Patents by Inventor Philippe Gauthier

Philippe Gauthier 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: 9469199
    Abstract: A traction control system is provided that is applicable to both two wheel drive and four wheel drive electric vehicles, and which is capable of handling both low frequency and high frequency control duties. The system uses proportional gains in order to minimize controller delays and insure a natural feeling traction control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Patent number: 9463697
    Abstract: A traction control system is provided that is applicable to both two wheel drive and four wheel drive electric vehicles, and which is capable of handling both low frequency and high frequency control duties. The system uses proportional gains in order to minimize controller delays and insure a natural feeling traction control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Patent number: 9446682
    Abstract: A method of thermally pre-conditioning a vehicle's battery pack prior to vehicle departure is provided. The system, after determining that the vehicle is off and/or the driver has left the car, monitors a variety of conditions corresponding to both the vehicle and the driver in order to determine the probability of the driver requiring near-term use of the car. Typical monitored conditions may include driver and vehicle location, driver proximity, time of day, day of week, driver's upcoming appointments, and a historical data base that tracks driver behavior. Once the probability that the car will be needed within a preset time period exceeds a preset level, the system determines whether the battery pack should be heated or cooled based on the current battery pack temperature, and then activates an appropriate thermal management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Gauthier, David Tse, Jieliang Hao, Peter Dore Rawlinson
  • Publication number: 20160207417
    Abstract: A system for thermally pre-conditioning a vehicle's battery pack prior to vehicle departure is provided. The system, after determining that the vehicle is off and/or the driver has left the car, monitors a variety of conditions corresponding to both the vehicle and the driver in order to determine the probability of the driver requiring near-term use of the car. Typical monitored conditions may include driver and vehicle location, driver proximity, time of day, day of week, driver's upcoming appointments, and a historical data base that tracks driver behavior. Once the probability that the car will be needed within a preset time period exceeds a preset level, the system determines whether the battery pack should be heated or cooled based on the current battery pack temperature, and then activates an appropriate thermal management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Gauthier, David Tse, Jieliang Hao, Peter Dore Rawlinson
  • Publication number: 20160207375
    Abstract: A method of thermally pre-conditioning a vehicle's passenger cabin prior to vehicle departure is provided. The system, after determining that the vehicle is off and/or the driver has left the car, monitors a variety of conditions corresponding to both the vehicle and the driver in order to determine the probability of the driver requiring near-term use of the car. Typical monitored conditions may include driver and vehicle location, driver proximity, time of day, day of week, driver's upcoming appointments, and a historical data base that tracks driver behavior. Once the probability that the car will be needed within a preset time period exceeds a preset level, the system determines whether the passenger cabin should be heated or cooled based on the current passenger cabin temperature, and then activates an appropriate thermal management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: Atieva, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Gauthier, David Tse, Jieliang Hao, Peter Dore Rawlinson
  • Publication number: 20160207374
    Abstract: A system for thermally pre-conditioning a vehicle's passenger cabin prior to vehicle departure is provided. The system, after determining that the vehicle is off and/or the driver has left the car, monitors a variety of conditions corresponding to both the vehicle and the driver in order to determine the probability of the driver requiring near-term use of the car. Typical monitored conditions may include driver and vehicle location, driver proximity, time of day, day of week, driver's upcoming appointments, and a historical data base that tracks driver behavior. Once the probability that the car will be needed within a preset time period exceeds a preset level, the system determines whether the passenger cabin should be heated or cooled based on the current passenger cabin temperature, and then activates an appropriate thermal management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Gauthier, David Tse, Jieliang Hao, Peter Dore Rawlinson
  • Publication number: 20160207416
    Abstract: A method of thermally pre-conditioning a vehicle's battery pack prior to vehicle departure is provided. The system, after determining that the vehicle is off and/or the driver has left the car, monitors a variety of conditions corresponding to both the vehicle and the driver in order to determine the probability of the driver requiring near-term use of the car. Typical monitored conditions may include driver and vehicle location, driver proximity, time of day, day of week, driver's upcoming appointments, and a historical data base that tracks driver behavior. Once the probability that the car will be needed within a preset time period exceeds a preset level, the system determines whether the battery pack should be heated or cooled based on the current battery pack temperature, and then activates an appropriate thermal management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Gauthier, David Tse, Jieliang Hao, Peter Dore Rawlinson
  • Patent number: 9381809
    Abstract: A dual stage accelerator pedal spring assembly is provided that allows the transition point between stroke stages to be set, thereby controlling pedal travel within the first stroke stage, and notifies the driver of a critical operating condition, such as a low battery pack level, via a pedal feedback system. The spring assembly, which uses two springs exhibiting different spring force, allows adjustment of the relative positions of the two springs in order to control the transition point between the first and second pedal stroke stages. The change in pedal resistance used to notify the driver of a change in a monitored vehicle characteristic is achieved by preloading one of the springs in the spring assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Patent number: 9385644
    Abstract: A method of maintaining a calibrated DC fan motor is provided in which normal operation of the motor is periodically and temporarily suspended in order to calibrate the motor. During normal operation, the motor controller selects an appropriate PWM control signal to achieve the desired motor speed. This PWM control signal is later modified during the calibration process on the basis of the difference between the desired motor speed and the actual motor speed, where the actual motor speed is determined by temporarily interrupting power to the motor, measuring the back EMF of the motor, and calculating the actual motor speed based on the back EMF. When normal operation is resumed, the motor controller uses the modified PWM control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Patent number: 9383414
