Patents Examined by Thai H Tran
  • Patent number: 11031905
    Abstract: Intelligent safety disconnect switching methods and arrangements for PhotoVoltaic (PV) panels are disclosed. A switching device that is connected between a PV panel and a PV panel string detects a low current condition or an arc fault condition in the PV panel string. The switching device is automatically controlled to disconnect the PV panel from the PV panel string responsive to detection of the low current condition or the arc fault condition. Switching device control could also be responsive to a disconnect command. For example, such a command could be generated by a grid sensor responsive to determining that an inverter, to which the PV panel string is connected, is not connected to an electrical grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Inventors: Raymond Kenneth Orr, Antoine Marc Joseph Richard Paquin, Edward Keyes
  • Patent number: 11031178
    Abstract: A primary-sided arrangement of primary winding structures of a system, wherein the primary-sided arrangement includes at least three phase lines and at least one winding structure per phase line, wherein each winding structure includes at least one subwinding structure, wherein the winding structures extend along an axis of the primary-sided arrangement, wherein a pitch between corresponding subwinding structures of a first and second winding structures is chosen from an interval of a length of one subwinding structure, wherein a pitch between corresponding subwinding structures of the first winding structure and the third winding structure is smaller than the pitch between corresponding subwinding structures of the first and second winding structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Bombardier Primove GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Wirth, Robert Czainski, Rudolf Lindt
  • Patent number: 11025063
    Abstract: In a method for operating an electrical energy storage system, which is connected to an electrical energy supply grid for providing a setpoint power and contains a plurality of storage units, which are electrically connected at a point of common coupling PCC and among which the setpoint power is distributed, the total efficiency of the energy storage system is matched to the setpoint power by adjusting individual power components to be provided by the storage units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Aggreko Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Clemens Triebel, Carsten Reincke-Collon, Udo Berninger, Tim Tröndle
  • Patent number: 11025079
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device with an electric load and a replaceable electric energy store. The energy store has at least one first storage unit with a first initial energy quantity and at least one second storage unit with a second initial energy quantity, wherein an electronic circuit is designed to actuate the first storage unit or the second storage unit according to an algorithm. By actuating the first storage unit or the second source unit, the energy supply of the device is ensured by the respective storage unit, and by actuating the first storage unit or the second storage unit, it is ensured that when a remaining energy quantity or an applied energy quantity of one storage unit is low, the respective other storage unit has a remaining energy quantity of at least 10% of a total energy quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Antoine Simon, Markus Rüfenacht, Ronald Wicki
  • Patent number: 11013139
    Abstract: Power supply for a networking device may be provided. The networking device may comprise a first plurality of switch bars each comprising a first switch type arranged parallel to one another and a second plurality of switch bars each comprising a second switch type arranged parallel to one another. The first plurality of switch bars and the second plurality of switch bars may be arranged orthogonally. A first plurality of power supplies may be fed by a first source. A second plurality of power supplies may be fed by a second source. Respective ones of a first portion of the first plurality of power supplies feed first respective pairs of the first plurality of switch bars and respective ones of a first portion of the second plurality of power supplies feed second respective pairs of the first plurality of switch bars. The first respective pairs of the first plurality of switch bars may be different from the second respective pairs of the first plurality of switch bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Charles Calvin Byers
  • Patent number: 10985677
    Abstract: An electrically-powered device, structure and/or component is provided that includes an attached autonomous electrical power source in a form of a unique, environmentally-friendly structure that is configured to transform thermal energy at any temperature above absolute zero to an electric potential without any external stimulus including physical movement or deformation energy. The autonomous electrical power source component provides a mechanism for generating renewable energy, or a renewable energy supplement, as primary or auxiliary power for the electrically-powered device, structure and/or component. The autonomous electrical power source component is formed of one or more elements, each of which includes a first conductor having a surface with a comparatively low work function, a second conductor having a surface with the comparatively high work function and a dielectric layer on a scale of 200 nm or less interposed between the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Face International Corporation
    Inventors: Clark D Boyd, Bradbury R Face, Jeffrey D Shepard
  • Patent number: 10958096
    Abstract: A power supply system including: a first battery connected to a first load; a second battery; a DC-DC converter connecting the first battery and the second battery; and a connection switching unit including a first switch configured to connect the first battery to a second load and a second switch configured to connect the second battery to the second load. The connection switching unit is configured to switch selectively to a first mode in which the first switch is closed and the second switch is opened and a second mode in which the first switch is opened and the second switch is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Minoru Hida, Akihiro Ozeki, Kohei Nishi
  • Patent number: 10944290
    Abstract: A transmitter coil inductively couples to a receiver coil contained in a contact lens. In one approach, the transmitter coil is contained in a headgear, for example a head band. When the user wears the headgear, the transmitter coil is positioned on a side of the user's head and between the user's ear and the user's eye opening. In one implementation, a head band loops from one ear behind the user's head to the other ear, and also extends slightly forward of each ear. The transmitter coil(s) may be located in the portion of the headband that extends forward of each ear. This places the transmitter coil close to the receiver coil, typically within 40-50 mm of the user's eye opening, while still maintaining an unobtrusive aesthetic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Tectus Corporation
    Inventors: Ramin Mirjalili, Hawk Yin Pang, Richard Gioscia, Michael West Wiemer
  • Patent number: 10938322
    Abstract: A system comprises a first inverter switch and a second inverter switch connected in series between a positive dc bus and a negative dc bus, a freewheeling apparatus connected between a common node of the first inverter switch and the second inverter switch, and ground, a first soft switching network coupled between the positive dc bus and the common node of the first inverter switch and the second inverter switch, wherein the first soft switching network is configured such that the first inverter switch is of a first zero voltage transition and a second soft switching network coupled between the negative dc bus and the common node of the first inverter switch and the second inverter switch, wherein the second soft switching network is configured such that the second inverter switch is of a second zero voltage transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Dianbo Fu
  • Patent number: 10931151
    Abstract: Provided are a combination antenna module and a portable electronic device including the same. There is provided a combo antenna module that includes an antenna unit including and a switching unit. The antenna unit includes a circuit board, a first wireless power transmission antenna, and a second wireless power transmission antenna of which manner is different from that of the first wireless power transmission antenna. The switching unit includes a first capacitor and a second capacitor connected in parallel to the second wireless power transmission antenna, and a switch, disposed between the first capacitor and the second capacitor, to be opened or closed based on an operation mode of the antenna unit. The second antenna and the second capacitor form a closed loop which is coupled with the first antenna when the switch is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Amotech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyung-Il Baek, Jin Won Noh, Jae-Il Park
  • Patent number: 10931134
    Abstract: A charging/discharging control apparatus includes a motor, an electric drive circuit, a source voltage sampling circuit, a charging/discharging current sampling circuit, and a control chip, where the control chip is configured to send a first pulse width modulation (PWM) drive signal to the electric drive circuit, and the first PWM drive signal instructing the electric drive circuit to store electric energy of an external power supply in an inductor of the motor and charge a battery using the electric energy stored in the inductor of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jie Tang, Lizhou Yang, Jie Yi
  • Patent number: 10928844
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a device body and a power supply module. The power supply module is coupled to the device body to supply power to the device body. The power supply module includes a plurality of power control circuits. An input end of each of the plurality of power control circuits is configured to receive a power input from a corresponding one of a plurality of power supply apparatuses. An output end of each of the plurality of power control circuits is coupled to the device body. Each of the plurality of power control circuits generates a corresponding power output according to the received power input to jointly supply power in a parallel manner to the device body. Each of the plurality of power control circuits limits, according to corresponding current limit information, a current captured from the corresponding power supply apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: PEGATRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsung-Ta Chuang, Shou-Lung Hung, Chih-Kun Kuo
  • Patent number: 10931190
    Abstract: Systems and methods of the present disclosure involve passive, hybrid, and active filtering configurations to mitigate current harmonics for various electrical loads. One hybrid filtering configuration is medium voltage (MV) active filtering using a DC-DC converter and a multi-level inverter, and low voltage (LV) passive filtering. Another hybrid filtering configuration is MV passive filtering and LV active filtering using a two-level inverter. An active filtering configuration includes both MV and LV active filtering. The present disclosure also features power distribution unit (PDU) transformers electrically coupled to respective power supplies on the LV side of an electrical system. Each PDU transformer includes primary coils in a delta configuration and secondary coils in a wye configuration. The secondary coils are in series with respective leakage inductance coils. The secondary coils and the leakage inductance coils are integrated together into a single unit or module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: INERTECH IP LLC
    Inventor: Subrata K. Mondal
  • Patent number: 10915125
    Abstract: A power transmission circuit includes a first transmission transistor, a second transmission transistor, and a first control circuit. A first terminal of the first transmission transistor is used as a power input terminal of the power transmission circuit. A second terminal of the first transmission transistor is coupled to a first node. A control terminal of the first transmission transistor is coupled to a control node. A first terminal of the second transmission transistor is used as a power output terminal of the power transmission circuit. A second terminal of the second transmission transistor is coupled to the first node. When a voltage of the power output terminal is greater than or equal to a voltage of the power input terminal, the first control circuit outputs a first voltage to the control node, to turn off the first transmission transistor and the second transmission transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: PEGATRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Feng-Yu Lin, Hsiao-Wei Sung
