Patents by Inventor Charles Ed CHANG

Charles Ed CHANG 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: 11984621
    Abstract: A battery interconnect may include a desired current capacity, integrated fusible links, and be manufacturable using cost effective techniques. In some embodiments, a battery interconnect includes a busbar and relatively thinner links. A busbar carries larger currents and accordingly its cross-sectional areas are relatively larger to reduce ohmic losses. A link carries a much smaller current, and a fusible link is configured to break the circuit when the current is above a threshold, thus requiring a relatively small cross-sectional area. These sometime disparate length scales are addressed using several techniques such as layering a busbar and a foil sheet and pressing portions of a busbar to form the links. The links can be affixed to a plurality of battery cells to connect the cells in parallel or series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher Wynn, Kyle William Butterfield, Tyler David Collins, Charles Ed Chang
  • Publication number: 20240072383
    Abstract: A battery interconnect may include a desired current capacity, integrated fusible links, and be manufacturable using cost effective techniques. In some embodiments, a battery interconnect includes a busbar and relatively thinner links. A busbar carries larger currents and accordingly its cross-sectional areas are relatively larger to reduce ohmic losses. A link carries a much smaller current, and a fusible link is configured to break the circuit when the current is above a threshold, thus requiring a relatively small cross-sectional area. These sometime disparate length scales are addressed using several techniques such as layering a busbar and a foil sheet and pressing portions of a busbar to form the links. The links can be affixed to a plurality of battery cells to connect the cells in parallel or series.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher Wynn, Kyle William Butterfield, Tyler David Collins, Charles Ed Chang
  • Patent number: 11860232
    Abstract: A battery monitoring module may be arranged in such a way as to receive a sensor signal from a light sensor configured to detect light within a battery module. The battery monitoring module may determine, using processing circuitry, a light characteristic within the battery module based on the sensor signal. The battery monitoring module may determine, using processing circuitry, a battery condition of the battery module based on the light characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Emil Yu-ming Chao, Charles Ed Chang
  • Patent number: 11749869
    Abstract: A battery interconnect may include a desired current capacity, integrated fusible links, and be manufacturable using cost effective techniques. In some embodiments, a battery interconnect includes a busbar and relatively thinner links. A busbar carries larger currents and accordingly its cross-sectional areas are relatively larger to reduce ohmic losses. A link carries a much smaller current, and a fusible link is configured to break the circuit when the current is above a threshold, thus requiring a relatively small cross-sectional area. These sometime disparate length scales are addressed using several techniques such as layering a busbar and a foil sheet and pressing portions of a busbar to form the links. The links can be affixed to a plurality of battery cells to connect the cells in parallel or series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher Wynn, Kyle William Butterfield, Tyler David Collins, Charles Ed Chang
  • Publication number: 20220334187
    Abstract: A battery monitoring module may be arranged in such a way as to receive a sensor signal from a light sensor configured to detect light within a battery module. The battery monitoring module may determine, using processing circuitry, a light characteristic within the battery module based on the sensor signal. The battery monitoring module may determine, using processing circuitry, a battery condition of the battery module based on the light characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Emil Yu-ming Chao, Charles Ed Chang
  • Patent number: 11391777
    Abstract: A battery monitoring module may be arranged in such a way as to receive a sensor signal from a light sensor configured to detect light within a battery module. The battery monitoring module may determine, using processing circuitry, a light characteristic within the battery module based on the sensor signal. The battery monitoring module may determine, using processing circuitry, a battery condition of the battery module based on the light characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Emil Yu-ming Chao, Charles Ed Chang
  • Publication number: 20210328309
    Abstract: A battery interconnect may include a desired current capacity, integrated fusible links, and be manufacturable using cost effective techniques. In some embodiments, a battery interconnect includes a busbar and relatively thinner links. A busbar carries larger currents and accordingly its cross-sectional areas are relatively larger to reduce ohmic losses. A link carries a much smaller current, and a fusible link is configured to break the circuit when the current is above a threshold, thus requiring a relatively small cross-sectional area. These sometime disparate length scales are addressed using several techniques such as layering a busbar and a foil sheet and pressing portions of a busbar to form the links. The links can be affixed to a plurality of battery cells to connect the cells in parallel or series.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher Wynn, Kyle William Butterfield, Tyler David Collins, Charles Ed Chang
  • Patent number: 10957892
    Abstract: A battery interconnect may include a desired current capacity, integrated fusible links, and be manufacturable using cost effective techniques. In some embodiments, a battery interconnect includes a busbar and relatively thinner links. A busbar carries larger currents and accordingly its cross-sectional areas are relatively larger to reduce ohmic losses. A link carries a much smaller current, and a fusible link is configured to break the circuit when the current is above a threshold, thus requiring a relatively small cross-sectional area. These sometime disparate length scales are addressed using several techniques such as layering a busbar and a foil sheet and pressing portions of a busbar to form the links. The links can be affixed to a plurality of battery cells to connect the cells in parallel or series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher Wynn, Kyle William Butterfield, Tyler David Collins, Charles Ed Chang
  • Patent number: 10886507
    Abstract: A separating member for separating a plurality of battery cells is provided, which includes a plurality of first walls and a plurality of second walls having a thickness larger than a thickness of the first walls. The separating member is expandable from a collapsed state to an expanded state. The separating member has a plate configuration in the collapsed state and has a honeycomb structure in the expanded state. The plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls jointly define a plurality of cell units of the honeycomb structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher Wynn, Charles Ed Chang, Emil Yu-ming Chao
  • Publication number: 20200150184
    Abstract: A battery monitoring module may be arranged in such a way as to receive a sensor signal from a light sensor configured to detect light within a battery module. The battery monitoring module may determine, using processing circuitry, a light characteristic within the battery module based on the sensor signal. The battery monitoring module may determine, using processing circuitry, a battery condition of the battery module based on the light characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Emil Yu-ming Chao, Charles Ed Chang
  • Publication number: 20200067061
    Abstract: A battery interconnect may include a desired current capacity, integrated fusible links, and be manufacturable using cost effective techniques. In some embodiments, a battery interconnect includes a busbar and relatively thinner links. A busbar carries larger currents and accordingly its cross-sectional areas are relatively larger to reduce ohmic losses. A link carries a much smaller current, and a fusible link is configured to break the circuit when the current is above a threshold, thus requiring a relatively small cross-sectional area. These sometime disparate length scales are addressed using several techniques such as layering a busbar and a foil sheet and pressing portions of a busbar to form the links. The links can be affixed to a plurality of battery cells to connect the cells in parallel or series.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher Wynn, Kyle William Butterfield, Tyler David Collins, Charles Ed Chang
  • Publication number: 20190386264
    Abstract: A separating member for separating a plurality of battery cells is provided, which includes a plurality of first walls and a plurality of second walls having a thickness larger than a thickness of the first walls. The separating member is expandable from a collapsed state to an expanded state. The separating member has a plate configuration in the collapsed state and has a honeycomb structure in the expanded state. The plurality of first walls and the plurality of second walls jointly define a plurality of cell units of the honeycomb structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: Rivian Automotive, LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher WYNN, Charles Ed CHANG, Emil Yu-ming CHAO