Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Christien Samson Miller

Frederic Pierre Lacaux

Larry W Juang

Jianqi Shang

Jordan Joseph Proulx Cearns

Marcelino Vazquez Montano

Described are systems and methods for monitoring and detecting thermal conditions associated with individual cells of a battery. Embodiments of the present disclosure may monitor, detect, and protect against thermal anomalies that may be experienced at individual cells of a battery, without employing the use of thermal sensors (e.g., a thermocouple, thermistor, etc.). The exemplary systems and methods may be implemented in connection with a battery and/or battery pack having cells arranged in a serial configuration that may be employed in an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The described systems and methods detect thermal conditions associated with the individual cells of a battery by modeling each cell as an RC circuit and determining the resistance of each cell based on voltage and current measurements. The determined resistance can approximate and/or be representative of the temperature of the respective cell.

Detection of thermal anomalies in serially connected battery cells

Techniques for an unmanned aerial system that embeds data into power sent from a control system to one or more motors so that one or more wires between the control system and the one or more motors can be used to transmit power and data are described. As one example, an unmanned aerial system includes a sensor, a control system comprising alternating current power generation circuitry and first embedded data communication circuitry, and a motor system coupled to the control system via a set of one or more wires and comprising at least one motor to provide propulsion from power generated by the alternating current power generation circuitry and second embedded data communication circuitry to embed data from the sensor into the power generated by the alternating current power generation circuitry to produce modulated power, wherein the first embedded data communication circuitry is to extract the data from the modulated power. The unmanned aerial system may include a second set of one or more wires dedicated to send the data from the sensor to the control system.

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Edmonds, WA, United States of America

Christien Samson Miller