US 11374508

Analysis of U.S. Patent No. 11,374,508

Date of Analysis: April 30, 2026

This report provides a summary of U.S. Patent No. 11,374,508, including its key bibliographic details and a plain-language interpretation of its independent claims.

Bibliographic Information:

• Title: Electric drive system and energy management method
• Assignee: The current assignee of record is Edison Innovations LLC, following a series of assignments from the original assignee, General Electric Co.
• Inventors: Jian Zhou, Fei Xu, Dong Liu, Hai Qiu, Pengju Kang.
• Filing Date: May 4, 2020
• Issue Date: June 28, 2022
• Abstract: The patent describes an electric drive system composed of an energy storage system (ESS) with two distinct energy storage units, a power conversion system, and an AC traction system with two AC drive devices. An energy management system (EMS) coordinates the flow of power between these components to convert electrical energy into mechanical torque.

Litigation Status:

As of April 30, 2026, a search of the provided information and publicly available data indicates that US Patent 11,374,508 is the subject of a pending Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The case, IPR2026-00334, was filed on April 7, 2026, with Toyota Motor Corp. listed as the petitioner and Bunker Hill Technologies LLC as the patent owner. No related cases were found in the 2026 dockets for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) at this time.

Plain-Language Summary of Independent Claims:

This patent has three independent claims (1, 7, and 12), which define the core of the invention. The remaining dependent claims further refine these primary claims.

Claim 1: A drive system for a vehicle with multiple operating modes.

This claim describes a vehicle drive system with two electric motors. A key feature is the combination of a transmission device connected to the first motor and a "power split device," containing one or more planetary gear sets, connected to both the transmission and the second motor. An Energy Management System (EMS) controls how these motors are used depending on the vehicle's state:

• Cruising Mode: Only the first motor is used to propel the vehicle.
• Starting Mode: Only the first motor is used to get the vehicle moving.
• Accelerating Mode: Both the first and second motors are activated to provide maximum power for acceleration.

Claim 7: An electric drive system for a vehicle with selective motor operation.

This claim is very similar to Claim 1 but specifies the components in more detail. It explicitly mentions a "first AC motor" and a "second AC motor," each connected to the power conversion system via its own inverter. The power split device is again defined as having planetary sets. The EMS operates under the same logic as in Claim 1, enabling only the first motor for cruising and starting, and engaging both motors for acceleration.

Claim 12: A drive system for a vehicle for uphill driving.

This claim mirrors the structure of Claim 1, detailing a system with two electric motors, a transmission, and a power split device with planetary gears. The primary difference is the third operational mode. Instead of "accelerating," this claim specifies an "uphill mode." The control logic remains the same:

• Cruising Mode: Only the first motor is used.
• Starting Mode: Only the first motor is used.
• Uphill Mode: Both motors are used to provide the necessary power to climb an incline.

In essence, all three independent claims protect a dual-motor electric vehicle architecture where a sophisticated control system intelligently switches between using a single motor for steady-state, low-demand situations (like cruising) and using both motors for high-demand situations (like accelerating or driving uphill) to optimize performance and efficiency. The use of a power split device with planetary gears is a central, recurring element.