With Discharge Of Cells Or Batteries Patents (Class 320/118)
  • Patent number: 9671469
    Abstract: A voltage detection circuit for a secondary battery. A secondary battery is composed of a plurality of battery blocks (B1) to (B3), and is connected to a flying capacitor (C1) via input side sampling switches (SW1) to (SW3). The flying capacitor (C1) is connected to a differential amplifier circuit (10) via output side sampling switches (SWa) and (SWb). A feedback capacitor (C2) is connected to an inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit (10) to form an integrator circuit, which reduces the capacitance of the flying capacitor (C1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: PRIMEARTH EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Koduka, Mitsuhiro Kamo, Tsuyoshi Miyahara
  • Patent number: 9673738
    Abstract: A power tool including a motor, a first battery pack, a second battery pack, a first switching element coupled between the first battery pack and the motor, a second switching element coupled between the second battery pack and the motor, and controller coupled to the first switching element and the second switching element. The controller includes a first pulse-width modulation (PWM) output coupled to the first switching element and a first PWM signal to selectively close the first switching element. The controller further includes a second PWM output coupled to the second switching element and a second PWM signal to selectively close the second switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TECHTRONIC POWER TOOLS TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Stuart Miller, James A. Patton, G. Michael Hornick, Michael E. Buckner, Nicolas J. Hanks, Frederick Bryan
  • Patent number: 9673656
    Abstract: Provided is a highly safe battery device in which the accuracy of an overcurrent detection current value and a short-circuit current value is improved and current consumption is reduced. A short-circuit and overcurrent detecting circuit includes: a reference voltage circuit configured to output a reference voltage generated when a constant current flows through an impedance element and a transistor having a resistance value that is changed depending on a voltage of a secondary battery; a first comparator circuit configured to compare a voltage of an overcurrent detecting terminal with the reference voltage; and a second comparator circuit configured to compare a voltage based on the voltage of the overcurrent detecting terminal with the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: SII Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ono, Toshiyuki Koike, Satoshi Abe, Fumihiko Maetani
  • Patent number: 9667073
    Abstract: A device includes a transformer, a controller, and a switch coupled between the transformer and the controller. The transformer has a primary coil and a secondary coil. The controller receives an indication of a metric of a cell of a battery. In response to the indication, the controller outputs a signal to select a polarity of a balancing current for balancing the cell. The switch receives the signal from the controller. In response to the signal, the switch causes the transformer to generate a primary current of a selected polarity through the primary coil. The transformer generates the balancing current through the secondary coil by inductively coupling the primary coil to the secondary coil. The transformer outputs the balancing current having the polarity for balancing the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Jian-Yi Wu
  • Patent number: 9660474
    Abstract: An energy storage system with an energy storage cell coupled to a battery management system provided with a charge control circuit, a discharge control circuit and a maintenance discharge control circuit. The maintenance discharge control circuit including a voltage booster coupled to a constant current/constant voltage (CC/CV) regulator. Each of the charge control circuit, the discharge control circuit and the maintenance discharge control circuit are coupled between the battery management system and a host power rail. The voltage booster is operable to raise a voltage from the energy storage cell to a CC/CV regulator input voltage greater than a voltage of the host power rail, enabling the CC/CV regulator to provide a selected maximum voltage and corresponding maximum current to the host power rail during a maintenance discharge cycle of the energy storage cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Inventus Power, Inc.
