Control Of Current Or Power Patents (Class 307/31)
  • Patent number: 9889758
    Abstract: A charging system includes a vehicle, a charging/discharging connector, a detector, and an informing portion. The vehicle is equipped with an electric power storage device, and also includes an inlet for charging the electric power storage device. The charging/discharging connector is a connector that is attached to and detached from the inlet and that is connected to the inlet in a fully fitted state, in which charging can be performed, and a half-fitted state, in which charging is not allowed. The detector includes an electronic control unit for detecting whether a connecting state of the charging/discharging connector is the fully fitted state or the half-fitted state. The informing portion includes an indicator for informing a user of abnormal connection of the charging/discharging connector on the basis of a detection result of the electronic control unit when connection of the charging/discharging connector is the half-fitted state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daisuke Ueo
  • Patent number: 9882495
    Abstract: A switching power supply includes a switching element that turns ON and OFF a current flowing through a primary coil of a transformer to which a DC input voltage is applied, an output circuit that rectifies and smooths a voltage induced in a secondary coil of the transformer T to generate a prescribed output voltage, and a control circuit that uses feedback control to turn the switching element ON and OFF according to a feedback voltage obtained from the detected output voltage. The switching power supply also includes a supply voltage generation circuit that rectifies and smoothes a voltage induced in an auxiliary coil of the transformer to generate a plurality of supply voltages, an output voltage switching circuit that switches the output voltage according to a magnitude of a load to which the output voltage is supplied, and a supply voltage switching circuit that selects one of the supply voltages according to changes to the output voltage and supplies that supply voltage to the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Nishijima
  • Patent number: 9874914
    Abstract: Power management contracts for accessory devices are described. In one or more implementations, a power management contract is established for a system including a host computing device and an accessory device based at least in part upon power exchange conditions observed for the system. The power management contracts define operating constraints for power exchange between components of the system, including at least a power exchange direction and current limits. The host computing device and accessory devices are each configured to renegotiate the power management contract to dynamically change operating constraints in “real-time.” Additionally, different power management contracts may be associated with identifying data corresponding to different types of accessory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Gene Robert Obie, Heng Huang, Yi He, Duane Martin Evans
  • Patent number: 9876352
    Abstract: Systems and methods for voltage stability monitoring in power systems are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving data representing a set of system parameters of a power system having one or more power buses under a load condition. The method also includes estimating one or more sets of the system parameters under one or more additional load conditions based on the received data and topology information of the power system. The method further includes determining a voltage stability index for the power system based on both the received set of system parameters and the estimated one or more sets of the system parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Washington State University
    Inventors: Saugata Swapan Biswas, Anurag K Srivastava
  • Patent number: 9851680
    Abstract: A power supply device includes first and second transformers, a first power source configured to output a first DC voltage from the first transformer, a second power source configured to output a second DC voltage from the second transformer, a first winding on a primary side of the first transformer, an auxiliary winding which is wound in the same winding direction as the first winding, and a voltage generator configured to be connected to the auxiliary winding and to generate a power supply voltage for driving a first controller of the first power source and a second controller of the second power source. When an AC voltage drops, control is performed such that the second controller stops prior to the first controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junji Suzuki, Junichi Kubota
  • Patent number: 9853690
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for generating high resolution inferences in electrical networks are provided herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sampath Dechu, Pratyush Kumar
  • Patent number: 9837928
    Abstract: A single fire-wire phase-front dynamic AC power fetching module, comprising: two series-connected type synchronous power fetching circuits connected in parallel, and an electronic switch connected thereto, one series-connected type synchronous power fetching circuit is used to perform positive phase AC power fetching, while the other series-connected type synchronous power fetching circuit is used to perform negative phase AC power fetching. The electronic switch is formed by a relay or a silicon control crystal (TRIAC) controlled by an MCU microprocessor. As such, through adopting bi-directional dynamic full-bridge type power fetching, for a single fire wire, it is able to perform power fetching twice in a cycle. The duration of power fetching can be regulated automatically depending on the load, to compensate for the power, and supply it to an outside circuit as the basic power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: LOONG YEE INDUSTRIAL CORP., LTD.
    Inventor: Chi-Jen Wang
  • Patent number: 9837816
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a current control unit whose conductance is variable and a control unit configured to control the conductance of the current control unit. The current control unit is connected to a direct current power source in parallel with a load for the direct current power source, through a capacitor. The control unit sets the current control unit to a first conductance when the direct current power source and the load are not in a conduction state, and sets the current control unit to a second conductance larger than the first conductance when the direct current power source and the load are in the conduction state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Miyamura, Noboru Sakimura, Ryusuke Nebashi, Yukihide Tsuji, Tadahiko Sugibayashi
  • Patent number: 9829949
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to adaptive interrupt coalescing for energy efficient mobile platforms are discussed herein. In one embodiment, one or more interrupts are buffered based on communication throughput. At least one of the one or more interrupts are released in response to expiration of an interrupt coalescing time period. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander W. Min, Ren Wang, Jr-Shian Tsai, Mesut A. Ergin, Tsung-Yuan C. Tai
  • Patent number: 9826604
    Abstract: A state change device may be electrically connected to a switched receptacle, or to both the switched and unswitched receptacles, of an outlet. The state change device may generate a change of state signal when power is applied to, or removed from, the switched receptacle. The state change device may wirelessly communicate the signal. The state change device may include a load control circuit that may be configured to control the amount of power delivered to an electrical load that is electrically connected to the state change device. The state change device may receive commands directed to the load control circuit. The state change device may be deployed in a load control system and may operate as a control entity, such that the state change device may issue commands to one or more load control devices, responsive to the application or removal of power at the switched receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Karc, Ankit Bhutani, Galen Edgar Knode, Jamie Steffie
  • Patent number: 9819206
    Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus detects a level of power received from each of a plurality of sources. The apparatus directs the power received from a first source to a charging circuit and directs the power received from at least a second source to the charging circuit. The apparatus directs the power received from the first source to the charging circuit by comparing the detected level of the power with a threshold and directing the power to the charging circuit based on a result of the comparison. The apparatus directs the power received from the at least a second source to the charging circuit by comparing the detected level of the power with the threshold and directing the power to the charging circuit based on a result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Mustafa Keskin, Hani Ahmad-Assi, Paul Brian Sheehy, Robert Philip Gilmore
  • Patent number: 9804618
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for controlling a surgical instrument. The method includes connecting a power assembly to a control circuit, wherein the power assembly is configured to provide a source voltage, energizing, by the power assembly, a voltage boost convertor circuit configured to provide a set voltage greater than the source voltage, and energizing, by the voltage boost convertor, one or more voltage converters configured to provide one or more operating voltages to one or more circuit components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Richard L. Leimbach, Shane R. Adams, Mark D. Overmyer, Brett E. Swensgard, Thomas W. Lytle, IV, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Kevin L. Houser
  • Patent number: 9796275
    Abstract: A vehicular electronic control device activated according to an on-state signal from a main switch and a wake-up signal from an external device includes: a microcomputer; a voltage generating circuit for the microcomputer; a start circuit that generates the operation voltage with the voltage generating circuit when the on-state signal or the wake-up signal input; a printed wiring board; and a transmission wiring pattern that transmits the on-state signal. A first region of the board mounts the microcomputer and the voltage generating circuit, which activate the vehicular electronic control device when the main switch turns on. A second region of the board mounts the start circuit, which activates the vehicular electronic control device according to the wake-up signal. The transmission wiring pattern extends from the first region to reach the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akito Itou, Junji Sugiura, Hirotsugu Kato
  • Patent number: 9785181
    Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to provide a guideline for, when adding a new power cell to a power network, solving the problem of how to set an operation mode of a power conversion leg. Assuming that a power conversion leg (JRL) of the power router (JR) of a power cell (J) and a power conversion leg (KRL) of the power router (KR) of a power cell (K) are connected to each other and power is transferred from the power cell (J) to the power cell (K) when the utility grid breaks down, the leg operation modes of the leg (JRL) of the power router (JR) and leg (KRL) of the power router (KR) are set as follows: the power conversion leg (JRL) of the power router (JR) is set to a stand-alone mode; and the power conversion leg (KRL) of the power router (KR) is set to a designate power transmission/reception mode when the utility grid does not break down and to a master mode from the designate power transmission/reception mode when the utility grid breaks down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyohisa Ichino
  • Patent number: 9787093
