Patents by Inventor Berthold Hellenthal

Berthold Hellenthal 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).

  • Patent number: 11621567
    Abstract: An electrical energy supply device having a plurality of usage units, each usage unit being adapted to generate or to buffer electrical energy. The usage units in the energy supply device are divided up into strands and each strand is adapted to generate a summed voltage by a series circuit of the usage units, and each strand end is connected across a respective switching unit to a busbar assembly and within each strand a bridging circuit is provided for each usage unit and a control device is adapted to identify a defective usage unit in one of the strands and to then galvanically separate the strand by its switching units from the busbar assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, André Blum
  • Patent number: 11621558
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electrical energy supply device having usage units, wherein each usage unit is designed to generate or to buffer electrical energy. The disclosure proposes that the energy supply device carries out an energy exchange through a busbar assembly, wherein busbars of the busbar assembly form a busbar matrix, and in the energy supply device the usage units are divided up into strands and in each strand the usage units are hooked up in a series circuit and the series circuit is connected across a DC voltage converter to one strand end of the strand and each strand end of the strand is connected across a respective galvanically separable switching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, André Blum
  • Patent number: 11621446
    Abstract: A battery, particularly for a motor vehicle, including at least two battery cells, wherein at least one circuit branch is connected to a respective positive pole and negative pole of the respective battery cell, which includes a heating unit, which can be connected in parallel to the respective battery cell by a switching element of the circuit branch; and a control device, which is configured to switch the switching elements of the respective circuit branch between an electrically conductive and an electrically blocking state in order to heat the battery cells, perform active balancing of the battery cells, and/or discharge the battery cells. The invention furthermore relates to a method for operating a battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Patent number: 11616379
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electrical energy supply device having a plurality of usage units, each of which is adapted to generate or to buffer electrical energy. The disclosure proposes that the energy supply device carries out an energy exchange with multiple external components at the same time through a busbar assembly and in the energy supply device the usage units are divided up into strands and each strand end of the strand is connected across a respective galvanically separable switching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, André Blum
  • Patent number: 11373227
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for providing a vehicle having a context-dependent configuration, in which a vehicle is selected, configured and used for transporting the user on the basis of information relating to a context of a user, which was transmitted to a server, and wherein the context of the user is determined on the basis of control commands provided by the user with the aid of a program executed on a processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Andre Hainzlmaier, Berthold Hellenthal, André Blum
  • Patent number: 11342763
    Abstract: A battery system, including multiple battery cells, each of which have respective battery cell housings with electrical terminals via which the multiple battery cells are electrically connected to one another, wherein a cell branch connecting the electrical terminals to a galvanic cell and a bypass branch for bridging the galvanic cell are arranged in each of the respective battery cell housings, each cell branch having a switching element for opening and closing the cell branch and each bypass branch having a bridging switching element for opening and closing the bypass branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Patent number: 11329484
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electrical energy-supply device including several usage units, wherein each usage unit is adapted to generate or temporarily store electrical energy, and wherein a control means is adapted to control an exchange of power (E) between the energy-supply device and at least one device, The invention provides that the usage units of the energy-supply device are divided into strands and the usage units of each strand are connected to a series connection and the series connection is connected via a DC converter and at least one galvanically isolable switching unit is connected to a busbar arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, André Blum
  • Patent number: 11309719
    Abstract: A battery for a motor vehicle, having multiple battery cells which include respective battery cell housings with electric terminals via which the battery cells are electrically connected to one another. In the battery cell housings, in each case a cell branch connecting the terminals, with a galvanic cell, is arranged, and in each case several of the battery cells are connected to one another in parallel connection to form respective cell blocks. Each cell branch includes a switching element for opening and closing the cell branch; the battery has a control device which is configured in order to actuate the switching elements of the cell branches for opening or closing the switching elements as a function of a performance requirement of an electric drive of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Patent number: 11303139
    Abstract: A protective device for shutting down at least one battery cell in a battery system of a motor vehicle in case of an electrical short circuit. The protective device is configured to conduct an electric current, which flows through the at least one battery cell, through a measurement element, in which the current generates an electrical measurement voltage in dependence on its amperage and/or its amperage gradient. The measurement element is coupled to an analog monitoring circuit, in which a comparison unit is configured to trigger a triggering signal for the case that the amperage rises at least by a predetermined delta value within a predetermined duration, and a switching unit is configured to receive the triggering signal and to interrupt the current upon receiving the triggering signal by switching at least one switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, Peter Pilgram
  • Patent number: 11289741
    Abstract: A method for discharging a battery module, having at least two battery cells, of a battery having at least two battery modules, wherein the battery cells of each of the battery modules are arranged next to one another and are mechanically and electrically connected to one another, wherein, in each of the battery modules, the respective battery cells are individually activated and deactivated in terms of an energy storage function by a cell switch unit, wherein the battery cells of the battery module to be discharged are selectively electrically coupled successively to a discharge device by the cell switch unit and starting from one predefined battery cell, in order to individually successively electrically discharge the battery cells in order to discharge the battery module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, Heinz-Willi Vassen, Peter Pilgram
  • Patent number: 11233298
