Electricity Storage (e.g., Battery, Capacitor) (epo/jpo) Patents (Class 903/907)
  • Patent number: 8326478
    Abstract: When passage through a road pricing area where an exhaust gas emission vehicle is subjected to billing is predicted, an ECU calculates a stored energy quantity available for EV traveling based on the current SOC of a power storage device, and estimates a required energy quantity for passing through the road pricing area by EV traveling. The ECU further calculates a deficit of the stored energy quantity relative to the required energy, and if a deficit is found, executes vehicle control for preparing a vehicle condition for passage through the road pricing area corresponding to the energy deficit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8324858
    Abstract: The invention relates to systems and methods for charging a vehicle. A vehicle and charging station can be designed such that an electric or hybrid vehicle can operate in a fashion similar to a conventional vehicle by being opportunity charged throughout a known route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Proterra Inc.
    Inventors: Dale Hill, Michael Walker, Joshua Goldman, John Horth
  • Publication number: 20120303193
    Abstract: The invention relates to vehicles for transporting persons and/or goods, which vehicles travel on roads or alternatively on rails and at least partially use electrical energy using electric motors as drive units, wherein the electrical energy used is predominantly or substantially produced within the vehicle by converting kinetic energy, in particular components of the kinetic energy that are caused on the vehicle bodywork as gravitation effects and components of the kinetic energy from curve centrifugal forces and acceleration motions of the vehicle body, the vertical dynamic acceleration motions of the wheels and wheel suspensions, and other components, wherein the electrical energy generated in such away is temporarily stored in chemical energy stores (batteries) and/or other suitable storage media, for example, high-power capacitors or flywheel stores, until the electricity is used in the vehicle drive motors and/or other loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: INTERTRONIC GRESSER GMBH
    Inventor: German Gresser
  • Publication number: 20120301755
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling the temperature of a traction battery in a hybrid vehicle, where the hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for traction power. The method includes providing a first temperature regulating circuit for the internal combustion engine, providing a second temperature regulating circuit for the traction battery, heating the traction battery by an electrical heater provided in the second temperature regulating circuit in series with a pump, a radiator and the traction battery, transferring power to the heater via a DC/DC converter in the second temperature regulating circuit from the electrical motor, which electrical motor is driven by the internal combustion engine, while the battery is below a predetermined temperature interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: VOLVO LASTVAGNAR AB
    Inventors: Tobias Axelsson, Guy Mouden, Johan Larsson, Jerker Lennevi
  • Publication number: 20120298433
    Abstract: A plurality of separators are arranged to line up in an X-direction on a cooling plate to respectively correspond to a plurality of battery cells. The separators corresponding to the odd-numbered battery cells and the separators corresponding to the even-numbered battery cells are arranged in opposite directions in the X-direction. On a bottom surface portion of each of the separators, the corresponding battery cell is arranged. In this case, one side surface or the other side surface of each of the battery cells contacts a side surface portion of the corresponding separator, and a bottom surface of each of the battery cells contacts the bottom surface portion of the corresponding separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazumi OHKURA
  • Patent number: 8314595
    Abstract: In a hybrid electric motor vehicle , a power supply system for storing and supplying electrical power includes a motor-generator located onboard the vehicle, driveably connected to the vehicle wheels and producing AC electric power, an energy storage device for alternately storing and discharging electric power, an inverter coupled to the motor-generator and the energy storage device for converting alternating current produced by the motor-generator to direct current transmitted to the energy storage device, and for converting direct current stored in the energy storage device to alternating current transmitted to the motor-generator, an off board source of AC electric power located external to the vehicle, and a charger coupled to said electric power source and the energy storage device for supplying DC electric power to the energy storage device from said AC electric power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kerry E. Grand, Venkatapathi R. Nallapa, Fazal U. Syed, Ming L. Kuang
  • Patent number: 8305032
