US 10549648

US Patent 10,549,648: Summary and Claims Overview

Title: Vehicle propulsion system with multi-channel DC bus and method of manufacturing same

Assignee:

• Current Assignee: Edison Innovations LLC [Source: Google Patents info section of US10549648B2]
• Original Assignee: General Electric Co [Source: Google Patents info section of US10549648B2]

Inventors: Robert Dean King, Zhihao Li [Source: Google Patents info section of US10549648B2]

Filing Date: August 29, 2019 [Source: Google Patents info section of US10549648B2]

Issue Date: February 4, 2020 [Source: Google Patents info section of US10549648B2]

Abstract:
An apparatus includes a multi-channel DC bus assembly comprising a first channel and a second channel, a first electromechanical device coupled to a positive DC link of the first channel, and a second electromechanical device coupled to a positive DC link of the second channel. A first DC-to-AC voltage inverter is coupled to the positive DC link of the first channel and a second DC-to-AC voltage inverter is coupled to the positive DC link of the second channel. The apparatus further includes a bi-directional voltage modification assembly coupled to the positive DC link of the second channel and a first energy storage system electrically coupled to the first electromechanical device.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

The patent presents several independent aspects of the invention, which can be summarized as follows:

1. Apparatus Claim: This claim describes an apparatus featuring a DC bus system with at least two separate channels. The first channel has an electromechanical device and a DC-to-AC inverter connected to its positive DC link. The second channel also has an electromechanical device and a DC-to-AC inverter connected to its positive DC link. Additionally, a bi-directional voltage modification assembly is linked to the second channel's positive DC link, and an energy storage system is electrically connected to the first electromechanical device.
2. Method Claim: This claim outlines a method for building a propulsion system. It involves connecting a first DC-to-AC inverter to a first voltage bus and a first electromechanical device to that inverter. Similarly, a second DC-to-AC inverter is connected to a second voltage bus, and a second electromechanical device is connected to this second inverter. A bi-directional DC-DC converter is linked to the second voltage bus, and an energy storage system is coupled to this converter. Finally, a controller is programmed to manage the DC-DC converter's switching to increase the energy storage system's voltage to a level different from the first voltage bus.
3. Vehicle Propulsion System Claim (with High Specific-Power Storage): This claim details a vehicle propulsion system with a DC bus assembly containing a first and second DC bus. It includes a first bi-directional DC-to-DC converter connected to the first DC bus, where a high specific-power energy storage device is connected to the converter's low voltage side. A first electromechanical device is connected to the first DC bus via a first DC-to-AC converter, and a second electromechanical device is connected to the second DC bus via a second DC-to-AC converter. A controller is programmed to control the first bi-directional DC-to-DC converter to boost the voltage of the first electromechanical device and supply this boosted voltage to the first DC bus, with this boosted voltage being different from the second DC bus's voltage.
4. Vehicle Propulsion System Claim (with Auxiliary Load and Transmission): This claim describes a vehicle propulsion system comprising a first electromechanical device connected to the positive DC link of a first DC bus, with an auxiliary load connected to the output of this first electromechanical device. A first DC-to-AC inverter is also connected to the first DC bus's positive DC link. A second electromechanical device is connected to the positive DC link of a second DC bus, and a transmission is connected to the output of this second electromechanical device. The system also includes a second DC-to-AC inverter connected to the second DC bus's positive DC link, an energy storage system electrically connected to the second DC bus's positive DC link, and a bi-directional voltage modification assembly connected to the second DC bus's positive DC link, configured to boost the energy storage system's voltage to a voltage different from the first DC bus.

Litigation:
As of April 26, 2026, US Patent 10,549,648 is involved in ongoing litigation:

• PTAB Case: An Inter Partes Review (IPR) case, IPR2026-00250, has been filed and is currently pending. [Source: Google Patents info section of US10549648B2]
• District Court Case: A lawsuit for patent infringement, Case No. 2:25-cv-01133, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on November 18, 2025, by Bunker Hill Technologies, LLC against Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Motor North America, Inc., and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. This patent is among those asserted in the complaint.
• No specific dockets for US10549648 have been identified in the CAFC 2026 dockets.