Patents Examined by Tynese McDaniel
  • Patent number: 10218223
    Abstract: A portable device is arranged to include a secondary battery, a driving component driven by charged power of the secondary battery, a charging unit configured to charge the secondary battery by outside power, a transformation unit (processing unit) configured to output the charged power of the secondary battery at a driving voltage of the driving component, a detection unit configured to detect the input of the outside power to the charging unit, and a switching controller configured to switch the state of the transformation unit from an operation state to a stopped state only when the input of the outside power to the charging unit is detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takezo Hatanaka, Hisashi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 10197629
    Abstract: A method of generating at least one recommended replacement time signal for a battery is provided. The method includes measuring a plurality of associated unloaded and loaded battery voltages. A delta voltage for each associated unloaded and loaded battery voltage is then determined. A select number of delta voltages are averaged. A minimum delta voltage is determined from a plurality of the averaged delta voltages. At least one recommended replacement time signal for the battery is generated with the use of the minimum delta voltage when at least one averaged delta voltage is detected that has at least reached a replacement threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles R. Gordon, James D. Reinke, Val D. Eisele
  • Patent number: 10186886
    Abstract: A portable power unit is provided that can be embodied in backpack, waist-pack, or other portable form. The portable power unit can include a battery, a bidirectional power processor, and a power port. The bidirectional power processor allows for direct current (DC) power exchange between the battery and the bidirectional power processor and a user selectable alternating current (AC) or DC power exchange between the bidirectional power processor and a power port through which a power source and an external load can be connected for charging and discharging of the electrochemical battery, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Whisper Energy Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Wally E. Rippel, Michael Gould, Brian Jensen
  • Patent number: 10179516
    Abstract: A control device that controls a charging apparatus and a power supplying apparatus stops charging to a secondary battery when a connecting terminal is connected to each of both of a charging terminal and a discharging terminal. Also, the control device continues to stop the charging when the charging-stopped state is detected by the cut-off detecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10141758
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power card and base for charging and/or recharging electronic devices, including a method of authenticating an exclusive charging plug. The power card and base may include electronic components for charging and/or recharging electronic devices. The power card and base may include exclusive components configured to secure a connection between the power card and power base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Westhill Innovation, LLC
    Inventor: Luke G. Massar
  • Patent number: 10122193
    Abstract: A portable device is provided. The portable device includes a battery unit, a charger circuit, a detecting unit and a processing unit. The charger circuit provides a charging current to charge the battery unit according to an input power and adjusts the charging current to a charging value according to a first control signal. The detecting unit detects and obtains an instantaneous operating current, an instantaneous charging current and a system temperature in the portable device. The processing unit provides the first control signal according to the instantaneous operating current, the instantaneous charging current and the system temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: HTC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shih-Ping Lin
  • Patent number: 10059224
    Abstract: In a method for operating an electric terminal device for an electric system of a vehicle for electrically connecting the electric system of the vehicle to an electric energy source arranged separately from the vehicle, a connection unit which is electrically connected to the electric energy source arranged separately from the vehicle is connected and locked to the terminal device. An unlocking procedure is carried out on the basis of a manual actuation of an actuation element of the terminal device of the vehicle when the connection unit is connected to the terminal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Mauter
  • Patent number: 10063089
    Abstract: The present invention provides a novel wind power charging circuit with three-phase, single-stage and bridgeless framework. This novel wind power charging circuit is developed based on an isolated single-ended primary-inductance converter (SEPIC) having buck-boost converting function, and can be applied in a wind turbine system for increasing the operation scope of the input voltage provided by a wind turbine of the wind turbine system, so as to facilitate the wind turbine system include wide-range operation scope under different wind speeds, such that the electric energy production and the electromechanical conversion efficiency of the wind turbine system are able to be effectively enhanced. In addition, because this novel wind power charging circuit does not include any bridgeless PFC circuits and bridge-type diode rectifiers, the low conducting loss as well as the whole circuit volume and assembly cost of the wind turbine system can be simultaneously reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology
    Inventors: Hsuang-Chang Chiang, Kun-Feng Chen, Chin-Yu Ho, Hsu-Pin Yang
  • Patent number: 10008861
    Abstract: A device for balancing charge in a battery (2) having a set of electrochemical storage cells (C1, C2, . . . , CR), and a charging means (R1, . . . , Rs) able to recharge a plurality of combinations of at least one cell, in which for each combination of the plurality of combinations, the charging means are arranged in order to simultaneously recharge all the cells of said combination, the plurality of combinations defining a number N strictly higher than one of combination types, each combination type corresponding to a number m of cells in this combination, and the charging means are permitted to function at a number P of power levels, this number P being strictly lower than the number N of combination types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignees: RENAULT S.A.S., COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Marc Lucea, Laurent Garnier
  • Patent number: 9906055
    Abstract: A pair of right and left fixing holes and a pair of strap attachment holes are provided on a rear surface of a main body housing at a position which does not protrude from a side area S in a planar view. A bottom edge portion of an upper recessed portion is provided above the fixing hole to cover each of the right and left fixing holes, the strap attachment holes are provided to be coaxial with the bottom edge portion, and it is ensured that durability and compactness of the charger are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideyuki Taga, Yasuhiro Tabuchi, Hidenori Nagasaka, Kiyozumi Kokawa, Shinsuke Okuda
  • Patent number: 9859725
    Abstract: An electronic device having an auto-on circuit is provided. The electronic device can include a charging circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit can cause the charging circuit to deliver energy to an external device. The auto-on circuit, which can include an active circuit, can activate the control circuit in response to one or more trigger input circuits. Each trigger input circuit can actuate a switch and deliver an auto-on signal to the control circuit. The control circuit can then actuate a latch to deliver power to a power input terminal to keep itself powered ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Nowak, Roshan Kamath, Daniel H Wagner
  • Patent number: 9837203
    Abstract: An inductive wireless power enabled device may comprise a transceiver including a plurality of switches coupled with a resonant tank, and control logic configured to drive the plurality of switches to operate the resonant tank in one of a transmit mode and a receive mode. Another inductive wireless power enabled device may comprises a transceiver including a plurality of switches coupled with a resonant tank. The transceiver may be configured to both transmit a wireless power signal through the resonant tank and generate power from an incoming wireless power signal through the resonant tank depending on a current operational mode. A related method for operating a wireless power enabled device according to either a transmit mode or a receive mode is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Manjit Singh
  • Patent number: 9806546
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a power supply apparatus configured for coupling to an electronic device having a power port integral to the electronic device and a particular hardware profile. The power supply apparatus includes: a housing configured to extend the hardware profile of the electronic device in at least one dimension, a power source integral to the housing, and a power interface extending from the housing and configured to couple with the power port of the electronic device. A securing device integral to the housing is configured to couple the housing to the electronic device. Where the electronic device has a door covering its power port in a closed position and uncovering its port in an open extended position, the housing has a cover receiver for receiving the floor and maintaining the form factor of the electronic device and power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: NEXARK, INC.