    Abstract: A method is provided for testing the performance of a vehicle-mounted heat exchanger and determining whether debris is preventing air from efficiently passing through the heat exchanger. To test performance, after the vehicle is traveling faster than a preset minimum speed, the power to the DC fan motor that is adjacent to the heat exchanger is interrupted and the back EMF of the motor is used to determine fan motor speed. As rotation of the unpowered fan motor is due to the air flowing through the heat exchanger, the rate of fan rotation is used to indicate the relative health of the heat exchanger. If the rotation of the fan motor indicates insufficient air flow, then a notification message (e.g., visual or auditory warning indicator) is transmitted. If the test indicates sufficient air flow, normal operation of the fan motor is re-initiated and power is re-connected to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Publication number: 20160164378
    Abstract: A motor assembly with an integrated cooling system is provided in which a coolant (e.g., oil) is injected into a hollow region of the rotor shaft. The coolant is expelled out of the rotor shaft and into the motor enclosure via multiple thru-holes, thereby allowing efficient cooling of both the stator and the rotor assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Gauthier, Jeremy Mayer, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20160164377
    Abstract: A motor assembly with an integrated cooling system is provided in which a coolant (e.g., oil) is injected into a hollow region of the rotor shaft. The coolant is expelled out of the rotor shaft and into the motor enclosure via multiple thru-holes, thereby allowing efficient cooling of both the stator and the rotor assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Gauthier, Jeremy Mayer, Yifan Tang
  • Patent number: 9337769
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing DC fan motor performance is provided in which normal operation of the motor is periodically and temporarily suspended in order to verify that the motor is operating within an acceptable performance range. When normal fan motor operation is suspended, the back EMF of the motor is used to determine (i) whether the motor is seized and/or (ii) whether the rate of deceleration after interrupting power to the motor is indicative of a failing motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Patent number: 9296297
    Abstract: A dual stage accelerator pedal spring assembly is provided that allows the transition point between stroke stages to be set, thereby controlling pedal travel within the first stroke stage, and notifies the driver of a critical operating condition, such as a low battery pack level, via a pedal feedback system. The spring assembly, which uses two springs exhibiting different spring force, allows adjustment of the relative positions of the two springs in order to control the transition point between the first and second pedal stroke stages. The change in pedal resistance used to notify the driver of a change in a monitored vehicle characteristic is achieved by preloading one of the springs in the spring assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Publication number: 20160082861
    Abstract: A method of operating the thermal management system in a vehicle is provided, where the thermal management system includes a heat exchanger (e.g., a radiator) and a heat source (e.g., battery pack, drive train, power electronics, etc.). After characterizing the thermal management system, whenever the system controller issues a cooling demand an appropriate set of operating settings is determined that minimizes the amount of power consumed by the system's actuators (e.g., blower fan, coolant pump) while still meeting the cooling demand. As a result, the heat source is cooled to the degree required with a minimum expenditure of power, thereby minimizing the impact on driving range and vehicle performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: Atieva, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Gauthier, Benson Tsai
  • Patent number: 9290094
    Abstract: A dual stage accelerator pedal assembly is provided that is capable of communicating various vehicle operating conditions to the driver as well as notifying the driver of a critical operating condition, such as a low battery pack level, via a change in pedal resistance. The change in pedal resistance is achieved by preloading one of the springs in the accelerator pedal's spring assembly. The spring assembly uses two springs exhibiting different spring force to achieve distinguishable first and second pedal stroke stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Publication number: 20160065113
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing DC fan motor performance is provided in which normal operation of the motor is periodically and temporarily suspended in order to verify that the motor is operating within an acceptable performance range. When normal fan motor operation is suspended, the back EMF of the motor is used to determine (i) whether the motor is seized and/or (ii) whether the rate of deceleration after interrupting power to the motor is indicative of a failing motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Publication number: 20160061899
    Abstract: A method is provided for testing the performance of a vehicle-mounted heat exchanger and determining whether debris is preventing air from efficiently passing through the heat exchanger. To test performance, after the vehicle is traveling faster than a preset minimum speed, the power to the DC fan motor that is adjacent to the heat exchanger is interrupted and the back EMF of the motor is used to determine fan motor speed. As rotation of the unpowered fan motor is due to the air flowing through the heat exchanger, the rate of fan rotation is used to indicate the relative health of the heat exchanger. If the rotation of the fan motor indicates insufficient air flow, then a notification message (e.g., visual or auditory warning indicator) is transmitted. If the test indicates sufficient air flow, normal operation of the fan motor is re-initiated and power is re-connected to the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: Atieva, Inc.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Publication number: 20160065104
    Abstract: A method of maintaining a calibrated DC fan motor is provided in which normal operation of the motor is periodically and temporarily suspended in order to calibrate the motor. During normal operation, the motor controller selects an appropriate PWM control signal to achieve the desired motor speed. This PWM control signal is later modified during the calibration process on the basis of the difference between the desired motor speed and the actual motor speed, where the actual motor speed is determined by temporarily interrupting power to the motor, measuring the back EMF of the motor, and calculating the actual motor speed based on the back EMF. When normal operation is resumed, the motor controller uses the modified PWM control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: Atieva, Inc.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Publication number: 20160047609
    Abstract: A self-cleaning fan assembly is provided that can be used to automatically clean the assembly's heat exchanger or air filter. In use, once the system determines that the heat exchanger/air filter should be cleaned, for example based on the total operational time or the number of use cycles for the system, or based on the air flow passing through the heat exchanger/air filter, the controller temporarily reverses the direction of the fan, thereby reversing the flow of air through the heat exchanger/air filter and forcing out dust, dirt and other debris.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier