Patents by Inventor Stefan Butzmann

Stefan Butzmann 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: 8797040
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a characteristic status parameter of a memory unit via an electric circuit arrangement. In the circuit arrangement at least one inductive component and at least one capacitive component are arranged, forming a tuned circuit with the memory unit. The method has the following steps of energizing the tend circuit by temporary charging of the capacitive component, the energizing being carried out by an energizing device electrically supplied by the memory unit, and determining a time-dependent voltage change at the capacitive component after terminating the energizing and determining the characteristic status parameter from the time-dependence of the voltage change. The invention further relates to a corresponding electrical circuit arrangement and an electrical memory, including such a circuit arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20140210380
    Abstract: A method for regulating a battery voltage of a battery having a plurality of battery cells configured to be selectively bridged and connected to a battery string includes regulating the battery voltage to a desired nominal voltage by alternately driving the battery cells. The method further includes transmitting a value for a nominal switch-on probability to one or more driving circuits of the battery cells, with the result that the one or more battery cells are each switched with an allocated switch-on probability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicants: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD., ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20140212714
    Abstract: A battery management system includes several first measuring units, each associated with at least one respective battery module of the battery to detect a measured variable. The battery management system also includes a control device having a first microcontroller and a second microcontroller, a first communication connection configured to transfer data between the first measuring units and the control device, and several second measuring units configured to detect the measured variable from the battery modules of the battery in addition to the detection of the measured variable by the first measuring units. A second communication connection is used to transfer data between the second measuring units and the control device. The first microcontroller is configured to evaluate measurement data detected by the first measuring units, and the second microcontroller is configured to evaluate measurement data detected by the second measuring units independently of the first microcontroller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicants: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD., ROBERT BOSCH GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20140176024
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery, a DC voltage intermediate circuit connected to the battery, an inverter connected to the DC voltage intermediate circuit and an electric motor connected to the inverter. The DC voltage intermediate circuit includes a capacitor, and the battery includes a battery module line having a plurality of battery modules which are connected in series, and a control unit. Each battery module includes a coupling unit and at least one battery cell which is connected between a first input and a second input of the coupling unit. The coupling unit is configured to connect the at least one battery cell between a first terminal of the battery module and a second terminal of the battery module in response to a first control signal, and to connect the first terminal to the second terminal in response to a second control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicants: Samsung SDI, Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Butzmann, Holger Fink
  • Publication number: 20140145685
    Abstract: A battery system comprises at least two modules which include a plurality of battery cells, with each module being associated with a cell voltage detection unit which is connected to a central controller via a common communication bus. Each module additionally includes a module voltage detection unit which is connected to the central controller and is configured to separately detect the voltage of the associated module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Bosch, Joachim Fetzer, Stefan Butzmann, Holger Fink, Martin Lang
  • Publication number: 20140145651
    Abstract: A circuit for a battery includes a number n of battery cells which are connected in series between a positive battery terminal and a negative battery terminal. The number n is a natural number greater than 1. Due to the mounting in series of the n battery cells, a number of connection points are obtained between the n battery cell. The circuit further includes a discharge element comprising a first terminal which is connected or can be connected to a first discharge line and a second terminal which is connected or can be connected to a second discharge line. The circuit also includes a number of switches which can be connected at a first terminal to a respective connection point or to one of the positive or negative battery terminals and are connected at a second terminal to the first or second discharge line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Schiemann, Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20140111123
    Abstract: A drive unit for an electric motor comprises a multilevel inverter and a battery. The battery comprises at least one battery module train comprising a plurality of battery modules connected in series, each module having at least one battery cell and one coupling unit. The at least one battery cell is connected between a first input and a second input of the coupling unit. The coupling unit is designed to connect the at least one battery cell between two terminals of the battery module in response to on a first control signal and to connect the two terminals in response to a second control signal. Several center taps are arranged on the battery module train, by means of which a potential can be tapped at a connection between two battery modules respectively. Inputs of the multilevel inverter are connected to the taps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Butzmann, Holger Fink
  • Publication number: 20140091738
    Abstract: An inverter circuit for an electric motor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, via which the inverter circuit is connectable to an energy store. The inverter circuit also includes a parallel circuit having three half-bridge circuits located between the first terminal and the second terminal. Each of the half-bridge circuits includes in each case two switching devices, between which a half-bridge terminal, via which the respective half-bridge circuit is connectable to a respective input of an electric motor, is arranged in each case. The two switching devices of at least one of the half-bridge circuits are in each case configured to be driven linearly and to be operated as a current source, while the respective other switching device of the at least one half-bridge circuit is in the on state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20140084864
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for charging a battery having at least one battery cell. A first connection of a charging device is connected to a first pole of the at least one battery cell by a rectifying device. The rectifying device is set up such that charging current can flow. The disclosure further relates to a charging device, a battery, and a motor vehicle, which are configured to carried out the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20140057143
    Abstract: A battery module for a battery system includes two terminals, via which the battery module can be electrically connected to the battery system. Furthermore, the battery module has a battery string, which connects the two terminals to one another and has at least one battery cell connected in series and/or in parallel with the battery string. The battery module comprises a battery module circuit, which is configured, upon receiving an alarm signal, to bridge the battery module via the terminals thereof. The at least one battery cell is connected to a monitoring circuit associated with the battery cell. The monitoring circuit is connected to an alarm line via an electrical connection. The alarm line is connected to an input of the battery module circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20140042937
