Patents Examined by Yalkew Fantu
  • Patent number: 11760215
    Abstract: A fueling system can include an electric vehicle (EV) charging station and a non-charging fueling station for fueling vehicles other than EVs. The EV charging station includes a first control unit, a switching unit, and output connections that can be connected to EVs. The non-charging fueling station includes a second control unit and, for example, a liquid fuel pump. An integrated fuel management system is in communication with the EV charging station and the non-charging fueling station. The switching unit can direct a charging current from an input power supply to an output connection in response to commands from the first control unit that are issued according to a charging procedure. The first control unit can send state information for the EV charging station to the integrated fuel management system. The second control unit can send state information for the non-charging fueling station to the integrated fuel management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: CYBERSWITCHINGPATENTS, LLC.
    Inventors: Ronald L. Silorio, Thomas M. Bates, Damon Hahn, Christopher M. Bates
  • Patent number: 11757296
    Abstract: A method comprises an active discharge manager, integrated with a smart cable, detecting a connection of the smart cable to a battery and/or a discharge-load and detecting a connection coupling the battery and the discharge-load. Responsive to the detecting the connections, the active discharge manager determines a transfer status of the battery and the discharge-load. Based on the transfer status, the active discharge manager initiates a discharge process that transfers energy from the battery to the discharge-load. The active discharge-manager can determine a second transfer status of the battery and the discharge-load and, based on the second transfer status, terminate or modify the discharge process. The smart cable can be re-usable, and the discharge-load can make productive use of the energy transferred to the discharge-load. A system can comprise a battery, a discharge-load, and a smart cable to perform the method to discharge the battery into the discharge-load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Noah Singer, Marc H. Coq
  • Patent number: 11757295
    Abstract: A marine battery charger cable extender includes a terminal end that has a positive extender ring terminal and a negative extender ring terminal, and a connection end configured to connect to a terminal end of a pre-wired battery charger. The connection end includes a positive ring end, a positive ring connector configured to hold the positive ring end and galvanic connection with a positive ring terminal of the pre-wired battery charger, and a positive connection cover configured to completely encapsulate the connected positive ring end of the cable extender and the positive ring terminal of the pre-wired battery charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin C. Shaffer, Gerald J. Demirjian, Brian R. D'Amelio
  • Patent number: 11750001
    Abstract: A charging control method and apparatus are provided. The electronic device can include a first circuit board, a second circuit board, and a charge pump chipset. The second circuit board is provided on the first circuit board. The charge pump chipset includes at least two charge pump chips on the first circuit board and at least two charge pump chips on the second circuit board connected in parallel. One charge pump chip on the first circuit board and at least one charge pump chip on the second circuit board are controlled to be in a working state at the same time. In response to a temperature of the charge pump chip in the working state on the first circuit board being higher than a threshold, any charge pump chip on the first circuit board with the temperature lower than the threshold is switched to the working state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jie Fan
  • Patent number: 11750011
    Abstract: Provided is a charge and discharge control apparatus including: a first power supply circuit configured to supply power to a power supply target based on received power; a charging circuit configured to charge a charging target based on received power; a second power supply circuit configured to supply power to the power supply target based on discharge power output from the charging target; and a control unit configured to control operations of the first power supply circuit and the second power supply circuit, wherein when a voltage of the charging target is lower than a predetermined value, the control unit causes the first power supply circuit to supply power to the power supply target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kinya Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11749846
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a battery pack including a housing, a plurality of battery cells supported by the housing, and a terminal block. The terminal block is configured to be coupled to a power tool to provide operating power from the plurality of battery cells to the power tool. The terminal block has a positive power terminal, a charging terminal, and a ground terminal. The battery pack also includes a charging circuit provided between the charging terminal and the plurality of battery cells. The charging circuit is configured to receive and transfer charging current above 12 Amperes to the plurality of battery cells during charging. The charging circuit includes a charging switch and a fuse coupled between the charging terminal and the charging switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas R. Fieldbinder, Matthew R. Polakowski
  • Patent number: 11744488
    Abstract: The disclosure refers to a medical device comprising a measurement unit adapted to measure a value of a physiological parameter, for example a blood glucose level, an energy storage unit providing energy supply for the measurement unit, an NFC antenna, an energy supply unit that controls the NFC antenna such that in the presence of an electromagnetic field of a pre-defined frequency range energy is withdrawn from the electromagnetic field surrounding the NFC antenna and stored in the energy storage unit, a charge control unit adapted to determine the electric charge contained in the energy storage unit, and a communication unit adapted to output a pre-defined visible, audible and/or tactile signal if the electric charge contained in the energy storage unit determined by the charge control unit is equal to or below a pre-defined minimum charge value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Sanofi
    Inventor: Thomas Klemm
  • Patent number: 11742690
    Abstract: The described technology provides a method of balancing power supplied to a system load by a first battery power source and a second battery power source. The method includes sensing a first current supplied by or supplied to the first battery source. The method further includes changing a control voltage for a voltage converter circuit based on the sensed first current, an input of the voltage converter circuit being coupled to the second battery power source, an output of the voltage converter circuit being electrically coupled to the system load. The method still further includes adjusting the voltage converter circuit to modify a charge current supplied from the second battery power source to the first battery power source based on the control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Stefan Jon Kristjansson, Yen Ying Lee, Gene R. Obie
  • Patent number: 11735931
    Abstract: A battery module including a battery string and a switch is provided. The battery string includes a first battery, a second battery, a third battery, a first metal plate, and a second metal plate. The first battery includes a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal. The second battery includes a second positive terminal and a second negative terminal. The third battery includes a third positive terminal and a third negative terminal. The first metal plate is connected to the first negative terminal and the second positive terminal. The second metal plate is connected to the second negative terminal and the third positive terminal. The switch is connected to the first or second metal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ACER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Shang-Hui Chen, Chih-Kai Wang
  • Patent number: 11731786
    Abstract: An airport ground power unit for supplying electric current to a parked aircraft and a related system and method. The ground power unit includes a first electric battery, an inverter for transforming an output current of the battery to an alternating output current to be supplied to the aircraft, and one or more first electronic switches for connecting and disconnecting the first battery to and from the inverter. The first switches are connected in serial to the first battery, and together connected to the inverter. A first controller unit controls at least one of the one or more first switches. The ground power unit further includes a second electric battery and second electronic switches for connecting and disconnecting the second battery. The second switches are connected in serial to the second battery and are together connected to the inverter such that they are in parallel to the serially connected first battery and the first switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Soren R. Dahl, Bo V. Nielsen, Morgens P R Svendsen
  • Patent number: 11727380
    Abstract: A merchant payment system designed for a high-traffic merchant. In an embodiment, the merchant payment system comprises a casing, a mobile computing device, a charging regulator, a payment receiver, and a docking station configured to charge the mobile computing device and payment receiver. The outer casing is configured to house the mobile computing device, a charging regulator, and payment receiver. Additionally, the docking station is configured to charge various mobile computing devices (e.g., a tablet or a mobile phone) housed within the casing. Moreover, the docking station is configured to supply a predetermined voltage and current to the charging regulator which in-turn supplies a first predetermined voltage and current to the payment receiver and a second predetermined voltage and current to the mobile computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: MTech Mobility, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony S. Fernandez
  • Patent number: 11721842
    Abstract: A device for electropolishing an energy storage device having at least one lithium-ion cell comprises at least one actuatable first switch which is connected in series to a capacitor and an electrical resistor for current limitation parallel to at least one lithium ion cell, wherein an apparatus for discharging the capacitor is connected in parallel at least to the capacitor (C). The invention further relates to a charger and to a method for operating the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, AUDI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Lemke, Mirko Herrmann
  • Patent number: 11722006
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a power control method and device in a wireless power transmission system. According to the present invention, even if a CEP packet is not transmitted from a wireless power reception device over a certain period of time, a wireless power transmission device may additionally determine whether the wireless power reception device is located in a charging area and sustainably perform charging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: GE Hybrid Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chun Kil Jung, Soon Sang Kwon