    Inventor: Menachem Eliyahu
  • Patent number: 9716404
    Abstract: A charging circuit and a charging method of a battery are disclosed. The charging circuit provides a charging current to charge the battery. The charging circuit includes a charging control module, a current detecting module and a compensation module. The charging control module provides a charging voltage. The current detecting module detects the charging current, and generates a detecting voltage according to the charging current. The compensation module detects the charging voltage, and provides a feedback voltage to the charging control module according to the detecting voltage and the charging voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
    Inventors: Wei-Chen Tu, Ming-Ting Tsai, Yii-Lin Wu, Hsiang-Jue Hung
  • Patent number: 9698610
    Abstract: A charge or discharge control method includes: receiving a power instruction value with respect to a power storage apparatus; obtaining a remaining state of charge (SOC) and a target SOC which is a target value of the SOC of the power storage apparatus; controlling charge or discharge of the power storage apparatus according to the power instruction value when the power instruction value is received; wherein, in the controlling, a delay time is determined according to a difference between the target SOC and the remaining SOC, and the power storage apparatus is controlled according to the power instruction value at a timing when the delay time passes after the power instruction value is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Seiya Miyazaki, Takahiro Kudoh
  • Patent number: 9694703
    Abstract: A charging device includes: a housing; a heat radiation member storage room to which a part of electric parts in a power conversion unit is attached, and which houses a heat sink including fins; an electric parts storage room housing other electric parts of the power conversion unit and a control unit; a first suction port introducing a gas into the heat radiation member storage room and a first exhaust port discharging the gas; a second suction port introducing the gas into the electric parts storage room and a second exhaust port discharging the gas; a first fan introducing the gas into the heat radiation member storage room and a second fan introducing the gas into the electric parts storage room; a suction-side waterproof cover that covers the first and second ports; and an exhaust-side waterproof cover covering the first and second exhaust ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventor: Youhei Shinada
  • Patent number: 9671760
    Abstract: A portable terminal according to the present disclosure may include an information display part including a display screen displaying information and a battery; and a band part fastened to the information display part, wherein the band part includes a charging coil wirelessly receiving power to transfer the power to the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ju Rae Kim
  • Patent number: 9660481
    Abstract: A wireless charger assembly is used for transferring power to an electronic device through inductive charging. The wireless charger assembly includes a bottom case releasably mounted to an exterior flatbed, a transmitter coil, and a top case. The transmitter coil transmits power to a receiver coil of the electronic device through inductive charging. The top case has a working platform mounted around the working surface of the flatbed, a neck portion extending downwardly from the working platform, and a slot defined by the working platform and the neck portion. The neck portion releasably retained to the closed loop wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: FOXCONN INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Cheng-Pang Chen, Yung-Chang Cheng, Chi-Ming Chen, Jia-Hong Chen
  • Patent number: 9614385
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for full-orientation over-the-air charging includes a receiver coil associated with a portable electronic device for wireless charging; and a repeater coil associated with a device selectively configured to engage or support the portable electronic device for wireless charging, wherein the device is one of a cover, holster, or case for the portable electronic device; wherein, when the device is selectively engaged or supporting the portable electronic device, a portion of the repeater coil overlaps a portion of the receiver coil forming a magnetic coupling therebetween and supporting wireless charging of the portable electronic device in a plurality of orientations of the portable electronic device relative to a transmitter coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Wei Lun Oo, Chee Khon Chong, Sin Keng Lee
  • Patent number: 9599677
    Abstract: Provided is an efficient method for determining the completion of discharging waste batteries, the method being capable of accurately identifying the discharging states of the charge remaining in the waste batteries and appropriately determining the completion of discharging without measuring the residual voltage of each of the waste batteries. The method for determining the completion of discharging waste batteries according to the present invention is characterized in that after immersing the waste batteries in a conductive liquid, the concentration of hydrogen gas produced from the liquid is measured, thereby determining the completion of discharging the charge remaining in the waste batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazunari Maeba, Ryozo Ushio