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for charging an intermediate circuit capacitor in an electric drive unit comprising an electric motor. The intermediate circuit capacitor is charged by an intermediate circuit current that is supplied by a battery. The output voltage of the battery is settable to one or more voltage values. A target value of the intermediate circuit current is determined, and an actual value of the intermediate circuit current is ascertained. The actual value of the intermediate circuit current is then compared with the target value of the intermediate circuit current. An optimal output voltage of the battery is determined on the basis of the comparison of the actual value of the intermediate circuit current with the target value of the intermediate circuit current. Then, the optimal output voltage of the battery is set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicants: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD., ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Ralph Schmidt, Stefan Butzmann, Hoger Fink
  • Publication number: 20140045004
    Abstract: A battery management unit includes a plurality of monitoring units. Each monitoring unit is configured to acquire at least one operating variable of at least one battery cell or of a battery module having a number of battery cells. Each monitoring unit is connected to a first bus. The battery management unit further includes a control device connected to the first bus and configured to communicate with at least one of the monitoring units of the plurality of monitoring unit via the first bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicants: Samsung Sdi Co., Ltd., ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20140035361
    Abstract: A method is used for controlling a battery having at least one battery module line with a plurality of battery modules that are connected in series. Each battery module has at least one battery cell, at least one coupling unit, a first connection, and a second connection. Each battery module is configured to assume one of at least two switching states dependent on a control of the coupling unit. The different switching states correspond to different voltage values between the first connection and the second connection of the battery module. The method includes determining a ranking among the battery modules. The method also includes engaging the battery modules in a supply of a desired output voltage of the battery module line using the ranking. The battery modules compare respective battery module operating states among one another and determine the ranking on the basis of the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Ralph Schmidt, Stefan Butzmann, Holger Fink
  • Publication number: 20140035360
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device for balancing the battery cells of a battery including a plurality of pairs of battery cells. Each pair of battery cells is connected to a charge balancing unit which is configured to balance the cell voltages of the battery cells of the pair of battery cells with respect to each other. The device further includes a measuring device which is configured to output a current that is proportional to a minimal cell pair voltage to a plurality of resistors that are connected in series. Comparators are also provided, each of which is connected to a pole of a first battery cell of an assigned pair of battery cells and to a respective resistor on an input side and to a control electrode of a respective discharging unit on an output side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20140015536
    Abstract: A battery system includes at least one module which comprises a large number of battery cells. Each module has an associated cell voltage detection unit which is connected to an evaluation unit by a communications bus. Each module additionally includes a module voltage detection circuit which is connected to the evaluation unit. The disclosure also relates to a method for monitoring a battery system having at least one module comprising a large number of battery cells. A voltage of each of the battery cells is detected and supplied to an evaluation unit by a cell voltage detection unit. In addition, a module voltage is separately detected and supplied to the evaluation unit. The disclosure also describes a motor vehicle having a battery system. The battery system is connected to a drive system of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Butzmann, Holger Fink
  • Publication number: 20140001842
    Abstract: An energy converter for outputting electrical energy includes at least one first converter cell module and at least one second converter cell module, which each comprise at least one converter cell and one coupling unit. The at least one converter cell is connected between a first input and a second input of the coupling unit. The coupling unit is configured to connect the at least one converter cell between a first terminal of the converter cell module and a second terminal of the converter cell module in response to a first control signal, and to connect the first terminal to the second terminal in response to a second control signal. The at least one converter cell of the first converter cell module is connected in a first polarity between the first input and the second input of the coupling unit of the at least one first converter cell module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicants: SB LiMotive Germany GmbH, SB LiMotive Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Stefan Butzmann, Holger Fink
  • Publication number: 20130346783
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and an arrangement for monitoring at least one battery, to a battery having such an arrangement, and to a motor vehicle having a corresponding battery that is used for safely monitoring the battery condition with a reduced amount of hardware. The at least one battery is monitored by analyzing measured variables of the at least one battery using at least one data processing device. The signals exchanged between the at least one battery and the at least one data processing device via a communication connection are monitored at least once.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicants: SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD, ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Jochen Weber, Chrysanthos Tzivanopoulos, Dirk Hasenkopf, Stefan Butzmann, Andreas Heyl, Frank Schindler
  • Publication number: 20130335096
    Abstract: A battery includes a plurality of battery cells connected in series between a positive terminal and a negative terminal and a resistor connected in series with the battery cells. The battery also includes a plurality of cell voltage detection units which each include a plurality of voltage measurement inputs connected to a respective group of the battery cells. The battery is configured to determine cell voltages of the battery cells connected to the respective cell voltage detection unit. The cell voltage detection units are connected to each other by a communication bus and are configured to transmit, via the communication bus, the determined cell voltages to a microcontroller which is galvanically decoupled from the cell voltage detection units by an electrical isolation device. The resistor includes a first connection connected to a selected voltage measurement input of one of the cell voltage detection units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicants: SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD, ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk Hasenkopf, Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20130322492
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device for measuring an extremal temperature among temperatures of a plurality of temperature sensors. A first temperature sensor is configured to conduct a current that corresponds to the temperature of the sensor, and each (k+1)th temperature sensor is equipped to conduct the larger of two currents, that is, a current that corresponds to the temperature of the respective sensor and the current that the kth temperature sensor conducts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Publication number: 20130314145
    Abstract: A device for switching at least one energy storage device includes a parallel circuit of transistors that is connected in series with the energy storage device. Gate terminals of the transistors are connected to one another. At least one of the transistors from the parallel circuit is configured to be operated in avalanche breakdown and has an avalanche voltage which is lower than respective avalanche voltages of the remaining transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicants: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Seubert, Stefan Butzmann