    Inventor: Lucas H Sturnfield
  • Patent number: 9651625
    Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus comprises a reception section to receive a radio signal and to output power and a demodulated signal according to the radio signal; a first power source circuit to perform power supply based on the power; a decode circuit to operate upon receiving the power supply from the first power source circuit and to output an activation signal and a command based on the demodulated signal; a second power source circuit to be activated according to the activation signal and to perform power supply; a battery monitoring circuit to operate upon receiving the power supply from the second power source circuit and to output a monitoring result of a state of the battery according to the command; and a transmission section to operate upon receiving the power supply from the second power source circuit and to wirelessly transmit the monitoring result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiko Kudo, Tomonori Kanai, Hikaru Miura, Akihiko Emori
  • Patent number: 9647466
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery module that is constituted with a plurality of serially connected battery cells, a plurality of integrated circuits that group the battery cells so as to perform processing on battery cells in each group, a first transmission path through which a command signal is transmitted via a first insulating circuit from a higher-order control circuit that controls the integrated circuits to a highest-order integrated circuit of the integrated circuit, a second transmission path through which a data signal collected by the integrated circuits is transmitted from the highest-order integrated circuit to a lowest-order integrated circuit, and a third transmission path through which the data signal is transmitted from the lowest-order integrated circuit to the higher-order control circuit via a second insulating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Kubo, Akihiko Kudo, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Gosuke Shibahara
  • Patent number: 9647465
    Abstract: A short-circuit and overcurrent detecting circuit includes a reference voltage circuit including a constant current circuit, a first impedance element, a first transistor having a resistance value depending a voltage of a secondary battery, a second impedance element, and a second transistor having a resistance value depending the voltage of the secondary battery, which are connected in series. The reference voltage circuit outputs a first reference voltage from a node of the constant current circuit and the first impedance element, and outputs a second reference voltage from a node of the first transistor and the second impedance element. The short-circuit and overcurrent detecting circuit further includes: a first comparator circuit for comparing a voltage of an overcurrent detecting terminal with the first reference voltage; and a second comparator circuit for comparing the voltage of the overcurrent detecting terminal with the second reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: SII Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ono, Toshiyuki Koike, Satoshi Abe, Fumihiko Maetani
  • Patent number: 9645201
    Abstract: The voltage measuring apparatus is connected to a plurality of battery cells connected to each other in series to measure respective voltages of the battery cells. The voltage measuring apparatus includes a sample/hold amplifier configured to sample and hold positive electrode and negative electrode voltages of the battery cells to generate first and second output voltages, a differential voltage converter configured to generate a battery cell voltage according to a voltage difference between a positive input terminal and a negative input terminal, and a switching unit configured to control the first and second output voltages and connection between the positive input terminal and the negative input terminal so that a polarity of the voltage difference is constant. The sample/hold amplifier electrically insulates the switching unit from the battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor LTD
    Inventors: Moonsik Song, Seok Heo
  • Patent number: 9634502
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for charging a battery of a portable device are disclosed, including receiving, by a charging component, an amount of voltage on a power bus connectable to an external device, wherein the charging component charges the battery with the amount of voltage received. The methods and apparatus include authenticating, by an authentication component, the portable device with the external device via a plurality of signal lines, wherein the authentication component is configured to transmit one or more authentication signals on one or more of the plurality of signal lines. The methods and apparatus include transmitting, by a configuration component, a modified voltage signal and a modified current signal to the external device via the plurality of signal lines, wherein the modified voltage signal and the modified current signal are operable to cause the external device to modify the amount of voltage transmitted to the power bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: William Henry Von Novak, III, Linda Stacey Irish
  • Patent number: 9610857
    Abstract: Various techniques described herein relate to electric vehicle power management system for managing a plurality of battery modules in a battery pack. Such electric vehicle power management system may include a plurality of battery management systems corresponding to a plurality of battery modules, and an energy management system for managing the plurality of battery management systems. The energy management system and the plurality of battery management systems may adopt master-slave wireless communication, and may use a single wireless frequency channel or a plurality of assigned wireless frequency channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: THUNDER POWER HONG KONG LTD.
    Inventor: Yu-Ting Dai
  • Patent number: 9608458
    Abstract: Systems and methods of pre-charging battery cells that can reliably pre-charge battery cells included in a plurality of series-connected battery modules. The systems and methods can monitor a value of a pre-charge current provided to the plurality of series-connected battery modules, as well as monitor a voltage level of the battery cells within each battery module. The systems and methods can further switchingly interrupt the pre-charge current within each battery module once it has reached a predetermined threshold current value or the battery cells within the battery module have been charged to a UVP level, causing a flyback current to flow into the battery cells of each battery module that have not yet been charged to the UVP level. Once the battery cells within each battery module have been charged to the UVP level, the systems and methods can provide a full-charge current to the plurality of series-connected battery modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: NEC Energy Solutons, Inc.
    Inventors: Yevgeny Maltsev, Gregory Tremelling
  • Patent number: 9601932
    Abstract: A system that balances voltages between battery banks. The system includes battery banks, including a first bank and a second bank, and a first capacitor. The system also includes a first set of switching devices which selectively couple first and second terminals of the first capacitor to first and second terminals of the first bank, and to first and second terminals of the second bank. The system includes a clocking circuit which generates clock signals with substantially non-overlapping first and second clock phases. This clocking circuit is configured so that during the first phase the first and second terminals of the first capacitor are coupled to the first and second terminals of the first bank, respectively, and during the second phase the first and second terminals of the first capacitor are coupled to the first and second terminals of the second bank, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Athas, Thomas C. Greening
  • Patent number: 9595847
    Abstract: An uninterrupted power supply system incorporates a plurality of lithium batteries as a back-up power supply to an AC power supply. In the event that there is an interruption in the AC power supply, a power output switch is automatically activated by a power control system to draw power from a lithium battery pack. In an embodiment, a battery pack is monitored by a battery management system that is coupled to battery monitoring modules couple to each battery. The battery management system may be configured to monitor the voltage and/or temperature of each battery. In another embodiment, an uninterrupted power supply system comprises a battery unit balancing system that maintains each battery within a battery unit below a threshold voltage value. A charging circuit and discharging circuit are used to maintain the batteries in a ready state of charge when not being used for the output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Elite Power Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Yuan Dao, William Jeffrey Schlanger
  • Patent number: 9592738
    Abstract: Serial communication verification and safety control is disclosed. A multi-part system such as a battery management system can include distributed or subsidiary components for determining status of various parts of the system with the components in serial or point-to-point communication with a collective main controller. A safety controller can be implemented to passively be coupled to the serial or point-to-point communication between the main controller and the subsidiary units. The safety controller can monitor and verify the communication between the main controller and the subsidiary units and send a safety command or verification indicator in another line of communication separate from the communication bus between the main controller and the subsidiary units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: FARADAY&FUTURE INC.
    Inventors: Anil Paryani, Omourtag Alexandrov Velev
  • Patent number: 9595836
    Abstract: A power transfer circuit for achieving power transfer between stacked rechargeable battery cells is disclosed. The power transfer circuit includes an inductor, a first switch, a second switch and a controller. A loop of the rechargeable battery cell having higher power and the inductor is conducted so that the inductor stores power until the current flowing through the inductor meets the cutoff amount. Then, a loop of the rechargeable battery cell having lower power and the inductor is conducted so that the inductor releases the power saved in the inductor to the rechargeable battery cell having lower power until current flowing through the inductor changes direction. Therefore, balance between the rechargeable battery cells can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Hycon Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chuan Sheng Wang, Po Yin Chao, Jui Chien Liu
  • Patent number: 9590432
    Abstract: A battery control device having a plurality of cell controllers which are provided corresponding to respective cell groups, are mutually connected in accordance with a predetermined communication order, and detect a state of each unit battery cell of a corresponding cell group, a control circuit which starts or stops a plurality of cell controllers, transmits a communication signal to the highest-order cell controller in a communication order among the plurality of cell controllers, and receives the communication signal from the lowest-order cell controller in the communication order among the plurality of cell controllers, and a first insulating element provided between the control circuit and the highest-order cell controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinya Kato, Akihiro Machida, Tatsumi Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 9583957
    Abstract: Introduced are a cell balancing integrated circuit which may be realized including a small number of switches or diodes, an energy non-consumption type cell balancing system including the cell balancing integrated circuit, and an energy non-consumption type cell balancing method. The energy non-consumption type cell balancing system includes a battery pack, a cell balancing circuit, and a plurality of inductors and capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: SILICON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ju Pyo Hong, Yong Goo Kim, Chol Ho Kim, Moon Young Kim, Jun Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9583958
    Abstract: A voltage detecting device includes a voltage detecting circuit configured to detect voltages of a plurality of battery cells constituting a battery; a plurality of voltage detecting lines connecting the respective battery cells to the voltage detecting circuit; discharging circuits connecting the respective voltage detecting lines to a ground, and discharging the battery cells in an overcharged state; a power adjusting section adjusting power of the battery, and supplying the voltage detecting circuit with the adjusted power as driving power; the voltage detecting circuit detecting the voltages of the respective battery cells via the voltage detecting lines; and an overvoltage protecting circuit protecting the voltage detecting circuit from voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, the voltage being generated in the voltage detecting lines, the discharging circuits, and the power adjusting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: KEIHIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuya Miyajima
  • Patent number: 9577293
    Abstract: In the present invention, a method and system for equalizing and matching lithium secondary batteries belong to the field of secondary batteries. A lithium secondary battery is divided into more than one grade according to the magnitude of a consumable current Ic, the number of grades is h, the lithium secondary battery is divided into grades corresponding to the consumable current according to the magnitude of a voltage difference ?V, a battery cell at a grade same as that of the consumable current and the voltage difference is selected for matching, so the range of the consumable current of the battery group can be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: GUANGZHOU FULLRIVER BATTERY NEW TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shengcheng Tang, Shihua Zeng, Dingbo Cheng, Xiaoping Zeng
  • Patent number: 9577442
    Abstract: Provided are a cell balance device with high cell balance performance and high cell balance speed and requiring no high voltage process, and a battery system including the cell balance devices. The cell balance device includes: three terminals to be connected to secondary batteries; one terminal to be connected to a voltage hold device; three switches provided between the three terminals and the one terminal; and a receiving terminal and a transmitting terminal for a synchronization signal. Alternatively, the cell balance device includes: four terminals to be connected to secondary batteries; two terminals to be connected to a voltage hold device; six switches provided between the four terminals and the two terminals; and a receiving terminal and a transmitting terminal for a synchronization signal. The battery system includes: a plurality of secondary batteries; a plurality of voltage hold devices; a plurality of cell balance devices; and a clock generation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakurai, Kazuaki Sano, Hiroshi Saito
  • Patent number: 9568930
    Abstract: According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system for managing a power system with a plurality of power components that includes power source components and power consumption components includes a central power bus, a plurality of adaptable connectors that each electrically couple to a power component and to the central power bus, and a control processor that receives the state of each power component from the respective adaptable connector and is configured to balance the voltage and current output from each power source component to provide a desired power to a power consumption component based on the received states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Motiv Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim Michael Castelaz, Jessica Riley, Steven Diamond, Sam Chang, Vishal Parikh, Benson Tsai
  • Patent number: 9559391
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a battery module including a plurality of connected cells is provided. Each of the connected cells is a nickel-metal hydride battery including a positive electrode containing an active material of which a main component is nickel hydroxide, a negative electrode containing a hydrogen adsorption alloy, and an electrolytic solution that is an alkali solution. The method includes over-discharging the battery module so that a state of charge reaches 0% in every one of the connected cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: PRIMEARTH EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Nakagiri, Daisuke Koba
  • Patent number: 9559529
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention describe a battery including a plurality of master-less controllers. Each controller is operatively connected to a corresponding cell in a string of cells, and each controller is configured to bypass a fraction of current around the corresponding cell when the corresponding cell has a greater charge than one or more other cells in the string of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Robert M Button, Marcelo C Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 9555815
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electric power conversion device includes an inverter which converts DC power into AC power and supplies the AC power to electric equipment of a railway vehicle, a battery capable of storing DC power, and a converter which converts the AC power into DC power and charges the battery. The battery supplies electric power to the inverter when the electric power is not supplied to the inverter from an external power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Michiaki Ishikawa, Hiroaki Otani
  • Patent number: 9550425
    Abstract: An upper chamber and a lower chamber are provided in a housing of an electric storage device for vehicle deployment by a middle base plate. The lower chamber is sealed with respect to the upper chamber by the middle base plate. A battery module is disposed in the lower chamber. A control device, such as a cell controller, and electrical parts, such as a junction box and a service disconnect switch, are mounted in the upper chamber. Strong and weak current system wiring that connect the battery module and the electrical parts respectively penetrate strong and weak current system openings of the middle base plate, and are routed to the upper chamber. The openings, which are penetrated by the strong and the weak current system wiring, are each provided with a sealing member, and thus the lower chamber is sealed with respect to the upper chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Sugawara
  • Patent number: 9537329
    Abstract: A battery management circuit maintains voltage balance during charging and discharging of a multi-cell, series connected battery stack. The circuit allows the entire energy content of the battery stack to be drained, as opposed to just monitoring the cells and turning off the discharge when the first cell voltage drops below a predetermined threshold. The circuit also provides high efficiency voltage balancing during charging of the battery stack conserving energy and keeping the temperature of the battery pack to a minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: General Electronics Applications, Inc.
    Inventor: Joe Pernyeszi
  • Patent number: 9537132
    Abstract: A battery includes a plurality of battery modules which are arranged in battery strings and are selectively activated or deactivated by driving. The battery module voltage of a respective battery module contributes to an output voltage of the corresponding battery string of the battery in the activated state. The battery further includes a switching converter topology which is coupled to the battery strings and is configured to selectively generate currents flowing into one or more of the battery strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Stefan Butzmann
  • Patent number: 9531038
    Abstract: A battery management unit includes a cell balancing module to perform cell balancing between a cells in a battery cell stack, and a controller operable to determine, during a first charge cycle, that the first cell has reached an over-voltage threshold before the second cell, to determine, during a discharge cycle, that the first cell has reached an under-voltage threshold before the second cell, to identify the first cell as having a lower capacity than the second cell based upon the determination that the first cell reached the over-voltage threshold before the second cell and upon the determination that the first cell reached the under-voltage threshold before the second cell, and to prevent, during another charge cycle, the cell balancing module from performing cell balancing on the first cell based upon the first cell being identified as having the lower capacity than the second cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Richard C. Thompson, Nikhil M. Vichare
  • Patent number: 9499067
    Abstract: Various techniques described herein relate to electric vehicle power management system for managing a plurality of battery modules in a battery pack. Such electric vehicle power management system may include a plurality of battery management systems corresponding to a plurality of battery modules, and an energy management system for managing the plurality of battery management systems. The energy management system and the plurality of battery management systems may adopt master-slave wireless communication, and may use a single wireless frequency channel or a plurality of assigned wireless frequency channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: THUNDER POWER HONG KONG LTD.
