Patents by Inventor Rainer K. Krause
Rainer K. Krause 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).
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Patent number: 10718818Abstract: A method for performance analysis and use management of a battery module is disclosed, wherein the battery module includes a multitude of interconnected battery cells and a battery management system with a plurality of dedicated analysis/control units (ACUs) that analyze performance of the battery module, the ACUs being assigned to individual battery cells and/or battery blocks of battery module. The method includes measuring current and voltage of one or more of an individual battery cell and a battery block; calculating a charge removal from the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; calculating a loading charge of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; determining the remaining charge of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; and failure monitoring of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2017Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Michael Haag, Rainer K. Krause, Thorsten Muehge, Joerg Weyerhaeuser
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Publication number: 20180038916Abstract: A method for performance analysis and use management of a battery module is disclosed, wherein the battery module includes a multitude of interconnected battery cells and a battery management system with a plurality of dedicated analysis/control units (ACUs) that analyze performance of the battery module, the ACUs being assigned to individual battery cells and/or battery blocks of battery module. The method includes measuring current and voltage of one or more of an individual battery cell and a battery block; calculating a charge removal from the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; calculating a loading charge of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; determining the remaining charge of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; and failure monitoring of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2017Publication date: February 8, 2018Inventors: Michael Haag, Rainer K. Krause, Thorsten Muehge, Joerg Weyerhaeuser
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Patent number: 9851412Abstract: A method for performance analysis and use management of a battery module is disclosed, wherein the battery module includes a multitude of interconnected battery cells and a battery management system with a plurality of dedicated analysis/control units (ACUs) that analyze performance of the battery module, the ACUs being assigned to individual battery cells and/or battery blocks of battery module. The method includes measuring current and voltage of one or more of an individual battery cell and a battery block; calculating a charge removal from the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; calculating a loading charge of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; determining the remaining charge of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; and failure monitoring of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2011Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Michael Haag, Rainer K. Krause, Thorsten Muehge, Joerg Weyerhaeuser
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Patent number: 8938314Abstract: A method for optimizing energy efficiency in a manufacturing process includes monitoring power consumption of each of a plurality of manufacturing entities of the manufacturing process using a power metering device assigned thereto; collecting, from the power metering devices, a first data stream that includes information about the power consumption; collecting a second data stream that includes information about the manufacturing entity and process; determining an optimized product routing of products to be manufactured by the manufacturing process from one manufacturing entity to another manufacturing entity, based on the collected first and second data streams, by simulating different product routings and determining the optimal product routing with respect to the overall energy consumption of the manufacturing process; and adjusting, via a manufacturing control system, the manufacturing process based on the optimized product routing.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2011Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Rainer K. Krause
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Patent number: 8723021Abstract: A solar cell includes a substrate having an N-region and a P-region, a first anti-reflective layer disposed on the substrate, a metallic contact disposed on the first anti-reflective layer, a second anti-reflective layer disposed on the first anti-reflective layer and the metallic contact, and a region partially defined by the first anti-reflective layer and the second anti-reflective layer having diffused metallic contact material operative to form a conductive path to the substrate through the first anti-reflective layer, the metallic contact, and the second anti-reflective layer.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2012Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Harold J. Hovel, Rainer K. Krause, Zhengwen Li, Huilong Zhu
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Patent number: 8692649Abstract: Asset management for control of electric appliances comprises a keycode unit and an equipment unit embedded in an appliance. The keycode unit is located in a protected environment and relates to an asset management area. The equipment unit may store an appliance identification code. The keycode unit and the equipment unit may be in communication contact, whereby the equipment unit sends positioning coordinates to the keycode unit, and wherein the equipment unit is adapted to lock the appliance via the lock unit, in response to a lock signal that the equipment unit receives from the keycode unit, if the appliance moves outside the asset management area.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2011Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Rainer K. Krause, Kevin S. Petrarca, Carl J. Radens, Brian C. Sapp
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Patent number: 8574950Abstract: A method for manufacturing one or more electrically contactable grids on at least one surface of a semiconductor substrate for use in a solar cell product includes the following. A heat-sensitive masking agent layer is deposited on the surface of the substrate of the solar cell product. The masking agent layer is locally heated to form a grid mask. Selected parts of the masking agent layer defined by locally heating are removed to form openings in the grid mask. A contact metallization is applied on the grid mask.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2010Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Rainer K. Krause, Zhengwen O. Li, Kevin S. Petrarca, Roger A. Quon, Carl Radens, Brian C. Sapp
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Patent number: 8294027Abstract: A method for fabricating a cell structure includes doping a substrate to form a N-region and a P-region, disposing a first anti-reflective layer on the substrate, disposing a metallic contact paste on the first anti-reflective layer, drying the metallic contact paste to form contacts, disposing a second anti-reflective layer on the first anti-reflective layer and the metallic contacts, and heating the cell structure, wherein heating the cell structure results in metallic contact material penetrating the first anti-reflective layer and contacting the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2010Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Harold J. Hovel, Rainer K. Krause, Zhengwen Li, Huilong Zhu
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Publication number: 20120174979Abstract: A solar cell includes a substrate having an N-region and a P-region, a first anti-reflective layer disposed on the substrate, a metallic contact disposed on the first anti-reflective layer, a second anti-reflective layer disposed on the first anti-reflective layer and the metallic contact, and a region partially defined by the first anti-reflective layer and the second anti-reflective layer having diffused metallic contact material operative to form a conductive path to the substrate through the first anti-reflective layer, the metallic contact, and the second anti-reflective layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2012Publication date: July 12, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Harold J. Hovel, Rainer K. Krause, Zhengwen Li, Huilong Zhu
