Patents by Inventor Markus EKSTRÖM
Markus EKSTRÖM 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).
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Patent number: 12301037Abstract: Systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products that can facilitate an intelligent battery cell are addressed. In one example, a device can comprise: active battery cell material; and an internal circuit coupled to the active battery cell material and comprising: a circuit board; two alternating current (AC) power points; two isolated direct current (DC) power points; and a controller that can operate one or more switches on an H-bridge circuit to disconnect the device from a main battery in a bypass mode. In another example, a smart cell modulator can comprise: a set of smart battery cells; and a controller that can operate to selectively engage a subset of the smart battery cells to enable load sharing, distributed feedback control, circulate load across one or more smart battery cells of the set of smart battery cells to increase torque, and to enable speed requests.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2022Date of Patent: May 13, 2025Assignee: Volvo Car CorporationInventor: Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20250118981Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a battery arrangement with cell voltage verification. The battery arrangement includes a plurality of battery cells configured as one or more battery strings and a plurality of battery cell controllers connected to at least one terminal of the plurality of battery cells. Each battery cell controller includes a power electronics arrangement and a sensor for obtaining at least one battery cell parameter associated with the plurality of battery cell, The battery arrangement further includes a master node connected to each of the one or more battery strings for obtaining a total parameter associated with the battery strings. The cell parameter obtained by the plurality of battery cell controllers is compared with the total parameter obtained by the master node to verify the voltage associated with the battery arrangement.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2022Publication date: April 10, 2025Applicant: Volvo Car CorporationInventor: Markus EKSTRÖM
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Publication number: 20250083569Abstract: Control strategies for an electric vehicle battery system that incorporate active cell temperature balancing are described. In an example, a method comprises employing, by a system operatively coupled to at least one processor, a smartcell battery system to supply power to one or more electrical systems of a vehicle, the smart cell battery system comprising a plurality of battery cells. The method further comprises controlling, by the system, operations of the battery cells in accordance with a control protocol that results in increasing a temperature of a subset of the battery cells based on the temperature being below a threshold temperature. In an example, the control protocol can include circulating current between the subset of battery cells and/or other battery cells excluded from the subset, actively discharging the subset of battery cells and redistributing the power to other battery cells excluded from the subset, and others.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2023Publication date: March 13, 2025Inventors: Jonas Forssell, Markus Ekström, Aditya Pratap Singh
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Publication number: 20250065773Abstract: Techniques for optimized control of a distributed system of direct current to direct current (DCDC) converters are described. In an example, a method comprises employing, by a system operatively coupled to at least one processor, a smartcell battery system to supply power to an electrical system of an electric vehicle, the smartcell battery system comprising a plurality of battery cell clusters arranged in three strings, each battery cell cluster of the plurality comprising one or more battery cells, DCDC converters connected to respective ones of the battery cell clusters and the electrical system. The method further comprises controlling, by the system, when respective ones of the DCDC converters activate and deactivate generation and provision of respective output voltages to the electrical system using respective ones of the battery cell clusters to which they are connected based on monitored power demands of the electrical system.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2023Publication date: February 27, 2025Inventors: Torbjorn Larsson, Narendar Rao Gannamaneni, Jonas Forssell, Markus Ekström
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Patent number: 12214696Abstract: Systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products that can facilitate optimized control of an electric motor of an electric vehicle using a smartcell battery system are addressed. In an example, the system uses a central controller that wirelessly communicates with local controllers connected to clusters of battery cells configured to generate a three-phase current output to control the motor torque. The central controller and the local controllers perform a main control loop to control the three-phase current output with an update frequency of about 1 kHz. A local control loop with an update frequency of about 10 kHz is further implemented by the local controllers within the main control loop to detect and minimize disturbances in the motor operation using estimated local control information.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2023Date of Patent: February 4, 2025Assignee: Volvo Car CorporationInventors: Samuel Sjöstrand, Katriine Koit, Aditya Pratap Singh, Torbjörn Thiringer, Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20250033524Abstract: Systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products that can facilitate optimized control of an electric motor of an electric vehicle using a smartcell battery system are addressed. In an example, the system uses a central controller that wirelessly communicates with local controllers connected to clusters of battery cells configured to generate a three-phase current output to control the motor torque. The central controller and the local controllers perform a main control loop to control the three-phase current output with an update frequency of about 1 kHz. A local control loop with an update frequency of about 10 kHz is further implemented by the local controllers within the main control loop to detect and minimize disturbances in the motor operation using estimated local control information.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2023Publication date: January 30, 2025Inventors: Samuel Sjöstrand, Katriine Koit, Aditya Pratap Singh, Torbjörn Thiringer, Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20240409001Abstract: According to an embodiment, it is a battery arrangement comprising plurality of battery cells, of which a first sub-number connected in series form a first string, a second sub-number connected in series form a second string, and a third sub-number connected in series form a third string, the first string, the second string, and the third string are connectable to an electric machine as one respective phase; plurality of battery cell controllers forming plurality of slave nodes, each of the battery cell controllers connected to at least one terminal of an assigned one of the battery cells, and a respective battery cell controller comprising at least a power electronics arrangement to selectively connect or disconnect the terminal; and a master node, configured to provide a virtual modulator signal to the slave nodes; and wherein the battery cell controllers are configured to correct signal generation based on the virtual modulator signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2022Publication date: December 12, 2024Applicant: Volvo Car CorporationInventor: Markus EKSTRÖM
