Patents by Inventor Martin Eberhard

Martin Eberhard 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: 8932741
    Abstract: In a conductor plate for a vehicle battery module, the vehicle battery module is adapted to accommodate a plurality of longitudinal battery cells. The battery cells are arranged in parallel with respect to their longitudinal axes, and each battery cell has a first end and an opposite second end with respect to its longitudinal axis. The conductor plate includes: a base part; and a plurality of longitudinal members. Each of the plurality of longitudinal members includes a first end and a second end, the first ends of the longitudinal members being connected to the base part, the base part and the plurality of longitudinal members being substantially arranged in a common plane. The longitudinal members are arranged spaced from each other such that an interval between two of the plurality of longitudinal members matches to an interval between two rows of the battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignees: Volkswagen AG, Audi AG
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Rob Sweney, Tobias Steiner
  • Publication number: 20140178722
    Abstract: A battery system is provided in which the batteries are mounted between a pair of substrates, the system further including at least one cooling tube mounted next to the batteries, the cooling tube used to withdraw heat from the batteries via a circulating liquid coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Tesla Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Straubel, Eugene Berdichevsky, David Lyons, Thomas Colson, Martin Eberhard, Ian Wright, Robert Ferber
  • Patent number: 8598847
    Abstract: A method for balancing voltage for a multi-cell battery system, in which the battery system includes at least two parallel groups of cells connected in series and in which the parallel group of cells includes at least one battery cell, includes: charging the battery system by keeping the voltage of all parallel groups of cells less than or equal to a second threshold voltage value, while at least the voltage of one group of parallel cells is less than or equal to a first threshold voltage; and while at least the voltage of one group of parallel cells is less than or equal to a second threshold voltage; and while the charging current is above a predefined minimal current. The method further includes measuring the voltage of each parallel group of cells while electrical loads are shut off and dissipating energy in each of the parallel group of cells of the amount that is represented by the voltage difference between the individual parallel group of cells and the parallel group of cells with the lowest voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignees: Volkswagen AG, Audi AG
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Steve Diamond, Marc Tarpenning, Jessica Riley, Alexander Barke, Manfred Ammler, Reinhard Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8569995
    Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of battery cells with a control circuit coupled to the plurality of battery cells, includes: supplying the control circuit with electrical energy from the coupled battery cells; determining a number of battery cells coupled to the control circuit; and automatically adapting a power consumption drawn from the battery cells in response to the number of coupled battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignees: Volkswagen AG, Audi AG
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning, Jessica Riley, Steven Diamond, Jaime Camhi
  • Publication number: 20120139491
    Abstract: A method for balancing voltage for a multi-cell battery system, in which the battery system includes at least two parallel groups of cells connected in series and in which the parallel group of cells includes at least one battery cell, includes: charging the battery system by keeping the voltage of all parallel groups of cells less than or equal to a second threshold voltage value, while at least the voltage of one group of parallel cells is less than or equal to a first threshold voltage; and while at least the voltage of one group of parallel cells is less than or equal to a second threshold voltage; and while the charging current is above a predefined minimal current. The method further includes measuring the voltage of each parallel group of cells while electrical loads are shut off and dissipating energy in each of the parallel group of cells of the amount that is represented by the voltage difference between the individual parallel group of cells and the parallel group of cells with the lowest voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Steve Diamond, Marc Tarpenning, Jessica Riley, Alexander Barke, Manfred Ammler, Reinhard Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20120141853
    Abstract: In a longitudinal battery cell for a vehicle battery module, the battery cell includes a first end and an opposite second end with respect to a longitudinal axis of the battery cell, and a lateral surface extending from the first end to the second end. The battery cell includes an attachment structure extending in an outward direction from the lateral surface at the second end for coupling the battery cell to the battery module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Rob Sweney
  • Publication number: 20120141852
    Abstract: In a conductor plate for a vehicle battery module, the vehicle battery module is adapted to accommodate a plurality of longitudinal battery cells. The battery cells are arranged in parallel with respect to their longitudinal axes, and each battery cell has a first end and an opposite second end with respect to its longitudinal axis. The conductor plate includes: a base part; and a plurality of longitudinal members. Each of the plurality of longitudinal members includes a first end and a second end, the first ends of the longitudinal members being connected to the base part, the base part and the plurality of longitudinal members being substantially arranged in a common plane. The longitudinal members are arranged spaced from each other such that an interval between two of the plurality of longitudinal members matches to an interval between two rows of the battery cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Rob Sweney, Tobias Steiner
