Patents by Inventor Michael P. Barker

Michael P. Barker 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: 20240079662
    Abstract: An example method includes receiving, at a module management unit (MMU) associated with a battery cell, a battery cell parameter measurement associated with the battery cell. The MMU in is communication with a battery radio frequency module via a first link. The method further includes performing, by the MMU, a first function based at least in part on the battery cell parameter measurement to generate a first signal, and transmitting, from the MMU, the first signal to the battery radio frequency module via the first link. The method further includes performing, by the battery radio frequency module, a second function based at least in part on the first signal to generate a second signal. The method further includes transmitting, from the battery radio frequency module, the second signal to a controller, and performing, by the controller, a third function based at least in part on the second signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Lei Hao, Yue-Yun Wang, Steven Earl Muldoon, Michael P. Barker, Yongjie Zhu
  • Patent number: 11777152
    Abstract: Presented are feedback control systems for monitoring battery system hardware, methods for making/operating such systems, and vehicles with wireless battery management systems (WBMS) governed through distributed feedback control. A method of operating a WBMS includes a wireless-enabled manager device selecting a batch of cell module assemblies (CMA) within the WBMS to communicate with to thereby retrieve data for their respective battery modules. A manager access control list (ACL) is created with respective media access control (MAC) addresses and ID data for the selected CMAs. A wireless connection is established between the manager device and a respective cell monitoring unit (CMU) for each selected CMA based on the corresponding MAC addresses and ID data in the manager ACL. The manager device downloads, from the CMU of each selected CMA, device data for each battery modules associated with the selected CMA. The manager device then switches the operating mode for each CMU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas M. Hess, Katherine M. Kolar, Fiona E. Meyer-Teruel, Robert W. Chalfant, Jason A. Lupienski, Michael P. Barker
  • Publication number: 20230221375
    Abstract: Systems and methods for diagnosing health of a battery using in-vehicle impedance analysis. The method includes receiving a sensed current measurement for a cell of the battery; generating a current profile as a function of the sensed current measurement, including pulses to a peak current, the pulses having a pulse frequency (w); applying a current with the current profile to the cell; for each pulse in the current profile, receiving a voltage measurement for the cell that is responsive to the pulse, calculating an impedance for the cell responsive thereto, the impedance comprising a real component at the pulse frequency (RZw), and an imaginary component at the pulse frequency (IZw), identifying a battery health problem when either RZw exceeds a preprogrammed first threshold for the pulse frequency, or when IZw exceeds a preprogrammed second threshold for the pulse frequency, and storing the RZw and the IZw for the cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Yue-Yun Wang, Steven Earl Muldoon, Lei Hao, Michael P. Barker
  • Publication number: 20220069368
    Abstract: Presented are feedback control systems for monitoring battery system hardware, methods for making/operating such systems, and vehicles with wireless battery management systems (WBMS) governed through distributed feedback control. A method of operating a WBMS includes a wireless-enabled manager device selecting a batch of cell module assemblies (CMA) within the WBMS to communicate with to thereby retrieve data for their respective battery modules. A manager access control list (ACL) is created with respective media access control (MAC) addresses and ID data for the selected CMAs. A wireless connection is established between the manager device and a respective cell monitoring unit (CMU) for each selected CMA based on the corresponding MAC addresses and ID data in the manager ACL. The manager device downloads, from the CMU of each selected CMA, device data for each battery modules associated with the selected CMA. The manager device then switches the operating mode for each CMU.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Thomas M. Hess, Katherine M. Kolar, Fiona E. Meyer-Teruel, Robert W. Chalfant, Jason A. Lupienski, Michael P. Barker
  • Patent number: 11265811
    Abstract: A monitor and control system and a method of monitoring and controlling an onboard system of an assembly includes one or more of a plurality of sensors detects whether an event occurred in the onboard system. The sensors communicate with a master controller when the master controller is in a nominal mode in which the master controller is powered on to actively monitor the sensors, and includes a sleep mode in which the master controller is powered off and does not monitor the sensors when in the sleep mode. An agent controller monitors the sensors when the master controller is in the sleep mode. One or more of the sensors signal the agent controller that the event has occurred. The agent controller signals the master controller to awaken from the sleep mode in response to the one or more of the sensors signaling the agent controller of the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Fiona E. Meyer-Teruel, Thomas J. Timpf, Jr., Tao Wang, Michael P. Barker, Charles A. Campbell
  • Publication number: 20210127332
    Abstract: A monitor and control system and a method of monitoring and controlling an onboard system of an assembly includes one or more of a plurality of sensors detects whether an event occurred in the onboard system. The sensors communicate with a master controller when the master controller is in a nominal mode in which the master controller is powered on to actively monitor the sensors, and includes a sleep mode in which the master controller is powered off and does not monitor the sensors when in the sleep mode. An agent controller monitors the sensors when the master controller is in the sleep mode. One or more of the sensors signal the agent controller that the event has occurred. The agent controller signals the master controller to awaken from the sleep mode in response to the one or more of the sensors signaling the agent controller of the event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Fiona E. Meyer-Teruel, Thomas J. Timpf, JR., Tao Wang, Michael P. Barker, Charles A. Campbell
  • Publication number: 20200076014
    Abstract: A battery module includes battery cells and a cell monitoring unit (CMU). The CMU includes a radio frequency (RF) communications circuit and a cell sense circuit connected to a substrate, the latter in wireless communication with the RF communications circuit. The cell sense circuit measures battery data, including a cell voltage and a cell temperature of each battery cell. The CMU includes a microprocessor in communication with the RF communications and cell sense circuits. The microprocessor determines when the battery module has been dormant for a predetermined dormancy duration during which the battery cells are neither charging nor discharging. Responsive to such dormancy, a Long-Term Data Storage Mode is executed in which the RF communications circuit paired with the cell sense circuit, collects the battery data at a calibrated interval, and wirelessly transmits the battery data to flash memory of the CMU for storage therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Matthew R. Garelli, Michael P. Barker, Tamara R. Thomson, Theodore T. Kim