    Inventor: Yu-Ting Dai
  • Patent number: 9503012
    Abstract: A dynamic inductor system capable of storing usable electrical energy includes a rotor, a stator, a three-phase winding set, and a damping circuit. The damping circuit includes three freewheeling diode sets. Each of the three freewheeling diode sets has a first freewheeling diode and a second freewheeling diode. When the rotor rotates around the stator, the three-phase winding set generates a current passing through the first freewheeling diode of one of the freewheeling diode sets to charge the first damping capacitor, and a current passing through the second freewheeling diode of another one of the freewheeling diode sets to charge the second damping capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Inventors: Fu-Tzu Hsu, Chieh-Sen Tu
  • Patent number: 9496536
    Abstract: A backpack-type power supply includes: a plurality of cell units (52) each configured of a plurality of secondary battery cell (51); a case (12) configured to accommodate the cell units and having first and second contacts; and a harness (13) attached to the case, characterized by including; first connecting means (581, 571) for electrically connecting the first contact and a positive terminal of each cell unit to form a first electrical path therebetween; and second connecting means (572, 582) for electrically connecting the second contact and a negative terminal of each cell unit to form a second electrical path therebetween, each first electrical path and each second electrical path forming a total electrical path having a total resistance for each cell unit, the total resistance of each total electrical path being adjusted such that heat distribution is substantially uniform over the plurality of cell units in the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Yoshinari, Haruhisa Fujisawa, Yuji Kishima, Naoto Wakatabe
  • Patent number: 9496739
    Abstract: An apparatus balances a discharge in parallel battery configuration by having a battery pack (a) with a first battery system and a second battery system in parallel configuration, and a pulse width modulation device and (b) being interconnectable to a load. Each of the first and second battery systems has, in series and in order, a first voltage sensor, a resistor, a second voltage sensor, a string of battery cells, and a switching device. The first and second voltage sensor, in each battery system, measures an electrical current, used to calculate the voltage drop across each resistor. The voltage drop values for each battery system determine whether the pulse width modulation device alters or maintains the pulse width modulation applied to each battery system's switching device. By maintaining or altering the pulse width modulation applied to each switching device, the apparatus effectively balances the electrical current discharge from each battery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Electrochem Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Robert Peterson, Jon Carroll, Arden Phillip Johnson
  • Patent number: 9472960
    Abstract: A regulating device includes: a generating means for generating an output voltage from an input voltage; a plurality of first switches, respectively corresponding to the plural storage battery units connected in parallel, with each of said first switches interposed between the corresponding storage battery unit and the input side of the generating means; a plurality of second switches, respectively corresponding to the plural storage battery units, with each of said second switches interposed between the corresponding storage battery unit and the output side of the generating means; a detecting means for detecting the voltage of each of the plural storage battery units; and, a control means that, referring to the result of detection from the detecting means, identifies first storage battery units whose voltages are higher than the average value of voltage of the plural storage battery units and second storage battery units whose voltages are lower than the average value, from the plural storage battery units,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yojiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 9463710
    Abstract: A method and system of balancing battery cells are provided that use a data map that includes a balancing duty ratio based on an environment temperature of a battery and the number of balancing target-cells. The method includes measuring, by a temperature sensor, the environment temperature of a battery. In addition, a controller is configured to identify the number of the balancing target-cells and calculate a balancing duty ratio by substituting the environment temperature and the number of the balancing-target cells to the data map. A balancing time is deducted by the controller based on the calculated duty ratio and the corresponding battery cells are balanced by the controller with the calculated duty ratio for the balancing time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Beom Gyu Kim
  • Patent number: 9465080
    Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present technique, a method is disclosed. The method includes identifying a first change in an excitation direction of a group of cells and determining a first set of characteristics of the group of cells corresponding to the first change. The method also includes identifying a second change in the excitation direction of the group of cells and determining a second set of characteristics of the group of cells corresponding to the second change. The second change in the excitation direction is opposite to the first change in the excitation direction. The method further includes determining a number of functional cells from the group of cells based on the first and the second set of characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Herman Lucas Norbert Wiegman, David Eugene James
  • Patent number: 9459327
    Abstract: A voltage measurement device for measuring an output voltage of a battery assembly includes voltage addition sections that add a predetermined voltage value to output voltages of the cells, voltage detection sections that detect addition voltages which are output voltages of the voltage addition sections corresponding to the cells of the individual blocks, A/D converting sections that digitize analog voltage signals of the addition voltages detected by the voltage detection sections, and a control section that outputs voltage measurement request signals to the voltage detection sections respectively, and that acquires the addition voltages, subtracts the predetermined voltage value from the acquired addition voltages and provides voltage values after the subtractions, as the output voltages of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Ishikawa, Tsutomu Saigo
  • Patent number: 9461494
    Abstract: An integration control device of a power storage system obtains pieces of status information of power storage devices from control devices of unit modules, compares the obtained pieces of status information with one another, and performs driving control of an electrical load based on a worst value of the pieces of status information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 9459322
    Abstract: A battery management system for a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells connected in series is provided. The battery management system includes a voltage divider, a plurality of switching units and a detection circuit. Each switching unit is corresponding to one of the battery cell and coupled between an anode of the corresponding battery cell and the voltage divider. When a control signal directs one of the switching units to turn on, the voltage divider divides a voltage difference transmitted from the one of the switching units to obtain a divided voltage signal, and transmits the divided voltage signal to the detection circuit, and the detection circuit detects the voltage difference according to the divided voltage signal, wherein the voltage difference is a voltage difference between an anode of the battery cell corresponding to the one of the switching units and a ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Yi-shing Lin
  • Patent number: 9440554
    Abstract: Various techniques described herein relate to electric vehicle power management system for managing a plurality of battery modules in a battery pack. Such electric vehicle power management system may include a plurality of battery management systems corresponding to a plurality of battery modules, and an energy management system for managing the plurality of battery management systems. The energy management system and the plurality of battery management systems may adopt master-slave wireless communication, and may use a single wireless frequency channel or a plurality of assigned wireless frequency channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: THUNDER POWER HONG KONG LTD.
    Inventor: Yu-Ting Dai
  • Patent number: 9438048
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a configuration of a multi-cell battery pack, with at least two cells electrically connected in a first parallel arrangement, which is connected in series to a second parallel arrangement of at least two additional cells. Each cell is locally connected to a sensor to sense and control the current of the cells in parallel or parallel-series combination in the multi-cell battery pack. A control module is in communication with each sensor, and associated instructions electrically remove or disable a cell from the multi-cell battery pack determined to be defective based on measurements from an associated sensor. Accordingly, the configuration measures and monitors a state of health of each cell in the multi-cell battery pack, the measurements including temperature, voltage and current sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yakup Bulur, Richard J. Fishbune, Mark E. Maresh, Neil C. Swenson, Adam M. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 9413037
    Abstract: Provided is a cell capacity adjusting device for reducing fluctuations in state of charge (SOC) among cells of a battery pack 101, which is formed by connecting a plurality of cells 111-116 in series, during suspension of operation of electrically-powered equipment whose main power source is the battery pack 101. From among the plurality of cells 111-116, one or a plurality of cells having a voltage value equal to or higher than a cell capacity adjustment target voltage are selected. By the selected cells, an intermittent operation unit 105, which operates even during the suspension of operation of the electrically-powered equipment, is caused to perform an intermittent operation. Through repetition of the intermittent operation, voltage values of the selected cells are decreased. Thus, fluctuations in state of charge (SOC) among cells are reduced without unnecessarily discharging battery stored energy of the battery pack 101.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Shimamura, Toru Morita, Toshinori Matsui
  • Patent number: 9397509
    Abstract: A battery system having at least one battery string of more than two batteries connected in series, a charge equalization circuit, a relay matrix, and a balance controller. The charge equalization circuit is capable of equalizing the charge on any pair of series connected batteries in the at least one battery string. The relay matrix is operatively connected between the charge equalization circuit and the at least one battery string. The balance controller controls the relay matrix such that at least one to battery characteristic of at least one battery is sensed. Based on at least one sensed battery characteristic, the balance controller controls the relay matrix such that the charge equalization circuit is connected across at least one pair of series connected batteries in the at least one battery string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Alpha Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: James Joseph Heidenreich, Michael A. Haass, Thanh Quoc Le, Seth William Jennings
