Patents by Inventor Yifan Tang

Yifan Tang 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: 10778118
    Abstract: Provided herein is a power converter component to power a drive unit of an electric vehicle drive system. The power converter component includes an inverter module formed having three half-bridge modules arranged in a triplet configuration for electric vehicle drive systems. Positive inputs, negative inputs, and output terminals of the different half-bridge inverter modules are aligned with each other. The inverter module includes a positive bus-bar coupled with the positive inputs and a negative bus-bar coupled with the negative inputs of the half-bridge inverter modules. The positive bus-bar is positioned adjacent to and parallel with the negative bus-bar. The inverter module can be coupled with a drive train unit of the electric vehicle and provide three phase voltages to the drive train unit. Each of the half bridge modules can generate a single phase voltage and three half-bridge modules arranged in a triplet configuration can provide three phase voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignees: CHONGQING JINKANG NEW ENERGY VEHICLE CO., LTD., SF MOTORS, INC.
    Inventors: Nathan Chung, Jinzhu Li, Kangwei Mao, Colin Haag, Zhong Nie, Duanyang Wang, Yifan Tang
  • Patent number: 10778117
    Abstract: Provided herein is an inverter module to power an electric vehicle. The inverter module can include a power module or multiple power modules. The power module can include a capacitor and a heat sink coupled with the capacitor. The power module can include a ceramic plate coupled with the heat sink. The power module can include a locator having a plurality of slots and a plurality of transistors disposed within the plurality of slots. The locator and the plurality of transistors can be disposed over a first surface of the ceramic plate. The power module can include a laminated bus bar disposed over a first surface of the locator. The power module can include a gate drive printed circuit board coupled with the laminated bus bar. The power module can include a dielectric gel tray disposed over a first surface of the gate drive printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignees: CHONGQING JINKANG NEW ENERGY VEHICLE CO., LTD., SF MOTORS, INC.
    Inventors: Yunan Song, Kangwei Mao, Jinzhu Li, Colin Haag, Nathan Chung, Zhong Nie, Duanyang Wang, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20200287188
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a microporous separator with a pore geometry that creates a low or no tortuosity architecture. In one embodiment, a battery cell may comprise of an anode layer, a cathode layer, and a separator layer positioned between the cathode layer and the anode layer. The separator layer may be comprised of one or more block copolymers. The block copolymers that make up the separator layer may be materials that self-align into a vertical nanostructure. The vertical nanostructures may allow ions within the battery cell to flow in a vertical path between the cathode and anode. This vertical path my create a low or no tortuosity environment within the battery cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Brennan Campbell, Scott Monismith, Yifan Tang, Ying Liu
  • Patent number: 10772242
    Abstract: Provided herein is an inverter module to power an electric vehicle. The inverter module can include a power module or multiple power modules. The power module can include a capacitor and a heat sink coupled with the capacitor. The power module can include a ceramic plate coupled with the heat sink. The power module can include a locator having a plurality of slots and a plurality of transistors disposed within the plurality of slots. The locator and the plurality of transistors can be disposed over a first surface of the ceramic plate. The power module can include a laminated bus bar disposed over a first surface of the locator. The power module can include a gate drive printed circuit board coupled with the laminated bus bar. The power module can include a dielectric gel tray disposed over a first surface of the gate drive printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignees: CHONGQING JINKANG NEW ENERGY VEHICLE CO., LTD., SF MOTORS, INC.
    Inventors: Yunan Song, Kangwei Mao, Jinzhu Li, Colin Haag, Nathan Chung, Zhong Nie, Duanyang Wang, Yifan Tang
  • Patent number: 10756396
    Abstract: Provided herein are battery cells for battery packs in electric vehicles. The battery cell can include a housing having a first end, a second end, and an inner surface. The housing can define an inner region and an electrolyte can be disposed in the inner region of the housing. A gasket can couple a lid with the first end of the housing to seal the battery cell. The inner surface can include a recess and a groove. The groove can form a path from the recess to an egress point on the first end of the housing. A pressure sensor can be disposed in the recess. The pressure sensor can couple with a pressure sensor wire disposed in the groove and the pressure sensor wire can extend from the recess and past the egress point on the first end of the housing to provide sensed pressure information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignees: CHONGQING JINKANG NEW ENERGY VEHICLE CO., LTD., SF MOTORS, INC.
    Inventors: Yifan Tang, Chien-Fan Chen, Ying Liu
  • Patent number: 10756649
    Abstract: Provided herein is a power converter component to power a drive unit of an electric vehicle drive system. The power converter component includes an inverter module formed having three half-bridge modules arranged in a triplet configuration for electric vehicle drive systems. Positive inputs, negative inputs, and output terminals of the different half-bridge inverter modules are aligned with each other. The inverter module includes a positive bus-bar coupled with the positive inputs and a negative bus-bar coupled with the negative inputs of the half-bridge inverter modules. The positive bus-bar is positioned adjacent to and parallel with the negative bus-bar. The inverter module can be coupled with a drive train unit of the electric vehicle and provide three phase voltages to the drive train unit. Each of the half bridge modules can generate a single phase voltage and three half-bridge modules arranged in a triplet configuration can provide three phase voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignees: CHONGQING JINKANG NEW ENERGY VEHICLE CO., LTD., SF MOTORS, INC.
    Inventors: Nathan Chung, Jinzhu Li, Kangwei Mao, Colin Haag, Zhong Nie, Duanyang Wang, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20200257299
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle that automatically responds to an emergency service vehicle. Perception data is captured or received by the autonomous vehicle (AV) cameras, sensors, and microphones. The perception data is used to detect lanes in a road, generate a list of objects, classify one or more of the objects, and determine a state for the classified objects. In response to detecting an emergency service vehicle such as a law enforcement vehicle, a responsive action may be planned by the AV. The responsive action may include sending an acknowledgement signal, notifying passengers of the AV, generating a planned trajectory based on the emergency service vehicle location, an emergency service vehicle detected intention, and other information. A safety check may be performed, and commands may be generated by a control module to navigate the AV along the planned trajectory. The commands may then be executed by a DBW module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicants: Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Vehicle, Ltd., SF Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Fan Wang, Yifan Tang, Tom Zhang, Ke Huang
  • Publication number: 20200253083
    Abstract: Provided herein are a heat sink module of an inverter module to power an electric vehicle. The heats sink module can include a heat sink body having a plurality of mounting holes, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The heats sink module can include a cooling channel that can be fluidly coupled with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The heats sink module can include an insulator plate having a first surface and a second surface. The second surface of the insulator plate can couple with a joining surface of the heat sink body to seal the cooling channel. The heats sink module can include a heat sink lid disposed over the insulator plate. The heat sink lid can have a plurality of mounting feet to couple with the mounting holes of the heat sink body to secure the heat sink lid to the heat sink body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Yunan Song, Colin Haag, Zhong Nie, Duanyang Wang, Yifan Tang
  • Patent number: 10734620
    Abstract: A battery cell of a battery pack to power an electric vehicle can include a housing to at least partially enclose an electrode assembly is provided. The battery cell can include a vent plate coupled with the housing via a glass weld at a lateral end of the battery cell. The vent plate can include a scoring pattern to cause the vent plate to rupture in response to a threshold pressure. A first end of a polymer tab can be electrically coupled with the vent plate at an area within a scored region defined by the scoring pattern. A second end of the polymer tab can be electrically coupled with an electrode assembly. The polymer tab can melt in response to either a threshold temperature or a threshold current within the battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignees: CHONGQING JINKANG NEW ENERGY VEHICLE CO., LTD., SF MOTORS, INC.
    Inventors: Ying Liu, Scott Quinlan Freeman Monismith, Chien-Fan Chen, Jeremy Andrew Elsberry, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20200235441
    Abstract: Systems and methods to manage battery cell degradation are provided. The system determines anode stoichiometry bounds in full-cell and cathode stoichiometry bounds in full-cell. The system measures a cell open circuit voltage subsequent to a rest duration. The system identifies, via a data fitting technique and the cell open circuit voltage, a change in the anode stoichiometry bounds in full-cell and a change in the cathode stoichiometry bounds in full-cell. The system determines a total cyclable lithium ion for the battery cell, an amount of anode active material and an amount of anode cathode material. The system determines a primary capacity fade mechanism for the battery cell. The system generates a battery health indicator, selects a command, and provides the command to manage power consumption from the battery cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Saeed Khaleghi Rahimian, Sangwoo Han, Ying Liu, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20200212410
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems, apparatuses, and methods of powering electric vehicles. A battery pack can be disposed in an electric vehicle to power the electric vehicle. A housing can be arranged in the battery pack and can have a first polarity terminal. A capping element can be mechanically coupled with the housing and can have a second polarity terminal. A battery cell array can be arranged within a cavity in the housing. The battery cell array can have a first polarity terminal electrically coupled with the housing. The battery cell array can have a second polarity terminal electrically coupled with the capping element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Brennan Campbell, Scott Quinlan Freeman Monismith, Derek Nathan Wong, Yifan Tang, Ying Liu
  • Publication number: 20200212684
    Abstract: An automatically generated and customized fast charging process results in reduced degradation in the battery cell. An algorithm for a particular battery cell profile is automatically generated and customized to minimize degradation due to fast charging for that particular batch. To generate the custom algorithm, battery cell information is retrieved for a profile of a battery, wherein each battery profile may have a particular manufacturer, model, type, electrode batch, and potentially other specific identification information. Each battery cell is charged from a particular SOC level and at a selected C-rate, and then discharged. During discharge, the battery cell is monitored for detection of lithium plating or other undesirable effects. A lookup table is automatically generated from the battery cell information, and can be provided to devices and/or battery management systems. The BMS then uses the lookup table to apply a charging process that is customized to the on-board battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicants: Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Vehicle, Ltd., SF Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Brennan Campbell, Saeed Khaleghi Rahimian, Joseph Tolentino, Yifan Tang, Ying Liu
  • Publication number: 20200212382
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems, apparatuses, and methods of providing electrical energy for electric vehicles. A battery pack can be disposed in an electric vehicle to power the electric vehicle. A battery cell can be arranged in the battery pack. The battery cell can have a housing. The housing can define a cavity within the housing. The battery cell can have an electrode structure arranged within the cavity. The electrode structure can include a first polarity electrode plate, a second polarity electrode plate, and at least one separator. First and second polarity tabs are coupled with the first and second polarity electrode plates, respectively. The tabs include a flat surface, an electrode interface surface and at least one intermediate surface that extends therebetween. The at least one intermediate surface forms an acute angle with the electrode interface surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Scott Quinlan Freeman Monismith, Jeremy Elsberry, Brennan Campbell, Derek Nathan Wong, Ying Liu, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20200207353
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle automatically implements an intention aware lane change with a safety guaranteed lane biased strategy. To make a lane change, the autonomous vehicle first navigates within the current lane to near the edge of the current lane, to a position offset by a bias. By navigating to the edge of the lane, the autonomous vehicle provides a physical and virtual notification, in addition to a turn signal, that it is the intention of the vehicle to change into the lane adjacent to the edge of the lane in which the vehicle has navigated to. After performing a safety check and waiting for a minimum period of time during which vehicles in the adjacent lane can be assumed to have been warned or been put on notice of the lane change, the autonomous vehicle navigates into the adjacent lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicants: Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Vehicle, Ltd., SF Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Jhenghao Chen, Chen Bao, Fan Wang, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20200212436
    Abstract: A battery cell of a battery pack to power an electric vehicle is provided. The battery cell can include a housing defining an inner region. A plurality of cathodes can be disposed within the inner region. Each of the plurality of cathodes can include an aluminum material comprises a first face and a second face and a coating disposed on the first face and the second face. The coating can include lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide particles and a linear carbon conductive additive to form a connection between a plurality of the lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Tianyuan Liu, Ying Liu, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20200210541
    Abstract: A multiple particle reduced order model accurately predicts lithium plating potential in real time during the life of a lithium battery cell. In the current multi-particle reduced order modeling system, the current density and the potential distributions are solved iteratively. Once the current distribution is solved, lithium concentration distribution is solved without involving any iterative process. By solving the lithium concentration distribution as a separate step after the iteratively determined current density and potential distributions, the computation time required by the model to generate an output is dramatically reduced by avoiding solving multiple partial derivative equations iteratively. Based on the potential distribution information provided by the output of the model, lithium plating potential can be determined and actions can be taken, such as modified charging techniques and rates, to minimize future lithium plating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicants: Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Vehicle, Ltd., SF Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Sangwoo Han, Saeed Khaleghi Rahimian, Mehdi Forouzan, Ying Liu, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20200209874
    Abstract: A combined virtual and real environment for autonomous vehicle planning and control testing. An autonomous vehicle is operated in a real environment where a planning module and control module operate to plan and execute vehicle navigation. Simulated environment elements, including simulated image and video detected objects, simulated radar detected objects, simulated lane lines, and other simulated elements detectable by radar, lidar, camera, and any other vehicle perception systems, are received along with real-world detected elements. The simulated and real-world elements are combined and processed to by the autonomous vehicle data processing system. Once processed, the autonomous vehicle plans and executes navigation based on mixed real-world and simulated data in the same way. By adding simulated data to real data, the autonomous vehicle systems may be tested in hypothetical situations in a real-world environment and conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicants: Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Vehicle, Ltd., SF Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Jhenghao Chen, Fan Wang, Yifan Tang, Chen Bao
  • Publication number: 20200212372
    Abstract: A solid state battery cell can include a first polarity terminal, a second polarity terminal and a housing defining a cavity and functioning as a current collector for the first polarity terminal. The battery cell can include a membrane disposed in the cavity and dividing the cavity into a first portion and a second portion, an electrically conductive pin functioning as a current collector for the second polarity terminal, and an insulator electrically isolating the electrically conductive pin from the housing. A solid state anode material, including solid state anode particles, first solid state electrolyte particles and a first conductive additive, can be disposed in the first portion of the cavity. A solid state cathode material, including solid state cathode particles, second solid state electrolyte particles and a second conductive additive, can be disposed in the second portion of the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Derek Nathan Wong, Scott Quinlan Freeman Monismith, Jeremy Elsberry, Brennan Campbell, Ying Liu, Yifan Tang
  • Publication number: 20200212433
    Abstract: Systems and methods for manufacturing an electrode is provided. An example method may comprise disposing, by a blade, a slurry onto a surface of a current collector, the slurry including an active material and a solvent, applying, by an electric field source, an electric field between the blade and the current collector, and drying the slurry applied to the surface of the current collector to remove the solvent. The electric field is applied continuously while the slurry is disposed onto the surface of the current blade. The electric field affects the structure of portions of the slurry by causing a Van der Waals interaction and a polarization attraction between the active material and the current collector. The slurry may include of 95% graphite, 3% of a binder, and 5% of reduced graphene oxide. The solvent may include 4 to 1 mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicants: Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Vehicle, Ltd., SF Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Willy Sandi Halim, Yu-Hsin Huang, Chien-Po Huang, Ying Liu, Yifan Tang, Chengyu Mao
  • Publication number: 20200212432
    Abstract: Described is a method to form an anode for a battery pack to power an electric vehicle. The method can include forming a powder mix of a carbonaceous material and a conductive additive. The powder mix can be divided into portions and iteratively added to a carboxymethyl cellulose solution to generate a slurry. The slurry can be dispensed onto a face of a conductive film. Also described is a battery cell for a battery pack to power an electric vehicle. The battery cell can have a housing and at least one anode coupled with the housing. Each anode can have a conductive film forming the anode surface. Each anode can have a coating disposed on the conductive film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Gang Yang, Ying Liu, Yifan Tang