Patents by Inventor Anand SANKARAN

Anand SANKARAN has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20110013322
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes a charge port integrated with the vehicle. The charge port includes electrical contacts configured to receive electrical power from an electric grid, and a fault interrupt circuit electrically connected with the electrical contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Allan Roy Gale, Michael W. Degner, Steven F. Chorian, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran
  • Publication number: 20110010126
    Abstract: A High Voltage Interlock Strategy (HVIS) uses feedback current to detect cable connectivity status for a high-voltage cable configured to connect a power conversion circuit with a remote permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM). One or more feedback factors are calculated based on detected feedback current. Various algorithms for calculating a feedback factor, and for determining connectivity status based on calculated feedback factors, can be practiced, according to the PMSM operational mode. Fault detection action can be performed in response to detecting a cable disconnect. The HVIS can be implemented by software, making it a safe, economical solution for cable connectivity detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventors: Joe Youqing XIANG, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran, Michael W. Degner
  • Publication number: 20100187904
    Abstract: A centralized high voltage interlock system includes an electrical source, an interlock control unit electrically connected to the electrical source, at least one high voltage component disposed in direct electrical contact with the interlock control unit and a high voltage electrical interlock disposed in electrical contact with the at least one high voltage component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Marc Lucas, Bo Wu, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran
  • Publication number: 20090051325
    Abstract: A power source is electrically connected with a battery and an electrical load. The power source has an output voltage and provides current for the battery and electrical load. A charging voltage for the battery is determined based on temperature of the battery. An offset voltage is determined based on the provided current to the battery. The output voltage is determined based on the charging and offset voltages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Steven F. Chorian, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran
  • Patent number: 6933692
    Abstract: A method and an electrical drive assembly 10 which operates in accordance with the method. Particularly, the drive assembly 10 includes a diagnostic portion 18 which compares a voltage signal which is communicated to an electrical machine 28 and a voltage signal which is selected by use of a desired torque command signal 33 and which provides a diagnostic of the electrical drive assembly 10 based upon the comparison, effective to provide a positive indication to a user of the drive assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: David Crist Gabriel, Feng Liang, Michael W. Degner, Raj Prakash, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran
  • Patent number: 6701880
    Abstract: 15 A method and an assembly 61 for use with a vehicle 10 having a high voltage battery 42 and an internal combustion engine 12 of the type having a selectively rotatable crankshaft 13 After the high voltage battery 42 receives a donor charge, the assembly 61 causes the crankshaft 13 to be rotated at a slow speed for a predetermined period of time before electrical energy is transferred to the internal combustion engine 12 and before combustion occurs within the engine 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Greg Edward Gauthier, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran
  • Patent number: 6664757
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle 10 which includes an assembly 13, a low voltage battery 14, and a high voltage battery 12. Particularly, the assembly 13 allows the on board low voltage battery 14 or another low voltage donor battery to recharge the high voltage battery 12 in an efficient manner while concomitantly reducing the likelihood that the high voltage battery 12 will be unnecessarily or inadvertently recharged while concomitantly ascertaining the existence of a fault within the high voltage battery 12 and preventing charge from being communicated to the high voltage battery 12 when such a fault has been detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Greg Edward Gauthier, Patrick Daniel Maguire, Renuka Vikram Gokhale, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran
  • Publication number: 20030218439
    Abstract: A method and an electrical drive assembly 10 which operates in accordance with the method. Particularly, the drive assembly 10 includes a diagnostic portion 18 which compares a voltage signal which is communicated to an electrical machine 28 and a voltage signal which is selected by use of a desired torque command signal 33 and which provides a diagnostic of the electrical drive assembly 10 based upon the comparison, effective to provide a positive indication to a user of the drive assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2002
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Applicant: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: David Crist Gabriel, Feng Liang, Michael W. Degner, Raj Prakash, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran
  • Patent number: 6396674
    Abstract: A fault detection circuit and method for monitoring a power converter system to identify faults. The detection circuit includes two comparator circuits each having one input connected to the dc bus of the power converter system and responsive to the voltage spikes that occur as a result of faults. The other inputs of the comparator circuits are respectively connected to first and second sources of reference voltages having preset limits. The outputs of the two comparator circuits are combined on an output lead, and a fault signal will be produced on the output lead when the voltage spike on the dc bus exceeds the limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chingchi Chen, Venkateswara Anand Sankaran
  • Patent number: 6359331
    Abstract: A power switching module includes a substrate having at least one silicon die forming at least one power switching element and having leadframe terminal posts extending away therefrom. A planar negative rail layer providing a negative power supply and including a non-inductive current shunt resistor formed therein and a planar positive rail layer providing a positive power supply are positioned at the substrate so that the negative rail layer and the positive rail layer are coplanar with respect to each other. A phase output layer providing a phase output signal is also positioned at the substrate. Each of the layers are electrically isolated from each of the other layers and are electrically connected to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, Inc., Semipower Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Edward Rinehart, Venkateswara Anand Sankaran, John Michael Miller
  • Patent number: 6297661
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting various fault conditions in semiconductor devices. A variable voltage reference is compared to the voltage output of the device during device turn-on to detect circuit fault conditions. The fault condition is then communicated to a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chingchi Chen, Venkateswara Anand Sankaran
  • Patent number: 5926372
    Abstract: A substrate assembly for use with a high power switching module includes at least one power block having a base plate for providing mechanical rigidity for the power block. The power block also includes at least one silicon die mounted onto the base plate and configured to form at least one high power switching transistor having leads extending away therefrom. The power blocks are then supportably mounted into corresponding apertures in a rigid frame which mounts the power switching module onto a heat dissipating surface and tested independently before mounting into the frame at full load current and power, which cannot be performed at the bare die level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, Inc., SemiPower Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Edward Rinehart, Venkateswara Anand Sankaran, Walter Noll
  • Patent number: 5900683
    Abstract: An isolated gate driver device for a power switching device having a plurality of transistors includes a primary circuit having a voltage source of a first voltage potential. The primary circuit constantly switches the voltage source to generate first and second load signals based on control signals received from a microcontroller. The first load signal is modulated at a first frequency for enabling the transistors, and the second load signal is modulated at a second frequency, different from the first frequency, for disabling the transistors. A plurality of high frequency transformers corresponding to each of the transistors is coupled to the primary circuit. The transformers have a primary side for receiving one of the first and second load signals and a secondary side for transforming the one of the first and second load signals into corresponding signals at a second voltage potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, Inc., Semipower Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Edward Rinehart, Venkateswara Anand Sankaran
  • Patent number: 5861775
    Abstract: A cost-effective conditioning circuit for extracting a weak, floating, wide-band signal with a low common-mode voltage from noisy environments is proposed that includes a high gain single ended operational amplifier to increase the amplitude of the signal. A simple, cost-effective approximately unity gain differential amplifier stage is used to level-shift the signal down to the desired reference potential. A typical application is a motor drive system, where the signals to be measured are bi-directional motor currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chingchi Chen, Venkateswara Anand Sankaran