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Publication number: 20240336161Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a battery arrangement. The battery arrangement including a plurality of battery cells, a plurality of battery cell controllers forming a plurality of slave nodes, wherein each battery cell controller of the battery cell controllers is connected to at least one terminal associated with at least one battery cell of the battery cells and includes at least a power electronics arrangement for selectively connecting or disconnecting with the at least one terminal. The battery cell arrangement further includes a master node broadcasting a control information message to the slave nodes, wherein the control information message enables each of the slave nodes to generate an electrical signal with one or more characteristics based on the control information message, by controlling its power electronics arrangement.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2022Publication date: October 10, 2024Applicant: Volvo Car CorporationInventor: Markus EKSTRÖM
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Patent number: 12030498Abstract: A method for braking a hybrid electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle and a computer program element. The method includes actuating braking with a brake energy, starting to regenerate the brake energy and charging a battery system with the regenerated brake energy, receiving a state of charge of the battery system, redirecting the regenerated brake energy into an integrated starter generator in case of a full or limited charging of the battery system, and activating the integrated starter generator to rotate an internal combustion engine.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2021Date of Patent: July 9, 2024Assignee: Volvo Car CorporationInventors: Göran Almkvist, Jonas Björkholtz, Markus Ekström, Andreas Eriksson
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Publication number: 20240198859Abstract: According to an embodiment, it is a method comprising, requesting a first cell level inverter unit to enable a first discharge current and a second cell level inverter unit to disable a second discharge current, and requesting the second cell level inverter unit to enable the second discharge current and the first cell level inverter unit to disable the first discharge current, and wherein the method is operable for operating a battery system comprising a plurality of battery cells comprising a first single battery cell and a second single battery cell; and a plurality of cell level inverter units comprising the first cell level inverter unit and the second cell level inverter unit; and wherein each of a cell level inverter unit of the plurality of cell inverter units being electrically coupled to at least a single battery cell out of the plurality of battery cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2023Publication date: June 20, 2024Inventors: Jonas FORSSELL, Markus EKSTRÖM, Aditya Pratap SINGH, Ivan REXED
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Patent number: 11999262Abstract: A battery control assembly for a battery system. The battery control assembly includes a plurality of cell-level control units, each including a cell-level switching unit being operable as a cell-level inverter. The plurality of cell-level control units are arranged in three control unit strings and the cell-level control units of each control unit string are electrically connected in series. First ends of each control unit string are electrically connected to a corresponding AC charging terminal. Second ends of the control unit strings are electrically connected in series via a first end switch and a second end switch. Moreover, at least one of the control unit strings includes an inner connection terminal. Furthermore, an electric drivetrain for an electric vehicle having such a battery control assembly is presented.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2022Date of Patent: June 4, 2024Assignee: Volvo Car CorporationInventors: Torbjorn Larsson, Jonas Forssell, Robert Eriksson, Nikitas Sidiropoulos, Markus Ekström, Narendar Rao Gannamaneni, Jonas Björkholtz, Yafan Zhang
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Patent number: 11724686Abstract: A method of reducing cold start emissions in a series mode hybrid electric vehicle, including an internal combustion engine with an exhaust duct having a catalyst and a downstream oxygen sensor, an output of the combustion engine being connected to an electric generator with a power output of at least 10 kW that is connected to an electric motor which is coupled to a drive shaft of two or more wheels. The method includes detecting a cold start condition, injecting fuel into the engine such that combustion at a lambda value, ?, is achieved for which ?>1, running the engine at a speed of 1000 rpm or higher, determining if the efficiency of the catalyst reaches a first level, setting ? to about 1 after the predetermined efficiency level of the catalyst has been reached, and reducing the speed to working conditions when the catalyst efficiency reaches a second level.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2022Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Volvo Car CorporationInventors: Göran Almkvist, Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20230173948Abstract: A battery control assembly for a battery system. The battery control assembly includes a plurality of cell-level control units, each including a cell-level switching unit being operable as a cell-level inverter. The plurality of cell-level control units are arranged in three control unit strings and the cell-level control units of each control unit string are electrically connected in series. First ends of each control unit string are electrically connected to a corresponding AC charging terminal. Second ends of the control unit strings are electrically connected in series via a first end switch and a second end switch. Moreover, at least one of the control unit strings includes an inner connection terminal. Furthermore, an electric drivetrain for an electric vehicle having such a battery control assembly is presented.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2022Publication date: June 8, 2023Inventors: Torbjorn LARSSON, Jonas FORSSELL, Robert ERIKSSON, Nikitas SIDIROPOULOS, Markus EKSTRÖM, Narendar Rao Gannamaneni, Jonas BJÖRKHOLTZ, Yafan ZHANG
