| AEROVIRONMENT, INC. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120089276 | DYNAMIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL FOR A WIRELESS NETWORK - In one possible embodiment, a wireless network with dynamic transmission control is provided that includes a multiple of nodes. The nodes include an arbiter and multiple client nodes. The arbiter is configured to control an operation of the client nodes by defining communications operation cycles and allocating a bandwidth to each of the client nodes on a cycle by cycle basis in response to requests for bandwidth from the client nodes. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120007557 | Motive Power Dual Battery Pack - A fast charge configuration for a power supply includes a serial connection to a pair of batteries each having an output that is half that required by the device, such as the electric vehicle, in which the batteries are to be used. When the batteries in then connected to the vehicle, they are connected in parallel | 01-12-2012 |
| 20110294327 | WATERPROOF ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND SYSTEM - In one possible embodiment, a waterproof connector is provided having pins secured to a bendable board. The bendable board and a portion of each of the pins are encased in a compressible material capable of providing a biasing force on the plurality of pins upon mating with a mating surface. The compressible material also provides a deformable sealing surface for mating with the mating surface. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110270487 | REACTIVE REPLENISHABLE DEVICE MANAGEMENT - Reactive replenishable device management includes receiving, over a network, device measurement data from replenishable devices usable by corresponding vehicles and replenishable by corresponding replenisher devices; updating a usage profile corresponding to at least some of the replenishable devices, the usage profile including performance data derived from the device measurement data and saved to system memory over a period of time; determining whether energy usage of the replenishable devices is suboptimal based on corresponding usage profiles and vehicles in which the corresponding replenishable devices are used; and sending, over the network, a management recommendation to a mobile device of a user of each replenishable device for which the corresponding energy usage is suboptimal based on respective usage profiles. It may also include monitoring real-time performance data from the replenishable devices and corresponding vehicles for fault event information related thereto; determining whether the fault event information is indicative of a fault for the replenishable devices; and issuing an alert to a mobile device of a user for each replenishable device corresponding to a determined fault or having a usage profile indicative of a fault. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110143587 | WATERPROOF ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND SYSTEM - In one possible embodiment, a waterproof connector is provided having a unitary compressible housing comprised of a waterproof material encasing a finger board. The finger board is constructed to receive interconnect wires and corresponding electrical contact pins, which are secured to the finger board. The housing has a well portion within the housing, the electrical contact pins extend through the waterproof material from the finger board into the well. Partition portions within the well extend between the electrical contact pins. A sealing lip portion is around the well on a mating side. The housing also has a compressible backing portion behind the finger board. The unitary compressible housing may be constructed to be seated in a structural housing, which may be a recess or the like in a structural member or component of an apparatus. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110122029 | INTEGRATED ANTENNA AND DISPLAY SHADE - In one embodiment, an integrated antenna and display shade for a wireless portable control unit is provided which includes a stowable display shade having two side panels and a front panel between the two side panels. Each of the two side panels are foldably connected to opposing edges of the front panel so as to be capable of folding into planes generally parallel with a plane of the front panel when stowed and into planes generally orthogonal to the plane of the front panel when deployed to shade a visual display. The front panel includes an active antenna and each of the side panels include a parasitic antenna. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110071705 | Aircraft Power Management - An electric power management system of a vehicle may interconnect a power plant, a propeller drive unit, and a battery via a bus. A controller may direct the operation of the power plant and the propeller drive unit. In a slow control mode, the propeller drive unit may react slowly to small throttle change requests. In the slow control mode, the propeller drive unit may draw power completely or substantially from the power plant. Upon a throttle request to rapidly change propeller drive unit speed more than a threshold amount, the controller may direct that the propeller drive unit quickly obtain the requested speed by drawing power required from the battery in excess of that being generated from the power plant. Subsequently, the controller may direct that the power plant increase power generation to maintain the propeller drive unit at the new speed, and recharge or float the battery. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110029157 | Remote Rechargeable Monitoring System and Method - A system including a remote server connected over a network to a battery charger is configured to track usage of rechargeable batteries. Values of various sensed parameters of a battery, such as temperature, charge, current, and water level are stored with the battery and uploaded to the remote server, either wirelessly or through the network, and either directly from the battery or by way of the battery charger when the battery is coupled to the battery charger. The remote server operates to determine the condition, value and warranty of the battery based on the sensed parameters and on the user history of the battery. Alerts and warnings can be forwarded to the user and/or an enterprise manager or shop manager in the case of enterprise vehicles such as warehouses operating multiple electric forklifts, or rental car agencies, so that multiple rechargeable batteries can be readily tracked, monitored and maintained. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20100332076 | REACTIVE REPLENISHABLE DEVICE MANAGEMENT - Reactive replenishable device management comprises receiving device measurement data from at least one device, updating one or more device usage profiles associated with the at least one device, and if an analysis of the one or more device usage profiles indicates usage of the at least one device is sub-optimal, performing one or more of: controlling at least one of an attribute or an operation of the at least one device, issuing one or more device management recommendations to a user of the at least one device, and issuing one or more user alerts to the user. The at least one device comprises at least one of one or more replenishable devices, one or more replenishers associated with the one or more replenishable devices, and one or more other devices associated with the one or more replenishable devices. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100213898 | MOTIVE POWER DUAL BATTERY PACK - A fast charge configuration for a power supply includes a serial connection to a pair of batteries each having an output that is half that required by the device, such as the electric vehicle, in which the batteries are to be used. When the batteries in then connected to the vehicle, they are connected in parallel | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100201455 | PREDICTIVE PULSE WIDTH MODULATION FOR AN OPEN DELTA H-BRIDGE DRIVEN HIGH EFFICIENCY IRONLESS PERMANENT MAGNET MACHINE - Embodiments of the present method and system permit an effective method for determining the optimum selection of pulse width modulation polarity and type including determining machine parameters, inputting the machine parameters into a predicted duty cycle module, determining the optimum polarity of the pulse width modulation for a predicted duty cycle based on a pulse width modulation generation algorithm, and determining the optimum type of the pulse width modulation for a predicted duty cycle based on the pulse width modulation generation algorithm. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100194231 | COMPRESSED MOTOR WINDING - In one possible implementation, a method for forming a motor winding is provided which includes compressing a Litz wire to form a compacted Litz wire and forming the winding with the compacted Litz wire. In one possible embodiment, a motor winding is provided that has a high density multi-conductor wire bundle comprises of compacted Litz wire. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100194218 | STATOR WINDING HEAT SINK CONFIGURATON - In one possible implementation, a motor is provided including a rotor and a stator. Front cooling fins are thermally coupled to a front of the stator, and rear cooling fins are thermally coupled to a rear portion of the stator. The winding is between the front and rear cooling fins. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100188033 | SENSORLESS OPTIMUM TORQUE CONTROL FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY IRONLESS PERMANENT MAGNET MACHINE - Embodiments of the present invention permit the optimization of torque control of a permanent magnet machine including obtaining instantaneous terminal voltages of the machine, transforming the instantaneous terminal voltages to a zero direct axis voltage and a non-zero quadrature axis voltage, using a mathematical transformation, regulating the electrical frequency of the permanent-magnet machine such that the zero direct-axis voltage is adjusted to have a value of zero, determining a non-final electrical angle of the permanent-magnet machine by applying an integrator to the regulated electrical frequency of the machine, determining a final electrical angle of the of the machine by integrating the non-final electrical angle and an electrical angle from a previous calculation cycle, and regulating the current vector of the machine such that the current vector is perpendicular to the final electrical angle of the machine, thereby optimizing the torque of the machine. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100187922 | MOTOR AIR FLOW COOLING - In one possible embodiment, an aircraft electric motor cooling system is provided having an airflow path through a spinner which includes a first airflow path between an inner rotor and a stator, a second airflow path between an outer rotor the stator and a third airflow path along an outer surface of the outer rotor. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100181858 | FLUX CONCENTRATOR FOR IRONLESS MOTORS - In one possible embodiment, a magnet array for a motor is provided which has an array of permanent magnets being arranged such that flux from the permanent magnets reinforce on one side of the array and substantially cancel on an opposite side of the array, the array further includes flux concentrators located at poles on the reinforcing side of the array. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100156171 | Remote Device Control and Power Supply - An actuator controller with a power supply that steps down a high voltage for use by remote auxiliary loads in an aircraft is provided. A high voltage power bus running through the aircraft may use high gage or smaller diameter wiring, resulting in weight savings in the power bus. A control network running through the aircraft may use fiber optic cabling, providing further weight reductions. An actuator controller may receive the high voltage from the power bus and provide a lower voltage to a remote device. The actuator controller may facilitate communication between the control network and the remote device. The integration of control and power supply may enhance endurance, reliability, and enable localized calibration of the remote device. Modular wing components may include interface controllers, high and low power busswork, and remote devices. The modular wing components may include power and control interconnections. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20090024232 | Reactive Replenishable Device Management - Reactive replenishable device management comprises receiving device measurement data from at least one device, updating one or more device usage profiles associated with the at least one device, and if an analysis of the one or more device usage profiles indicates usage of the at least one device is sub-optimal, performing one or more of: controlling at least one of an attribute or an operation of the at least one device, issuing one or more device management recommendations to a user of the at least one device, and issuing one or more user alerts to the user. The at least one device comprises at least one of one or more replenishable devices, one or more replenishers associated with the one or more replenishable devices, and one or more other devices associated with the one or more replenishable devices. | 01-22-2009 |
