# US 12,110,122 B2 · Power supply system, flying object, and method for controlling power supply system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,122 B2 - Document ID: US12110122B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/186,560 - Filed: 2023-03-20 - Published: 2023-09-28 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-23 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tomoyo Matsumoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110122B2 ## CPC - B64C 29/0008: {having its flight directional axis horizontal when grounded} - B60L 1/00: Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - B60L 3/0061: {relating to electrical machines} - B60L 3/0092: {with use of redundant elements for safety purposes} - B60L 50/60: using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) - B60L 58/13: Maintaining the SoC within a determined range - B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage - B64D 27/34: All-electric aircraft - B64D 27/357: using batteries - B64D 31/18: for hybrid-electric power plants - H02J 7/52: for charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries - H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC] - H02J 7/855: {with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery} - H02P 5/74: controlling two or more AC dynamo-electric motors (H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence) - B60L 2200/10: Air crafts - B60L 2210/10: DC to DC converters - B60L 2210/20: AC to AC converters - B64D 27/31: within, or attached to, wings - B64D 2045/0085: {Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration} - B64D 2221/00: Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS ## Abstract A power supply system includes: a power converter for converting electric power of any one of a plurality of batteries and supplying the converted electric power to one or more second loads; a switch capable of selectively connecting any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter; and a controller for comparing remaining capacities of the respective batteries, and when the difference between the highest remaining capacity and the lowest remaining capacity exceeds a predetermined threshold, controlling the switch to connect the power converter to the battery having the highest remaining capacity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power supply system comprising: a plurality of electric circuits including a plurality of batteries, respectively, the plurality of electric circuits each including one or more first loads; a power converter configured to convert electric power of any one of the plurality of batteries and supply the converted electric power to one or more second loads; a switch configured to selectively connect any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter; and a controller configured to compare remaining capacities of the respective batteries, and when a difference between a highest remaining capacity and a lowest remaining capacity exceeds a predetermined threshold, control the switch to connect the power converter to the battery having the highest remaining capacity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electric circuits have a same configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein when any one of the first loads is stopped, the controller controls the switch to connect the power converter to the battery of the electric circuit that includes the stopped first load, regardless of the remaining capacities of the batteries. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein when an abnormality has occurred in any one of the batteries, the controller controls the switch to connect the power converter to another battery in which no abnormality has occurred among the batteries. ### Claim 5 A flying object comprising a power supply system, wherein the power supply system includes: a plurality of electric circuits including a plurality of batteries, respectively, the plurality of electric circuits each including one or more first loads; a power converter configured to convert electric power of any one of the plurality of batteries and supply the converted electric power to one or more second loads; a switch configured to selectively connect any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter; and a controller configured to compare remaining capacities of the respective batteries, and when a difference between a highest remaining capacity and a lowest remaining capacity exceeds a predetermined threshold, control the switch to connect the power converter to the battery having the highest remaining capacity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The flying object according to claim 5, wherein each of the electric circuits includes, as the first loads, a vertical take-off and landing motor used during vertical take-off and landing, and a cruise motor used during cruising. ### Claim 7 A method for controlling a power supply system, wherein the power supply system includes: a plurality of electric circuits including a plurality of batteries, respectively, the plurality of electric circuits each including one or more first loads; a power converter configured to convert electric power of any one of the plurality of batteries and supply the converted electric power to one or more second loads; a switch configured to selectively connect any one of the plurality of batteries to the power converter; and a controller configured to control the switch, the method causing the controller to execute: comparing remaining capacities of the respective batteries; and when a difference between a highest remaining capacity and a lowest remaining capacity exceeds a predetermined threshold, controlling the switch to connect the power converter to the battery having the highest remaining capacity.