Patents by Inventor Michael Hinterberger

Michael Hinterberger 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: 20200185922
    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: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL, André BLUM
  • Publication number: 20200176996
    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: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL, André BLUM
  • Publication number: 20200176994
    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: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL, André BLUM
  • Publication number: 20200144822
    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: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL, André BLUM
  • Patent number: 10637036
    Abstract: A battery for a motor vehicle, in which electrical connections of a plurality of battery cells, are connected by at least one electrically conducting connection element. The battery cells have a galvanic element. The battery cells are connected so that a rated voltage is provided by the battery which is greater than the rated voltage of one of the battery cells. After connecting the electrical connection terminals of at least two battery cells, a switching element of one of the battery cells, arranged between an arrester of the galvanic element and one of the electrical connection terminals, is brought into a switching state in which an electrically conducting connection between an arrester of the galvanic element and at least one of the electrical connection terminals of the battery cell is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Patent number: 10615464
    Abstract: A battery cell for a battery of a motor vehicle with a battery cell housing, in which a galvanic element is housed. The battery cell can be electrically connected by way of two electrical connection terminals, to at least one other battery cell of the battery. The battery cell has an indicator device, on the basis of which a state of the battery cell can be identified from outside of the battery cell housing. The state depends on at least one parameter of the battery cell that can be detected or recorded by measurement technology, and the indicator device is designed for the purpose of indicating a change in the state of the battery cell. Furthermore, the invention relates to a battery having a plurality of such battery cells and to a motor vehicle having a battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Patent number: 10594000
    Abstract: A battery cell for a battery of a motor vehicle with a galvanic element, a battery cell housing, at least two sensor devices for detecting a physical and/or chemical property of the battery cell and a communication device, wherein the galvanic element is arranged inside a battery cell housing. The first sensor device and the communication device are coupled via a first signal path for transmitting signals between the first sensor device and the communication device for transmitting signals between the first sensor device and the communication device, and the first sensor device and the second sensor device are coupled via a second signal path for transmitting signals between the first and the second sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Publication number: 20200075905
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a battery module for a motor vehicle, including multiple prismatic battery cells, which are each enclosed by a housing. The respective housing has two housing walls arranged parallel to one another, which each provide a housing wall surface of the housing on the exterior. Multiple housings are arranged in succession in the battery module in such a way that in each case at least two exterior housing wall surfaces abut one another. In each housing, the housing wall surfaces each have a predetermined relief structuring, wherein the respective housing wall surfaces abutting one another have relief structurings formed corresponding to one another and are unconnected viewed perpendicularly in relation to the housing wall surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Markus THURMEIER
  • Patent number: 10539628
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a state variable of at least one battery cell of a battery. The battery has at least two battery cells that are arranged adjacent to one another. A first electrically conductive surface is provided at a boundary surface of a first battery cell and a second electrically conductive surface is provided at a boundary surface of a second battery cell. The electrically conductive surfaces are arranged electrically insulated from each other. An electrical voltage is applied between the two electrically conductive surfaces. An electrical variable produced due to an effect of the electrical voltage is analyzed. The state variable on the basis of the analysis is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Patent number: 10507733
    Abstract: An energy supply vehicle for supplying an electrically drivable motor vehicle with an electrical energy. A drive unit for moving the energy supply vehicle, an electrical energy source for supplying electrical energy for the electrically drivable motor vehicle, and an electrical coupling device for electrical coupling the electrical energy source to the electrically drivable motor vehicle in order to transfer the electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the electrically drivable motor vehicle having a control unit including a communication device and is designed to guide the energy supply vehicle as a self-driving and remotely controlled vehicle and to control the electrical coupling device for an automatic electrical coupling of the electrically drivable motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: André Blum, Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal, Markus Fest
  • Publication number: 20190353714
    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: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL
  • Patent number: 10439253
    Abstract: A battery cell for a battery of a motor vehicle with a battery cell housing in which is accommodated a galvanic element. The battery cell has two electric connections by means of which the battery cell can be electrically connected to at least one other battery cell of the battery. At least one switching element can be transferred by means of a control unit into a switching state in which an electrically conductive connection between an arrester of the galvanic element and of at least one of the electric connections is interrupted. In addition, the invention relates to a battery with a plurality of such battery cells as well as to a motor vehicle with a battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Publication number: 20190299799
    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: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL, Heinz-Willi VASSEN, Peter PILGRAM
  • Publication number: 20190288345
    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: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL
  • Publication number: 20190288524
    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: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL
  • Publication number: 20190288522
    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: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael HINTERBERGER, Berthold HELLENTHAL
  • Patent number: 10361466
    Abstract: A battery cell for a battery of a motor vehicle having a battery cell housing, in which a galvanic element is accommodated. The battery cell can be electrically connected to at least one other battery cell of the battery by way of two electrical connections. The battery cell has at least one switching element, which is designed for making and breaking a conductive electrical connection between an arrester of the galvanic element and at least one of the electrical connections. A driver module is disposed inside the battery cell housing to control the switching element so that the conductive electrical connection between the arrester and the electrical connections are controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Patent number: 10340557
    Abstract: A battery for a motor vehicle with a plurality of battery cells, wherein the respective battery cell include a battery cell housing, in which a galvanic element is accommodated. Via two electrical connection terminals, the battery cell is electrically connected to at least one further battery cell of the battery. A control device of the respective battery cell is coupled to at least one communications device. Here, the at least one communications device of the battery cell is designed for the purpose of communicating with at least one adjacent battery cell of the respective battery cell in a first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal
  • Patent number: 10340558
    Abstract: A battery cell with a monitoring device including a data processing unit for processing state data of the battery cell as a function of a trigger pulse and a triggering unit, which is connected to the data processing unit, to generate the trigger pulse and to provide the trigger pulse to the data processing unit. The triggering unit is designed to evaluate a measurement signal, which correlates with an electrical energy of the battery cell in order to generate the trigger pulse as a function of the measurement signal. The invention further relates to a battery having such a battery cell as well as to a motor vehicle having such a battery. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for monitoring at least one such battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Berthold Hellenthal, Michael Hinterberger
  • Patent number: 10340494
    Abstract: An electrical bus bar for conveying an electric current from a first electrical device to a second electrical device, with a base body, which is formed from an electrically conductive material, and which has a first terminal for connection to the first electrical device and a second terminal for connection to the second electrical device. A sensor unit with a fastening surface has at least one sensor element for detecting or recording a physical parameter of the bus bar. The base body has a support surface, to which the sensor unit is fastened by its fastening surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Hinterberger, Berthold Hellenthal