Patents by Inventor William G. Howard

William G. Howard 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: 9077022
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a battery case. The positive electrode includes a positive current collector, a first material of the form Li1?xMO2, where M is a metal, and a second material including carbon. The negative electrode includes a negative current collector, a third material including a lithium titanate material, and a fourth material including carbon. The battery case includes titanium and at least partially surrounds the positive and negative electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC, INC.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 9065145
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery having a wound electrode configuration includes a wound cell element that includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode, the positive electrode including a current collector and a first active material and the negative electrode including a current collector and a second active material. The second active material has a potential that is greater than 0.2 volts versus a lithium reference electrode. The wound cell element includes a region where an edge of the positive electrode is provided proximate an edge of the negative electrode and the second active material near the edge of the negative electrode does not extend beyond the first active material near the edge of the positive electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott, William G. Howard, Gaurav Jain
  • Patent number: 8785046
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode having a first active material and a second active material and a negative electrode including a third active material. The second active material includes a lithiated form of a material that does not include electrochemically cyclable lithium in the as-provided state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 8178242
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode having a current collector and a first active material and a negative electrode comprising a current collector, a second active material, and a third active material. The second active material comprises a lithium titanate material and the third active material comprises V6O13. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 8105714
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a plurality of generally planar positive and negative electrodes arranged in alternating fashion to form an electrode stack. Each of the electrodes includes a current collector having two opposed surfaces and an active material provided on at least one of the two opposed surfaces. The active material of the negative electrodes has a potential that is greater than 0.2 volts versus a reference electrode. The area of the current collectors of the negative electrodes covered by active material is not larger than the area of the current collectors of the positive electrodes covered by active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott, William G. Howard, Gaurav Jain
  • Publication number: 20120003531
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode having a current collector and a first active material and a negative electrode comprising a current collector, a second active material, and a third active material. The second active material comprises a lithium titanate material and the third active material comprises a sulfide. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Publication number: 20110183210
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode having a current collector and a first active material and a negative electrode comprising a current collector, a second active material, and a third active material. The second active material comprises a lithium titanate material and the third active material comprises V6O13. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Publication number: 20110133699
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a battery case. The positive electrode includes a positive current collector, a first material of the form Li1?xMO2, where M is a metal, and a second material including carbon. The negative electrode includes a negative current collector, a third material including a lithium titanate material, and a fourth material including carbon. The battery case includes titanium and at least partially surrounds the positive and negative electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 7931987
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode comprising a current collector and a first active material comprising LiCoO2 and a negative electrode comprising a current collector, a second active material, and a third active material. The second active material comprises a lithium titanate material and the third active material is V2O5. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 7927738
    Abstract: A headspace insulator for a battery cell operatively coupled to circuitry within an implantable medical device in including one or more of the following: (a) a body of electrically and thermally insulating material disposed between a battery electrode assembly and a battery cover, (b) a receiving area within the body that receives and isolates a battery feedthrough pin, (c) an indentation within the receiving area retaining the feedthrough pin within the receiving area, (d) a raised portion coupled to a battery cover providing an air gap between the cover and the headspace insulator near case-to-cover weld areas, (e) a feedthrough aperture adapted to receive a feedthrough assembly, (f) a pin aperture that receives the feedthrough pin, (g) a fillport aperture for electrolyte fluid flow through the headspace insulator, and (h) a slot that locates a battery weld bracket and isolates it from the feedthrough pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, David P. Haas, Jeffrey S. Lund
  • Patent number: 7883790
    Abstract: A medical device includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for providing power to the medical device. The lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode including a current collector and a first active material, a negative electrode including a current collector and a second active material, and an auxiliary electrode including a current collector and a third active material. The auxiliary electrode is configured for selective electrical connection to one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The first active material, second active material, and third active material are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 7879495
    Abstract: A medical device includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for providing power to the medical device. The lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode comprising a current collector and a first active material and a negative electrode comprising a current collector, a second active material, and a third active material. The first active material, second active material, and third active material are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 7875389
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode having an active material and a polymeric separator configured to allow electrolyte and lithium ions to flow between a first side of the separator and an opposite second side of the separator. The battery also includes a liquid electrolyte having a lithium salt dissolved in at least one non-aqueous solvent and a negative electrode having a lithium titanate active material. The positive electrode has a first capacity and the negative electrode has a second capacity that is less than the first capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik R. Scott, William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7858236
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode that includes a positive current collector, a first active material, and a second active material. The lithium-ion battery also includes a negative electrode comprising a negative current collector, a third active material, and a quantity of lithium in electrical contact with the negative current collector. The first active material, second active material, and third active materials are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions, and the second active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the negative current collector and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Publication number: 20100316898
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode having a first active material and a second active material and a negative electrode including a third active material. The second active material includes a lithiated form of a material that does not include electrochemically cyclable lithium in the as-provided state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 7824805
    Abstract: A battery cell in an implantable medical device is presented. The battery cell includes an anode, a cathode, an insulator therebetween, and an electrolyte. The cathode includes silver vanadium oxide and fluorinated carbon (CFx). The CFx includes fluorine at greater than or equal to 61 percentage (%) by weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Kaimin Chen, Gaurav Jain, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 7811705
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode that includes a current collector that includes a positive electrode comprising a current collector and an active material comprising a material selected from the group consisting of LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiNixCoyNi(1?x?y)O2, LiAlxCoyNi(1?x?y)O2, LiTixCoyNi(1?x?y)O2, and combinations thereof. The battery also includes a negative electrode that includes a current collector and an active material comprising a lithium titanate material. The current collector of the negative electrode includes a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, silver, and combinations thereof. The battery is configured for cycling to near-zero-voltage conditions without a substantial loss of battery capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik R. Scott, William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7807299
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode including a positive current collector, a first active material, and a second active material. The battery also includes a negative electrode having a negative current collector and a third active material, the third active material including a lithium titanate material. The first active material, second active material, and third active materials are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions. The second active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the negative current collector and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Patent number: 7803481
    Abstract: A battery includes a positive electrode having a current collector and a first active material and a negative electrode having a current collector and a second active material. The battery also includes an auxiliary electrode having a current collector and a third active material. The auxiliary electrode is configured for selective electrical connection to one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The first active material, second active material, and third active material are configured to allow doping and undoping of lithium ions. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc,
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott
  • Publication number: 20100239908
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode comprising a current collector and a first active material and a negative electrode comprising a current collector, a second active material, and a third active material. The second active material comprises a lithium titanate material and the third active material is selected from the group consisting of LixVO2 where x is between 0.05 and 0.4, LiMxMn(2?x)O4 where M is a metal and x is less than or equal to 1, V6O13, V2O5, V3O8, MoO3, TiS2, WO2, MoO2, RuO2, and combinations thereof. The third active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below a corrosion potential of the current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the first active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: William G. Howard, Craig L. Schmidt, Erik R. Scott