    Abstract: The Centralized Vehicle Load Management System is hierarchical in nature in that it detects and remediates an overload which can be highly localized at one or more electrical substations or an overload which is widely distributed as a cumulative set of sub-critical loads. The Centralized Vehicle Load Management System operates to determine the load presented to the Electric Power Grid by vehicles which are served by service disconnects which are located at a plurality of points on the Electric Power Grid. The Centralized Vehicle Load Management System regulates the demands presented by the vehicles to the E-Grid thereby to spread the load presented to the Electric Power Grid over time to enable the controllable charging of a large number of vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Lava Four, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Bernard McKenna
  • Patent number: 8306692
    Abstract: An input/output control device for a secondary battery mounted on a vehicle includes a current estimating unit estimating a battery current input to or output from the secondary battery based on an input/output power of the secondary battery and outputting an estimated value (estimated current (Is)), a current sensor measuring the battery current and outputting a measured value (measured current (It)), and an input/output control unit controlling the input/output power based on the estimated value and the measured value. The input/output control device controls the input/output of the secondary battery, using the measured current (It) as well as the estimated value (Is), and therefore can suppress more reliably significant increase in heating value of the secondary battery and its peripheral parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Teruo Ishishita
  • Publication number: 20120247107
    Abstract: A battery module includes a rigid external casing made, for example, of a metallic sheet material. Securement features, tabs, and so forth may be formed in the material of the casing. The casing may be made by stamping and bending metallic sheet. A liner is disposed in the casing, and one or more battery cells are disposed in the liner. The liner may comprise an insulative sheet material that is cut and folded to generally conform to the casing. The structure may include a bus bar assembly, compression members, a thermal component and other structural and functional elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology LLC
    Inventors: Mikhail S. Balk, Richard M. DeKeuster, Binbin Fan
  • Publication number: 20120235624
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling multiple storage devices are provided. A system may include a first storage device and a second storage device, each adapted to store and release electrical energy. The system may also include a controller coupled to the first storage device, the second storage device, and a load. The controller is adapted to optimize operation of the system relative to a first system parameter by controlling the channeling of electric charge in a variable manner between the first storage device, the second storage device, and the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Brian C. Sisk, Thanh T. Nguyen, Perry M. Wyatt, Ryan S. Mascarenhas, Junwei Jang
  • Patent number: 8269452
    Abstract: A battery charge monitoring device for monitoring feed of electric power from a power source installation to a battery, the power source installation being disposed separately from a vehicle on which the battery is mounted, and the vehicle using the electric power fed from the battery as a drive source for traveling, includes a vehicle storage portion which stores therein vehicle identification information allotted to the vehicle, a vehicle side communication portion which performs a power line communication with a power source side communication portion of the power source installation through a power line for feeding the electric power from the power source installation to the battery, and a vehicle side control portion which controls the vehicle side communication portion so as to transmit the vehicle identification information stored in the vehicle storage portion, to the power source side communication portion, when a communication channel is established between the power source side communication portio
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Jin Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8269446
    Abstract: When an electric vehicle outputs a torque instruction, firstly, a request torque is acquired and a judged whether the acquired request torque is positive or negative. Regardless of the sign of the request torque, it is judged whether the eco-switch is ON. If the request torque has a positive sign and the eco-switch is OFF, a map A is selected. If the eco-switch is ON, a map B which limits the maximum torque to a low value for the map A is selected. If the request torque has a negative sign, a map C is selected regardless of the eco-switch ON/OFF state and the maximum torque is not limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Suhama, Hideto Hanada, Masaki Okamura, Hiroaki Kioka, Ken Iwatsuki
  • Patent number: 8265821
    Abstract: A method for determining a voltage level across an electrical circuit of a powertrain includes measuring a plurality of voltage levels and utilizing a comparison test between at least two voltage levels of the plurality of voltage levels to determine the circuit voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Daimler AG, Chrysler Group LLC, Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wei D. Wang, William R. Cawthorne, Aniket Kothari, Nicholas Kokotovich, Wei Ren, Bo Zhang
  • Patent number: 8265815
    Abstract: A method of controlling output torque in a hybrid or electric vehicle transmissions includes calculating a first long-term output torque constraint and a first short-term output torque constraint. A first effective output torque constraint is determined from at least one of the first long-term and short-term output torque constraints. The first effective output torque constraint is bounded by both of the first long-term and short-term output torque constraints. The method may further include calculating a rate limit, such that determining the first effective output torque constraint includes restricting the magnitude of changes in the first long-term output torque constraint to the calculated rate limit. A spread between the first short-term output torque constraint and the first effective output torque constraint may be measured, and the rate limit calculated as a function of that spread. The rate limit may also be calculated with an inversely-proportional relationship to the spread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Sean W McGrogan, Anthony H. Heap
  • Patent number: 8258650
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electric circuit for an automobile, that comprises a ground line (M), an onboard network (R) with a battery (1) connected to the network (R) and to the ground (M) by a branch (b1) comprising a switch (K1) and by a second branch (b2) including a switch (K2), an alternator (3) connected to the battery, a starter and consumer members (4) connected to said onboard network and to the ground. The circuit further includes a voltage holding device that comprises a bridge (b3) connecting the branch (b1) to the branch (b2) and a capacitor (2) connected to the bridge (b3) at a location between the third switch (K2) and the second branch (b2), and an internal supply device (8) that allows the current flow in the second branch (b2) only when recharging the capacitor (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Herve Perseval, Bernard Boucly
  • Patent number: 8258743
    Abstract: The E-Grid Sub-Network Load Manager operates to regulate the demands presented by the vehicles to the associated Sub-Network thereby to spread the load presented to the service disconnect over time to enable the controllable charging of a large number of vehicles. The load management can be implemented by a number of methodologies, including: queuing requests and serving each request in sequence until satisfaction; queuing requests and cycling through the requests, partially serving each request, then proceeding to the next until the cyclic partial charging service has satisfied all requests; ordering requests pursuant to a percentage of recharge required measurement; ordering requests on an estimated connection time metric; ordering requests on a predetermined level of service basis; and the like. It is evident that a number of these methods can be concurrently employed thereby to serve all of the vehicles in the most efficient manner that can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Lava Four, LLC
    Inventors: Richard M. Tyler, Daniel B. McKenna, James M. Graziano
  • Publication number: 20120217452
    Abstract: Provided are a mixed cathode active material including lithium manganese oxide expressed as Chemical Formula 1 and a stoichiometric spinel structure Li4Mn5O12 having a plateau voltage profile in a range of 2.5 V to 3.3 V, and a lithium secondary battery including the mixed cathode active material. The mixed cathode material and the lithium secondary battery including the same may have improved safety and simultaneously, power may be maintained more than a required value by allowing Li4Mn5O12 to complement low power in a low state of charge (SOC) range. Therefore, a mixed cathode active material able to widen an available SOC range and a lithium secondary battery including the mixed cathode active material may be provided and properly used in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or electric vehicle (EV).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventors: Jung Hwan PARK, Song Taek Oh, Geun Chang Chung, Su Hwan Kim, Juichi Arai
  • Publication number: 20120217076
    Abstract: An embodiment of a system for the storage of electric energy with reduced thickness for a vehicle with electric propulsion; the storage system has: a support plane; and a plurality of chemical batteries, each of which includes at least one electrochemical cell which rests on the support plane and has a flat parallelepiped shape with two mutually parallel, opposite larger bases; in each chemical battery the electrochemical cell is arranged parallel to the support plane and rests a larger lower base on the support plane; and each chemical battery includes its own compression system which presses directly on a larger upper base of the electrochemical cell opposite to the larger lower base, keeps the electrochemical cell pressed against the support plane, and is independent from the compression systems of the other batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventor: Fabrizio FAVARETTO
  • Patent number: 8249768
