IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,609,541
Granted Patent B2
US 12,609,541 · App. 17/932,973 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Intelligent battery cell

Inventor: Markus Ekström (Gothenburg, SE)
Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
H02J7/54H01M10/425H01M2010/4271
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,609,541
App. No.
17/932,973
Filed
Sep 16, 2022
Granted
Apr 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2859
USPC
320/108
Abstract

Systems, devices, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products that can facilitate an intelligent battery cell are addressed. In one example, a device can comprise: active battery cell material; and an internal circuit coupled to the active battery cell material and comprising: a circuit board; two alternating current (AC) power points; two isolated direct current (DC) power points; and a controller that can operate one or more switches on an H-bridge circuit to disconnect the device from a main battery in a bypass mode. In another example, a smart cell modulator can comprise: a set of smart battery cells; and a controller that can operate to selectively engage a subset of the smart battery cells to enable load sharing, distributed feedback control, circulate load across one or more smart battery cells of the set of smart battery cells to increase torque, and to enable speed requests.

Claims (35)

1 . A smart cell modulator, comprising:

a group of smart battery cells; and

a controller that operates to selectively engage one or more secondary nodes to execute a speed request for generating a desired speed,

wherein a primary node:

calculates a phase difference between a rotor position of an electric motor and an existing modulator voltage, based on resolver angle information, to determine the speed request and modulator voltage information, and

wirelessly broadcasts data comprising the speed request and the modulator voltage information to the one or more secondary nodes.

2 . The smart cell modulator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more secondary nodes intelligently control one or more respective smart battery cells, based on the data, to generate a requested speed and a requested modulator voltage towards generating a sine wave current.

3 . The smart cell modulator of claim 1 , wherein upon a determination that the phase difference falls within a defined threshold, the primary node requests the one or more secondary nodes to generate a pre-defined phase current amplitude, to maintain a desired torque.

4 . The smart cell modulator of claim 1 , wherein upon a determination that the phase difference falls outside a defined threshold, the primary node requests the one or more secondary nodes to adjust an existing phase current amplitude, to generate a desired torque.

5 . The smart cell modulator of claim 4 , wherein adjustment of the existing phase current amplitude is performed without requiring current sensing by the one or more secondary nodes.

6 . The smart cell modulator of claim 4 , wherein adjustment of the existing phase current amplitude is used to synchronize a modulator speed with a mechanical speed of the electric motor to generate the desired torque.

7 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:

engaging, by a system operatively coupled to a processor, one or more secondary nodes to execute a speed request for generating a desired speed, wherein the engaging comprises:

calculating a phase difference between a rotor position of an electric motor and an existing modulator voltage, based on resolver angle information, to determine the speed request and modulator voltage information, and

broadcasting data comprising the speed request and the modulator voltage information to the one or more secondary nodes.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:

controlling, by the system, one or more respective smart battery cells, based on the data, to generate a requested speed and a requested modulator voltage towards generating a sine wave current.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:

requesting, by the system, the one or more secondary nodes to generate a pre-defined phase current amplitude, to maintain a desired torque, upon a determination that the phase difference falls within a defined threshold.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:

requesting, by the system, the one or more secondary nodes to adjust an existing phase current amplitude, to generate a desired torque, upon a determination that the phase difference falls outside a defined threshold.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein adjustment of the existing phase current amplitude is performed without requiring current sensing by the one or more secondary nodes.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein adjustment of the existing phase current amplitude is used to synchronize a modulator speed with a mechanical speed of the electric motor to generate the desired torque.

13 . A computer program product facilitating smart battery cells, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

engage, by the processor, one or more secondary nodes to execute a speed request for generating a desired speed, wherein the engaging comprises:

calculating a phase difference between a rotor position of an electric motor and an existing modulator voltage, based on resolver angle information, to determine the speed request and modulator voltage information, and

broadcasting data comprising the speed request and the modulator voltage information to the one or more secondary nodes.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

control, by the processor, one or more respective smart battery cells, based on the data, to generate a requested speed and a requested modulator voltage towards generating a sine wave current.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein upon a determination that the phase difference falls within a defined threshold, the primary node requests the one or more secondary nodes to generate a pre-defined phase current amplitude, to maintain a desired torque.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein upon a determination that the phase difference falls outside a defined threshold, the primary node requests the one or more secondary nodes to adjust an existing phase current amplitude, to generate a desired torque.

17 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein adjustment of the existing phase current amplitude is performed without requiring current sensing by the one or more secondary nodes, and is used to synchronize a modulator speed with a mechanical speed of the electric motor to generate the desired torque.

18 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the one or more secondary nodes are respectively associated a distinct cluster of smart battery cells of a group of smart battery cells.

19 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more secondary nodes are respectively associated a distinct cluster of smart battery cells of the group of smart battery cells.

20 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more secondary nodes are respectively associated a distinct cluster of smart battery cells of a group of smart battery cells.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2025
From: EKSTRÖM, MARKUS
To: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072582/0665 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63246483 · Sep 21, 2021
Related Publication 20230121595A1 · Apr 20, 2023
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