Oxfordian, LLC

University System of Maryland

Xerox Corporation

Michael G Pecht

Bhanu Sood

Michael D Osterman

Andrew Michael Kluger

Arvind Sai Sarathi Vasan

Ravi Doraiswami

Yunhan Huang

Joseph A Swift

Stanley John Wallace

Nikhil M Vichare

Jie Gu

Shunfeng Chen

Yuliang Deng

A monitoring device for a battery pack, which includes a plurality of battery cells, has at least one ultrasound source and at least one ultrasound sensor. The ultrasound source can be configured to generate and direct ultrasound at one or more battery cells of the battery pack. The ultrasound sensor can be configured to detect ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through one or more cells of the battery pack. A battery management unit receives one or more signals from the ultrasound sensor responsive to the detected ultrasound. The battery management unit can be configured to determine a state of the battery pack based at least in part on the detected ultrasound.

Systems, methods, and devices for health monitoring of an energy storage device

A system for assessment of a battery cell can include a testing platform, a conveying system, one or more ultrasound sources, one or more ultrasound sensors, and a control unit. The conveying system can move the battery cell to the testing platform for assessment and from the testing platform after the assessment. The control unit can control the one or more ultrasound sources and the one or more ultrasound sensors to perform the assessment. The assessment can include determining a state of the battery cell based on one or more signals generated by the one or more ultrasound sensors. The control unit can control the conveying system to direct the battery cell from the testing platform responsive to the assessment.

A vehicle can comprise a battery cell, a monitoring device, and a controller. The monitoring device can comprise an ultrasound source and an ultrasound sensor. The ultrasound source can direct ultrasound at the battery cell, and the ultrasound sensor can detect ultrasound transmitted through or reflected from at least a portion of an interior of the battery cell. The ultrasound sensor can generate one or more signals responsive to the detected ultrasound. The controller can process the one or more signals from the ultrasound sensor and can output an indication of an internal state of the first battery cell.

A health monitoring device includes an ultrasound source and an ultrasound sensor. The ultrasound source can be configured to generate and direct ultrasound at an energy storage device. The ultrasound sensor can be configured to detect ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through the energy storage device and to generate a signal responsive to the detected ultrasound from the energy storage device. A control unit can be configured to determine a state of health of the energy storage device based on the signal from the ultrasound sensor.

A label-free RF MEMS-based biosensor is described for detecting biomarkers in a given environment. The biosensor is capable of sensing the presence of biomarkers by exploiting both its mechanical and electrical characteristics. In addition, the method employed for detecting mechanical deflections due to antigen-antibody binding uses a simple electrical circuitry which allows the sensor to be used at any location and time. Such a sensor, when placed in a matrix like structure allows for the detection of multiple biomarkers simultaneously.

3D RF MEMS biosensor for multiplexed label free detection

A biodegradable, bio-compatible material is described for use in wireless biosensors for point-of-care applications. The biosensor made from this biomaterial is capable of sensing environmental effects and as well as presence of bio-logical entities in the environment of concern simultaneously. Such a sensor can be used for evaluating point-of-care environmental preparedness for a specific patient through continuous monitoring of patient health performance due to environmental exposure. A two-tier network architecture is established for real-time monitoring (static case) that also provides warning of accumulated exposure. Wavelet analysis can be used to identify anomalies in the sensed data to initiate a warning.

Wireless biosensor network for point of care preparedness for critical patients

Described herein is an energy harvesting device and a method for its fabrication for the harvesting of solar energy. Solar energy is absorbed using a photosensitive material which is coated upon a flexible membrane, which is suspended over a metal signal line of an RF MEMS structure. By controlling the discharge sequence the stored electrical charge can be transferred as high voltage pulses to an external load or rechargeable batteries. The output voltage can be adjusted by controlling the on/off frequency of operation of the switch.

Energy harvesting using RF MEMS

Through the methods of this invention, prognostics tools are provided to more efficiently and more accurately predict when a component product may fail. In a first embodiment a method is described whereby a number of environmental factors are monitored, the provided sensors obtaining raw data, variations in said raw data measured, the parameters of interest extracted and binned according to predetermined criteria, with the raw data thereafter discarded. In a second embodiment of the invention, the same sensor readings are recorded along with the performance characteristics for the component/product and compared to estimated performance for the product. The performance drift is then observed, whereby in monitoring said drift, trends may be determined and time or cycles to failure predicted.

Method to extract parameters from in-situ monitored signals for prognostics

The present invention provides a method to implement prognostics and health management (PHM) in individual electronic products (such as parts, components, boards, assemblies, devices, systems, and systems of systems). The PHM algorithm is performed during product screening tests, diagnostic processes, or after the manufacturer process. Certain performance, signal values and parameters, environmental and operational loads, or their correlations are recorded, extracted, and stored in electronic memory for that particular product. The stored data represents a the healthy baseline reference of that particular product at the initial point of its life. In one embodiment, where the healthy baseline is stored in the product, it can be updated according to different usage conditions. In one embodiment with the data is stored within the product, the PHM analysis can be performed in the field under conditions of use. In another embodiment the healthy baseline can be stored elsewhere and the product returned to the company storing the healthy baseline data, for PHM analysis.

Prognostics and health management implementation for self cognizant electronic products

This invention relates to a novel wireless barcode MEMS canary which can be embedded in electronic systems and periodically monitored to measure degradation over a period of time. The material used to print the bars of the barcode is selected such that it is capable of changing one or more of its properties in response to a change in ambient conditions. Means are provided for reading out said change in properties such that when an interrogator is brought into proximity to the sensor, the change in properties can be detected. By establishing the relationship between the healthy state of the barcode and its degradation to that of the electronic system and the components, the residual life of the system can be established and preventive measures taken before failure.

MEMS barcode device for monitoring medical systems at point of care

The present invention provides a novel prognostic and health management method for natural aging systems. This prognostic and health management method can detect anomalies in a system in advance, and can determine whether the detected anomalies are due to natural aging or other aging processes. In this prognostic method, a moving window method for improving the performance of the conventional data-driven prognostic methods is described. This prognostic and health management method combines with the detections by the data-driven prognostic method based on the conventional training and moving window methods to determine whether the detected anomalies are due to natural aging or other aging processes and in so doing can reduce the number of false alarms; reduce cost of a system by decreasing the unnecessary maintenance, downtime, and inventory; can extend the life of systems; and can assist in the design and qualification of future systems to improve their reliability.

Prognostics and health management method for aging systems

According to various embodiments, exemplary interconnects and methods for interconnection are provided that can include contacts formed by fiber bundles. The exemplary interconnects can be used to form separable or non-separable electro-mechanical connections between one or more of the generally accepted six levels of interconnection. In various embodiments, the exemplary interconnects can allow management of the thermal properties of the electronic devices. Exemplary interconnects can also provided reduced thickness allowing redundancy and additional compliance as desired.

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Hyattsville, MD, United States of America

Michael G Pecht