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Publication number: 20230121595Abstract: Systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products that can facilitate an intelligent battery cell are addressed. In one example, a device can comprise: active battery cell material; and an internal circuit coupled to the active battery cell material and comprising: a circuit board; two alternating current (AC) power points; two isolated direct current (DC) power points; and a controller that can operate one or more switches on an H-bridge circuit to disconnect the device from a main battery in a bypass mode. In another example, a smart cell modulator can comprise: a set of smart battery cells; and a controller that can operate to selectively engage a subset of the smart battery cells to enable load sharing, distributed feedback control, circulate load across one or more smart battery cells of the set of smart battery cells to increase torque, and to enable speed requests.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2022Publication date: April 20, 2023Inventor: Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20230091529Abstract: Systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products that can facilitate an intelligent battery cell are addressed. In one example, a device can comprise: active battery cell material; and an internal circuit coupled to the active battery cell material and comprising: a circuit board; two alternating current (AC) power points; two isolated direct current (DC) power points; and a controller that can operate one or more switches on an H-bridge circuit to disconnect the device from a main battery in a bypass mode. In another example, a smart cell modulator can comprise: a set of smart battery cells; and a controller that can operate to selectively engage a subset of the smart battery cells to enable load sharing, distributed feedback control, circulate load across one or more smart battery cells of the set of smart battery cells to increase torque, and to enable speed requests.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2022Publication date: March 23, 2023Inventor: Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20230087469Abstract: Systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products that can facilitate an intelligent battery cell are addressed. In one example, a device can comprise: active battery cell material; and an internal circuit coupled to the active battery cell material and comprising: a circuit board; two alternating current (AC) power points; two isolated direct current (DC) power points; and a controller that can operate one or more switches on an H-bridge circuit to disconnect the device from a main battery in a bypass mode. In another example, a smart cell modulator can comprise: a set of smart battery cells; and a controller that can operate to selectively engage a subset of the smart battery cells to enable load sharing, distributed feedback control, circulate load across one or more smart battery cells of the set of smart battery cells to increase torque, and to enable speed requests.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2022Publication date: March 23, 2023Inventor: Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20230093000Abstract: Systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products that can facilitate an intelligent battery cell are addressed. In one example, a device can comprise: active battery cell material; and an internal circuit coupled to the active battery cell material and comprising: a circuit board; two alternating current (AC) power points; two isolated direct current (DC) power points; and a controller that can operate one or more switches on an H-bridge circuit to disconnect the device from a main battery in a bypass mode. In another example, a smart cell modulator can comprise: a set of smart battery cells; and a controller that can operate to selectively engage a subset of the smart battery cells to enable load sharing, distributed feedback control, circulate load across one or more smart battery cells of the set of smart battery cells to increase torque, and to enable speed requests.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2022Publication date: March 23, 2023Inventor: Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20230093714Abstract: Systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products that can facilitate an intelligent battery cell are addressed. In one example, a device can comprise: active battery cell material; and an internal circuit coupled to the active battery cell material and comprising: a circuit board; two alternating current (AC) power points; two isolated direct current (DC) power points; and a controller that can operate one or more switches on an H-bridge circuit to disconnect the device from a main battery in a bypass mode. In another example, a smart cell modulator can comprise: a set of smart battery cells; and a controller that can operate to selectively engage a subset of the smart battery cells to enable load sharing, distributed feedback control, circulate load across one or more smart battery cells of the set of smart battery cells to increase torque, and to enable speed requests.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2022Publication date: March 23, 2023Inventor: Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20220348186Abstract: A method of reducing cold start emissions in a series mode hybrid electric vehicle, including an internal combustion engine with an exhaust duct having a catalyst and a downstream oxygen sensor, an output of the combustion engine being connected to an electric generator with a power output of at least 10 kW that is connected to an electric motor which is coupled to a drive shaft of two or more wheels. The method includes detecting a cold start condition, injecting fuel into the engine such that combustion at a lambda value, ?, is achieved for which ?>1, running the engine at a speed of 1000 rpm or higher, determining if the efficiency of the catalyst reaches a first level, setting ? to about 1 after the predetermined efficiency level of the catalyst has been reached, and reducing the speed to working conditions when the catalyst efficiency reaches a second level.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Inventors: Göran Almkvist, Markus Ekström
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Publication number: 20220194380Abstract: A method for braking a hybrid electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle and a computer program element. The method includes actuating braking with a brake energy, starting to regenerate the brake energy and charging a battery system with the regenerated brake energy, receiving a state of charge of the battery system, redirecting the regenerated brake energy into an integrated starter generator in case of a full or limited charging of the battery system, and activating the integrated starter generator to rotate an internal combustion engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2021Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: Göran ALMKVIST, Jonas BJÖRKHOLTZ, Markus EKSTRÖM, Andreas ERIKSSON