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling the hybrid drive of a motor vehicle having the following components: internal combustion engine (VKM), manual transmission (SG), at least one electrical machine (Emi), at least one clutch (Kj) and an energy storage device (ES), and at least one driven axle (HA; VA) are intended to provide maximum efficiency and service life of the components. To this end, a decision is made about which operating modes (AMK) are possible on the basis of a driver input (FW) and operating state, a division is made about which gears (Gj) are available for the possible operating modes (AMK), so that a larger number of modes (AMGK) are available for selection, operating points which correspond to the driver input are determined for all these modes (AMGK), taking into account the operating state and system state (SZA), the modes (AMGK) are assessed and the mode (AMGK*) which is assessed as being most expedient is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Mori, Theodor Schöberl, Helmut Martin, Florian Kramer, Clemens Burow, Jan-Erik Hein, Manfred Posch
  • Patent number: 8249769
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine, a planetary gear mechanism linked to the output shaft of the engine and to a driveshaft, a first motor linked the planetary gear, a second motor inputting and outputting power to and from the driveshaft, and a battery inputting and outputting electric power to and from the motors, when the battery temperature Tb is lower than the preset reference temperature Tbref, drive control prohibits the intermittent operation of the engine and controls the engine and the motors to output the torque demand to the driveshaft with warm-up control of the battery. When the battery temperature Tb is higher than or equal to the preset reference temperature Tbref and the cooling water temperature Tw is higher than or equal to the preset reference temperature Twref, drive control performs the intermittent operation of the engine and controls the engine and the motors to output the torque demand to the driveshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Itoh, Koji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8242627
    Abstract: A path for charging a main battery from an external power source is established by turning on a first relay and a second relay. This charging path is provided independently of an electric path between a motor generator for generating a vehicle driving force and the main battery established by turning on a third relay. Further, an auxiliary load system including an auxiliary battery is not connected to the above-mentioned electric path, but receives operating power through a power line between the second relay and a power converter so as to be operable even with the third relay turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8244422
    Abstract: In the case where a connector of a charging cable is connected to a charging connector provided on a hybrid vehicle, a connector signal CNCT indicating that the connector of the charging cable is connected to the charging connector provided on the hybrid vehicle is input to a power supply ECU and an HV_ECU having an operating frequency higher than that of the power supply ECU. When the connector signal CNCT is input, the power supply ECU activates the HV_ECU. The HV_ECU controls the electrical system of the hybrid vehicle so as to charge a battery pack. The HV_ECU stops the charging when the input of the connector signal CNCT is stopped during charging of the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshinori Fujitake
  • Patent number: 8232875
    Abstract: A degradation evaluating unit collects data related to a power storage device from a vehicle through a power cable, and based on the collected data, evaluates the state of degradation of the power storage device. A data processing unit reads data related to the state of degradation of the power storage device evaluated by degradation evaluating unit from a storage unit, and processes the read data related to the state of degradation to a first display item for a user, a second display item for a dealer and a third display item for a manufacturer. A display control unit controls display of the data processed by data processing unit on a display terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Uchida
  • Publication number: 20120187919
    Abstract: A battery charging system and a method for a increasing endurance of a high voltage battery in a hybrid electric vehicle includes a high voltage battery for vehicle propulsion, a generator for charging the high voltage battery, a DC/DC converter for converting a high voltage to a low voltage, a low voltage battery charged with the low voltage, and an alternator, driven by an engine, and connected with the low voltage battery in parallel with the voltage converter. The method includes registering a parameter, where the parameter is at least one of a state of charge of said high voltage battery, and energy inflow/outflow to/from said high voltage battery to said vehicle drive motor or said generator, and controlling the low voltage in dependence of the registered parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Christian Andersson, Jan Grundberg, Tommy Hjelle
  • Publication number: 20120186891
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has an electrochemical cell, which includes an electrode stack of at least two electrodes in a parallel arrangement. The electrochemical cell is arranged outside an engine compartment of the motor vehicle in an accommodation compartment of the motor vehicle, the cross-sectional surface of which is tapered in the direction of the vertical axis of the vehicle. A cross-sectional surface of the electrochemical cell is thereby adapted to the cross-sectional surface of the accommodation compartment. Thus, particularly good use is made of the available space in the motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Schuessler, Alois Stauber
  • Patent number: 8229612
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine, a planetary gear mechanism linked to the output shaft of the engine and to a driveshaft, a first motor linked to the planetary gear, a second motor inputting and outputting power to and from the driveshaft, and a battery inputting and outputting electric power to and from the motors. When a cooling water temperature Tw of the engine is lower than a threshold Twref, the intermittent operation of the engine is prohibited, and a controller performs a warm-up control on a condition that a battery temperature Tb is a preset reference temperature T?, while performing a low state of charge control on condition that a battery temperature Tb is higher than or equal to a preset reference temperature T? and lower than a preset reference temperature T?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Itoh, Koji Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120176082
    Abstract: Disclosed is a battery pack system to supply current necessary to operate an external device, including a battery module including battery cells which can be charged and discharged, a temperature sensor, an auxiliary power unit to supply a charge and discharge pulse current to the battery module, and a controller to connect the auxiliary power unit to the battery module so that the charge and discharge pulse current is supplied to the battery module when a measured temperature (Tbat) of the battery module is less than a set temperature (Tcrit) based on information detected by the temperature sensor before the battery module is electrically connected to the external device and to interrupt the supply of the charge and discharge pulse current to the battery module when the temperature of the battery module becomes equal to or greater than the set temperature (Tcrit) and an operating method of the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: JinKyu LEE, Jin Seok HEO, Min Chul JANG, DalMo KANG
  • Patent number: 8207705
    Abstract: The present invention provides a charging apparatus capable of efficiently charging battery in view of power consumption and a charging method. The charging apparatus has a charging unit which charges a battery, a remaining capacity detecting unit which detects remaining capacity of the battery, a necessary charging capacity obtaining unit which obtains charging capacity necessary for use after completion of the charging of the battery, an additional charging capacity calculating unit which calculates additional charging capacity for additionally charging the battery based on the remaining capacity and the necessary charging capacity of the battery, a charging current determining unit which determines a charging current at the time when the charging unit charges for the additional charging capacity based on power consumption generated at the time of charging for the additional charging capacity, and a control unit which controls the charging unit based on the determined charging current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Nagashima, Kei Tashiro, Yoichi Miyajima, Toshio Takeshita
  • Patent number: 8205700
    Abstract: A power storage device is mounted on a rear portion of a vehicle. The power storage device includes a high-voltage terminal and a low-voltage connector having a lower voltage than the high-voltage terminal. The high-voltage terminal is arranged on a front side in the vehicle. The low-voltage connector is arranged on a rear side in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Nagata, Hajime Oyanagi, Hideomi Adachi
  • Publication number: 20120146578
    Abstract: A section of roadway has at least one integrated induction loop designed to inductively charge a vehicle battery of a hybrid or electric vehicle that is situated on the induction loop. The section of roadway is arranged in the region of a road in which the traffic is at least temporarily stationary. As a result, useless time waiting at traffic lights or railway crossing gates can be used productively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: DR. ING. H.C.F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Richard Krestel
  • Patent number: 8198859
    Abstract: The E-Grid Sub-Network Load Manager operates to regulate the demands presented by vehicles to the associated Sub-Network thereby to spread the load presented to the service disconnect over time to enable controllable charging of a large number of vehicles. Load management can be implemented by a number of methodologies, including: queuing requests and serving each request in sequence until satisfaction; queuing requests and cycling through the requests, partially serving each one, then proceeding to the next until the cyclic partial charging service has satisfied all of the requests; ordering requests pursuant to a percentage of recharge required measurement; ordering requests on an estimated connection time metric; ordering requests on a predetermined level of service basis; and the like. It is evident that a number of these methods can be concurrently employed thereby to serve all of the vehicles in the most efficient manner that can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Lava Four, LLC