    Abstract: A demand side electric power supply management system is disclosed. The system comprises an islanded power system having a point of coupling to a supply grid. The islanded power system supplies a plurality of electric loads, each of which is associated with a load controller to control the maximum power demanded by that load. A measuring means associated with the point of coupling measures the total power transfer between the grid and the islanded system, and a system controller monitors the measured power transfer relative to a set point and provides a control signal to a plurality of load controllers. Each load controller receives substantially the same control signal and determines the maximum power which the or each load associated with the load controller is allowed to draw from the islanded power system based on information contained in the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Auckland UniServices Limited
    Inventors: Grant Anthony Covic, John Talbot Boys, Joshua Reuben Lee
  • Patent number: 9785210
    Abstract: A household appliance includes a controller operating on an energy supply network having a data network for exchanging data via the energy supply network, wherein the network may include smart metering. The controller has a first control component embodies as a computer, a second control component for settings data, a third control component for operating data, and a fourth control component connected with the first control component and including a graph algorithm. The first control component determines data for controlling actuators from the settings data and the operating data. Through cooperation of the first control component, the fourth control component and the graph algorithm, the data from the data network for the household appliance are taken into account so as to allow operation of the household appliance always to continue. A corresponding method for operating such household appliance is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Jochen Grimminger, Tanja Haberlander, Claudia Häpp
  • Patent number: 9778722
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling power consumption is described herein. A computer system includes an enclosure. The enclosure is configured to contain a plurality of removable compute nodes. The enclosure includes a power controller configured to individually control an amount of power consumed by each of the plurality of removable compute nodes. The power controller provides a plurality of power control signals. Each power control signal is provided to and controls the power consumption of one of the plurality of removable compute nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Darren J. Cepulis, Chanh V. Hua, Yasir Q. Hashmany, Scott T. Christensen
  • Patent number: 9780641
    Abstract: A protection circuit includes a pre-charge rectifying circuit, a pre-charge resistor, a varistor, a switch, a main rectifying circuit, a bulk capacitor, and a control circuit. The pre-charge rectifying circuit is connected with an AC power source. The pre-charge resistor and the varistor are connected between the pre-charge rectifying circuit and the switch. The switch is further connected with a first node. The main rectifying circuit is connected between the AC power source and the first node. The bulk capacitor and the control circuit are connected between the first node and a ground terminal. The control circuit generates a first control signal to control the switch. The control circuit further generates a control signal set to control the main rectifying circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignees: LITE-ON ELECTRONICS (GUANGZHOU) LIMITED, LITE-ON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ming-Cheng Chuang
  • Patent number: 9764856
    Abstract: An external power supply system for an aircraft includes a power receptacle configured to connect to an external power source to provide external power, a power switch operative to switch between a battery power source and the external power source, and a voltage check system configured to prevent at least one of under-voltage or over-voltage of an aircraft electrical system. The voltage check system includes a voltage relay sensor configured to determine if the external power is within a suitable voltage range and a check switch operatively connected to the voltage relay sensor, wherein if the external power is within a suitable voltage range, the voltage relay sensor activates the check switch to allow external power to the aircraft electrical system, and wherein if the external power is outside the suitable voltage range, then the voltage relay sensor does not allow power to the aircraft electrical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford G. Stevens, Kenneth Kramer
  • Patent number: 9749065
    Abstract: Method for testing a radio frequency (RF) data packet signal transceiver device under test (DUT) including communicating via at least one of multiple available signal channels. Data packets exchanged between a tester and DUT as a normal part of a communication link initiation sequence are selectively exchanged and suppressed to enable testing of the DUT without requiring inclusion of special drivers within the DUT, special test software within the tester or establishment of a synchronized communication link between the tester and DUT. For example, in the case of a Bluetooth low energy transceiver, advertisement, scan request and scan response data packets can be used in such manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: LitePoint Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Volf Olgaard, Ruizu Wang, Ke Liu, Fei Peng
  • Patent number: 9742192
    Abstract: An effective, yet relatively simple and inexpensive, method for detection of islanding in distributed power generation systems. Statistical analysis of the local line frequency, as measured at the distributed generator, is performed to detect when an island has been formed. The statistical characteristics of the local frequency are controlled by the grid when the distributed generator is not islanding. When an island is formed, however, frequency control switches to circuitry associated with the distributed generator. Because the statistical characteristics of the frequency control performed by the distributed generator are markedly different from those of the grid, the islanding condition can be detected and corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Inventor: Michael Ropp
  • Patent number: 9733632