  • Patent number: 10897154
    Abstract: An inductive wireless power transmitter is presented for transmitting an inductive wireless power signal to at least two inductive wireless power receivers. The power transmitter coordinates communication with the power receivers in time slots. It allocates a measurement time slot for synchronised power measurement by the power transmitter and the power receivers. During the measurement time slot the power transmitter measures the amount of power it transmits. After the end of the measurement time slot it receives from the power receivers the measured amounts of power received. From the measured power transmitted and power received, it determines an amount of power lost. If the amount of power lost exceeds a threshold value, it reduces the power of the inductive wireless power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Andries Van Wageningen, Antonius Adriaan Maria Staring
  • Patent number: 10892653
    Abstract: A system and method for simultaneous recharging of multiple electronic devices a large area surface includes a placement surface the electronic devices and an interior area beneath the placement surface. Multiple mobile recharging assemblies are disposed in the interior area, each one including having wheels and sensors. A charging device is situated atop each mobile recharging assembly. An obstacle sensor detects obstacles and a controller is operable to signal the motion assembly to avoid obstacles. A charge sensor detects a battery on the placement surface in need of a charge. When a battery in need of a charge is detected, the charging device (coil) is energized to recharge the located battery. Once the charge sensor is indicative of having located a respective electronic device in need of a charge, a control system energizes a next mobile charging assembly to move and find a battery in need of a charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Inventor: Eric Rolfe
  • Patent number: 10873215
    Abstract: An apparatus for wireless power transfer is described. In some implementations, the apparatus includes a resonant circuit configured to receive a radio frequency input and generate an in-phase voltage and an out-of-phase voltage. The apparatus further includes a pulse generation circuit configured to at least gate the in-phase voltage to provide a first output voltage, and gate the out-of-phase voltage to provide a second output voltage. The apparatus further includes a pulse width modulation circuit configured to provide, to the pulse generating circuit, information for controlling the pulse width modulation setting. The apparatus further includes a pulse frequency modulation circuit configured to provide, to the pulse generating circuit, information for controlling the pulse frequency modulation setting, the information for controlling the pulse frequency modulation setting determined based on the pulse width modulation setting. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Chul Kim, Gert Cauwenberghs, Patrick P. Mercier, Sohmyung Ha, Jiwoong Park, Abraham Akinin
  • Patent number: 10873224
    Abstract: The present invention provides a wireless power supply system in which a remote device is provided with different control methodologies depending on one or more factors. One type of wireless power supply can selectively control one or more remote devices according to a first control methodology and another type of wireless power supply can control the remote device according to a second control methodology. In one embodiment, a wireless power supply system is provided for wirelessly powering a display circuit in a product located at a point of display differently than when charging at a point of use, or when the device is in use. In another embodiment, a wireless power supply is programmed to operate a remote device according to a primary control methodology and the remote device is programmed to operate the remote device according to a secondary control methodology where the remote device includes circuitry for enabling the primary control methodology instead of the secondary control methodology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Philips I.P. Ventures
    Inventors: Richard J. Weber, Joseph C. Van Den Brink, Kaitlyn J. Turner, Benjamin C. Moes, Neil W. Kuyvenhoven, Sean T. Eurich, David W. Baarman, Scott J. Anderson, Scott A. Tiedemann, Carolyn E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10862324
    Abstract: A reverse current protection circuit includes a MOSFET and an on/off controller. When the on/off controller applies an on-state control voltage to a gate of the MOSFET, a main power supply input through a main power supply line is output to a common connection node via the MOSFET; and when an off-state control voltage is applied to the gate of the MOSFET, the electrical connection between the main power supply line and the common connection node is interrupted to prevent a reverse current. A diode is connected to enable a forward current flowing from a sub power supply line to the common connection node and the reverse current is prevented. The voltage drop of the main power supply, when the on-off controller applies the on-state control to the gate of the MOSFET, is lower than the voltage drop of the sub power supply through the diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Teruhiro Tsujioka
  • Patent number: 10855115
    Abstract: A method and device for wireless power transfer provide the ability for concurrent power transfer on two widely separated bands. A wireless power transmitting device includes two coils respectively configured for transmission at two separate wireless power transmission frequencies. A dedicated current or voltage driver is provided for each of said two coils. A controller causes the current or voltage drivers to selectively or concurrently generate an AC magnetic field at either of the frequencies or both frequencies. A method includes concurrently driving two coils arranged with respect to each other to reduce losses at two separate wireless power transmission frequencies while suppressing eddy currents in the path of one of the two coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Patrick Mercier, Dukju Ahn