    Inventors: Richard M. Tyler, Daniel B. McKenna, James M. Graziano
  • Patent number: 8198855
    Abstract: Provided is a charging cable capable of detecting an abnormal state, such as a break, of a control line through which a pilot signal is transmitted, the charging cable including: a power cable through which an external power source feeds a power storage device; a signal generating circuit for generating a control signal to output to a vehicle; a control line L1 through which the control signal is transmitted to the vehicle; and a bypass circuit for changing a voltage applied from a vehicle side through the control line L1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignees: Fujitsu Ten Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Fukui, Kenichi Ishii, Ryuichi Kamaga, Masahiro Karami
  • Publication number: 20120136517
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for obtaining improved power generation efficiency by operating the primary power source, such as an ICE, only at the most efficient operating modes for a given engine, and simultaneously supplementing the power provided by the ICE with additional power stored in an accumulator, such as an ultra capacitor, as the load demands would otherwise cause that ICE to operate outside of the more efficient operating modes. In the case of a hybrid electric vehicle, the present invention would use banks of ultra-capacitors instead of batteries not just to start the ICE but also to supplement the electric power available for wheel drive motors when the ICE is in operation. According to the present invention, a control device would maintain the ICE at specific operational modes, either off, idle, or specific fuel efficient operating conditions over the entire range of vehicle operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventor: Peter Bauer
  • Patent number: 8187736
    Abstract: A cooling system for hybrid vehicles is provided with a battery case with a battery storage room for receiving a battery, a motor control unit for controlling an electric motor and a DC-DC converter for converting a voltage of the battery. The cooling system includes a blower for drawing an air existing in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, an introduction duct through which the air is introduced into the battery storage room to cool the battery, a first supply duct through which the air is supplied from the battery storage room to the DC-DC converter to cool the latter, a second supply duct through which the air is supplied from the battery storage room to the motor control unit to cool the latter, and an air distributor means for distributing the air flowing out of the battery storage room to the first supply duct and the second supply duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corp.
    Inventors: Min Woo Park, Dae Woong Lee, Hyung Joo Kim, Il Guk Son, Sung Je Lee
  • Patent number: 8190320
    Abstract: A method of optimizing the operation of the power source of an electric vehicle is provided, where the power source is comprised of a first battery pack (e.g., a non-metal-air battery pack) and a second battery pack (e.g., a metal-air battery pack). The power source is optimized to minimize use of the least efficient battery pack (e.g., the second battery pack) while ensuring that the electric vehicle has sufficient power to traverse the expected travel distance before the next battery charging cycle. Further optimization is achieved by setting at least one maximum speed limit based on vehicle efficiency and the state-of-charge (SOC) of the first and second battery packs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Tesla Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Russell Kelty, Vineet Haresh Mehta, Jeffrey Brian Straubel
  • Patent number: 8183820
    Abstract: Embodiments include a power processing system and methods of its operation in a plug-in electric vehicle. The power processing system includes at least one AC electric motor, a bi-directional inverter system, and an electronic control system. The electronic control system provides a drive function by providing first control signals to the bi-directional inverter system which, in response, draws DC electrical power from a DC energy source, converts the DC power to AC power, and provides the AC power to windings of the at least one AC electric motor. The electronic control system also provides a charging function by providing second control signals to the bi-directional inverter system which, in response, draws AC power from the windings of the at least one AC electric motor, converts the AC power to DC power, and provides the DC power to the DC energy source in order to recharge the DC energy source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad N. Anwar, Erkan Mese
  • Patent number: 8180512