    Abstract: A method and system for sending a repetitive permissive guard signal from an electrical power substation to a distributed generation site over existing medium voltage distribution lines to detect an islanding condition and apply transfer trip protection is disclosed. The permissive guard signal causes a receiver at the distributed generation site to control a recloser at the distributed generation site. Loss of the signal at the receiver device causes the tripping of the recloser at the distributed generation site in less than two seconds. The tripping of the recloser physically disconnects the distributed generation site from the electric power grid. The coupling to the medium voltage distribution lines can be implemented via a single phase-to-ground coupling or via a phase-to-phase differential coupling for multi-phase medium voltage distribution lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: GridEdge Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Nachum Sadan, Norm Strandberg, Bruce Renz
  • Patent number: 9729042
    Abstract: In a power supply apparatus, an upper-arm control unit includes a first switching element connected between a DC power source and a primary side of each upper-arm transformer. The upper-arm control unit controls on and off operations of a first voltage-controlled switching element to control supply of an output voltage of the DC power source to the primary side of each upper-arm transformer. A lower-arm control unit includes a second voltage-controlled switching element connected between the DC power source and a primary side of the at least one lower-arm transformer. The lower-arm control unit controls on and off operations of a second switching element to control supply of the output voltage to the primary side of the at least one lower-arm transformers. Each upper-arm transformer is arranged adjacent to the upper-arm control unit, and the at least one lower-arm transformer is arranged adjacent to the lower-arm control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Miyauchi, Tsuneo Maebara
  • Patent number: 9722431
    Abstract: In the specimen processing system in which each of a specimen input portion which inputs a specimen, a specimen processing portion which processes the specimen, a specimen recovery portion which recovers the processed specimen, and a specimen transporting line which transports the specimen between the specimen input portion, the specimen processing portion, and the specimen recovery portion, are connected to each other by a plurality of processing (analysis) units, the processing (analysis) unit is provided with a CPU that controls the operation, and provided with a mechanism control portion which receives an electric signal from the CPU and operates the mechanism parts in the processing unit, and the mechanism part control portion includes means which can supply and stop the power of one or more arbitrarily specified mechanism parts by the electric signal from the CPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomi Hasegawa, Kuniaki Onizawa
  • Patent number: 9705281
    Abstract: A semiconductor light source driving apparatus of the present disclosure includes a switching power supply that supplies a DC voltage, a power source switching FET, a coil, an inverting FET driver, a semiconductor light source device, and a free-wheeling diode. The power source switching FET switches on/off an output of a positive terminal of the switching power supply in accordance with an input PWM signal. The coil has a first end connected to the output of the power source switching FET. The inverting FET driver is connected between a second end of the coil and a negative terminal of the switching power supply and switched on/off in accordance with an input signal. The semiconductor light source device is connected between the second end of the coil and the negative terminal of the switching power supply. The first end of the coil and the negative terminal of the switching power supply are connected to the free-wheeling diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Gyoten, Shinji Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 9673618
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, a solid-state power controller system is provided with channel protection features. The solid-state power controller system is configured to provide the ability to have sharing control over an individual SSPC channel that is operating in parallel with other SSPC channels. This can assist with the operation of secondary protection, protect the channel from exceeding its own trip curve, as well as assisting with thermal balance between the power dissipation of the channels in the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Patent number: 9671857
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically adjusting an input parameter to a power domain in a portable computing device are disclosed. The power domain includes two or more processing resources that share a power source. Dynamic use of the two or more processing resources creates an opportunity to adjust the input parameter when a status change associated with a processing resource in the power domain occurs. A controller in the power domain includes logic that responds to a status indicator associated with a respective processing resource in the power domain by generating a control signal that directs a device to adjust one or both of input voltage and clock frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Krishna V. S. S. S. R Vanka, Hee Jun Park, Sravan Kumar Ambapuram, Shirish Kumar Agarwal
  • Patent number: 9659603
    Abstract: A power management circuit for an electronic device sequentially activates and/or deactivates electronic circuits of the electronic device. The power management circuit provides a first group of one or more circuit power management signals to activate and/or deactivate a first electronic circuit from among the electronic circuits. Thereafter, the power management circuit provides a corresponding power management signal from among a second group of the one or more circuit power management signals that corresponds to a portion of the first electronic circuit that has been activated and/or deactivated by the first group of the one or more circuit power management signals to activate and/or deactivate a portion of a second electronic circuit from among the electronic circuits. The power management circuit continues to sequentially provide each of the one or more circuit power management signals in a similar manner until the electronic circuits of the electronic device have been activated and/or deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hektor Huang, Yangsyu Lin, Yu-Hao Hsu, Chia-En Huang, Chiting Cheng, Chen-Lin Yang, Jung-Ping Yang, Cheng Hung Lee
  • Patent number: 9651973
    Abstract: A method for generating a value for available operating reserve for electric utility. Electric power consumption by at least one device is determined during at least one period of time to produce power consumption data, stored in a repository. Prior to a control event for power reduction and under an assumption that it is not to occur, power consumption behavior expected of the device(s) is determined for a time period during which the control event is expected to occur based on stored power consumption data. Additionally, prior to the control event, projected energy savings resulting from the control event, and associated with a power supply value (PSV) are determined based on devices' power consumption behavior. Amount of available operating reserve is determined based on projected energy savings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Causam Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph W. Forbes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9645425
    Abstract: A driving circuit board fixing structure is disclosed. The structure includes a main body portion having a plate shape and multiple protrusion portions disposed on a surface of the main body portion. The multiple protrusion portions are disposed at intervals at the main body portion, and protrusion heights of the protrusion portions are gradually increased one by one from a first terminal of the main body portion to a second terminal of the main body portion. A liquid crystal display device is also provided. The driving circuit board fixing structure can fix COF substrates having different lengths with driving circuit boards having different sizes such that different backlight modules can be compatible with different liquid crystal panels in order to reduce the development cost of the backlight module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yuchun Hsiao, Quan Li, Guofu Tang
  • Patent number: 9633557
    Abstract: A remote control device may be configured to be mounted over the toggle actuator of a light switch and to control a load control device. The remote control device may include a base portion and a rotating portion supported by the base portion so as to be rotatable about the base portion. The remote control device may include a control circuit, a wireless communication circuit, and a rotary encoder circuit. The rotary encoder circuit may be configured to translate a force applied to the rotating portion into input signals, and to operate as an antenna of the remote control device. The rotary encoder circuit may be configured to provide the input signals to the control circuit. The control circuit may be configured to translate the one or more input signals into control signals for transmission to the load control device via the wireless communication circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Chris Dimberg, Stuart W. DeJonge, Daniel L. Twaddell
  • Patent number: 9627862
    Abstract: A submersible power system includes at least one DC power source and at least one submersible power distribution system electrically coupled to the at least one DC power source. The at least one submersible power distribution system includes at least one receptacle configured to be exposed to an underwater environment. The at least one submersible power distribution system also includes a plurality of power conversion modules removably positioned within the at least one receptacle. Each power conversion module of the plurality of power conversion modules includes an enclosure configured to be exposed to the underwater environment. The at least one submersible power distribution system further includes at least one switchyard module selectably coupled to and uncoupled from the plurality of power conversion modules. The at least one switchyard module includes a plurality of switches configured to electrically bypass and isolate each power conversion module from the DC power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicolai Hytten, Piniwan Thiwanka Bandara Wijekoon, Jean-Louis Pouliquen, Henri Baerd, Christof Martin Sihler
  • Patent number: 9618916
    Abstract: A demand control device performs demand control in which energy consumption of heat source units is suppressed with regard to a heat source system having a plurality of the heat source units with capacities and/or output characteristics that are different. The demand control device includes a receiving section, a collecting section, an energy suppression amount value calculating section, a heat source output determining section, and a driving section. The receiving section receives a demand signal which requests starting of the demand control. The energy suppression amount value calculating section calculates an energy suppression amount value relating to an energy amount suppressed during the demand control. The heat source output determining section determines an output individually with regard to each of the plurality of heat source units based on the energy suppression amount value. The driving section drives each of the plurality of heat source units using the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Kondo, Mizuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9620977
    Abstract: A battery device includes a plurality of power converters, and a power storage unit connected between the power converters. The power converters and the power storage unit are configured to convert power from a first power standard to a second power standard by transferring the power through the power storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeru Tajima
  • Patent number: 9600010
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for power through a network (1), the network (1) comprising consumer units (C1-C4) and provider units (P1-P6), the method comprising: performing one or more times a first process, the first process being a process of performing step (a) followed by step (b); wherein step (a) comprises selecting a previously unselected consumer unit (C1-C4), thereby providing a currently selected consumer unit; step (b) comprises performing one or more times a second process, the second process being a process of performing (c) followed by step (d); step (c) comprises selecting a previously unselected provider unit (P1-P6), thereby providing a currently selected provider unit, the currently selected provider unit being connected in the network (1) to the currently selected consumer unit; and step (d) comprises, from the currently selected provider unit to the currently selected consumer unit, delivering an amount of resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Andrew Peter Henry McCabe, Jordi McGregor Barr
  • Patent number: 9590490
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inrush current suppression circuit that is provided in an electric power conversion apparatus and suppresses inrush current that occurs when power is turned on, the electric power conversion apparatus including an inverter circuit and a drive power circuit that generates direct voltages of two levels as drive voltages, wherein the inrush current suppression circuit includes: an inrush current prevention resistor disposed between a converter circuit that generates DC power to be supplied to the inverter circuit and a smoothing circuit; a relay connected in parallel to the inrush current prevention resistor; and a relay control circuit that applies to the relay a higher direct voltage to shift the relay to a closed state, and after the relay is set to the closed state, applies to the relay a lower direct voltage to retain the closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichi Takezawa, Kotaro Ono
  • Patent number: 9591786
    Abstract: An electronic device for a vehicle includes: a digital substrate having a first semiconductor package with a CPU, a second semiconductor package with a volatile memory readable and writable from the CPU, a third semiconductor package with a flash memory storing a start-up program of the CPU, and a fourth semiconductor package with a power supply management integrated circuit; and a fan that takes in air along the surface of the digital substrate on which the first to fourth semiconductor packages are mounted. The third semiconductor package is disposed to distance from the first semiconductor package by at least a first predetermined distance and to distance from the fourth semiconductor package by at least a second predetermined distance exceeding the first predetermined distance, and is disposed in a passage of the air taken in by the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya Sueyoshi, Tsubasa Kawashita, Ichiro Yoshida, Kiyohiko Sawada
  • Patent number: 9578720
    Abstract: A wall-mountable wireless control device may include an antenna (e.g., a slot antenna or a hybrid slot-patch antenna) for transmitting and/or receiving radio-frequency signals. The wireless control device may comprise a user interface, an antenna, a radio-frequency communication circuit, a control circuit, and/or a conductive faceplate. The radio-frequency communication circuit may be configured to transmit or receive radio-frequency signals via the antenna. The user interface may be configured to receive a user input. The conductive faceplate may be configured to operate as a radiating element of the antenna when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device and the user interface is received in the opening of the conductive faceplate. The conductive faceplate may comprise a conductive material arranged over a plastic carrier, for example, the conductive material may be provided adjacent to greater than or equal to approximately 85% of the front surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Richard S. Camden, Donald R. Mosebrook, William Taylor Shivell, Amy E. Miller
  • Patent number: 9570908
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed, which includes a system that includes loads, linear regulators, switches and a controller. The linear regulators supply power to the loads, and the controller is adapted to use the switches to selectively couple power sources to the linear regulators to regulate a collective power dissipation of linear regulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth W. Fernald
  • Patent number: 9563218
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system and computer program is provided for controlling an electric power system, including implementation of voltage measurement using paired t statistical analysis applied to calculating a shift in average usage per customer from one time period to another time period for a given electrical use population where the pairing process is optimized using a novel technique to improve the accuracy of the statistical measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Dominion Resources, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund J. Hall, Stephen J. Tyler
  • Patent number: 9564713
    Abstract: A detachable and lockable socket includes a casing. The casing is provided with a controller, a socket unit, and a pin. The pin is connected with a silicone steel sheet. An outer periphery of the silicone steel sheet is provided with a coil. The controller is able to control the coil to be electrified or not. When the coil is electrified, the coil generates a magnetic field, enabling the pin to have a magnetic attraction force. The pin is attracted and locked to a conducting plate of a power source, avoiding looseness, disengagement and stealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventor: Szu Chi Lo
  • Patent number: 9564804
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a plurality of voltage rails to provide voltages to components of a load, a plurality of voltage regulators, and a buck converter apparatus to separately couple to more than one of the plurality of voltage rails and to provide a voltage to at least a specific one of the voltage rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander B Uan-Zo-Li, Jorege P Rodriguez, Sofia C Hao, David W Browning, Jeffrey A Carlson, Tawfik M Rahal-Arabi, Jeffrey L Krieger
  • Patent number: 9564827
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes: a DC current calculation unit for calculating a circulating current component for each phase which circulates between the phases through first arms and/or second arms not via an AC power supply and a DC power supply; and a circulating current control unit for controlling the circulating current component for each phase so as to follow a predetermined circulating current command value, thereby reliably suppressing variation in voltages of DC capacitors of unit cells among the phases even in such a case where an impedance is additionally inserted in a DC circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaho Mukunoki, Toshiyuki Fujii, Osamu Mori, Shinzo Tamai, Sadao Funahashi, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Kotaro Higashi
  • Patent number: 9563722
    Abstract: A system and method for constructively providing a set of complex-valued indices that measures the proximity of an electrical power distribution system to voltage collapse, and providing insights on general static stability issues in power networks. These indices, termed “sigmas”, are designed through a mathematical osculation of the actual load flow solution with an equivalent two-bus system at every node. The procedure for obtaining these sigmas is based on the Holomorphic Embedded Load flow Method (HELM), and the indices are, in fact, proper analytical functions of the embedding parameter, which endows them with powerful diagnostic capabilities. These indices are then used graphically on a two-dimensional chart, in order to appreciate visually the overall distance of the system to voltage collapse, while at the same time spotting the weak nodes out of the whole grid, providing new situational awareness and diagnosis tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventor: Antonio Trias
  • Patent number: 9565102
    Abstract: This application provide a method for determining an energy-efficient route, and relate to the communications field. The method includes: acquiring a topology structure, a starting node, a target node, and traffic data of a network, where the traffic data includes a record of traffic among all nodes on the network; and calculating, according to the topology structure and the traffic data of the network by using an integer linear programming algorithm, an energy-efficient route between the starting node and the target node and reserved bandwidth corresponding to the energy-efficient route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mingui Zhang
  • Patent number: 9556852
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and a power plant controller arranged to carry out the method. The method is on an intelligent dispatching of the power production to wind turbines and optional compensation equipment of a wind power plant, as the power producing units of a wind power plant. The invention relates to a case where the requested produced power (both active and reactive) is less than the total capacity of the power plant, and the invention relates to utilizing this situation to dispatch set points to the wind turbines and the compensation equipment based on correction factors relating to the operating conditions of the wind park. This method may increase the wind turbines' life time, help in scheduling maintenance and expand the electrical operating range of the wind power plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Mehrdad Babazadeh, Saed Ehsani, Martin Ansbjerg Kjær, Henrik B. Møller
  • Patent number: 9553517
    Abstract: A system includes a first DC rail configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a first energy storage device (e.g., a battery), a second DC rail configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a second energy storage device (e.g., an ultracapacitor), and a plurality of converter legs coupled between the first and second DC rails and including at least one first converter leg configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the first energy storage device and at least one second converter leg configured to be coupled to second terminal of the second energy storage device. The system further includes a switch configured to couple and decouple the second terminals of the first and second energy storage devices. The at least one first converter leg and the at least one second converter leg provide different current capacities to deal with differences in power density of the energy storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Fllexgen Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert William Johnson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9529058
    Abstract: Low-impedance pins are electrically connected to a set of corresponding nodes of a multi-phase VRM. The multi-phase VRM is activated. A failure condition is induced in a phase of the multi-phase VRM by modifying operating parameters of the phase of the multi-phase VRM using the set of low-impedance pins. The output signal of the multi-phase VRM is monitored in response to the induced failure condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yakup Bulur, Marc Coq, Richard J. Fishbune, Eric B. Swenson
  • Patent number: 9513613
    Abstract: Provided is a method of controlling a component for a network system. The method of controlling a component for a network system, which is communicable with the other component, includes recognizing energy information or additional information except for the energy information; and providing recommended information related to an operation of the component within a recommended range on the basis of the recognized energy information or the additional information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Junho Ahn, Daegeun Seo, Dalho Cheong, Joongkeun Lee, Bongmun Jang, Yanghwan Kim, Hoonbong Lee, Koonseok Lee, Moonseok Seo, Seogho Go
  • Patent number: 9513683
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a control circuitry used in a computing system, for enabling or disabling a standby module of a power supply. The control circuitry is electrically coupled to two nodes of the standby module, and comprises a determination circuit, a transistor, and an optical coupler. The present disclosure further provides a power saving method used in a computing system is illustrated. Whether the computing system is turned off is determined. If the computing system is turned off, a setting that whether the turned off computing system requires the standby voltage is judged. If the turned off computing system does not require the standby voltage, a standby module of a power supply is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD., UNIVERSAL GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chin-Hsing Hung, Ming-Chao Hung