  • Patent number: 11715967
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus, such as a portable surface cleaning apparatus is powered by one or more ultracapacitors and a charging unit for same is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad
  • Patent number: 11710977
    Abstract: A portable power bank for charging a rechargeable device is described, and a dynamic charging efficiency is monitored while the power bank is charging the rechargeable device. Particularly, instantaneous power output of a battery of the power bank is compared to power received by a battery of the rechargeable device to determine efficiency. The charging of the rechargeable device by the power bank is interrupted and/or resumed based upon the charging efficiency at any given time, thereby preventing inefficient use of the power bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: DURACELL U.S. OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jordan Todorov Bourilkov, Sergio Coronado Hortal, Francisco Jose Restrepo, John Rotondo
  • Patent number: 11705741
    Abstract: Described herein is a battery system that allows a battery pack to operate in different modes at different times. Each of the different modes may provide its own set of functionality that affects how the battery pack operates and/or reacts to external input signals. A mode may change how the battery pack discharges power by, for example, altering whether terminals are enabled or disabled. A mode may change how the battery pack's hardware operates by, for example, disabling or enabling portions of the battery pack's hardware. A mode may change what battery-related services are provided by the battery pack and available to an end user by, for example, enabling or disabling the sending of battery status information from the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Inventus Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick James Trippel, William Tenorio, Ilyas Ayub, Tom Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11699915
    Abstract: A controller for managing a battery pack includes: a detection terminal, for transmitting an enable signal when values of battery parameters for the battery pack satisfy a sleep condition, where the enable signal enables the detection circuit to detect whether the battery pack is connected to a load and whether the battery pack is connected to the charger; and a receiving terminal, for receiving a detection result transmitted by the detection circuit. The detection result indicates whether the battery pack is connected to at least one of the load and charger. The controller controls the battery pack to enter a sleep mode of the sleep modes based on the detection result. The controller also includes a control terminal, for transmitting a control signal to control an on/off state of a charging switch and/or a discharging switch. The control signal is generated by the controller based on the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: O2Micro Inc.
    Inventors: Yingguo Zhang, Guoyan Qiao, Fu-Jen Hsieh, Chia-Ming Chang, Chih-Chung Chou, Hua-Yi Wang
  • Patent number: 11699916
    Abstract: A method for charging a battery includes coupling an electrical device in a circuit between the battery and an electrical power source. The electrical device having on and off states that are mechanically different. The method includes charging the battery by setting the electrical device to the on state, measuring current flowing through contacts of the electrical device while in the on state, determining current as a function of time flowing through the contacts of the electrical device, using the current as a function of time as a variable in a thermal model based on heating of the contacts and cooling of the contacts, determining by the thermal model a predicted temperature of the contacts based on the current as a function of time and the heating and cooling of the contacts and controlling the on and off state of the electrical device based on the predicted temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: BAE Systems Controls Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Lemberg, Liam Collins
  • Patent number: 11695280
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a voltage divider circuit, a first battery electrically connected to a first point of the voltage divider circuit, and a second battery connected in series to the first battery. A second point different from the first point of the voltage divider circuit is electrically connected from a first node on an electric path through which the first battery and the second battery are electrically connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Inventors: Dongyoung Lee, Kisun Lee, Wooin Choi, Byunghwa Park
  • Patent number: 11695281
    Abstract: A battery overcharge preventing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a voltage distribution unit connected to both ends of at least one battery cell in a battery module including multiple battery cells, the voltage distribution unit being configured to distribute a voltage of the at least one battery cell according to a preset ratio; a voltage sensing unit operating so as to allow a control current to flow when the voltage distributed by the voltage distribution unit is greater than a preset reference voltage; and a second relay configured to block, by operation of the voltage sensing unit, operation of a first relay that establishes an electrical connection between the battery module and a charging module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: SK ON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Soo Jeong Jeong, Yun Nyoung Lee