    Abstract: A method of optimizing the operation of the power source of an electric vehicle is provided, where the power source is comprised of a first battery pack (e.g., a non-metal-air battery pack) and a second battery pack (e.g., a metal-air battery pack). The power source is optimized to minimize use of the least efficient battery pack (e.g., the second battery pack) while ensuring that the electric vehicle has sufficient power to traverse the expected travel distance before the next battery charging cycle. Further optimization is achieved by setting at least one acceleration limit based on vehicle efficiency and the state-of-charge (SOC) of the first and second battery packs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Tesla Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Russell Kelty, Vineet Haresh Mehta, Jeffrey Brian Straubel
  • Publication number: 20120112533
    Abstract: A power supply system for a hybrid automotive vehicle having a battery which produces a first high voltage sufficient to power one or more electric motors to propel the vehicle. A first voltage step down circuit is connected to the battery circuit which reduces the first voltage to a second voltage sufficient to actuate fuel injectors in the internal combustion engine also used to propel the vehicle. A second step down voltage circuit is connected to either the battery circuit or the first voltage step down circuit which reduces the voltage to a third voltage sufficient to power a low voltage electrically powered device in the drive system of a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Inventors: Terrance Lee Yarmak, Gary Whelan, Larry Lee Aho
  • Patent number: 8169183
    Abstract: An electric automobile has a battery and also has a travel motor and a vehicle interior load device which operate using electric power from the battery. In response to a request for a start of electric power supply to the vehicle interior load device with the automobile being at a standstill, the electric automobile determines, based on the charged state of the battery, whether electric power from the battery can be supplied to the vehicle interior load device. When determining that the electric power from the battery cannot be supplied to the vehicle interior load device, the electric automobile makes a request to an electric power supply device to supply electric power to the vehicle interior load device. In response to the request, the electric power supply device electrically connects to the vehicle interior load device and starts supply of electric power to the vehicle interior load device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Obayashi
  • Publication number: 20120091972
    Abstract: A system for charging a plurality of power storage devices includes a first charging device and at least one other charging device coupled to the first charging device to form a network. The first charging device includes a processor programmed to determine whether said first charging device possesses a network token, and if so, to determine a first charging parameter and a first priority associated with said first charging device, a second charging parameter and a second priority associated with said second charging device, and to determine a second amount of current to be at least one of received from the electrical supply or supplied to the first power storage device, based on the determined first and second charging parameters and first and second priority.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Inventors: Radoslaw Narel, Cecil Rivers, JR.
  • Patent number: 8143842
    Abstract: The E-Grid Sub-Network Load Manager operates to regulate the demands presented by the vehicles to the associated Sub-Network thereby to spread the load presented to the service disconnect over time to enable the controllable charging of a large number of vehicles. The load management can be implemented by a number of methodologies, including: queuing requests and serving each request in sequence until satisfaction; queuing requests and cycling through them, partially serving each request, then proceeding to the next until the cyclic partial charging service has satisfied all requests; ordering requests pursuant to a percentage of recharge required measurement; ordering requests on an estimated connection time metric; ordering requests on a predetermined level of service basis; and the like. It is evident that a number of these methods can be concurrently employed thereby to serve all of the vehicles in the most efficient manner that can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Lava Four, LLC
    Inventors: Richard M. Tyler, Daniel B. McKenna, James M. Graziano
  • Publication number: 20120070716
    Abstract: Provided is a battery pack that ensures sufficient sealing performance between a tray and a cover by arranging a necessary sealing member between a lower flange portion of the tray and an upper flange portion of the cover that are held in abutment with each other. The tray and the cover covering the tray constitute a packaging case of electric cells. At least a part of a facing surface of at least one of the lower flange portion of the tray and the upper flange portion of the cover that abut each other forms a non-abutting portion that is located apart from the facing surface of the opposite flange portion, and a sealing member is arranged on the non-abutting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: Lithium Energy Japan
    Inventors: Toshiki Yoshioka, Toshiki Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8136617
