With Battery Or Cell Condition Monitoring (e.g., For Protection From Overcharging, Heating, Etc.) Patents (Class 320/136)
  • Patent number: 9871371
    Abstract: This invention involves a battery short-circuit protection circuit installed in a battery-load circuit. In the battery-load circuit, there is a battery and a load RL. The battery and RL form a circuit. The two ends of the battery are positive discharge end P+ and negative discharge end P?, respectively. The battery short-circuit protection circuit is in series with the battery-load circuit. The battery short-circuit protection circuit includes a charge-discharge circuit, a current amplifier circuit, and a current comparator circuit. The charge-discharge circuit includes MOS transistors and a sampling resistor. The current amplifier circuit includes a signal conditioning circuit and a current amplifier. The current comparator circuit includes a current comparator, a current reference circuit for short-circuit protection consisting, a MOS transistor, a diode, a resistor, and an optronics relay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Heifei University of Technology
    Inventors: Xintian Liu, Yao He, Xinxin Zheng, Guojian Zeng
  • Patent number: 9843215
    Abstract: Provided are a wireless charging and communication board, and a wireless charging and communication device, the wireless charging and communication board including: a soft magnetic layer; a polymeric material layer arranged on one surface and the other surface of the soft magnetic layer and extending longer than an exposed portion of the soft magnetic layer; and a coil pattern arranged on the polymeric material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jai Hoon Yeom, Sang Won Lee, Seok Bae, So Yeon Kim, Jin Mi Noh, Ji Yeon Song, Hee Jung Lee
  • Patent number: 9812693
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a lithium-ion battery module including a housing having a base, a battery cell in the housing, and a battery module terminal coupled to the battery cell via an electrical pathway, wherein the battery module terminal provides an electrical output when coupled to an electrical load, and wherein the electrical pathway is defined by a first portion, a second portion, and an interconnecting portion connecting the first and second portions. The first portion has a plurality of first conductive components coupled to one another within first connection planes using a first conductive material, and the first connection planes are substantially parallel to the base. The second portion has a plurality of second conductive components coupled to one another within second connection planes using a second conductive material, different from the first conductive material, and the second connection planes are crosswise to the first connection planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Richard M. DeKeuster, Robert J. Mack, Edward J. Soleski, Jennifer L. Czarnecki
  • Patent number: 9766299
    Abstract: A power system includes a first power input, a second power input, a power output, a first ideal diode coupled to the a power input and a power output and a second ideal diode coupled to a second power input and the power output. The power system also includes a first switching circuit coupled to the first power input and the first ideal diode and a second switching circuit coupled to the second power input and the second ideal diode, the switching circuits operating as an open or a short circuit based on an input. The power system also includes a test controller coupled to the first switching circuit, the second switching circuit and the power output and configured to determine an operating status of the power system based on an input to the first switch, inputs to the second switch and the power output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Mark J. Collins, Ronald Daley, Steven A. Avritch
  • Patent number: 9758050
    Abstract: An SOC display displayed on a display includes a first region and a second region. The first region presents an SOC range capable of ensuring the minimum traveling performance. The SOC display displays an SOC within the first region. The second region presents an SOC range incapable of ensuring the minimum traveling performance. The boundary between the first region and the second region corresponds to an SOC lower limit value indicating the SOC lower limit capable of ensuring the minimum traveling performance. The SOC lower limit value is set based on the temperature of a power storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaya Yamamoto, Itaru Seta
  • Patent number: 9759776
    Abstract: A method of determining the state of health of a first elementary cell of a battery, including the steps of: measuring the voltage across the cell under a reference current at a plurality of times in a phase of cell charge or discharge between first and second state-of-charge levels; and detecting a crossing by the voltage of a predetermined specific value, corresponding to a predetermined specific charge value of the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignees: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Decathalon
    Inventors: Laurent Vinit, Fathia Karoui
  • Patent number: 9759777
    Abstract: The monitoring device of an electric power supply is supplied by this electric power supply. It comprises a battery (3) forming a secondary power supply and which is triggered in case of outage of the primary power supply. A management circuit monitors the voltage at the terminals of the battery. A comparator compares the measured voltage at the terminals of the battery with first and second threshold values. A management circuit commands flow of a discharge current at the terminals of the battery, by means of a switch and of a counter configured to count a quantity representative of the discharge current. The management circuit can inform the user that the battery is defective according to the value of the counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
    Inventors: Joel Sorin, Bertrand Masseboeuf
  • Patent number: 9753440
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for charging and discharging an energy storage device connected to an electrical power distribution system. In one exemplary embodiment, a controller monitors electrical characteristics of an electrical power distribution system and provides an output to a bi-directional charger causing the charger to charge or discharge an energy storage device (e.g., a battery in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)). The controller can help stabilize the electrical power distribution system by increasing the charging rate when there is excess power in the electrical power distribution system (e.g., when the frequency of an AC power grid exceeds an average value), or by discharging power from the energy storage device to stabilize the grid when there is a shortage of power in the electrical power distribution system (e.g., when the frequency of an AC power grid is below an average value).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Richard M. Pratt, Donald J. Hammerstrom, Michael C. W. Kintner-Meyer, Francis K. Tuffner
  • Patent number: 9755442
    Abstract: A battery protection IC has detection circuits to detect faults of an overcharge, an over-discharge, and an overcurrent of a secondary battery; a control circuit to protect the secondary battery, by controlling (dis)charging the secondary battery upon the fault; and a delay circuit to generate delay after the fault before the controlling. The IC includes a memory unit to store data for setting and adjusting a circuit characteristic of the IC; and a setting circuit to set and adjust the circuit characteristic, based on the data from the memory unit. The memory unit includes a pair of non-volatile memory cells to complementarily store one bit, and a latch circuit directly cross-coupled with the memory cells, for each bit of the data. The latch circuit statically outputs the data from the memory cells to the setting circuit when the IC is turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryota Kageyama, Tsutomu Yamauchi, Nobuhito Tanaka, Takashi Takeda, Yoshihiro Satake, Takeshi Yamaguchi, Koji Koshimizu, Norihito Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 9748798
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control module for an electric energy store for operation on a supply line, which is configured for the parallel connection of a plurality of consumers, comprising a supply terminal for connection to the supply line, and comprising a control unit for the controlled charging and/or discharging of an electric energy store via the supply terminal, wherein the control module is connected or can be connected to the electric energy store, the control module can be connected to a delimiting device, and the control unit is configured, when the control module is connected to the delimiting device, to perform a rapid charging and/or a rapid discharging of the energy store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: PHOENIX CONTACT GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Jochen Zeuch, Michael Heinemann, Hartmut Henkel
  • Patent number: 9742214
    Abstract: Disclosed is a wireless power receiving apparatus for wirelessly receiving power. The wireless power receiving apparatus includes a power receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive power, a charging unit configured to receive the power from the power receiving unit, and supply the power to a battery, and a control unit configured to determine an output voltage, which enables a charging efficiency of power, supplied to the battery, to be the maximum, based on an output capacity output from the power receiving unit, and control the power receiving unit for the battery to be charged with the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Minhun Ha, Donghan Yoon
  • Patent number: 9728818
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods to determine when a new or fresh battery has been replaced in a medical monitoring device and store a record of such battery replacement so that the battery records of the medical monitoring device can be reliably kept over the life of the monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: LifeScan Scotland Limited
    Inventors: Brian Guthrie, Allan Macrae
  • Patent number: 9718462
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided with a powertrain including a battery-powered electric motor, an internal combustion engine, a transmission, and a powertrain controller. The controller is programmed to permit an upshift of a transmission gear ratio while a powertrain torque demand is less than a forecasted available powertrain torque sustainable over a predetermined upcoming duration of time. The controller is also programmed to inhibit an upshift while the torque demand exceeds the forecasted available powertrain torque to reduce successive gear shifts. The controller may be further programmed to, in response to battery a state of charge being less than a threshold, reduce the forecasted available powertrain torque by an amount sufficient to provide a recharge to a battery. The controller may be further still programmed to reduce the forecasted available powertrain torque by an amount sufficient to restart the engine while the powertrain is operating in an engine-off traction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Steven Yamazaki, Zhengyu Dai, Felix Nedorezov, Rajit Johri, Bernard D. Nefcy, Wei Liang, Xiaoyong Wang
  • Patent number: 9716442
    Abstract: A power conversion unit performs an AC mode or DC mode conversion operation in which AC or DC power is converted to power driving a motor in order to supply a load. In response to the output of a sequence test signal instructing execution of a sequence test, a power source output switching switch shuts off the supply of a power from a power source to the power conversion unit. When the sequence test signal has been output and the supply of power to the power conversion unit has been shut off by means of the power source output switching switch, a control unit controls the AC mode or DC mode in order to cause the power conversion unit to execute a conversion operation corresponding to the power supplied to the power conversion unit in accordance with the switching history of sequence test signal output and non-output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsuya Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 9702941
    Abstract: A method makes available information for the purpose of performing maintenance and servicing of a battery, which includes at least one battery module with an assigned module control device and a central control device, wherein at least one module control device has a non-volatile memory. The method comprises detecting and quantizing useful data of battery units, forming a histogram which has frequency values of the occurrence of specific values of the individual quantized useful data or values derived therefrom, transferring the histogram from the central control device to a module control device, and storing the histogram in the non-volatile memory of the module control device. Furthermore, a computer program and a battery management system are specified which are configured to execute the method, as well as a battery and a motor vehicle whose drive system is connected to a battery of this type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Christoph Brochhaus
  • Patent number: 9705573
    Abstract: A method for controlling multiple-input and multiple-output operation in a communication device when the communication device is attached to a battery charger includes determining that a battery level of a communication device is below a first battery level threshold. The method further includes determining that the communication device is attached to a battery char and determining whether to disable multiple-input and multiple-output operation of the communication device while it is attached to the battery charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Mark Braun, Santhosh Kumar Gillella, Ranjeet Gupta, Mary Hor-Lao, Sudhir C. Vissa
  • Patent number: 9663098
    Abstract: A control system for a plug-in hybrid vehicle includes a drive system including a starter motor, a transverse engine, and a motor/generator, and a power supply system including a high voltage battery, a capacitor, and a hybrid control module that controls charging and discharging of the capacitor. A cell voltage monitor for detecting the voltage of the capacitor is provided, the control system being capable of normal external charging and quick external charging of the high voltage battery. The hybrid control module starts the starter, performs charge and discharge control, and maintains a capacitor voltage at and above a starter start-up enabling voltage at which it is possible to start the starter during ignition off and external charging is set to the quick external charging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kodawara
  • Patent number: 9643508
    Abstract: A method for initializing and operating a battery management system is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps. First, start the battery management system. Next, read battery variables which are stored in a nonvolatile memory of the battery and comprise the last state of charge of the battery. Then measure the open-circuit voltage of the battery. Next, determine an instantaneous state of charge value on the basis of the measured open-circuit voltage. Then determine an estimated value of the state of charge of the battery as a function of both the stored last state of charge of the battery and the instantaneous state of charge value. Then initialize the state of charge in the battery management system using the determined estimated value of the state of charge. Finally, operate the battery management system with the initialized values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignees: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andre Boehm, Stefan Wickert
  • Patent number: 9634501
    Abstract: The protective circuit includes a voltage dividing circuit connected in parallel between a first electrode and a second electrode of the unit cell and including a first voltage dividing resistor and a second voltage dividing resistor; a first switching device connected to a junction between the first voltage dividing resistor and the second voltage dividing resistor; a second switching device connected between the junction and the third switching device; and a fourth switching device connected between the junction and the third switching device, wherein, when output voltage of the unit cell becomes equal to or lower than a first reference voltage, the fourth switching device and the first switching device are sequentially turned off, the second switching device is turned on, and the third switching device is turned off, so that voltage output through the first output terminal can be cut off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: VITZROCELL CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Jun-Ho Son, Hye-Won Shin, Yong-Hyun Lee, Kwang-Il Chung, Bum-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9620982
    Abstract: A comparator circuit includes: a switching element that is disposed between a positive electrode of a battery cell and a fixed potential supply source, that has a control terminal connected to a negative electrode of the battery cell, and that operates in response to a voltage applied from the battery cell to the control terminal; a voltage regulating unit that is disposed between the battery cell and the switching element and that regulates the voltage applied from the battery cell to the switching element; and an output signal line that outputs a potential between the switching element and the fixed potential supply source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: LAPIS SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9614383
    Abstract: A system and method for providing energy management and maintenance of a high energy battery pack through use self-discharge features and processes. A battery pack is configured with self-discharger enabled-components that selectively discharge energy from the battery pack without the battery pack providing operational power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Tesla Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Stuart Boggs, Joseph Michael Darragh, Anil Paryani, Chuen Chou
  • Patent number: 9606706
    Abstract: A portable electronic device having a user interface for displaying battery usage of the device over a given time period, with the battery usage from various subsystems. The various subsystems including at least one hardware subsystem and the battery usage attributed to a plurality of software applications based on activity of the plurality of software applications, while battery usage of the various subsystems was monitored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Amit K. Vyas, Patrick L. Coffman, Albert S. Liu, Abhinav Pathak, Anand Ramadurai
  • Patent number: 9594120
    Abstract: A battery monitoring apparatus is built in a device having a primary battery. The battery monitoring apparatus includes a voltage measuring module configured to obtain an open circuit voltage of the primary battery and an output voltage of the primary battery at the time when a load current flows, a current measuring module configured to obtain the load current, a first resistance value calculating module configured to obtain a first internal resistance of the primary battery based on the open circuit voltage, the load current and the output voltage, a second resistance value calculating module configured to obtain a second internal resistance of the primary battery at which the device can operate normally based on the open circuit voltage, the load current and the minimum drive voltage, and an alarm outputting module configured to output a battery life alarm when the first internal resistance is larger than the second internal resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Nonoyama
  • Patent number: 9581652
    Abstract: Battery insulation resistance measurement methods, insulation resistance measurement methods, insulation resistance determination apparatuses, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one aspect, a battery insulation resistance measurement method includes determining a voltage of a battery, determining a voltage of a first terminal of the battery with respect to a ground reference, determining a voltage of a second terminal of the battery with respect to the ground reference, and using the voltages of the battery, the first terminal and the second terminal, determining an insulation resistance of the battery with respect to the ground reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Valence Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Aaron Klijn
  • Patent number: 9543772
    Abstract: A portable device includes set of charger contacts and a set of battery contacts. The battery contacts mate with corresponding contacts of a battery pack used to power the portable device, and the charger contacts allow charging of the battery pack while connected to the portable device. The battery pack includes an undervoltage protection circuit that opens when an undervoltage condition occurs across the battery pack contacts. The portable device further includes short circuit protection element connected between corresponding contacts of the set of battery contacts and the set of charger contacts that, upon a short circuit condition occurring at the charger contacts, prevents the undervoltage protection circuit from tripping and opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: David Henry, Branko L Avanic, Wayne M Phang
  • Patent number: 9531203
    Abstract: A secondary battery system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of secondary batteries; a power source; and a control circuitry. The control circuitry is operative to intermittently charges each of the plurality of secondary batteries plural times with a pause between charges while repeating a cycle including (a) selecting a secondary battery to be charged next from among the plurality of secondary batteries and (b) charging the selected secondary battery at a charging current not less than a standard current. The standard current is defined to reduce a charging capacity of each secondary battery decreases by 20% from a maximum charging capacity in a case where the secondary battery is continuously charged at the standard current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Honda, Yoshikazu Yamaoka, Kensuke Nakura
  • Patent number: 9529756
    Abstract: A method and terminal for starting a USB state machine are provided in the present document. The method includes: connecting a USB voltage bus pin to a logic level; if detecting that a voltage of a charging voltage pin is greater than a threshold limit value, starting a charging state machine and the USB state machine. In the present document, the USB state machine is started through a signal for detecting plug-in and pull-out of a charger, which can not only trigger the start-up of the USB state machine, but also possess a function of satisfying overvoltage protection, thereby the charger and the USB are enabled to share one physical interface with the simplest and securest method under the premise of guaranteeing the reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventors: Qirui Li, Chao Li, Yaheng Wang, Tao Wang, Xianzheng Zeng
  • Patent number: 9519031
    Abstract: A delta signal and opposite delta signal are generated such that a sum of the two signals is substantially zero. The delta signal is applied across a first set of electrochemical cells. The opposite delta signal is applied across a second set of electrochemical cells series connected to the first set. A first held voltage is established as the voltage across the first set. A second held voltage is established as the voltage across the second set. A first delta signal is added to the first held voltage and applied to the first set. A second delta signal is added to the second held voltage and applied to the second set. The current responses due to the added delta voltages travel only into the set associated with its delta voltage. The delta voltages and the current responses are used to calculate the impedances of their associated cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventor: David K. Jamison
  • Patent number: 9505308
    Abstract: The disclosure is related to a battery management of an electric vehicle. Particularly, the disclosure relates to performing the battery management according to a ‘state of charge’ (SOC) management condition predetermined for an electric vehicle battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: KT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jin-Soo Kyoung
  • Patent number: 9506987
    Abstract: A system for tracking the capacity of a battery in a portable electronic device is described. While plugged in-to a power adapter, the system measures a first open-circuit voltage for the battery while the battery rests at a first state of charge. Next, the system causes the battery to transition to a second state of charge. During the transition, the system integrates a current through the battery to determine a net change in charge. Next, the system measures a second open-circuit voltage while the battery rests at the second state of charge. Finally, the system estimates a capacity for the battery based on the first and second open-circuit voltages and the net change in charge. This capacity measurement is repeated and the multiple results are fitted to a line. The slope of fitted line is used to estimate how the battery capacity has faded since last measured using traditional techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nils E. Mattisson, P. Jeffrey Ungar, Thomas C. Greening, Jeffrey G. Koller
  • Patent number: 9488697
    Abstract: Evaluation of a battery state comprises transforming a time based history of the load on the battery into a spectral representation of that history in a load domain, e.g., the current domain. The method also comprises comparing the spectral representation to an expected battery capability for the load represented by each line in the spectra and calculating the fraction of the expected capability used at each spectral line. The method still further comprises aggregating the calculated fractions into a total fraction that represents the estimated fraction of the expected battery capability associated with that particular time history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventor: John R. Harman
  • Patent number: 9483128
    Abstract: A display control device includes a display part, an indication part to indicate a position on the display part and output a value of residual electric energy thereof, a coordinate detection part to detect coordinates of the position on the display part, a rendering data production part to produce rendering data based on the coordinates of the position on the display part, a determination part to determine whether or not the value of residual electric energy is less than a threshold value, a rendering data processing part to process the rendering data to produce data for notification of electric energy reduction in a case where the determination part determines that the value of residual electric energy is less than the threshold value, and a display control part to display the rendering data and the data for notification of electric energy reduction on the display part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Nagano
  • Patent number: 9461485
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating the state-of-charge (SOC) of a battery cell in a vehicle using a magnetic sensor that measures changes in magnetism of the battery cell. The method provides an offset correction to a current output signal from the magnetic sensor that calibrates the current output signal to a known magnetic field strength, provides a temperature correction to the current output signal that corrects the current output signal based on a temperature of the magnetic sensor, and provides a current correction to the current output signal that removes portions of the magnetic field caused by other battery cells, where the corrected current output signal is converted to the battery cell SOC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Brian J. Koch
  • Patent number: 9438894
    Abstract: Provided are a three dimensional (3D) display apparatus, a method of setting up a graphic user interface (GUI) thereof, and 3D glasses. The method of providing a GUI of the 3D display apparatus operating in association with the 3D glasses includes receiving a signal including battery information from the 3D glasses, generating a GUI related to the battery information of the 3D glasses, using the battery information contained in the received signal, and displaying the generated GUI on a screen of the 3D display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-sung Park, Do-sung Jung, Tae-Don Hwang, Tae-hyeun Ha
  • Patent number: 9428074
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle with electric or hybrid propulsion including a rechargeable electric accumulation battery and a braking system allowing recovery of energy, the battery being rechargeable during braking phases and during charging phases under control of a supply system including a mechanism determining a maximum allowable power for the battery. The mechanism determining the maximum allowable power for the battery includes a first mapping making it possible to read a first maximum power on the basis of a temperature and of a state of charge of the battery, and a second mapping making it possible to read a second maximum power based on the temperature and of the state of charge of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Antoine Saint-Marcoux, Claire Oberti, Marc-Henri Giraud, Bruno Delobel
  • Patent number: 9417271
    Abstract: A voltage detection device that detects a decrease in an output voltage of a power supply device, includes a first voltage-dividing circuit that divides the output voltage of the power supply device, a first constant-voltage circuit that converts the output voltage of the power supply device into a predetermined voltage, a second constant-voltage circuit that converts the output voltage of the power supply device into a predetermined voltage lower than an output voltage of the first constant-voltage circuit, a comparator that receives output voltages of the first voltage-dividing circuit and the second constant-voltage circuit, and a detection circuit that detects the decrease in the output voltage of the power supply device. The detection circuit detects a decrease in the output voltage in a higher-voltage region, and detects a decrease in the output voltage in a lower-voltage region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akira Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 9407113
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a detecting unit configured to detect cut-off of a main power supply; a power storage unit configured to store power; a sensing unit configured to sense an amount of remaining power of the power storage unit; a determining unit configured to determine whether a functional operation designated by a user is completed with the amount of remaining power sensed by the sensing unit in a cut-off condition of the main power supply detected by the detecting unit; and an operation control unit configured to control execution of the functional operation in the cut-off condition when the determining unit determines that the functional operation is completed with the amount of remaining power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9393433
    Abstract: Battery management circuitry for an implantable medical device such as an implantable neurostimulator is described. The circuitry has a T-shape with respect to the battery terminal, with charging circuitry coupled between rectifier circuitry and the battery terminal on one side of the T, and load isolation circuitry coupled between the load and the battery terminal on the other side. The load isolation circuitry can comprise two switches wired in parallel. An undervoltage fault condition opens both switches to isolate the battery terminal from the load to prevent further dissipation of the battery. Other fault conditions will open only one the switches leaving the other closed to allow for reduced power to the load to continue implant operations albeit at safer low-power levels. The battery management circuitry can be fixed in a particular location on an integrated circuit which also includes for example the stimulation circuitry for the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Jordi Parramon, Goran N. Marnfeldt, Robert Ozawa, Emanuel Feldman, Dave Peterson
  • Patent number: 9377513
    Abstract: An ambulatory infusion device comprising a replaceable energy storage for electrically powering its functional units is presented. Control units provide to a monitoring system data about energy consuming activities or consumed energy by the functional units. Based on this data, the monitoring system determines energy consumed by the functional units and triggers measurement of the voltage of the energy storage at a point in time which depends on the determined energy consumed in a time interval preceding the point in time. Adapting the time of measurement to the actual energy drawn from the energy storage makes it possible to detect reliably and early a low energy state of any conventional standard battery, regardless of its electrochemical design and electrical behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Roche Diagnostics International AG
    Inventor: Stefan Lindegger
  • Patent number: 9372238
    Abstract: A battery management system and a battery pack are disclosed. The battery management system determines that a battery is in a non-use state, and thereafter, detects a battery voltage of the battery. If the battery voltage is less than an over-discharge reference voltage, the system generates a warning signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youngbok Kim
  • Patent number: 9360500
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for measuring a battery current of a battery. The device has a measuring distance, over which the entire battery current to be measured flows during the measurement. A measuring device measures a voltage drop across the measuring distance. On the basis of the measured voltage drop and a resistance of the measuring distance, a current determining device determines the battery current, wherein the measuring distance is formed by at least part of a cable with a temperature-dependent resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Schramme, Hans-Michael Graf
  • Patent number: 9350177
    Abstract: An equalization circuit includes: discharge sections which are provided correspondingly to secondary batteries respectively, and discharge the corresponding secondary batteries to convert energy resulting from the discharge into heat; a temperature detector which detects a temperature under the converted heat; and an equalization controller which selects a discharge section as a selection discharge section, the selection discharge section corresponding to a secondary battery of the secondary batteries to be discharged, the equalization controller causing the selection discharge section to discharge the corresponding secondary battery, and equalizing electric quantities accumulated in the secondary batteries, wherein if the secondary battery is discharged by the selection discharge section and if the temperature detected by the temperature detector is higher than a predetermined reference temperature, the equalization controller reduces a discharge current to a value lower than a value when the temperature is
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chikara Ohmori
  • Patent number: 9350182
    Abstract: A multi-port charging device for charging plural electronic devices simultaneously includes a body containing a circuit board that has plural current-detecting elements, a charging section including plural connecting ports each of which is connected to one of the electronic devices to be charged, wherein each of the connecting ports is associated with a lamp indicator and electrically connected to a current-detecting element, a power inlet port for connecting an external power source, a controlling section for selectively set a charging current for any of the connecting ports, and plural current-detecting elements for detecting charging currents of the electronic device, respectively, and feeding back a signal to the plural lamp indicators, so that each of the lamp indicators shows one of charging states according to the signal. The charging states at least include a fast charging mode, a slow charging mode, an off mode and a mis-connection mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Inventors: Yun-Feng Han, Wei-Chung Shih
  • Patent number: 9342088
    Abstract: A local power converter may include a controller to manipulate the operating point of a local power converter to cause the power point tracking feature of a central power converter to operate at a point determined by the controller. In some embodiments, the controller can manipulate the operating point of the local power converter by alternating between at least two modes. In some other embodiments, the controller can manipulate the operating point of the local power converter to provide a substantially constant slope. In some other embodiments, the controller can maintain a substantially constant impedance ratio. In some other embodiments, the controller enables perturbations from the power point tracking feature of the central power converter to reach the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Batten, Vincenzo DiTommaso, Gary B. Baker, Henry F. Pruett, Adam Heiberg, Triet Tu Le, Edward Gee
  • Patent number: 9335381
    Abstract: A fail signal indicating overcharge/overdischarge of unit cells detected by voltage detecting ICs (21-1) to (21-n) is transmitted as a digital signal and an analog signal to a CPU 32. If the analog fail signal and digital fail signal agree with each other, the CPU 32 determines that overcharge or overdischarge is occurring in the unit cells. If the fail signals disagree with each other, it is determined that an error is occurring in data communication in communication lines L1 to L3 and the error is informed to an operator with an alarm signal or the like. As a result, overcharge or overdischarge is highly accurately detectable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Sekizaki, Satoshi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9322884
    Abstract: An impedance analyzing device, adapted to a testee comprising an electrode or at least one battery cell, includes a signal capturing unit, a signal adjusting unit, a signal analyzing unit, a processing unit, and a power source supply unit providing a variable-frequency voltage signal to the testee. The signal adjusting unit receiving and adjusts a variable-frequency voltage signal and the current signal to generate an adjusted variable-frequency voltage signal and an adjusted current signal. The signal capturing unit captures a current signal generated by the testee in response to the variable-frequency voltage signal. The signal analyzing unit receives and analyzes the adjusted variable-frequency voltage signal and the adjusted current signal in frequency domain to obtain a frequency domain parameter and/or a time domain parameter. The processing unit receives the frequency domain parameter and/or the time domain parameter to obtain an impedance variation characteristic of the testee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Yi-Feng Luo, Cihun-Siyong Gong
  • Patent number: 9312712
    Abstract: A method of charging a battery and a battery pack utilizing the same, is disclosed. The method enhances the battery life characteristic of a battery cell by varying the charging parameters (e.g., charging voltage, charging current, rate of charge, relative state of charge, and battery capacity) based a temperature of or around the battery cell is in a normal, extended, or abnormal temperature range when the battery cell is fully charged. The charging method includes determining whether a battery cell is being charged, and if the battery cell is being charged, determining whether the battery cell is fully charged; if the battery cell is fully charged, determining whether a temperature of or around the battery cell is in a normal range or in an extended range; and if the temperature is in the normal range, selecting a first charging parameter set, and if the temperature is in the extended range, selecting a charging condition of the battery cell as a second set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chulseung Lee
  • Patent number: 9305452
    Abstract: A battery protection system applicable to an electronic device includes a battery, a control module, a message generating module and an input interface. The control module is electrically connected to the battery for detecting if the battery is in an abnormal state. The message generating module is electrically connected to the control module for generating a battery-error warning message when the control module detects that the battery is in the abnormal state. The input interface is electrically connected to the control module for transmitting a user command to the control module after the battery-error warning message is generated, thereby enabling the control module to release the abnormal state of the battery according to the user command. A battery protection method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: QUANTA COMPUTER INC.
    Inventors: Hsiang-Sheng Kung, Wei-Ting Yen, Pi-Chi Chen
  • Patent number: 9306409
    Abstract: A battery system comprising a battery management system (BMS) is disclosed. The BMS has a hierarchical structure including an upper layer master BMS and a lower layer slave BMS. The master transmits a request signal to the slave wirelessly, and the slave transmits a response signal based on the request signal wirelessly to the master.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hwan-Sung Yoo
  • Patent number: 9294645
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a voltage detector that detects voltage drop in battery output when the image forming apparatus enters operating mode, a table that stores data associating the entered operating mode with the voltage drop in battery output in performing the operating mode, a battery power detector that detects charge remaining on the battery, and an operating mode determination unit that determines whether or not the operating mode is executable based on the voltage drop in battery output in performing the operating mode. The operating mode determination unit determines whether or not the operating mode is executable based on the voltage drop in battery output in performing the operating mode acquired from the table and output voltage of the battery in accordance with the charge remaining on the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Ohhashi