    Abstract: A protective device for switching off a battery cell of a motor vehicle battery in the event of an electrical short-circuit. The battery cell has two cell terminals and an energy storage unit for storing energy. The energy storage unit is connected to the cell terminals in an electrically conductive manner in order to provide cell voltage to the cell terminals. The protective device detects the short-circuit as a function of at least the cell voltage affecting the battery cell. In this case, the battery cell has the protective device and at least one switching device, which is arranged between the energy storage unit and at least one of the cell terminals. The protective device isolates the energy storage unit from the at least one of the cell terminals in order to switch off the battery cell by the switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, Peter Pilgram
  • Patent number: 11223207
    Abstract: A method for operating an electric energy supply device with a plurality of usage units. Each usage unit is designed to generate or buffer electric energy. A control device is designed to control an exchange of energy between the energy supply device on the one hand and at least one device that is connected to the energy supply device on the other hand. For each usage unit it sets a respective setpoint value for at least one electric operating parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, André Blum
  • Publication number: 20210359513
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electrical energy-supply device including several usage units, wherein each usage unit is adapted to generate or temporarily store electrical energy, and wherein a control means is adapted to control an exchange of power (E) between the energy-supply device and at least one device, The invention provides that the usage units of the energy-supply device are divided into strands and the usage units of each strand are connected to a series connection and the series connection is connected via a DC converter and at least one galvanically isolable switching unit is connected to a busbar arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL, André BLUM
  • Patent number: 11075412
    Abstract: A dynamically disconnectable battery system for a motor vehicle, including a plurality of battery cells, having a respective battery cell housing with electrical connections by which the battery cells are electrically interconnected. In the battery cell housings there is arranged a respective cell branch connecting the connections to a galvanic cell. Each cell branch includes a switching element for opening and closing the cell branch; the battery system includes a control device, which is configured to actuate all the switching elements of the cell branches for the opening of the switching elements when the control device has received a danger signal from at least one sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Patent number: 11031793
    Abstract: A battery and a method for operating a battery, in particular for a motor vehicle, including multiple battery cells, which have respective battery cell housings with electric terminals via which the battery cells are electrically interconnected, wherein a respective cell branch connecting the terminals and having a galvanic cell is arranged in the battery cell housings, a respective bypass branch for bypassing the respective galvanic cell is arranged in the battery cell housings; each cell branch has a first switching element for opening and closing the cell branch, and each bypass branch has a second switching element for opening and closing the bypass branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Publication number: 20210151998
    Abstract: A battery system, including multiple battery cells which have respective battery cell housings having electrical terminals via which the battery cells are electrically connected to one another, wherein a cell branch connecting the terminals to a galvanic cell is arranged in each of the battery cell housings, wherein a bypass branch for bridging the respective galvanic cell is arranged in each of the battery cell housings; each cell branch has a switching element for opening and closing the cell branch and each bypass branch has a bridging switching element for opening and closing the bypass branch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL
  • Patent number: 10998739
    Abstract: Electrical battery device having at least one module string, in which multiple module units each including at least one battery module are electrically interconnected one after another in a series, wherein one end of the series is electrically connected to a respective battery terminal of the battery device. A respective bridging circuit is provided in the at least one module string in each case for each of its module units, which is configured to alternately bridge the respective module unit and interrupt the bridging again in dependence on a switching signal, wherein a control unit is configured to bridge at least some of the module units in chronological succession and chronologically thereafter to interrupt the bridgings again by setting the switching signal in periodically successive switching sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, André Blum
  • Patent number: 10991995
    Abstract: A method for operating a battery of an at least partially electrically operated/driven functional device, a corresponding battery, and a corresponding functional device. A control unit of the battery receives measurement signals relating to a respective parameter of the battery cells from a plurality of switchable battery cells of the battery. The control unit prepares a location-resolved distribution function of the respective cell parameter within the battery on the basis of the measurement signals. By activating the switching elements of the switchable battery cells according to a predetermined switching rule, the control unit produces a pattern of battery cells switched to active and passive. A predetermined location-resolved distribution function of the respective cell parameter is fulfilled and at least one predetermined secondary condition relating to an operation of the functional device and/or the battery is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, Tamas Gyulai
  • Publication number: 20210083339
    Abstract: A battery, particularly for a motor vehicle, including at least two battery cells, wherein at least one circuit branch is connected to a respective positive pole and negative pole of the respective battery cell, which includes a heating unit, which can be connected in parallel to the respective battery cell by a switching element of the circuit branch; and a control device, which is configured to switch the switching elements of the respective circuit branch between an electrically conductive and an electrically blocking state in order to heat the battery cells, perform active balancing of the battery cells, and/or discharge the battery cells. The invention furthermore relates to a method for operating a battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL
  • Patent number: 10942224
    Abstract: A battery cell for a vehicle battery. A cell housing which encloses electrochemical substances of a galvanic cell arrangement in a hermetically sealed manner, and an acquisition device in the cell housing, which acquires status data of the battery cell in the cell housing, and/or a control device which switches at least one switching element in the cell housing as a function of control data. A wall of the cell housing has a window region in which a window material is arranged, which has a predetermined attenuation value for a predetermined radiation spectrum, and a communication device arranged in the cell housing is configured to transmit the status data from the window region out of the cell housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal