Using A Battery Testing Device Patents (Class 324/426)
  • Patent number: 11169214
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer media for battery system management and non-linear estimation of battery state of charge are provided herein. Battery data is received for a time period over which a battery system has operated. The battery data represents the actual performance of the battery system over the time period. Sub-periods of charging or discharging can be identified in the time period. For the sub-periods of time, a curve can be fit to the battery data. Using the curves for the battery data for the sub-periods of time, an expected performance of the battery system, over a range of states-of-charge, can be determined. Operating instructions for the battery system can be provided based on the expected performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Alasdair James Crawford, Vilayanur Venkataraman Viswanathan, Patrick Joseph Balducci, Trevor D. Hardy, Di Wu, Michael C. W. Kintner-Meyer
  • Patent number: 11171585
    Abstract: A motor controller used for driving a motor is provided. The motor controller includes a driving circuit, a control unit, an operational amplifier, a comparator, an inverter, a multiplexer, a first resistor, and a second resistor. The first and second resistors are mounted on a printed circuit board. By changing the resistance of the first resistor and the resistance of the second resistor, it is capable of changing the driving direction of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Global Mixed-mode Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Guang-Nan Tzeng
  • Patent number: 11160311
    Abstract: This inhalation component generation device comprises: a load which vaporizes or atomizes an inhalation component source using power from a power supply; and a control unit. The control unit comprises: a voltage sensor which uses a predefined correlation to convert the analog voltage value of a power supply to a digital voltage value and outputs the digital voltage value; and a power control unit which controls the supply of power from the power supply to the load on the basis of the digital voltage value. The control unit is configured to be capable of calibrating the correlation on the basis of changes in the digital voltage value or the analog voltage value obtained during charging of the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Takeshi Akao, Hajime Fujita, Manabu Yamada
  • Patent number: 11165262
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for protecting each of a plurality of cell stacks included in a battery pack from overcharge. The overcharge prevention apparatus prevents the overcharge of a plurality of cell stacks connected in series within a high current path. The overcharge prevention apparatus includes a voltage measuring unit configured to measure voltage of each cell stack, and generate a first monitoring signal indicating the measured voltage, a current regulating unit configured to selectively provide a bypass path to each cell stack, and a controller connected to the voltage measuring unit and the current regulating unit allowing communication. The controller is configured to control the current regulating unit based on the first monitoring signal from the voltage measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Inventors: Jae-Chan Lee, Soo-Ryoung Kim, Hyun-Sik Kim, Hyeon-Jin Song, Won-Tae Lee, Yang-Lim Choi
  • Patent number: 11152919
    Abstract: An example of an apparatus includes a bias circuit having first and second bias circuit outputs. The apparatus also includes a comparator having first and second comparator inputs. The apparatus also includes a first capacitor coupled between the second comparator input and the second bias circuit output. The apparatus also includes a first switch coupled between the second comparator input and the second bias circuit output. The apparatus also includes a second switch coupled between the first bias circuit output and an input terminal, a third switch coupled between the input terminal and the first comparator input, and a fourth switch coupled between the first bias circuit output and the first comparator input. The apparatus also includes a second capacitor coupled between the first comparator input and the second bias circuit output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Marc Edric Davis-Marsh, Hakan Oner, Tawen Mei
  • Patent number: 11152650
    Abstract: A safety evaluation method according to the present disclosure includes preparing a sample for secondary battery electrode evaluation in which a short circuit will occur by contact between components included in the sample, applying a predetermined pressure that will cause the contact between the components to an area of the sample set as a secondary battery internal short circuit simulation contact area, applying a current between I probes in contact with the sample, obtaining resistance by measuring a potential difference between V probes which are separate from the I probes, obtaining a graph of a change in resistance with a change in distance between the V probes, calculating a short circuit resistance of the area from y-intercept of the graph, and predicting a heat generation amount of the area from the short circuit resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Bum-Young Jung, Hee-Min Kim
  • Patent number: 11152806
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for identifying a battery type and/or a battery user. Measuring circuitry may be used to collect battery parameters that may be analyzed by control circuitry to create an adaptive charge profile that is applied to a battery by charging circuitry. Battery parameters may be recorded in a battery use signature. Logic may be used to process a battery use signature and identify a single user across multiple battery operated devices and/or discriminate between multiple users of a device. In some cases, battery use signature may be used to identify battery information including the make, model, and lot from which the battery was manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Qnovo Inc.
    Inventors: Nadim Maluf, Fred Berkowitz
  • Patent number: 11150305
    Abstract: A method of estimating the residual energy of a battery. The method comprises determining the battery's state of charge (SOC) and dischargeable capacity to determine the battery's state of energy (SOE), determining the battery's reference dischargeable energy (Eref) and total dischargeable energy (Etot), and comparing the state of energy to the total dischargeable energy to find the residual energy of the battery. The various functions of the method use battery current, cell temperature, and state of health (SOH) as variables for consideration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: KARMA AUTOMOTIVE LLC
    Inventors: Ali Jokar, Suvrat Ramasubramanian, Jing Hong
  • Patent number: 11143706
    Abstract: A battery capacity estimation method includes a first step and a second step. The first step is a step of obtaining image data of a Nyquist diagram drawn by a predetermined method, based on a Nyquist plot obtained by a predetermined AC-IR measurement. The second step is a step of obtaining a battery capacity estimate value of a battery to be measured by inputting the image data of the Nyquist diagram obtained in the first step into an input layer of a pre-trained neural network model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junta Izumi, Masahiko Mitsui, Juni Yasoshima
  • Patent number: 11139664
    Abstract: A battery protector includes analog frontend circuitry coupled to a hibernate mode input terminal that is one of configured to couple to a high voltage connector terminal when the system is connected to an external load or charger to define an active mode and configured to float when the system is disconnected from the external load or charger to define a hibernate mode. The analog frontend circuitry is configured to provide a signal at an output thereof to distinguish, in the absence of an external ground connection, between connected and floating conditions for the hibernate mode input terminal. Digital logic is coupled with the output of the analog frontend circuitry, the digital logic providing a digital signal to control whether the battery protector is operating in the active mode or the hibernate mode based on the signal at the output of the analog frontend circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Abhijeet Kumar Singh, Manish Parmar, Dipankar Mitra, Vv Shyam Prasad, Mahesh Kv
  • Patent number: 11125828
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a method for determining the age of an electrochemical energy storage unit comprising: referring to a first open-circuit voltage curve of the electrochemical energy storage unit dependent upon the state of charge of the electrochemical energy storage unit as a reference; ascertaining a second open-circuit voltage curve of the electrochemical energy storage unit dependent upon the state of charge of the electrochemical energy storage unit; and determining the age of the electrochemical energy storage unit by comparing the first and second open-circuit voltage curves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Christopher Betzin, Holger Wolfschmidt
  • Patent number: 11121412
    Abstract: A safety evaluation method according to the present disclosure includes preparing a sample for secondary battery electrode evaluation in which a short circuit will occur by contact between components included in the sample, applying a predetermined pressure that will cause the contact between the components to an area of the sample set as a secondary battery internal short circuit simulation contact area, applying a current between I probes in contact with the sample, obtaining resistance by measuring a potential difference between V probes which are separate from the I probes, obtaining a graph of a change in resistance with a change in distance between the V probes, calculating a short circuit resistance of the area from y-intercept of the graph, and predicting a heat generation amount of the area from the short circuit resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Bum-Young Jung, Hee-Min Kim
  • Patent number: 11110816
    Abstract: A condition-based maintenance method is provided for a primary electrical system of a vehicle. The method includes obtaining a plurality of expected parametric values representing a state-of-health (SOH) of the primary electrical system of the vehicle; starting a series of operations to exercise a plurality of operating modes of the vehicle; continuously reading a plurality of voltage values from a battery voltage output of a diagnostic connector of the vehicle, performing analysis on the plurality of voltages values to generate current parametric values of SOH of the primary electrical system; based on comparison between the expected parametric values and the current parametric values, determining whether a condition-based maintenance is required; and, after determining that a condition-based maintenance is required, present a maintenance alert to an operator of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Inventor: Guy Thomas Rini
  • Patent number: 11114708
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a temperature of a battery pack, in which, when the battery pack is in an extremely low temperature state during charging/discharging, a PWM signal having a duty ratio value that increases as the temperature increases is outputted to intermittently drive a heat generating unit so that the battery pack stably increases in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Seung Hwan Kim, Dong Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 11081892
    Abstract: An electronic or electromechanical system including at least one electrical energy source, a first circuit capable of operating in at least two operating modes, one of which corresponds to the stopping of the application circuit, and a circuit for transmitting the electrical energy from the energy source to the application circuit, the transmission circuit being further capable of determining a first value of the maximum instantaneous electric power capable of being supplied by the energy source, of determining a second value of the instantaneous electric power consumed by the application circuit in at least one of the operating modes, and of storing the first and second values or of selecting the operating mode of the application circuit from among said at least two operating modes based on the first and second values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignees: Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, SAFRAN
    Inventors: Loïc Sibeud, Romain Grezaud
  • Patent number: 11077921
    Abstract: A pressure tolerant energy system may comprise a pressure tolerant cavity and an energy system enclosed in the pressure tolerant cavity configured to provide electrical power to the vehicle. The energy system may include one or more battery cells and a pressure tolerant, programmable management circuit. The pressure tolerant cavity may be filled with an electrically-inert liquid, such as mineral oil. In some embodiments, the electrically-inert liquid may be kept at a positive pressure relative to a pressure external to the pressure tolerant cavity. The energy system may further comprise a pressure venting system configured to maintain the pressure inside the pressure tolerant cavity within a range of pressures. The pressure tolerant cavity may be sealed to prevent water ingress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: HADAL, INC.
    Inventors: James Morash, Jonathan Pompa, Ben Kfir, Robert S. Damus, Richard J. Rikoski
  • Patent number: 11073564
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring characteristics of an electric energy device includes generating an external short from the electric energy device. The external short occurs at a known distance from a sensor and has at least one known external resistance. The received signal representing change in electromagnetic field due to the applied external short may be analyzed to determine a signal parameter that is then analyzed in comparison to a lookup table, based on the known conditions inclduig distance, temperature and the external resistance. The output of this analyses in comparison with expected values may be utilized to identify a characteristic of the energy device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Farshid Roumi, Mahshid Roumi
  • Patent number: 11063322
    Abstract: A circuit body includes: a plurality of conductors and a substrate having flexibility and provided with the conductors, in which the substrate includes a battery wiring portion which is routed along each row of electrodes and where one ends of the conductors are respectively connected to bus bars, and a pair of connector connecting portions in which the other ends of the conductors provided in respective battery wiring portions are located, the pair of connector connecting portions include a connector mounting portion where the pair of connector connecting portions are guided from opposite directions, and in the connector mounting portion, the other ends of the conductors of the pair of the connector connecting portions are alternately arranged and an arrangement order corresponds to the potential order of the bus bars connected to the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao Ota, Junya Iwata
  • Patent number: 11063448
    Abstract: Methods and a system for dynamically modifying charging settings for a battery assembly are described. A first usage value and a second usage value for the battery assembly are received. A usage difference value for the battery assembly is determined by comparing the first usage value to the second usage value. The usage difference value is compared to a plurality of battery usage ranges. Each battery usage range is associated with a bin count, a different voltage offset, and a different current offset. The bin count of one of the plurality of battery usage ranges is updated based on the comparison. The bin counts of the plurality of battery usage ranges are analyzed to determine a largest bin count and a respective battery usage range. The battery assembly is charged with a voltage offset and a current offset corresponding to the respective battery usage range with the largest bin count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher P. Klicpera, Michael Robustelli
  • Patent number: 11047918
    Abstract: A method for correcting a SOH, an apparatus, a battery management system and a storage medium are provided. The method includes obtaining a relationship curve between a ratio of an accumulated charge/discharge capacity variation and a corresponding voltage-parameter variation of a battery cell and a voltage parameter itself; determining a valid peak point on the relationship curve; determining a SOH calibration value corresponding to voltage parameter datum at the valid peak point; correcting a current SOH according to the SOH calibration value. The estimation accuracy of the SOH can be improved according to this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited
    Inventors: Mingshu Du, Shichao Li, Jian Ruan, Shenzhi Tang, Yanhua Lu, Wei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11025072
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an electric energy storage system are described. The systems and methods include ways of coupling electric energy storage cell stacks to an electric conductor or bus. The coupling is performed to reduce current flow through contactors and to increase a life span of the contactors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: ESS Tech, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Vanderzanden, Steve Ernst
  • Patent number: 11004996
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for regenerative braking. A method for regenerative braking may comprise converting mechanical energy from a braking event to electrical energy. The electrical energy may activate a photon battery comprising phosphorescent material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: NIMBUS ENGINEERING INC.
    Inventor: Alex Diggins
  • Patent number: 11002797
    Abstract: The fault diagnosis circuit includes a first line including a first resistor, having one end connected to the positive (+) terminal of a battery, and having the other end connected to a first input unit of an analog to digital converter (ADC); a second line including a second resistor, having one end connected to the positive (+) terminal of the battery, and having the other end connected to a first input unit of a comparator; and a third line including a third resistor, having one end connected to the negative (?) terminal of the battery, having a first other end connected to a second input unit of the ADC, and having a second other end connected to a second input unit of the comparator. A fault in a battery management system can be efficiently diagnosed using a smaller number of elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-Seong Park, Seulkirom Kim, Jae-Min Park, Yeong-Geun Yeo, Sang-Ho Lee, Jong-Won Choi
  • Patent number: 10967820
    Abstract: A power source system includes a first power source, a power generator, a first electrical load, a second electrical load, a second power source, and a charge/discharge switch provided between the second power source and the power generator. The charge/discharge switch is controlled into a closed state to electrically connect the power generator to the second power source, when an amount of charge of the second power source is less than a charge request threshold, the power generator is in a power generating state, and an amount of power generated by the power generator is equal to or more than a total power requirement as a total sum of respective amounts of power required by the second power source, the first electrical load, and the second electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki Kawamura
  • Patent number: 10971744
    Abstract: Provided is a method for inspecting a current leak of a fuel cell, which is provided with an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, the method including: a first process in which a first voltage, which is a limit voltage of the electrolyte membrane, is applied to the fuel cell; a second process in which a second voltage, which is lower than the first voltage, is applied to the fuel cell after the first process; a third process in which a third voltage, which is lower than the second voltage, is applied to the fuel cell after the second process; and a determination process in which a value of a current flowing through the fuel cell in the third process is detected, and whether the detected current value is lower than a prescribed current value is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Yamagishi, Hiroshi Sakai
  • Patent number: 10957943
    Abstract: A jig device for inspecting quality of a secondary battery, which fixes the secondary battery and inspects quality of the secondary battery, is provided in which the jig device includes a jig base having a seating hole, a fixed module mounted on the jig base at one side of the seating hole, a first gliding module mounted on the jig base at a side opposite to the fixed module and glidable toward the fixed module, and a support part extending across the seating hole. A masking block is mounted on one or more portions of the fixed module and the first gliding module, which comes into contact with an edge of the secondary battery to fix the secondary battery. The first gliding module is detachable from the jig base, and the support part is separable from the fixed module and the first gliding module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Seok Jin Kim, Sang Hyun Koo, Cha Hun Ku
  • Patent number: 10948544
    Abstract: A battery safety identifying method is provided. The method includes the following steps. A voltage drop and a voltage drop rate are detected when a battery is abnormal. A duration time of the voltage drop and a voltage recovery ratio are detected when the battery is abnormal. A surface temperature or a temperature rise rate is detected when the battery is abnormal. A plurality of hazard levels of battery abnormality and at least one protection mechanism are set according to the voltage drop, the voltage drop rate, the voltage recovery ratio and the surface temperature or the temperature rise rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Chein-Chung Sun, Chun-Hung Chou, Deng-Tswen Shieh, Che-Wei Chu
  • Patent number: 10946765
    Abstract: A vehicle and method are provided in which deterioration of a battery is controlled. The method includes detecting deterioration severity of the battery and determining whether the deterioration severity is equal to or greater than a reference value. A cause of battery deterioration is determined when the deterioration severity is equal to or greater than the reference value. The method further includes determining whether the cause of the battery deterioration is vehicle driving and reducing an SOC management range of the battery when the cause of deterioration of the battery is charging/discharging due to vehicle driving. The deterioration cause of the battery is determined as a state of the vehicle left unattended and the central SOC of the battery is adjusted when the cause of deterioration of the battery is not charging/discharging due to vehicle driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Man Jae Park, Joong Woo Lee, Myung Won Lee
  • Patent number: 10948547
    Abstract: A battery monitoring system includes a current sensor and a voltage sensor coupled to a battery cell. It also includes a microcontroller that opportunistically computes many estimates of the cell's ohmic resistance and filters these estimates to arrive at a stable value. Each estimate is traditionally computed from a delta change in voltage divided by delta change in current measured before and after a significant change in current magnitude. An improvement in accuracy of each resistance estimate is achieved by only computing an estimate if the rate of change of voltage and the rate of change of current exhibited by the values making up the delta voltage and delta current are tightly consistent and of the same polarity. This approach significantly minimizes errors induced in estimates not preselected in this manner by the different and also asynchronous sample rates of the cell's voltage and current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert Dale Busser
  • Patent number: 10921381
    Abstract: The system may be configured to perform operations including receiving battery information, such as voltage data, temperature data, battery-specific data, and/or application-specific data; and displaying at least a portion of such data on a graphical user interface on a display screen. The operations may further include analyzing at least a portion of the battery information to monitor or determine battery health and performance, and displaying the results of such analysis on the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHSTAR BATTERY COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Don Karner, Frank Fleming, Ulf Krohn, Christer Lindkvist
  • Patent number: 10921376
    Abstract: A sensor apparatus (10) for monitoring at least one battery cell (20) of a battery system (100), having a sensor element (11) for detecting at least one state variable of the battery cell (20), at least one electrically and/or thermally conductive connecting element (12) connected to the sensor element (11) so that the sensor element can be connected to the battery cell (20) and to an electronic unit (30) of the battery system (100), wherein the connecting element (12) is formed as a flexible printed circuit board (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Schmid-Schoenbein, David Rychtarik, Hang Yu, Walter Jasch
  • Patent number: 10908223
    Abstract: An apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention includes a first estimator, a second estimator and a calculator, and evaluates the present safety of a battery. The first estimator estimates a present deterioration state and a present SOC of the battery. The second estimator estimates, on the basis of first reference data, a calorific value of the battery in an occasion when an external temperature changes. The first reference data is selected as corresponding to the first battery from a plurality of reference data at least indicating relationship between a calorific value of a secondary battery and an external temperature on the basis of the estimated deterioration state and SOC. The calculator calculates, on the basis of the calorific value of the battery, a safety index regarding a temperature of the battery in the occasion when the external temperature changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yumi Fujita, Tomokazu Morita, Nobukatsu Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 10910621
    Abstract: This disclosure details electrical modules that include integrated bus bar locating and separating features. An exemplary electrical module may include a first housing, a second housing, and a bus bar coupon. The first housing, the second housing, or both may include one or more locating and separating features. The bus bar coupon may be automatically separated into a plurality of individual bus bars by the separating features as the first and second housings of the electrical module are moved together. The electrical module could be utilized within electrified vehicle battery packs or various other electrified components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Wesley Edward Burkman
  • Patent number: 10901044
    Abstract: Real-time battery impedance spectra are acquired by stimulating a battery or battery system with a signal generated as a sum of sine signals at related frequencies. An impedance measurement device can be used to interface between the battery system and a host computer for generating the signals. The impedance measurement device may be calibrated to adapt the response signal to more closely match other impedance measurement techniques. The impedance measurement device may be adapted to operate at mid-range voltages of about 50 volts and high-range voltages up to about 300 volts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: Jon P. Christophersen, John L. Morrison, William H. Morrison, Patrick A. Bald
  • Patent number: 10901040
    Abstract: A battery state estimating device periodically estimates a battery state of a secondary battery. The battery state estimating device has a current amount acquiring section, a threshold amount memory, a current amount comparing section, a cycle setting section, and a battery state estimating section. The current amount acquiring section acquires a current amount flowing in the secondary battery. At least one current threshold amount is stored in advance in the threshold amount memory. The current amount comparing section compares the current amount acquired by the current amount acquiring section with the current threshold amount stored in the threshold amount memory. The cycle setting section sets an estimation cycle for estimating the state of the secondary battery based on this comparison result. The battery state estimating section periodically estimates the battery state of the secondary battery based on the estimation cycle set by the cycle setting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kusano, Koji Ohira, Naomi Awano
  • Patent number: 10884062
    Abstract: A battery control system for a vehicle includes a battery state estimator configured to obtain a battery cell open circuit voltage (OCV) of a battery in response to a charging system charging the battery to a maximum charging voltage. The system includes a negative voltage determination module configured to determine a negative OCV of the battery based on the obtained cell or battery OCV. The system includes a voltage shift determination module configured to identify a difference between the negative OCV of the battery and a previous negative OCV of the battery. The system also includes a charge voltage module configured to selectively reduce the maximum charging voltage to a reduced maximum charging voltage based on the difference and transmit the reduced maximum charging voltage to the charging system. The charging system is instructed to charge the battery such that the battery does not exceed the reduced maximum charging voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Raghunathan K, Ramona Y. Ying
  • Patent number: 10882403
    Abstract: Systems or methods for testing performance of an isolation monitor for a vehicle having a high voltage traction battery electrical system isolated from a low voltage electrical system include a device for connecting to an isolation/leakage monitor under test. The device includes a current leakage bus, a current leakage array, and a current leakage destination with associated switching elements automatically controlled by a programmed microprocessor to introduce various leakage impedances to a second voltage source or ground and to evaluate performance of the isolation/leakage monitor under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Edward Loftus
  • Patent number: 10866285
    Abstract: A battery tester for efficiently extracting intrinsic characteristics of a battery. The battery tester comprises a sensing unit, a controller, a bi-directional power converter, and an energy storage unit so that energy discharged from a battery during testing is stored in the energy storage unit and recycled back to the battery. The battery tester uses a high current pulse test and a switching excitation test with a modified particle swarm optimization algorithm to analyze precise model parameters that can be used to describe the health conditions of a battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: PREMIER TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Chun Sing Cheng, Wing Hong Lau, Shu Hung Henry Chung
  • Patent number: 10852340
