Patents by Inventor Steve Gierlach
Steve Gierlach 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: 12266924Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit coupled to a short-circuit protection circuit, and a battery pack, wherein the short-circuit protection circuit may include a diode array, cathodes of the diode array being coupled to a positive terminal post of the battery pack and anodes of the diode array being coupled to a negative terminal post of the battery pack. In some examples, the cutoff circuit may further be coupled to a reverse bias protection circuit including a switchable current path arranged between a control input of the cutoff circuit and an output of the cutoff circuit. In this way, the vehicle battery system may be protected from unexpected voltage conditions via the BMS redirecting and dissipating excess current away from the cutoff circuit.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2023Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Patent number: 12266923Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit coupled to a short-circuit protection circuit, and a battery pack, wherein the short-circuit protection circuit may include a diode array, cathodes of the diode array being coupled to a positive terminal post of the battery pack and anodes of the diode array being coupled to a negative terminal post of the battery pack. In some examples, the cutoff circuit may further be coupled to a reverse bias protection circuit including a switchable current path arranged between a control input of the cutoff circuit and an output of the cutoff circuit. In this way, the vehicle battery system may be protected from unexpected voltage conditions via the BMS redirecting and dissipating excess current away from the cutoff circuit.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2023Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Patent number: 11881707Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit electrically coupled to the protection circuit, and a battery pack, a positive supply line of the battery pack being electrically coupled to the cutoff circuit, wherein the protection circuit may include each of an input electrically coupled to a control input of the cutoff circuit, an output electrically coupled to an output of the cutoff circuit, and a control input of the protection circuit electrically coupled to the output of the cutoff circuit. In some examples, the protection circuit may further include a low-current leakage transistor configured to maintain the cutoff circuit in an OFF state upon detection of a reverse bias voltage. In this way, the protection circuit may mitigate unexpected switching ON of the cutoff circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2021Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Yue Li, Weiwei Lin, Steve Gierlach, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Publication number: 20230253780Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit coupled to a short-circuit protection circuit, and a battery pack, wherein the short-circuit protection circuit may include a diode array, cathodes of the diode array being coupled to a positive terminal post of the battery pack and anodes of the diode array being coupled to a negative terminal post of the battery pack. In some examples, the cutoff circuit may further be coupled to a reverse bias protection circuit including a switchable current path arranged between a control input of the cutoff circuit and an output of the cutoff circuit. In this way, the vehicle battery system may be protected from unexpected voltage conditions via the BMS redirecting and dissipating excess current away from the cutoff circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2023Publication date: August 10, 2023Inventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Publication number: 20230253781Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit coupled to a short-circuit protection circuit, and a battery pack, wherein the short-circuit protection circuit may include a diode array, cathodes of the diode array being coupled to a positive terminal post of the battery pack and anodes of the diode array being coupled to a negative terminal post of the battery pack. In some examples, the cutoff circuit may further be coupled to a reverse bias protection circuit including a switchable current path arranged between a control input of the cutoff circuit and an output of the cutoff circuit. In this way, the vehicle battery system may be protected from unexpected voltage conditions via the BMS redirecting and dissipating excess current away from the cutoff circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2023Publication date: August 10, 2023Inventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Patent number: 11670938Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit coupled to a short-circuit protection circuit, and a battery pack, wherein the short-circuit protection circuit may include a diode array, cathodes of the diode array being coupled to a positive terminal post of the battery pack and anodes of the diode array being coupled to a negative terminal post of the battery pack. In some examples, the cutoff circuit may further be coupled to a reverse bias protection circuit including a switchable current path arranged between a control input of the cutoff circuit and an output of the cutoff circuit. In this way, the vehicle battery system may be protected from unexpected voltage conditions via the BMS redirecting and dissipating excess current away from the cutoff circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: A123 Systems, LLCInventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Publication number: 20210384720Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit electrically coupled to the protection circuit, and a battery pack, a positive supply line of the battery pack being electrically coupled to the cutoff circuit, wherein the protection circuit may include each of an input electrically coupled to a control input of the cutoff circuit, an output electrically coupled to an output of the cutoff circuit, and a control input of the protection circuit electrically coupled to the output of the cutoff circuit. In some examples, the protection circuit may further include a low-current leakage transistor configured to maintain the cutoff circuit in an OFF state upon detection of a reverse bias voltage. In this way, the protection circuit may mitigate unexpected switching ON of the cutoff circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2021Publication date: December 9, 2021Inventors: Yue Li, Weiwei Lin, Steve Gierlach, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Publication number: 20210384560Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit coupled to a short-circuit protection circuit, and a battery pack, wherein the short-circuit protection circuit may include a diode array, cathodes of the diode array being coupled to a positive terminal post of the battery pack and anodes of the diode array being coupled to a negative terminal post of the battery pack. In some examples, the cutoff circuit may further be coupled to a reverse bias protection circuit including a switchable current path arranged between a control input of the cutoff circuit and an output of the cutoff circuit. In this way, the vehicle battery system may be protected from unexpected voltage conditions via the BMS redirecting and dissipating excess current away from the cutoff circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2021Publication date: December 9, 2021Inventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu