With Battery Or Cell Condition Monitoring (e.g., For Protection From Overcharging, Heating, Etc.) Patents (Class 320/134)
  • Patent number: 11424628
    Abstract: A balance charging method and a charging device are provided. The method includes: obtaining a voltage parameter of a plurality of battery cells; determining a control parameter set according to a first value relationship between the voltage parameter and a plurality of first threshold values, wherein the control parameter set includes a plurality of second threshold values; determining a charging rule of balance charging according to a second value relationship between the voltage parameter and the second threshold values; and performing the balance charging on the battery cells according to the charging rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Acer Incorporated
    Inventor: Chin-Yi Tsai
  • Patent number: 11422190
    Abstract: In a storage battery system charging control device, on the basis of estimated temperature data until the end of life of a storage battery calculated by a power estimation unit, an ambient temperature estimation unit, and a temperature estimation unit, and a deterioration coefficient stored in a data storage unit, a capacity retention calculation unit sequentially calculates capacity retention data with respect to each state of charge until the end of life of the storage battery, using the state of charge as a parameter. A cumulative capacity calculation unit calculates a cumulative capacity corresponding to each state of charge, on the basis of the rated capacity of the storage battery and the capacity retention data. A charging control voltage determination unit determines charging control voltage on the basis of the cumulative capacities calculated by the cumulative capacity calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Hara, Hisatoshi Fukumoto, Toshihiro Wada, Takahito Ida, Hiroki Ishihara
  • Patent number: 11424502
    Abstract: A battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells, each including a negative electrode and a positive electrode, the positive and negative electrodes being arranged on a same side of the battery cell; a substrate arranged on the plurality of battery cells and including a first surface and a second surface located on opposite sides of the substrate, and a through hole exposing the negative electrode and the positive electrode of each of the plurality of battery cells; a first conductive plate arranged on the first surface of the substrate and including a first hole; and a second conductive plate arranged on the second surface of the substrate and including a second hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jihwan Seol, Nohyun Kwag, Sanghoon Bae, Jooyul Lee
  • Patent number: 11418042
    Abstract: A battery management unit capable of more reliably turning off a high-voltage relay. A battery management unit 1 includes a high-voltage relay 5 serving as a switch unit that turns on/off electrical connection between a high-voltage battery 102, which is a secondary battery, and an external device, and a power source IC 6 serving as a disconnection control unit having a first disconnection processing function of turning off the high-voltage relay 5 at the time of abnormality of the battery management unit 1 and a second disconnection processing function of detecting an abnormality of the first disconnection processing function and turning off the high-voltage relay 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsumi Yamauchi, Hikaru Miura, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Akihiro Machida, Masahiro Ueda, Kenichiro Tsuru
  • Patent number: 11408776
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power supply device including a battery having an exhaust valve that opens when an internal pressure becomes higher than a set pressure, the battery being housed in a case, a temperature sensor that detects a temperature in the case, and a detection circuit that detects opening of the exhaust valve at a detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor. In this power supply device, the detection circuit detects that a high temperature time (t1) from a timing at which a rate of rise (?T/?t) of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a rise rate set value and exceeds the rise rate set value to a timing at which the detected temperature falls to less than or equal to a reference temperature is longer than a high temperature time set value, and detects the opening of the exhaust valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Okumura, Tsukasa Masuda
  • Patent number: 11407324
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a charging system for charging an electrical energy storage device in an electric vehicle. The charging system includes: an input for an alternating current, which is provided with a source of electrical energy, at least one transformer element for transforming the alternating current into a direct current, and a charge output for connecting the charging system to the electric vehicle. The charging system is configured to connect the at least one transformer element to the charge output for charging the electrical energy storage device with direct current. The charging system is further configured to connect the input to the charge output for charging the electrical energy storage device with alternating current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Sebastian Bode
  • Patent number: 11400678
    Abstract: A press device subjects a material to pressing using an upper die and a lower die. The press device includes a slide, a bolster disposed below the slide, a servomotor configured to drive the slide, a plurality of capacitor units, and a control unit. The upper die can be attached to a lower face of the slide. The lower die can be placed on the bolster. The capacitor units include a plurality of electric double layer capacitors. The plurality of capacitor units are configured to be able to supply stored electric power to the servomotor. The control unit executes an operation mode in which pressing is performed using capacitor units other than unused capacitor units when the plurality of capacitor units have been set so that at least a portion of the capacitor units are not used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: KOMATSU INDUSTRIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusuke Masato
  • Patent number: 11399573
    Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device is provided. The power supply unit includes an internal power supply configured to hold power supplied to a heater configured to heat an aerosol source, a first connector connectable to an external power supply including a second connector including a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal, the first connector including a third power supply terminal and a fourth power supply terminal, and a polarity unification circuit. The polarity unification circuit includes four diodes to enable the first connector to be connected to the second connector of the external power supply in different directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Takeshi Akao
  • Patent number: 11397217
    Abstract: Disclosed is a technique capable of improving the life span of a battery by managing the charging of the battery. The battery charging management apparatus includes a degradation rate estimating unit configured to estimate a degradation rate of a secondary battery; a ceiling calculating unit configured to calculate a charge ceiling voltage based on the degradation rate estimated by the degradation rate estimating unit; a charge control unit configured to control the charging of the secondary battery so that the secondary battery is charged only up to the charge ceiling voltage calculated by the ceiling calculating unit; and a memory unit configured to store information required for operating at least one of the degradation rate estimating unit, the ceiling calculating unit and the charge control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Jin-Hyung Lim, Du-Seong Yoon, Won-Tae Joe, Myung-Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 11394250
    Abstract: A wireless charging device, a wireless charging method, and a device to be charged are provided. The wireless charging device includes a wireless transmission circuit, a first communication control circuit, an external interface, and a wireless data transmission circuit. The wireless charging method includes conducting, by a wireless charging device, wireless communication with a device to be charged during wireless charging to adjust transmission power of a wireless transmission circuit of the wireless charging device, to make at least one of an output voltage and an output current of a wireless reception circuit of the device to be charged match a present charging stage of a battery of the device to be charged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventors: Shiming Wan, Jialiang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11390168
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, an electric machine, a battery, accessory devices, an electrical outlet, an inverter, and a controller. The engine and the electric machine are each configured to propel the vehicle. The inverter is configured to deliver power from the battery or the electric machine to the accessory devices or the electrical outlet. The controller is programmed to adjust the power being delivered by the inverter to the electrical outlet based on a discharge power capacity of the battery, a power output capacity of the engine, a power output capacity of the electric machine, and the power being drawn from the inverter via the accessories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Seth Anthony Bryan, William David Treharne, Sassan Farahmand, Fazal Urrahman Syed
  • Patent number: 11387020
    Abstract: A shunt resistor module which is coupled to a printed circuit board to be used for current measurement, includes: a resistor portion configured to have predetermined resistance; at least two terminal portions configured to extend from opposite ends of the resistor portion; lead pins fixed to first sides of the terminal portions to protrude to be electrically connected to the printed circuit board; and an exterior member formed to at least partially cover first surfaces of the terminal portions and to have pin holes opened to expose the lead pins and screw holes formed to be screwed to the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Inventor: Jeong Wan Kim
  • Patent number: 11385298
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for diagnosing a short circuit accident occurring at a positive electrode contactor of a battery pack. This apparatus diagnoses a positive electrode contactor of a battery pack, which includes a positive electrode contactor provided on a charge-discharge path connected to a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode contactor provided on a charge-discharge path connected to a negative electrode terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Inventor: Jeong-Joo Song
  • Patent number: 11376988
    Abstract: A modular and portable charging station according to various aspects of the present technology may include a main chassis body that is fully assembled at one location and then transferred as a whole to a desired location and placed into operation without the need for significant site modification, or connection to the electric power grid. The interior of the main chassis body may contain one or more removable charging stations and at least one removable battery bank. The battery bank provides each charging station with electrical power to charge a vehicle battery system. The portable charging station may comprise its own onboard power supply configured to use renewable sources to maintain a charge to the battery bank. The portable charging station may also be configured to be connected to a local power source that is connected to the local power grid. A power management system monitors the charge level of the battery bank and is able to select an appropriate method of recharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Renewable Charging Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Neil Oakshott, Mark Cavanaugh, Joseph Vrabel
  • Patent number: 11381118
    Abstract: An example method is provided for detecting and classifying foreign objects, performed at a computer system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors. The method includes obtaining a plurality of electrical measurements while a wireless-power-transmitting antenna is transmitting different power beacons. The method also includes forming a feature vector according to the plurality of electrical measurements. The method further includes detecting a presence of one or more foreign objects prior to transmitting wireless power to one or more wireless power receivers by inputting the feature vector to trained one or more classifiers, wherein each classifier is a machine-learning model trained to detect foreign objects distinct from the one or more wireless power receivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Energous Corporation
    Inventors: Howard Chan, Deepak Jain
  • Patent number: 11381072
    Abstract: A circuit protection system is provided herein that minimizes the disconnection time of a circuit while protecting other electrical components. Some configurations comprise a set of parallel circuit interruption devices, each connected in series with respective fuses. A control device sets a state of the circuit interruption device based on a current of the circuit. Under certain current loads, the circuit is interrupted without causing a fuse to blow. Under other current loads, the circuit is interrupted by having one or more fuses blow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: RIVIAN IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Putnam, Nathaniel C. Wynn
  • Patent number: 11374413
    Abstract: A battery pack charger system includes one or more charging ports for charging one or more removable battery packs. A set of indicators may be arranged on a housing, with a subset of the set of indicators being associated with each charging port. Each subset of indicators may output an indication of a state of charge of a battery pack received in an associated charging port of the charger system. A first indication may indicate that the battery pack is charging. A second indication may indicate that the battery pack has achieved a preset level of charge. A third indication may indicate that the battery pack has achieved a substantially full level of charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: Timothy J. Hennesy, Sean Byrne, Brian K. Wohltmann, Regina Gracia C. Cunanan
  • Patent number: 11370324
    Abstract: A system includes a vehicle including a motive electrical power path; a power distribution unit including: a current protection circuit disposed in the motive electrical power path, the current protection circuit including a fuse and a contactor in a series arrangement with the fuse; a high voltage power input coupling including a first electrical interface for a high voltage power source; and a high voltage power output coupling including a second electrical interface for a motive power load, where the current protection circuit electrically couples the high voltage power input coupling to the high voltage power output coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Robert Stephen Douglass, Brandon William Fisher, Martin Wayne Mensch, Austin Robert Zurface, Jeff Howard Urian, James David, Bharath Suda, Asheesh Soni
  • Patent number: 11368030
    Abstract: A method includes receiving current measurements from at least one current sensor configured to measure current of a battery system in communication with a power distribution network having a power plant. The method also includes receiving voltage measurements from at least one voltage sensor configured to measure voltage of the battery system and temperature measurements from at least one temperature sensor configured to measure temperature of the battery system. The method includes determining an impedance parameter of the battery system based on the received measurements, a temperature parameter of the battery system based on the received measurements, a predicted voltage parameter based on the impedance parameter, and a predicted temperature parameter based on the temperature parameter. The method includes commanding the battery system to charge power from the power plant or discharge power from the power plant based on the predicted voltage parameter and the predicted temperature parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: EOS Energy Storage LLC
    Inventors: Kamel Belkacem-Boussaid, George W. Adamson
  • Patent number: 11361807
    Abstract: A semiconductor device that enables lower power consumption and data storage imitating a human brain is provided. The semiconductor device includes a control unit, a memory unit, and a sensor unit. The memory unit includes a memory circuit and a switching circuit. The memory circuit includes a first transistor and a capacitor. The switching circuit includes a second transistor and a third transistor. The first transistor and the second transistor include a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region with an oxide semiconductor, and a back gate electrode. The control unit has a function of switching a signal supplied to the back gate electrode, in accordance with a signal obtained at the sensor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hajime Kimura, Atsushi Miyaguchi, Yoshiaki Oikawa
  • Patent number: 11360147
    Abstract: A method of determining the state of charge (SOC) of a battery. The method may employ a transformation technique that linearizes a nonlinear model by converging close to a measured value and thereby estimating the state of charge accurately without affecting the computation time and load on the system. The transformation technique employs an adaptive unscented Kalman filter (UKF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Karma Automotive LLC
    Inventors: Suvrat Ramasubramanian, Ali Jokar, Jing Hong
  • Patent number: 11362536
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting open circuit fault conditions in a battery pack containing parallel cells include providing a first control signal to a close FET in parallel with a resistive element, the resistive element being in series with a first battery cell in a first cell path between the terminals of the battery pack, the first cell path being in parallel with a second cell path including a second battery cell. While the FET is closed, a test load is applied across the terminals and a first voltage measurement is obtained at a test point in the battery pack. The methods include providing a second control signal to open the FET, applying the test load across the terminals, obtaining a second voltage measurement at the test point, and determining whether a difference between the first and second voltage measurements indicates an open circuit fault condition in the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Snyder, Donald L. Flowers
  • Patent number: 11351876
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply system configured to be charged by an electric vehicle (EV) charging station that performs charging with a voltage equal to or more than a predetermined lower limit voltage. The vehicle power supply system includes a battery having a rated voltage lower than the lower limit voltage; a capacitor electrically connected in series to the battery, wherein a sum of the rated voltage of the battery and a rated voltage of the capacitor is greater than the first voltage; and an interface configured to receive electric power from the EV charging station. The vehicle power supply system also includes circuitry configured to receive electric power from the EV charging station, and charge the battery and the capacitor using the received electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Furukawa, Seiyo Hirano, Hideki Sanai
  • Patent number: 11355969
    Abstract: A wireless charging device, a wireless charging method, and a device to be charged are provided. The wireless charging device includes a wireless transmission circuit, a first communication control circuit, an external interface, and a wireless data transmission circuit. The wireless charging method includes conducting, by a wireless charging device, wireless communication with a device to be charged during wireless charging to adjust transmission power of a wireless transmission circuit of the wireless charging device, to make at least one of an output voltage and an output current of a wireless reception circuit of the device to be charged match a present charging stage of a battery of the device to be charged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventors: Shiming Wan, Jialiang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11349314
    Abstract: A distributed battery power system having a battery pack and a battery controller. The battery pack has: a plurality of cells configured to generate a plurality of cell voltages; a voltage current temperature module electrically connected to the plurality of cells; and a plurality of isolation switch sets electrically connected between the plurality of cells. The battery controller is in communication with the voltage current temperature module, and operable to: send a status request to the voltage current temperature module; receive the plurality of cell voltages from the voltage current temperature module in response to the status request; determine if the plurality of cells includes one or more problem cells in response to the plurality of cell voltages; and perform an action in response to determining that the one or more problem cells are present to prevent damage to the one or more problem cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Yue-Yun Wang, Garrett M. Seeman, Jeffrey S. Piasecki
  • Patent number: 11340285
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for diagnosing a watchdog timer is provided. The watchdog timer is used to detect and recover from a malfunction of a battery management system. Before entering a shutdown mode in response to a shutdown command from an external device, the apparatus outputs an invalid trigger signal to the watchdog timer and diagnoses a malfunction of the watchdog timer depending on whether the watchdog timer outputs a reset signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Inventors: Yeo-Bong Yoon, Joong-Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 11342009
    Abstract: A device and a method for equalizing and precharging a cell module, which may form a circuit for performing a corresponding operation by a converter unit by selectively connecting the converter unit and one or more cell modules by controlling a conduction state of a switching unit based on an operation which the converter intends to perform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Chang Hyun Sung, Sang Hoon Lee, Yean Sik Choi
  • Patent number: 11329311
    Abstract: A lithium-sulfur battery comprises a cathode electrode comprising from 80% to 100% lithium polysulfide based on the total weight of sulfur adsorbed at the cathode when the lithium sulfur battery is fully charged, and a high specific surface area electrically conductive material. An anode electrode comprises lithium. A porous and electrically insulating membrane is provided between the cathode and the anode electrodes. An electrolyte is adsorbed into and between cathode electrode, the anode electrode, and the membrane. A cathode current collector is electrically connected to the cathode and an anode current collector is electrically connected to the anode. A porous and electrically conductive interlayer can be provided between the membrane and at least one selected from the group consisting of the cathode and the anode. A method of making a battery is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventors: Jian-ping Zheng, Chao Shen
  • Patent number: 11327122
    Abstract: A voltage detection integrated circuit may include: a voltage detection circuit electrically connected to a plurality of cells to detect a cell voltage of a corresponding one of the plurality of cells; a plurality of cell balancing switches configured to conduct or block a flow of a balancing current of a corresponding cell among the plurality of cells; a temperature sensor configured to detect an internal temperature of the voltage detection integrated circuit; and a controller configured to differently select a number of cell balancing switches that are simultaneously turned on depending on the internal temperature, and to turn on the selected switches, when the internal temperature is below a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hwa-Su Kim, Takao Hidaka, Cheolgi Son, Jiwon Jung, Wonkyoung Cho
  • Patent number: 11322960
    Abstract: A battery system includes a battery pack including a plurality of cells, and an ECU. The ECU calculates a current distribution in each cell using a ladder circuit network model, the ladder circuit network model being obtained by geometrically modeling an interior of the cell using a plurality of resistance elements and a plurality of power storage elements. The ECU calculates the current distribution in the cell by applying, to the ladder circuit network model, a resistance distribution in the cell calculated based on a salt concentration distribution in the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mai Fujiwara, Ryo Kanada, Kenji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11322965
    Abstract: A charging control device includes: a battery state detector configured to detect a cell voltage of at least one cell of a battery and a charging current between the battery and a charging device; and a controller configured to perform a cell over voltage protection (COVP) function on the battery based on a cell over voltage protection voltage, and to vary the cell over voltage protection voltage in response to the charging current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaewoo Kam, Yoonphil Eo, Junho Yun, Dongsu Ko, Hyomin Kim, Jae Shik Yoo
  • Patent number: 11316352
    Abstract: A battery management system (103) for a battery (100) comprising a plurality of battery cells (101, 102) connected in parallel with each other. The battery management system comprises an electronic circuit (104) for connection across at least one of the plurality of battery cells. The electronic circuit comprises a charge storage device (105) and a switching device (106). The switching device switches the circuit between a first state in which charge is discharged from the at least one battery cell and directed to the charge storage device and a second state in which charge is discharged from the charge storage device and directed to the at least one battery cell. The switching device is arranged to repeatedly switch the circuit between the first state and the second state to cause the at least one battery cell to undergo pulsed charging and discharging to and from the charge storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Oxis Energy Limited
    Inventor: Christopher Hale
  • Patent number: 11316192
    Abstract: A control apparatus is configured to control an all solid state battery, the all solid state battery includes a laminated body in which a cathode, an anode and a solid electrolyte layer are laminated, the control apparatus is configured to execute a control operation for controlling a temperature distribution of the all solid state battery in a plane that intersects with a laminated direction of the laminated body so that a difference between a resistance value of a first part of the all solid state battery and a resistance value of a second part of the all solid state battery is smaller than the difference in the case where the control operation is not executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuki Imade
  • Patent number: 11316356
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology may provide methods and apparatus for a battery. The apparatus may be configured to autonomously select an appropriate battery profile for a given battery. Autonomous selection may be achieved by measuring the time that the battery voltage is within a specified range and comparing the time results to a reference table having known battery data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Hideo Kondo
  • Patent number: 11309704
    Abstract: A battery protection system includes a sensor, a primary protection circuit, coupled to the sensor, and a secondary protection circuit, coupled to the primary protection circuit and the sensor. The sensor is configured to generate a sense signal indicative of temperature in a battery pack when the sensor is activated. The primary protection circuit is configured to generate a synchronizing signal in a first state or a second state, sample the sense signal when the synchronizing signal is in the first state, and provide primary protection to the battery pack based on the sense signal. A secondary protection circuit is configured to be controlled by the synchronizing signal, sample the sense signal when the synchronizing signal is in the second state, and provide secondary protection to the battery pack based on the sense signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: O2Micro Inc.
    Inventor: Guoxing Li
  • Patent number: 11309716
    Abstract: A system includes a transmitter circuit coupled to an input power source, a transmitter coil coupled to the transmitter circuit, a receiver coil magnetically coupled to the transmitter coil, a rectifier coupled to the receiver coil and configured to convert an alternating current voltage into a direct current voltage, and a high efficiency power converter comprising a first stage and a second stage connected in cascade between the rectifier and a battery, wherein the first stage is configured to charge the battery, and the second stage is configured to provide isolation between the first stage and the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: NuVolta Technologies (Hefei) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zeng Li, Jinbiao Huang, Xintao Wang
  • Patent number: 11302970
    Abstract: A power supply system includes a controller, and a plurality of battery modules. The battery modules are connected in series, according to a gate drive signal from the controller, to provide series connection, and each of the battery modules has a disconnecting device configured to force the battery module to be disconnected from the series connection. The controller is configured to estimate the internal resistance of the battery module disconnected from the series connection by the disconnecting device, from a module voltage of the battery module before the battery module is disconnected from the series connection, a module voltage immediately after the battery module is disconnected, and a module current delivered from the battery module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyosuke Tanemura, Shuji Tomura, Naoki Yanagizawa, Kazuo Ootsuka, Junta Izumi, Kenji Kimura
  • Patent number: 11303141
    Abstract: A protection circuit for a battery includes a discharge FET, a control circuit, a first small-signal FET, and a second small-signal FET. The discharge FET connected in series to a battery interrupts an electric current. The control circuit switches on or off the discharge FET. The first small-signal FET connected in parallel between a gate (G) and a source (S) of the discharge FET is switched to an ON state, to set a gate voltage of the discharge FET to an OFF-state voltage. The second small-signal FET connected in parallel between G and S of the discharge FET detects a voltage between a drain (D) and S of the discharge FET. When the voltage between D and S of the discharge FET exceeds a preset voltage, the second small-signal FET is switched to an ON state to set the gate voltage of the discharge FET to the OFF-state voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kawasaki, Hisashi Kameyama, Naoki Kawai, Takahiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11303137
    Abstract: A battery system comprising multiple battery packs. A battery pack of the battery packs includes a battery, voltage sense circuitry, a control circuit, a control switch and current regulation circuitry. The voltage sense circuitry senses a battery voltage of the battery and an input voltage of the battery pack. The control circuit is coupled to the sense circuitry and is operable for adjusting a level of a reference signal based on attribute data associated with the battery pack and a difference between the battery voltage and the input voltage. The control switch is operable for passing a battery current flowing through the battery. The current regulation circuitry is coupled to the control circuit and the control switch, and is operable for controlling the control switch to regulate the battery current according to the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: O2Micro Inc.
    Inventor: Guoxing Li
  • Patent number: 11296525
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a control device, an energy conversion system, an energy conversion method and a storage medium. The control device includes: a detection unit configured to detect a first voltage between a positive electrode of the energy storage device and a first end of an energy conversion device, a second voltage between a negative electrode of the energy storage device and a second end of the energy conversion device, and a third voltage between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the energy storage device; a processing unit configured to calculate a resistance value corresponding to the energy conversion device according to the first voltage, the second voltage, and the third voltage; when the value of resistance is greater than a resistance threshold value, controlling the energy storage device to supply power to the electrical equipment through the energy conversion device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited
    Inventors: Meng Li, Zhimin Dan, Yizhen Hou
  • Patent number: 11276896
    Abstract: A cap assembly of a power battery comprises: a cap plate, a first electrode terminal provided to the cap plate, and a resistance member electrically connected to the cap plate and the first electrode terminal. The resistance member comprises: a heat-resistant insulating base body positioned between the cap plate and the first electrode terminal; and a heat-resistant metal layer provided to a circumferential side of the heat-resistant insulating base body. The heat-resistant metal layer and the cap plate and the first electrode terminal are electrically connected to form a conductive path. The formed conductive path is a curved path, therefore the resistance value of the resistance member can be controlled by controlling the conductive path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: NINGDE AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMIT ED
    Inventors: Rulai Cai, Quankun Li, Peng Wang, Pinghua Deng, Peng Yu
  • Patent number: 11271417
    Abstract: A method for controlling charge or discharge of a battery in a battery system including a DC converter down-converting an input voltage thereof and outputting an output, a battery connected to an output terminal of the DC converter, and an electric load connected to the output terminal of the DC converter and supplied with electric power from at least one of the DC converter and the battery, may include measuring a temperature of the battery, first controlling, by a controller, an output of the DC converter so that a charging current supplied to the battery from the DC converter becomes a preset maximum value, when the temperature of the battery is lower than a first predetermined temperature, and second controlling, by the controller, the output of the DC converter such that a current of the battery is substantially equal to zero, when the temperature of the battery is higher than a second predetermined temperature which is higher than the first predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ho Joong Lee, Hye Seung Kim, Joon Young Jeon, Han Shin Youn, Won Yong Sung, Dong Jun Lee, Young Jin Jang
  • Patent number: 11258276
    Abstract: Disclosed is a battery management system (BMS) power supply management apparatus and method. The BMS power supply management apparatus includes an optoelectronic element configured to generate a current in response to an optical signal, a conversion element configured to convert the current into a wake-up voltage, and a first switch configured to switch a wake-up signal for a BMS, in response to the wake-up voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youngjae Kim
  • Patent number: 11258273
    Abstract: A charger circuit which supplies a charging power to charge a battery circuit, includes: a conversion switch circuit, at least one capacitor and a conversion control circuit. The conversion switch circuit is coupled between a charging power and a ground level and includes conversion switches connected in series. The conversion switch circuit has battery voltage balancing nodes electrically connected to the battery circuit, such that each battery is electrically connected between two of the battery voltage balancing nodes. The conversion control circuit is coupled to the conversion switch circuit and provides operation signals to the conversion switch circuit, to respectively control the corresponding conversion switches, so that the capacitor is periodically connected in parallel to each battery of the battery circuit, thereby balancing the battery voltages of the batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wei-Jen Huang, Shun-Yu Huang, Tsung-Wei Huang, Shui-Mu Lin
  • Patent number: 11258254
    Abstract: An electrical distribution device includes at least one power controller that is connectable to at least one electrical body, at least one local controller used to interface at least one power controller with at least one external calculator, and at least one local power supply path for powering at least one power controller and each local controller. Each power controller and each local controller includes a local DC/DC-type converter for coupling to each local power supply path. The device also includes an energy reservoir coupled to each local power supply path and to the local converters of the power controllers and the local controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventors: Cédric Balpe, Philippe Preciat, Antonio Li Ku, Youssouf Camara