  • Patent number: 9381822
    Abstract: The electrical vehicle energy storage system permits the electric refueling of the electric vehicle just like an automobile would be refueled with gasoline at a gas station. Circuitry on board the vehicle accessible by the electric refueling station enables the determination of the energy content of the battery module or modules returned to the electric refueling station and the owner of the vehicle is given credit for the energy remaining in the battery module or modules which have been exchanged. Selective refueling may take place for given battery modules by removing them from the battery system and charging them at home, office or factory. A process for operating an electric vehicle is also disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Inventor: Karl F. Scheucher
  • Patent number: 9383415
    Abstract: A battery system comprises a battery including a plurality of battery cells and can be connected on an input side to a direct voltage intermediate circuit via at least one contactor, and a diagnostic device configured to diagnose a state of the at least one contactor. The battery system includes a monitoring circuit with a first branch in which the at least one contactor is arranged, and a second branch which is connected parallel thereto and in which a voltage source configured to generate a reference voltage is connected. The diagnostic device is arranged so as to evaluate a diagnostic current which is dependent on the reference voltage and flows in the monitoring circuit, and serves to determine a fault state of the at least one contactor based on a measured current value or a current profile of the diagnostic current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Chrysanthos Tzivanopoulos
  • Patent number: 9379557
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and a method for battery balancing, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for battery balancing capable of implementing balancing between batteries which are connected in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: SK INNOVATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Woo Seok Song, Sang Hyuk Park
  • Patent number: 9368995
    Abstract: In a charging method for a lithium ion battery, constant current charging of the lithium ion battery is performed. The constant current charging includes at least three consecutive charging stages. The at least three consecutive charging stages include consecutive first, second, and third charging stages. The second charging stage has a set current value which is set lower than set current values of the first and third charging stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hajime Nishino, Mitsuhiro Takeno, Mikinari Shimada, Masato Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 9362758
    Abstract: A method for reducing a total loss of charge of battery cells by balancing states of charge includes checking boundary conditions as to whether a vehicle is in the park mode, whether a previous balancing step occurred in the past by at least a defined time period, whether a temperature of a balancing unit lies below an adjustable temperature limit and whether states of charge of all battery cells exceed a minimum state of charge. Additionally, the method includes determining a need for balancing such that a check is made as to whether a maximum difference of all states of charge of all battery cells is greater than an adjustable limit state of charge. Also the method includes, balancing by the balancing units if the first two steps of the method are affirmed. The balancing resistances are connected to respective battery cells for a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Becker, Andre Boehm, Armin Steck, Christian Korn, Marianne Heizmann
  • Patent number: 9362779
    Abstract: A contactless charging system is made up of an electronic device and a contactless charger 200 that recharges the electronic device in a contactless manner. The electronic device transmits a full charge command indicating completion of charge. Upon receipt of the full charge command, the contactless charger shifts to a charge stop state in which charge of the electronic device is not performed. In the charge stop state, the contactless charger generates a load check signal for checking whether or not the electronic device is placed in the contactless charger in a rechargeable state, and transmits the signal. Further, the contactless charger also generates a charge restart check command for checking whether or not the electronic device requests recharge in a charge stop state, and transmits the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Takahashi, Hiroyuki Oku, Masanori Oshimi
  • Patent number: 9356451
    Abstract: A battery control circuit includes a voltage detection circuit for measuring voltages of electric cells, balancing circuits for balancing the voltages or SOCs of the electric cells, a signal input/output circuit for communicating with the outside, a power supply circuit having two modes: a normal mode and a low consumption mode, and a time management circuit. It receives a signal containing a period of time until the shift of the power supply circuit from the normal mode to the low consumption mode, and stores it in the time management circuit. If a command from the outside has not been sent for a predetermined period of time or when an operation stop command has been sent from the outside, the time management circuit causes the power supply circuit to continuously operate in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Youhei Kawahara, Ryouhei Nakao, Akihiko Kudo, Akihiko Emori, Kei Sakabe