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Publication number: 20120126937Abstract: Asset management for control of electric appliances comprises a keycode unit and an equipment unit embedded in an appliance. The keycode unit is located in a protected environment and relates to an asset management area. The equipment unit may store an appliance identification code. The keycode unit and the equipment unit may be in communication contact, whereby the equipment unit sends positioning coordinates to the keycode unit, and wherein the equipment unit is adapted to lock the appliance via the lock unit, in response to a lock signal that the equipment unit receives from the keycode unit, if the appliance moves outside the asset management area.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2011Publication date: May 24, 2012Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Rainer K. Krause, Kevin S. Petrarca, Carl J. Radens, Brian C. Sapp
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Publication number: 20120123600Abstract: A method for optimizing energy efficiency in a manufacturing process includes monitoring power consumption of each of a plurality of manufacturing entities of the manufacturing process using a power metering device assigned thereto; collecting, from the power metering devices, a first data stream that includes information about the power consumption; collecting a second data stream that includes information about the manufacturing entity and process; determining an optimized product routing of products to be manufactured by the manufacturing process from one manufacturing entity to another manufacturing entity, based on the collected first and second data streams, by simulating different product routings and determining the optimal product routing with respect to the overall energy consumption of the manufacturing process; and adjusting, via a manufacturing control system, the manufacturing process based on the optimized product routing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2011Publication date: May 17, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventor: Rainer K. Krause
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Publication number: 20120116699Abstract: A method for performance analysis and use management of a battery module is disclosed, wherein the battery module includes a multitude of interconnected battery cells and a battery management system with a plurality of dedicated analysis/control units (ACUs) that analyze performance of the battery module, the ACUs being assigned to individual battery cells and/or battery blocks of battery module. The method includes measuring current and voltage of one or more of an individual battery cell and a battery block; calculating a charge removal from the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; calculating a loading charge of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; determining the remaining charge of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block; and failure monitoring of the one or more of the individual battery cell and the battery block.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2011Publication date: May 10, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Michael Haag, Rainer K. Krause, Thorsten Muehge, Joerg Weyerhaeuser
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Patent number: 8043886Abstract: Processes for fabricating a contact grid for a photovoltaic cell generally includes providing a photovoltaic cell having an antireflective coating disposed on a sun facing side, the photovoltaic cell comprising a silicon substrate having a p-n junction; soft stamping a pattern of a UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer onto the antireflective coating; exposing the UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer to ultraviolet radiation to cure the UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer; etching the pattern to form openings in the antireflective coating that define the contact grid; stripping the UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer; and depositing a conductive metal into the openings defined by the pattern. The metal based paste can be aluminum based, which can be annealed at a relatively low temperature.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2010Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Harold J. Hovel, Rainer K. Krause, Kevin M. Prettyman
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Publication number: 20110174369Abstract: A method for fabricating a cell structure includes doping a substrate to form a N-region and a P-region, disposing a first anti-reflective layer on the substrate, disposing a metallic contact paste on the first anti-reflective layer, drying the metallic contact paste to form contacts, disposing a second anti-reflective layer on the first anti-reflective layer and the metallic contacts, and heating the cell structure, wherein heating the cell structure results in metallic contact material penetrating the first anti-reflective layer and contacting the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2010Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Harold J. Hovel, Rainer K. Krause, Zhengwen Li, Huilong Zhu
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Publication number: 20110100453Abstract: A method for manufacturing one or more electrically contactable grids on at least one surface of a semiconductor substrate for use in a solar cell product includes the following. A heat-sensitive masking agent layer is deposited on the surface of the substrate of the solar cell product. The masking agent layer is locally heated to form a grid mask. Selected parts of the masking agent layer defined by locally heating are removed to form openings in the grid mask. A contact metallization is applied on the grid mask.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2010Publication date: May 5, 2011Inventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Rainer K. Krause, Zhengwen O. Li, Kevin S. Petrarca, Roger A. Quon, Carl Radens, Brian C. Sapp
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Publication number: 20100317148Abstract: Processes for fabricating a contact grid for a photovoltaic cell generally includes providing a photovoltaic cell having an antireflective coating disposed on a sun facing side, the photovoltaic cell comprising a silicon substrate having a p-n junction; soft stamping a pattern of a UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer onto the antireflective coating; exposing the UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer to ultraviolet radiation to cure the UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer; etching the pattern to form openings in the antireflective coating that define the contact grid; stripping the UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer; and depositing a conductive metal into the openings defined by the pattern. The metal based paste can be aluminum based, which can be annealed at a relatively low temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2010Publication date: December 16, 2010Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Harold J. Hovel, Rainer K. Krause, Kevin M. Prettyman
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Publication number: 20100075261Abstract: Processes for fabricating a contact grid for a photovoltaic cell generally includes providing a photovoltaic cell having an antireflective coating disposed on a sun facing side, the photovoltaic cell comprising a silicon substrate having a p-n junction; soft stamping a pattern of a UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer onto the antireflective coating; exposing the UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer to ultraviolet radiation to cure the UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer; etching the pattern to form openings in the antireflective coating that define the contact grid; stripping the UV sensitive photoresist and/or polymer; and depositing a conductive metal into the openings defined by the pattern. The metal based paste can be aluminum based, which can be annealed at a relatively low temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2008Publication date: March 25, 2010Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Harold J. Hovel, Rainer K. Krause, Kevin M. Prettyman