Patents by Inventor Charles W. Wampler

Charles W. Wampler 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: 20240012063
    Abstract: A state of health (SOH) based control system includes: a memory configured to store an algorithm including instructions for determining a SOH of a power source; and a control module configured to receive a voltage signal indicating a voltage of the power source and execute the instructions. The instructions include: determining a state of charge (SOC) of the power source; generating a differential signal based on a change in the voltage and a change in the state of charge; determining an inflection point and an end of charge point of the differential signal; determining the SOH of the power source based on the inflection point and the end of charge point; and performing at least one of a control operation or a countermeasure based on the SOH.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Jingyuan LIU, Dave G. RICH, Manjit SWAMI, Charles W. WAMPLER, II, Dewen KONG
  • Publication number: 20230361591
    Abstract: A battery pack includes: first battery modules, the first battery modules each including first battery cells having a first battery cell chemistry and not including second battery cells having a second battery cell chemistry that is different than the first battery cell chemistry; second battery modules, the second battery modules each including the second battery cells having the second battery cell chemistry and not including the first battery cells having the first battery chemistry; switches; and a switch control module configured to actuate the switches and control charging and discharging of the first and second battery modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Srikanth ARISETTY, Venkata Prasad ATLURI, Charles W. WAMPLER, II, Chandra S. NAMUDURI, Raghunathan K
  • Patent number: 11774514
    Abstract: A method for identifying a cell quality during cell formation includes: conducting a beginning of life cycling following an initial cell formation charge of multiple cells; collecting and preprocessing a discharge data set generated by one of the multiple cells during the beginning of life cycling; calculating a statistical variance from the discharge data set identifying an estimated probability of meeting a target cell usage time; and projecting a life span of the multiple cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: James R. Salvador, Thomas A. Yersak, Debejyo Chakraborty, Charles W. Wampler, Thanh-Son Dao
  • Publication number: 20230266396
    Abstract: A system for an electric vehicle includes a hysteresis module configured to calculate a plurality of hysteresis state components of a battery based on a measured current and a respective hysteresis transit rate, calculate an overall hysteresis state of the battery based on the plurality of hysteresis state components, and calculate a hysteresis voltage of the battery based on the overall hysteresis state, and a state of charge (SOC) module configured to calculate an SOC of the battery based in part on the hysteresis voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Charles W. Wampler, II, Thanh-Son Dao
  • Publication number: 20230231391
    Abstract: A battery system includes: at least two battery modules, where each of the at least two battery modules includes three strings of battery cells; and a switch control module configured to: determine state of charges (SOCs) of the strings of battery cells, respectively; determine, using model predictive control based on the SOCs, periods of phases, respectively; determine, using model predictive control based on the SOCs, periods for the strings, respectively, to be connected to a second positive terminal and a negative terminal during the phases, the determination of the periods for the strings including: setting the period for one of the strings of one of the battery modules to end before the end of a phase; and setting the periods for the other two strings of the one of the battery modules to end at the end of the phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Jun-mo KANG, Charles W. WAMPLER, II, Dave G. RICH
  • Patent number: 11685288
    Abstract: Presented are control systems for operating rechargeable electrochemical devices, methods for making/using such systems, and vehicles with intelligent battery charging and charging behavior feedback capabilities. A method of operating a rechargeable battery includes an electronic controller receiving battery data from a battery sensing device indicative of a battery state of charge (SOC). Using this battery data, the controller determines a number of low SOC excursions at which the battery SOC is below a predefined low SOC threshold and a number of high SOC excursions at which the battery SOC exceeds a predefined high SOC threshold. The controller then determines if the number of low SOC excursions exceeds a predefined maximum allowable low excursions and/or the number of high SOC excursions exceeds a predefined maximum allowable high excursions. If so, the controller responsively commands a resident subsystem to execute a control operation that mitigates degradation of the rechargeable battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Michelle H. Wiebenga, Anil Bika, Wei Li, Mark W. Verbrugge, Charles W. Wampler, Chaitanya Sankavaram
  • Publication number: 20230179000
    Abstract: A battery system includes: a first positive terminal; a second positive terminal; a negative terminal; switches; two battery modules, each including three strings of battery cells that are configured to, at different times be: connected in series and to the first positive terminal via first ones of the switches; connected in parallel and to the second positive terminal via second ones of the switches; and disconnected from both of the first and second positive terminals; and a switch control module configured to: determine state of charges (SOCs) of the strings of battery cells, respectively; determine, using model predictive control, periods of phases, respectively, to balance SOCs of the battery modules; determine, using model predictive control, periods for the strings, respectively, including setting one of the periods for one of the strings to be included in at least two of the phases; and selectively actuate the switches based on the periods of the phases and the periods for the strings of battery cells
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Jun-mo KANG, Charles W. WAMPLER, II, Dave G. RICH
  • Publication number: 20230179001
    Abstract: A battery system includes: two battery modules, each including three strings of battery cells that are configured to, at different times be: connected in series and to a first positive terminal via first ones of switches; connected in parallel and to a second positive terminal via second ones of the switches; and disconnected from both of the first and second positive terminals; and a switch control module configured to: determine state of charges (SOCs) of the strings, respectively; determine periods of phases, respectively, based on the SOCs; determine first periods for connecting ones of the strings in parallel; divide one of the phases into N equal length periods; selectively decrease N; when a number of the first periods that end closest to one of N period endings is at least a predetermined value, adjust the first periods to the respective closest ones of the N period endings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Jun-mo KANG, Charles W. WAMPLER, II, Dave G. RICH
  • Patent number: 11668759
    Abstract: A method of analyzing the quality of a battery cell includes performing a high-throughput quality check on the battery cell with a quality control system, assessing a quality score to the battery cell, with quality score identifying the battery cell as low-quality or high-quality, and performing a comprehensive quality check on the battery cell if identified as low-quality. The method further includes assessing an enhanced quality score to the battery cell superseding the quality score of the quality control system identifying the battery cell as confirmed low-quality or confirmed high-quality and providing revised production instructions for manufacturing successive battery cells if confirmed low-quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: James R. Salvador, Debejyo Chakraborty, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Thomas A. Yersak, Sean R. Wagner, Charles W. Wampler, Ronald M. Lesperance, Raffaello Ardanese, Thanh-Son Dao, Dmitriy Bruder
  • Publication number: 20230170710
    Abstract: A battery system includes: switches; two battery modules, each of the two battery modules including three strings of battery cells configured to, at different times be: connected in series and to a first positive terminal via first ones of the switches; connected in parallel and to a second positive terminal via second ones of the switches; and disconnected from both of the first and second positive terminals; and a switch control module configured to: determine state of charges (SOCs) of the strings of battery cells, respectively; determine, using model predictive control, periods of phases, respectively, to balance SOCs of the battery modules; determine, using model predictive control, periods for the strings, respectively, to be connected during the phases to balance the SOCs of the strings of battery cells; and selectively actuate the switches based on the periods of the phases and the periods for the strings of battery cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Jun-mo KANG, Charles W. Wampler, II, Dave G. Rich
  • Patent number: 11662387
    Abstract: A system includes a state of charge (SOC) calculation module configured to calculate an SOC of a battery cell based on a measured current of the battery cell and an overpotential calculation module configured to receive the measured current and output lagged currents based on the measured current and respective time constants, output a weighted measured current and weighted lagged currents based on a plurality of weighting factors, wherein a sum of the plurality of weighting factors is 1, calculate an equivalent constant current corresponding to the measured current based on the weighted measured current and the weighted lag currents, and calculate an overpotential of the battery cell based on the equivalent constant current. The system is configured to output a predicted voltage of the battery cell based on the calculated SOC and the calculated overpotential of the battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Charles W. Wampler, II
  • Patent number: 11628807
    Abstract: A wiper system for use with a windshield includes a track guide, a wiper assembly, a drive mechanism and a wipe mechanism. The wiper assembly has a wiper arm attached at a first end thereof to a rotor rotatably disposed on a wiper carrier, wherein the wiper carrier is engaged with the track guide and is configured for translation therealong. The drive mechanism is connected with the wiper carrier and is configured for positioning the wiper carrier along the track guide. The wipe mechanism is connected with at least one of the rotor and the wiper carrier and is configured to cause the rotor to rotate, thereby causing the wiper arm to produce a wiping motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: James W. Wells, Jeff E. Nasca, Charles W. Wampler, Muhammad E. Abdallah, Nagarajan Sivashanmugam, Richard Nietz, Patrick Kroner, Bryan T. Campbell
  • Patent number: 11592493
    Abstract: A method for battery capacity estimation is provided. The method includes monitoring a sensor, collecting a plurality of data points including a voltage-based state of charge value and an integrated current value, defining within the data points a first data set collected during a first time period and a second data set collected during a second time period, determining an integrated current error related to the second data set, comparing the integrated current error related to the second data set to a threshold integrated current error. When the error related to the second data set exceeds the threshold, the method further includes resetting the second data set based upon an integrated current value from the first time period. The method further includes combining the data sets to create a combined data set and determining a voltage slope capacity estimate as a change in integrated current versus voltage-based state of charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alfred Zhang, Justin Bunnell, Garrett M. Seeman, Jeffrey S. Piasecki, Charles W. Wampler, Brian J. Koch, Jing Gao, Jeffrey A. Bednar, Xiumei Guo, Justin R. McDade
  • Publication number: 20220404430
    Abstract: A method for identifying a cell quality during cell formation includes: conducting a beginning of life cycling following an initial cell formation charge of multiple cells; collecting and preprocessing a discharge data set generated by one of the multiple cells during the beginning of life cycling; calculating a statistical variance from the discharge data set identifying an estimated probability of meeting a target cell usage time; and projecting a life span of the multiple cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: James R. Salvador, THOMAS A. YERSAK, DEBEJYO CHAKRABORTY, CHARLES W. WAMPLER, THANH-SON DAO
  • Publication number: 20220404431
    Abstract: A method of analyzing the quality of a battery cell includes performing a high-throughput quality check on the battery cell with a quality control system, assessing a quality score to the battery cell, with quality score identifying the battery cell as low-quality or high-quality, and performing a comprehensive quality check on the battery cell if identified as low-quality. The method further includes assessing an enhanced quality score to the battery cell superseding the quality score of the quality control system identifying the battery cell as confirmed low-quality or confirmed high-quality and providing revised production instructions for manufacturing successive battery cells if confirmed low-quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: James R. Salvador, Debejyo Chakraborty, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Thomas A. Yersak, Sean R. Wagner, Charles W. Wampler, Ronald M. Lesperance, Raffaello Ardanese, Thanh-Son Dao, Dmitriy Bruder
  • Patent number: 11531068
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for tracking a battery cell is disclosed, for a device having one or more sensors and a controller with a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory. The method includes obtaining respective sensor data relative to an anode and a cathode. A predicted anode capacity and predicted cathode capacity are determined based on the respective sensor data. The predicted anode capacity and predicted cathode capacity each have a respective variance value. An updated set of variables and updated respective variance values are generated based in part on the predicted anode capacity, the predicted cathode capacity and a measured equilibrium voltage, via a Kalman filter module executed by the controller. The updated set of variables include an updated anode capacity and an updated cathode capacity. Operation of the device is controlled based in part on the updated set of variables and updated respective variance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alfred Zhang, Charles W. Wampler
  • Publication number: 20220355697
    Abstract: Presented are control systems for operating rechargeable electrochemical devices, methods for making/using such systems, and motor vehicles with intelligent battery pack charging and charging behavior feedback capabilities. A method of operating a rechargeable battery includes an electronic controller receiving battery data from a battery sensing device indicative of a battery state of charge (SOC). Using this battery data, the controller determines a number of low SOC excursions at which the battery SOC is below a predefined low SOC threshold and a number of high SOC excursions at which the battery SOC exceeds a predefined high SOC threshold. The controller then determines if the number of low SOC excursions exceeds a predefined maximum allowable low excursions and/or the number of high SOC excursions exceeds a predefined maximum allowable high excursions. If so, the controller responsively commands a resident subsystem to execute a control operation that mitigates degradation of the rechargeable battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michelle H. Wiebenga, Anil Bika, Wei Li, Mark W. Verbrugge, Charles W. Wampler, Chaitanya Sankavaram
  • Patent number: 11424635
    Abstract: A method for estimating a state of a battery pack using a controller having battery state estimator (BSE) logic includes receiving or delivering a constant baseline current via the battery pack. Current oscillations having time-variant frequency content are selectively injected into the baseline current via the controller in response to a predetermined condition. The baseline current and the current oscillations combine to form a final current. The method includes estimating a battery parameter via the BSE logic concurrently with the current oscillations to generate an estimated battery parameter, and estimating the present state of the battery pack via the controller using the estimated battery parameter. An electrical system includes a rotary electric machine that is electrically connected to and driven by the battery pack, and a controller configured to execute the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Meixian Wang, Yue-Yun Wang, Houchun Xia, Justin Bunnell, Charles W. Wampler
  • Patent number: 11300626
    Abstract: A method for battery capacity estimation is provided. The method includes, within a computerized processor, monitoring a sensor operable to gather data regarding a battery, determining a voltage-based state of charge for the battery based upon the data from the sensor, determining a capacity degradation value for the battery based upon the data from the sensor, determining an integrated current value through Coulomb counting based upon the data from the sensor, determining a predicted battery state of charge for the battery based upon the capacity degradation value and the integrated current value, processing the voltage-based state of charge and the predicted battery state of charge using a Kalman filter to generate an updated overall battery capacity estimate, and using the updated overall battery capacity estimate to control management of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Charles W. Wampler, Alfred Zhang
  • Patent number: 11204391
    Abstract: A method and system for monitoring a charge capacity of a battery includes determining a predicted charge capacity and a first uncertainty parameter based upon the current, voltage, and temperature of the battery, wherein the predicted charge capacity is determined by executing a charge capacity degradation model. A measured charge capacity and an associated second uncertainty parameter of the battery are also determined, by executing a charge capacity update routine. A charge capacity estimate for the battery is determined based upon the predicted charge capacity and the measured charge capacity, and an updated uncertainty parameter for the charge capacity estimate is determined based upon the first and the second uncertainty parameters. An estimated covariance parameter, and a covariance ratio are determined based upon the updated uncertainty parameter and the estimated covariance parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Charles W. Wampler, Justin R. McDade