    Abstract: During an operation of an engine, an input limit Swin and an output limit Swout of a battery are set to a power demand-based input limit Wp*, which depends on a power demand P*, and to an accelerator opening-based output limit Wacc, which depends on an accelerator opening Acc (steps S400 to S420). This control technique effectively prevents the battery from being frequently charged or discharged to a relatively high level of electric power within an allowable electric power range defined by the reference input limit Bwin and the reference output limit Bwout, thus restraining premature deterioration of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20120055727
    Abstract: In the event of collision of a vehicle, a control device for a power converting apparatus in the vehicle is supplied with a power source voltage for operations thereof, using electric power resulting from residual charges accumulated in smoothing capacitors provided in the power converting apparatus. With such a configuration, even if a power source voltage for the control device is not supplied from outside the power converting apparatus due to disconnection of a line, the residual charges accumulated in the smoothing capacitor provided in the power converting apparatus can be discharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Omiya, Hiromichi Kuno
  • Publication number: 20120050945
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ionic liquid: wherein: n is 1 or 2; R1 is selected from H and (C1-C6)alkyl; R2 is selected from —(CH2)wO[(CH2)xO(CH2)y]m(CH2)zCH3 and wherein w is 1 to 6, x is 1 to 6, y is 0 to 6, z is 0 to 6, m is 0 to 3 and [w+m(x+y)+z] is less than or equal to 12; and R3 is selected from H and methyl, wherein if n is 1 then R3 is methyl, and if n is 2 then R3 is H. Also disclosed are electrochemical devices and devices employing such electrochemical devices as energy sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: INVISTA NORTH AMERICA S.A R.L.
    Inventors: Kenneth Richard Seddon, Tayeb Belhocine, Alberto V. Puga, Keith Whiston
  • Patent number: 8125180
    Abstract: An electrical port is integrated within a side view mirror assembly of an automotive vehicle. The electrical port is electrically connected with a charging system of the vehicle. The electrical port may be coupled with a power source remote from the vehicle to power the charging system. The electrical port may be concealed or exposed depending on a position of the side view mirror assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Duane M. Grider, Bala Chander, Dale Gilman, David W. Schultz, Michael Kevin Martin
  • Publication number: 20120046815
    Abstract: A method for limiting the adverse effects of temperature on the electrical energy storage system (ESS) of an electric vehicle after the vehicle has been turned off is provided. In general, whether or not coolant is circulated through a coolant loop coupled to the ESS depends on the difference between the ambient temperature and a preset temperature, the preset temperature typically corresponding to the temperature of the ESS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: TESLA MOTORS, INC.
    Inventors: Weston Arthur Hermann, Scott Ira Kohn, Kurt Russell Kelty, Vineet Haresh Mehta, Jeffrey Brian Straubel
  • Publication number: 20120043935
    Abstract: A vehicle charging station is provided. The vehicle charging station includes a charging source providing an electrical charge, a coolant source providing coolant and a connector having both an electrical supply section delivering the electrical charge and a coolant supply section delivering the coolant. The connector is capable of connecting to a vehicle. A connector for a vehicle charging station and an electric vehicle are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: Lightening Energy
    Inventors: Christopher K. DYER, Michael L. Epstein, Duncan Culver
  • Publication number: 20120037439
    Abstract: A system includes a vehicle having a hybrid power train. The hybrid power train has a battery pack with a number of cells. The system further includes a heat transfer device including a shape memory alloy (SMA). The SMA in a low temperature position provides a first heat transfer environment to the battery pack, and in a high temperature position provides a second heat transfer environment to the battery pack. The first heat transfer environment provides a first heat transfer amount to the battery pack, and the second heat transfer environment provides a second heat transfer amount to the battery pack. The second heat transfer amount is greater than the first heat transfer amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventors: Vivek Anand Sujan, J. Stephen Wills
  • Publication number: 20120010769
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for optimising the power consumption of a hybrid and plug-in vehicle (1) comprising two traction modes, an electric (3) traction mode and a combustion (4) traction mode. Said method includes: determining the distance travelled between two consecutive recharges of the vehicle (1) by the mains; determining the electric energy available at a time “t” in an electric energy storage device (2); and determining a parameter “mu” according to the distance travelled between two consecutive recharges of the vehicle (1) by the mains and the electric energy available in the storage device (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA
    Inventors: Thomas Sourioux, Nicolas Robart