  • Patent number: 11249139
    Abstract: When a battery voltage of a battery cell is high, it takes time for a detected voltage to drop to a fixed threshold. Therefore, an ON control of a switch element takes long time to detect a disconnection state reliably. A battery monitoring system includes: a monitoring circuit corresponding to an assembled battery having a plurality of battery cells and which monitors states of the battery cells; voltage detection lines which are provided corresponding to the battery cells and which connect the battery cells with the monitoring circuit; and switch elements which are provided between the voltage detection lines and which adjust voltages of the battery cells, the battery monitoring system compares battery voltages of the adjacent battery cells with a varying threshold determined based on a voltage just before checking a disconnection state and detects disconnection states of the voltage detection lines according to the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Enmei, Akihiro Machida, Tatsumi Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11249143
    Abstract: A charging apparatus is disclosed, the apparatus includes a charging circuit including a first voltage conversion circuit configured to convert an alternating current voltage into a first direct current voltage and a switch; a current leakage detection circuit including a second voltage conversion circuit configured to convert the first direct current voltage into a second direct current voltage that does not trigger charging of an electronic device, and the current leakage detection circuit is configured to: detect whether current leakage occurs between a voltage output end and the ground, and output a result at the voltage output end; an in-position detection circuit configured to detect whether the electronic device is in position; and a control circuit configured to: when no current leakage occurs and the electronic device is in position, close the switch, and when it is not in-position, open the switch to prevent the charging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xilin Wang
  • Patent number: 11251790
    Abstract: A power relay assembly for an electric vehicle and a driving method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention connect the first switching unit and the second switching unit connected in series with each other in parallel with the relay switch, and by allowing the first switching unit and the second switching unit to include semiconductor switching elements and diodes therein, not only when power is supplied from the battery to the load side, but also when charging is performed by supplying a charging current to the battery, it is possible to supply or cut off power while preventing sparks and arcs at the relay contact point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: YURA CORPORATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dae Hwan Kwon, Ho Kyung Kim
  • Patent number: 11241974
    Abstract: An interchange energy device for an electric vehicle enables an electric vehicle to be compatible with existing power lines such as overhead catenary system with little to no modification necessary to a modern electric vehicle. The interchangeable energy device has the same form factor as a battery pack, and is fully compatible with the drive system of the vehicle. The interchangeable device enables a battery pack to be swapped for an adapter to take advantage of existing power systems such as an overhead catenary system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ARTISAN VEHICLE SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Brian R. Huff, Kyle Hickey
  • Patent number: 11245137
    Abstract: A control apparatus (2000) includes a control unit (2020). The control unit (2020) causes a charging apparatus (20) to perform charging of a lithium ion secondary battery (10), by controlling the charging apparatus (20). First, the control unit (2020) causes the charging apparatus (20) to perform the charging of the lithium ion secondary battery (10), until a voltage of the lithium ion secondary battery (10) becomes a predetermined voltage. Thereafter, the control unit (2020) causes the charging apparatus (2) to suspend the charging of the lithium ion secondary battery (10), until a predetermined time elapses. Therefore, the control unit (2020) causes the charging apparatus (20) to further perform the charging of the lithium ion secondary battery (10), after the suspending. The predetermined time is a time t [minute] that satisfies “t??A+B*x+C*y.” x[g/cm2] represents weight per unit area of a negative electrode of the lithium ion secondary battery (10). y [g/cm3] is density of the negative electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ENVISION AESC JAPAN LTD.
    Inventor: Hideaki Sasaki