Patents

Midtronics is founded on innovation and technical expertise. The company's nearly 20 year history has resulted in a significant portfolio of patents and other intellectual property that are at the heart of new products and technologies for effective battery management. Further, Midtronics' staff of more than 30 full time engineers continually seek to expand the technology related to battery testing and charging.

As an organization rooted in innovation and technological development, Midtronics has amassed a significant portfolio of patents and technologies. This continued creativity and diligence in creating and improving our core technology will help to maintain our leadership position in battery testing. Following is our list of US patents. Many of these are also covered in patents and patent applications globally.

6,933,727

Electronic battery tester cable
Claims: 23
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,941,234

Query based electronic battery tester
Claims: 27
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

7,081,755

Battery tester capable of predicting a discharge voltage/discharge current of a battery
Claims: 20
Inventors: James K. Klang, Gregory P. Fang

7,106,070

Broad-band low conductance cables for making kelvin connections to electrochemical cells and batteries
Claims: 26
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Keith S. Champlin

7,154,276 (pdf)

Method and Apparatus for Measuring a Parameter of a Vehicle Electrical System
Claims: 24
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

3,873,911

Electronic battery testing device
Claims: 25
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

3,909,708

Electronic battery testing device
Claims: 23
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

4,322,685

Automatic battery analyzer including apparatus for determining presence of single bad cell
Claims: 50
Inventors: Charles E. Frailing, Thomas Dougherty, Richard Johnson

4,816,768

Electronic battery testing device
Claims: 40
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

4,825,170

Electronic battery testing device with automatic voltage scaling
Claims: 19
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

4,881,038

Electronic battery testing device with automotive voltage scaling to determine dynamic conductance
Claims: 19
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

4,912,416

Electronic battery testing device with state-of-charge comensation
Claims: 10
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

5,140,269

Electronic tester for assessing battery / cell capacity
Claims: 45
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

5,343,380

Method and apparatus for suppressing time-varying signals in batteries undergoing charging or discharging
Claims: 8
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

5,469,043

Method for optimizing the charging of lead-acid batteries and an interactive charger
Claims: 9
Inventors: Jing-Yih Cherng, James K. Klang

5,572,136

Electronic battery testing device
Claims: 11
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

5,574,355

Method and apparatus for detection and control of thermal runaway in a battery under charged
Claims: 20
Inventors: Stephen J. McShane, Mark Hlavac, Kevin I. Bertness

5,583,416

Apparatus and method for step-charging batteries to optimize charge acceptance
Claims: 21
Inventor: James K. Klang

5,585,728

Electronic battery tester with automatic compensation for low state-of-charge
Claims: 26
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

5,589,757

Apparatus and method for step-charging batteries to optimize charge acceptance
Claims: 45
Inventor: James K. Klang

5,592,093

Electronic battery testing device loose terminal connection detection via a comparison circuit
Claims: 11
Inventor: August G. Klingbiel

5,598,098

Electronic battery tester with very high noise immunity
Claims: 12
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

5,656,920

Method and apparatus for charging a lead-acid battery
Claims: 34
Inventors: Jing-Yih Cherng, James K. Klang

5,757,192

Method and apparatus for detecting a bad cell in a storage battery
Claims: 12
Inventors: Stephen J. McShane, Kevin I. Bertness

5,821,756

Electronic battery tester with tailored compensation for low state-of-change
Claims: 12
Inventors: Stephen J. McShane, Kevin I. Bertness, Keith S. Champlin

5,831,435

Battery tester for JIS standard
Claims: 6
Inventor: Michael E. Troy

5,871,858

Anti-theft battery
Claims: 26
Inventors: Jes Thomsen, Tore Rehnberg

5,914,605

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 11
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

5,945,829

Midpoint battery monitoring
Claims: 9
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,002,238

Method and apparatus for measuring complex impedance of cells and batteries
Claims: 42
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,037,751

Method and apparatus for charging batteries
Claims: 33
Inventor: James K. Klang

6,037,777

Method and apparatus for determining battery properties from complex impedence / admittance
Claims: 21
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,051,976

Method and apparatus for auditing a battery test
Claims: 54
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,081,098

Method and apparatus for charging a battery
Claims: 101
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Stephen J. McShane

6,091,245

Method and apparatus for auditing a battery test
Claims: 29
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,104,167

Method and apparatus for charging a battery
Claims: 34
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Stephen J. McShane

6,137,269

Method and apparatus for electronically evaluating the internal temperature of an electrochemical cell or battery
Claims: 11
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,163,156

Electrical connection for electronic battery tester
Claims: 20
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,172,483 B1

Method and apparatus for measuring complex imedance of cells and batteries
Claims: 52
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,172,505 B1

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 42
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,222,369 B1

Method and apparatus for determining battery properties from complex impedance / admittance
Claims: 25
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,225,808 B1

Test counter for electronic battery tester
Claims: 25
Inventors: Philip Varghese, Michael Cable, Mike Troy, David Lewis

6,249,124

Electronic battery tester with internal battery
Claims: 56
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,259,254

Apparatus and method for carrying out diagnostic tests on batteries and for rapidly charging batteries
Claims: 20
Inventor: James K. Klang

6,262,563

Method and apparatus for measuring complex admittance of cells and batteries
Claims: 94
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,294,896

Method and apparatus for measuring complex self-immitance of a general electrical element
Claims: 100
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,294,897

Method and apparatus for electronically evaluating the internal temperature of an electrochemical cell or battery
Claims: 37
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,304,087

Apparatus for calibrating electronic battery tester
Claims: 20
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,310,481

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 14
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,313,607

Method and apparatus for evaluating stored charge in an electrochemical cell or battery
Claims: 19
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,313,608

Method and apparatus for charging a battery
Claims: 120
Inventors: Phillip Varghese, Kevin I. Bertness, Stephen McShane

6,316,914

Testing parallel strings of storage batteries
Claims: 32
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,323,650 B1

Electronic battery tester
Claims:40
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Janey Butteris

6,329,793

Method and apparatus for charging a battery
Claims: 78
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Stephen McShane

6,331,762

Energy management system for automotive vehicle
Claims: 299
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,332,113

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 47
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,351,102

Automotive battery charging system tester
Claims: 123
Inventor: Micheal E. Troy

6,359,441

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 22
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,363,303

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 67
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,377,031

Intelligent switch for power management
Claims: 25
Inventors: Samy Karuppana, Aly Jetha, Jes Thomsen

6,392,414

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 19
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,417,669

Suppressing interference in AC measurements of cells, batteries and other electrochemical measurements
Claims: 98
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,424,158

Apparatus and method for carrying out diagnostic tests on batteries and for rapidly charging batteries
Claims: 40
Inventor: James K. Klang

6,437,957

System and method for providing surge, short and reverse polarity connection protection
Claims: 27
Inventors: Samy Karuppana, Aly Jetha, Jes Thomsen

6,441,585

Apparatus and method for testing rechargeable energy storage batteries
Claims:34
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,445,158

Vehicle electrical system tester with encoded output
Claims: 118
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Michael E. Troy

6,456,045

Integrated conductance and load test based electronic battery tester
Claims: 36
Inventors: Michael E. Troy, Kevin I. Bertness

6,465,908

Intelligent power management system & head lamp life extender with daytime running light control
Claims: 33
Inventors: Samy Karuppana, Aly Jetha, Jes Thomsen

6,466,025

Alternator tester
Claims: 31
Inventor: James K. Klang

6,466,026

Programmable current exciter for measuring AC immitance of cells and batteries
Claims: 11
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,469,511

Battery clamp with embedded environment sensor
Claims: 33
Inventors: David J. Vonderhaar, Kevin I. Bertness

6,495,990

Method and apparatus for evaluating stored charge in an electrochemical cell or battery
Claims: 25
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,497,209

System and method for protecting a cranking subsystem
Claims: 22
Inventors:Samy Karuppana, Aly Jetha, Jes Thomsen

6,507,196

Battery charge indicator
Claims: 9
Inventors: Jes Thomsen, Tore Rehnberg

6,534,993

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 28
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,544,078

Battery clamp with integrated current sensor
Claims: 36
Inventors: A.J. Palmisano, Kevin I. Bertness

6,556,019

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 17
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,566,883

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 22
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, David J. Vonderhaar

6,586,941

Battery tester with databus
Claims: 15
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Stephen J. McShane

6,597,150

Method of distributing jump start booster packs
Claims: 14
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Ronald J. Ortiz

6,621,272

Programmable current exciter for measuring AC immitance of cells and batteries
Claims: 35
Inventor: Keith S. Champlin

6,621,314

Kelvin clamp for electrically coupling to a battery contact
Claims: 23
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Jamey L. Butteris, Daniel C. Cox

6,633,165

In-vehicle battery monitor
Claims:130
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,635,974

Self-learning power management system and method
Claims: 38
Inventors: Aly Jetha, Samy Karuppana, Jes Thomsen

6,696,819

Battery charge control device
Claims: 13
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,707,303

Electronic battery tester
Claims: 33
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Jamey L. Butteris

6,871,151

Electronic battery tester with network communication
Claims: 43
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,885,195

Method and apparatus for auditing a bettery test
Claims: 34
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,906,522

Battery tester with battery replacement output
Claims: 59
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, William G. Sampson

6,906,523

Method and apparatus for testing cells and batteries embedded in series / parallel systems.
Claims: 70
Inventors: Kevine I. Bertness, Keith S. Champlin

6,909,287

Energy management system for automotive vehicle
Claims: 15
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness

6,913,483

Cable for electronic battery tester
Claims: 15
Inventors: Harvey A. Restaino, Edward J. Amato

6,914,413

Alternator tester with encoded output
Claims: 43
Inventors: Kevin I. Bertness, Michael E. Troy

6,930,485

Electronic battery tester with battery failure temperature determination
Claims: 24
Inventor: Kevin I. Bertness