  • Publication number: 20120119705
    Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of battery cells with a control circuit coupled to the plurality of battery cells, includes: supplying the control circuit with electrical energy from the coupled battery cells; determining a number of battery cells coupled to the control circuit; and automatically adapting a power consumption drawn from the battery cells in response to the number of coupled battery cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning, Jessica Riley, Steven Diamond, Jaime Camhi
  • Publication number: 20120121949
    Abstract: A vehicle battery packaging for accommodating a plurality of longitudinal battery cells, wherein the battery cells are arranged in a frame in parallel with respect to their longitudinal axes, and wherein each battery cell has a first end and an opposite second end with respect to the longitudinal axis, the battery packaging including: a conductor plate adapted to electrically couple to the second ends of the battery cells; a cooling plate thermally coupled to the conductor plate; and a gap filler layer sandwiched between the conductor plate and the cooling plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Rob Sweney, Jaime Camhi, Brian Ng, Heiner Fees, Alexander Eichhorn
  • Publication number: 20110020678
    Abstract: A battery system is provided in which the batteries are mounted between a pair of substrates, the system further including at least one cooling tube mounted next to the batteries, the cooling tube used to withdraw heat from the batteries via a circulating liquid coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Straubel, Eugene Berdichevsky, David Lyons, Thomas Colson, Martin Eberhard, Ian Wright, Robert Ferber
  • Publication number: 20090165003
    Abstract: In a multiprocessor system, a system and method assigns communications to processors, processes, or subsets of types of communications to be processed by a specific processor without using a locking mechanism specific to the resources required for assignment. The system and method can reschedule processes to run on the processor on which the assignment is made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Van Jacobson, Bob Felderman, Archibald L. Cobbs, Martin Eberhard
  • Publication number: 20080301406
    Abstract: In a multiprocessor-system, a system and method assigns communications to processors, processes, or subsets of types of communications to be processed by a specific 5 processor without using a locking mechanism specific to the resources required for assignment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Van Jacobson, Bob Felderman, Archibald L. Cobbs, Martin Eberhard
  • Patent number: 7386619
    Abstract: In a multiprocessor-system, a system and method assigns communications to processors, processes, or subsets of types of communications to be processed by a specific processor without using a locking mechanism specific to the resources required for assignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: SLT Logic, LLC
    Inventors: Van Jacobson, Bob Felderman, Archibald L Cobbs, Martin Eberhard
  • Patent number: 7316017
    Abstract: In a multiprocessor system, a system and method assigns communications to processors, processes, or subsets of types of communications to be processed by a specific processor without using a locking mechanism specific to the resources required for assignment. The system and method can reschedule processes to run on the processor on which the assignment is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: SLT Logic, LLC
    Inventors: Van Jacobson, Bob Felderman, Archibald L Cobbs, Martin Eberhard
  • Patent number: 7240350
    Abstract: A system and method provides communications to processes, handles transmissions of communications received from processes, and allows other manipulations of transmissions upon request by processes without an operating system call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: SLT Logic, LLC
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Bob Felderman, Van Jacobson
  • Patent number: 7228550
    Abstract: A system and method provides communications to processes, handles transmissions of communications received from processes, and allows other manipulations of transmissions upon request by processes without an operating system call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: SLT Logic, LLC
    Inventors: Martin Eberhard, Bob Felderman, Van Jacobson
  • Publication number: 20070009787
    Abstract: A system and method mounts batteries in a substrate or insert to a substrate, electrically connects them via a set of conductors, and cools them using air, or cooling tubes having a flow of air or coolant running in opposite directions past each of the batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Jeffrey Straubel, Eugene Berdichevsky, David Lyons, Thomas Colson, Martin Eberhard, Ian Wright, Robert Ferber
  • Publication number: 20010012000
    Abstract: A portable information display device has a backlit touch-sensitive display screen and a housing. The housing has a bezel portion which defines a perimeter of the display screen. The bezel has location identification means which identify touch-responsive icon regions on the display screen. The location identification means allow the device to be used in poor lighting conditions or by the sight-impaired. The user can trace the bezel until finding the location identification means which corresponds to the desired icon region. The desired icon region can then be touched to manipulate the displayed information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Publication date: August 9, 2001
    Inventor: MARTIN EBERHARD