    Abstract: A vehicle electronics high-resistance fault diagnosis system is provided, as well as a method of detecting and isolating a high-resistance fault in vehicle electronics of a vehicle. The method includes the steps of determining electrical data for one or more portions of the vehicle electronics, wherein the electrical data includes voltage data and/or current data concerning the one or more portions of the vehicle electronics; calculating a resistance for a plurality of resistance sets of the vehicle electronics based on the electrical data, wherein each of the plurality of resistance sets includes one or more electrical components; obtaining a resistance set threshold for each of the plurality of resistance sets of the vehicle electronics; for each of the plurality of resistance sets, evaluating whether the resistance of the resistance set exceeds the resistance set threshold; and based on the evaluating step, identifying one or more high-resistance fault candidates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Xinyu Du, Wen-Chiao Lin, Yilu Zhang
  • Patent number: 10823786
    Abstract: A battery monitor circuit, systems and methods are disclosed. The battery monitor circuit may have a voltage sensor, a temperature sensor, a processor for receiving a monitored voltage signal from the voltage sensor, for receiving a monitored temperature signal from the temperature sensor, and for generating voltage data and temperature data based on the monitored voltage signal and the monitored temperature signal, an antenna, and a transmitter. The battery monitor circuit may be configured for wirelessly communicating the voltage data and the temperature data to a remote device, via the antenna. In an exemplary embodiment, the battery monitor circuit is located internal to the battery and wired electrically to the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: NORTHSTAR BATTERY COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Don Karner, Frank Fleming, Ulf Krohn, Christer Lindkvist
  • Patent number: 10816605
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a battery test system for a vehicle that includes a camera configured to capture an image of a vehicle identification number located on the vehicle, the camera being coupled to a processor which determines characters of the vehicle identification number from the image of the camera and correlates the characters of the vehicle identification number to a vehicle identification number database to receive battery parameters for the vehicle, a battery tester that is removably connected to terminals of a battery of the vehicle and configured to receive battery test results, and a display which conveys information relating to the battery parameters and the battery test results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Michael R. Carlo, Dale A. Gospodarek
  • Patent number: 10818983
    Abstract: Provided is a battery management device capable of effectively utilizing battery performance while securing battery life. The battery management device includes: a divergence amount calculation unit that calculates a divergence amount between a life target value or a degradation amount target value of a storage battery, which is a secondary battery, and a life prediction value or a degradation amount prediction value according to use history of the storage battery in an arbitrary period; and a limit value change unit that changes charge/discharge limit values for controlling degradation of the storage battery based on the divergence amount. The limit value change unit includes a first limit value calculation unit that calculates a first limit value set that is a combination of the charge/discharge limit values for each of a plurality of types of control parameters that change in correlation with each other based on the divergence amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Masahiro Yonemoto, Kei Sakabe, Takanori Yamazoe, Shin Yamauchi, Keiichiro Ohkawa, Ryohhei Nakao
  • Patent number: 10794958
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments, an information handling system may include an embedded controller, communicatively coupled to a battery system that is configured to power the information handling system. The embedded controller may be configured to: receive a cycle count from the battery system; determine that the cycle count is above a threshold; query the battery system for an expected margin of error, in response to determining that the cycle count is above the threshold; receive the expected margin of error from the battery system; determine that the expected margin of error is within a range; and in response to determining that the expected margin of error is within the range, compute a condition metric of the battery system based on a prediction of a capacity of the battery system and a design capacity of the battery system and store the condition metric of the battery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Chia-Fa Chang, Chia Liang Lin, Jui Chin Fang, Shao Szu Ho, No Hua Chuang
  • Patent number: 10788539
    Abstract: Provided are a battery monitoring device capable of suppressing a current flowing to individual battery cells and enhancing the safety thereof, even when there is a short circuit, for example, in a connection line connecting substrates having integrated circuits mounted thereon and a substrate having a microcomputer mounted thereon or a connection line connecting the substrates having the integrated circuits mounted thereon, and a battery system using the same. Resistors are provided in a positive electrode input line 13a connecting a positive electrode side of a battery pack group 200 and a total voltage detecting unit 13 and/or a negative electrode input line 13b connecting a negative electrode side of the battery pack group 200 and the total voltage detecting unit 13 and the resistors of the positive electrode input line 13a and/or negative electrode input line 13b are arranged on individual cell monitoring circuit boards 31 and 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru Miura, Akihiko Kudoh, Mutsumi Kikuchi, Tomonori Kanai
  • Patent number: 10763679
    Abstract: A battery management system for batteries at a geographical location may include wireless battery chargers at the geographical location for charging the batteries and wireless battery monitors at the geographical location and carried by associated ones of the batteries. The battery management system may also include a battery management cloud server for communicating with the wireless battery chargers and the wireless battery monitors to remotely collect battery charging status data from the wireless battery chargers based upon charging of the batteries and to remotely collect battery status data for the batteries from the wireless battery monitors. The battery management cloud server may also remotely process the battery and charger status data to schedule the batteries for use based upon the battery and charger status data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Advanced Charging Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Nasser Kutkut, Thikrallah Shreah
  • Patent number: 10753981
    Abstract: A battery ecosystem may provide electronic components including a reserve capacity tester (RCT) module, a handheld battery and electrical system analyzer (handheld tester), a tester charger, a wireless gateway router modem or hub (hub), a printer, wireless tire tread measuring device, a handheld route sales manager device (RSM), a battery monitoring device, and/or serialized labels, and a Sales/Information/POP kiosk. The hub may communicate with the electronic components, and the battery monitor may constantly read input and output information from a battery and communicate it to the hub and the serialized labels may provide a significant amount of information to the battery ecosystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Interstate Battery System International
    Inventors: Brian Madeley, Tyler Reeves, Clifford Sewing
  • Patent number: 10746151
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle charge control for protection against cold crank failure. An example vehicle includes a battery and a body control module. The body control module is to obtain state of charge information of the battery, obtain temperature information, and estimate a next crank time based on the state of charge information and the temperature information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hanyang B. Chen, Michael J. Irby
  • Patent number: 10725111
    Abstract: A battery state detection device detects a battery state and includes: a first permissible current calculating unit configured to calculate a first permissible current of a battery based on a voltage of the battery detected by a voltage detecting unit; a second permissible current calculating unit configured to calculate a second permissible current of the battery without using the voltage of the battery; and a correction unit configured to compare the first permissible current and the second permissible current and to perform a predetermined correction process on the basis of the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventors: Youhei Kawahara, Masahiro Yonemoto, Keiichiro Ohkawa
  • Patent number: 10718822
    Abstract: To reduce the rate at which a false alternating current (“AC”) loss alarming signal is generated, but at the same time detect an actual AC loss situation in a timely manner, the disclosed method describes an AC line power loss detection and active verification method. If the AC line input voltage dips momentarily lower than a standard sine wave amplitude, the AC line may not be considered lost as long as it still has energy to drive a load. The method inserts a momentary load across the AC line and compares the AC line voltage before and after the extra load is applied. If the AC power is present, this extra loading will increase the AC loading current momentarily, but will not affect the AC line voltage. However, if the AC power is lost, such loading will lower the AC line voltage, indicating a loss of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Xiqun Zhu, Sung Kee Baek, Robert Gregory Twiss
  • Patent number: 10705585
    Abstract: A system for battery current monitoring includes a system power throttle stored in memory and executable by the one or more processors to place a battery of an electronic device into a state of expected zero-drain throughout a time interval while the electronic device remains active, and a battery leakage monitor stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors to detect a battery charge leak based on a series of time-separated parameter measurements for the battery collected during the time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Sachin Ramesh Chandra, Gung Moon Chan, Vinod Chakravarthy, Brian D. Hahn, Da Hai Hu, Brett A. Muzzey, Gary Alan Tornquist, Rajagopal K. Venkatachalam, Ceceli Wilhelmi