Patents by Inventor MICHAEL J. HAND, III

MICHAEL J. HAND, III 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: 10214111
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle high voltage battery pack has series-connected battery units or cells combining to provide the high voltage. To power a low voltage bus (e.g., for low voltage accessories or charging a low voltage battery) in a balanced manner, a plurality of DC/DC converters each has an input coupled to a respective battery unit and the converters have respective outputs coupled in parallel to the low voltage bus. A first loop controller receives an actual bus voltage. The first controller generates a target current in response to the bus voltage adapted to regulate the actual bus voltage to a target voltage less than the high voltage. A second controller distributes the target current into a plurality of allocated current commands for respective converters according to respective states of charge of the battery units connected to the converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Hand, III, Richard Dyche Anderson
  • Patent number: 10131245
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle has a battery pack comprising series-connected battery units providing a main voltage. To supply a lower voltage bus equally from all battery units, a plurality of DC/DC converters are powered by respective units and have their outputs in parallel. A central module has an outer loop controller generating a target current to regulate the bus voltage to a predetermined voltage and has an allocator distributing the target current into a plurality of allocated current commands according to respective states of charge of the battery units. A plurality of local controllers each adjusts a current of a respective DC/DC converter. Each local controller receives a respective allocated current command as a respective feedforward control variable. Each local controller uses an error between the bus voltage and the predetermined voltage to be integrated as a respective feedback control variable only when the error is above a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Hand, III, Richard Dyche Anderson
  • Patent number: 9909490
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for pressure control in a boosted engine system. A variable geometry turbine (VGT) geometry, and/or wastegate (WG), and/or an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve opening is adjusted at least based on a difference between the exhaust pressure and an intake pressure in order to reduce the difference between exhaust and intake manifold pressures, thereby reducing pumping work losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Hand, III, Thomas Alan Brewbaker, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt, Brien Lloyd Fulton
  • Publication number: 20180050603
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle has a battery pack comprising series-connected battery units providing a main voltage. To supply a lower voltage bus equally from all battery units, a plurality of DC/DC converters are powered by respective units and have their outputs in parallel. A central module has an outer loop controller generating a target current to regulate the bus voltage to a predetermined voltage and has an allocator distributing the target current into a plurality of allocated current commands according to respective states of charge of the battery units. A plurality of local controllers each adjusts a current of a respective DC/DC converter. Each local controller receives a respective allocated current command as a respective feedforward control variable. Each local controller uses an error between the bus voltage and the predetermined voltage to be integrated as a respective feedback control variable only when the error is above a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: MICHAEL J. HAND, III, RICHARD DYCHE ANDERSON
  • Publication number: 20180050597
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle high voltage battery pack has series-connected battery units or cells combining to provide the high voltage. To power a low voltage bus (e.g., for low voltage accessories or charging a low voltage battery) in a balanced manner, a plurality of DC/DC converters each has an input coupled to a respective battery unit and the converters have respective outputs coupled in parallel to the low voltage bus. A first loop controller receives an actual bus voltage. The first controller generates a target current in response to the bus voltage adapted to regulate the actual bus voltage to a target voltage less than the high voltage. A second controller distributes the target current into a plurality of allocated current commands for respective converters according to respective states of charge of the battery units connected to the converters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: MICHAEL J. HAND, III, RICHARD DYCHE ANDERSON
  • Publication number: 20170276067
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for pressure control in a boosted engine system. A variable geometry turbine (VGT) geometry, and/or wastegate (WG), and/or an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve opening is adjusted based a difference between the exhaust pressure and an intake pressure, and optionally other signals (e.g., engine speed, exhaust pressure) in order to reduce the difference between exhaust and intake manifold pressures, thereby reducing pumping work losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Michael J. Hand, III, Thomas Alan Brewbaker, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt, Brien Lloyd Fulton
  • Patent number: 9758916
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of sensing a motor characteristic signal in a laundry treating appliance having a drum rotated by a motor about a rotational axis, sampling the motor characteristic signal, filtering the motor characteristic signal, and evaluating the filtered motor characteristic signal for the presence of a predetermined condition corresponding to the motor characteristic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander J. Halbleib, Michael J. Hand, III, Brian P. Janke, Joseph M. Keres, Stephen L. Keres
  • Publication number: 20150354124
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of sensing a motor characteristic signal in a laundry treating appliance having a drum rotated by a motor about a rotational axis, sampling the motor characteristic signal, filtering the motor characteristic signal, and evaluating the filtered motor characteristic signal for the presence of a predetermined condition corresponding to the motor characteristic signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: ALEXANDER J. HALBLEIB, MICHAEL J. HAND, III, BRIAN P. JANKE, JOSEPH M. KERES, STEPHEN L. KERES
  • Publication number: 20150047396
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance having a rotatable container at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment according to an automatic cycle of operation and a motor rotationally driving the rotating chamber and a method of predicting mechanical degradation in a laundry treating appliance where the method includes rotating a rotatable container with a motor, monitoring over time a torque signal during the rotating, repeatedly determining over time a friction value from the torque signal, and predicting mechanical degradation based on a determined change in the friction value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: HORACIO BECKERT POLLI, MICHAEL J. HAND, III, STEPHEN L. KERES