit with no effect on power transfer. The harmonic tuning circuit may be switched off as necessary to leave only the fundamental frequency for power transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aiguo Patrick Hu, Bo Long, Qi Zhu, Wynand Malan, Patrin Illenberger, Andrew R Connell
  • Patent number: 11967860
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums include detecting and eliminating a three-phase without neutral short-circuit in a load supplied by a power converter. After detecting the short circuit, the current at an output conductor for one of the three-phases is stopped and then resumed after a sufficient amount of current causes a downstream protection device of the faulty load to trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daniel Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 11958421
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first electrical component, a second electrical component, and a brake line. At least part of an electrical connection between the first electrical component and the second electrical component is defined by the brake line. The electrical connection may be a secondary electrical connection for rerouting an electrical path. The brake line may include first and second tubular conductive structures for defining first and second electrical connections. A repeater may be used to retransmit a data signal along the brake line. A nonconductive layer may be disposed on a tubular conductive structure of the brake line. A controller may switch operation of the brake line between an electrical power transmission mode and a data signal transmission mode. A controller may be operable determine a connected state or a disconnected state of the brake using the electrical connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Mario Tippelhofer
  • Patent number: 11945318
    Abstract: The power supply apparatus includes a power transmission apparatus configured to transmit power to a power reception apparatus of the vehicle by non-contact and a processor configured to control the power transmission apparatus, detect a pickup/dropoff operation at the vehicle when power is being supplied by non-contact from the power supply apparatus to the vehicle, and detect a number of surrounding vehicles being supplied with power by non-contact in a predetermined range at surroundings of the power supply apparatus. The processor is configured to decrease power transmitted from the power transmission apparatus to the power reception apparatus when detecting a pickup/dropoff operation, and determine an amount of decrease of the transmitted power based on the number of surrounding vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daiki Yokoyama, Toshiya Hashimoto, Shuntaro Okazaki, Shogo Tsuge, Kazuhisa Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11942792
    Abstract: A method for operating a wireless charging transmitter includes switching, by the wireless charging transmitter, an operating mode of a full bridge inverter of the wireless charging transmitter from a first mode to a second mode; and changing, by the wireless charging transmitter, an operating point of the wireless charging transmitter from a first operating point associated with the first mode to a second operating point associated with the second mode, the second operating point being selected to dampen a change in a rectifier voltage of a wireless charging receiver inductively coupled to the wireless charging transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific PTE Ltd.
    Inventors: Wenhe Zhao, Robin Tanzania
  • Patent number: 11919407
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for detecting foreign objects. In one aspect an apparatus for detecting a presence of an object is provided. The apparatus includes a resonant circuit having a resonant frequency. The resonant circuit includes a sense circuit including an electrically conductive structure. The apparatus further includes a coupling circuit coupled to the sense circuit. The apparatus further includes a detection circuit coupled to the sense circuit via the coupling circuit. The detection circuit is configured to detect the presence of the object in response to detecting a difference between a measured characteristic that depends on a frequency at which the resonant circuit is resonating and a corresponding characteristic that depends on the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. The coupling circuit is configured to reduce a variation of the resonant frequency by the detection circuit in the absence of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
    Inventors: Hanspeter Widmer, Markus Bittner, Lukas Sieber, Marcel Fischer
  • Patent number: 11897359
    Abstract: An electric power system includes a vehicle, a vehicle management server, an AC charging stand, a DC charging stand, and a charging stand management server. During AC charging and AC discharging, the AC charging stand is connected to the vehicle. An amount of charging power during AC charging and an amount of discharging power during AC discharging are calculated by the vehicle. The vehicle measures electric power before power conversion by an on-board charger, and calculates an amount of charging power and an amount of discharging power. An amount of charging power during DC charging and an amount of discharging power during DC discharging are calculated by the DC charging stand. The DC charging stand measures electric power before power conversion by a charger, and calculates an amount of charging power and an amount of discharging power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeki Kinomura
  • Patent number: 11891001
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply system, being mounted on a vehicle, includes: a main power supply system including a main low-voltage power supply and a normal load; and a backup power supply system including a backup low-voltage power supply and an emergency important load and connected to the main power supply system. A backup power supply control device of the backup power supply system is configured to execute a backup low-voltage power supply state estimation processing, and output a signal indicating that the backup low-voltage power supply is in a state allowing supplying electric power for operating the emergency important load based on an estimation result of the backup low-voltage power supply state estimation processing, in a case in which the state of the vehicle does not satisfy a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Toyooka, Yuhei Matsuo, Hayahito Ukai, Yasuhiro Ikeda, Hironori Deno
  • Patent number: 11870250
    Abstract: Various implementations described herein are directed to methods for connecting power devices prior to deployment in a photovoltaic installation, for cost savings and easy deployment. Some embodiments disclosed herein include manufacturing a chain of power devices already coupled by conductors, and providing a mechanical assembly for convenient storage and deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Ilan Yoscovich, Tzachi Glovinsky, Ofir Bieber