Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110153240 | Method for Determining Power Supply Usage - The remaining capacity of a battery may be monitored with a microprocessor by integrating a voltage measured across a current sense resistor coupled in series with the battery. The microprocessor may measure electrons passing through the battery by sampling the integrator and summing the values recorded from the integrator. Each time the integrator is sampled, the microprocessor may reset the integrator to prevent the integrator from saturating. The remaining capacity of the battery may be calculated based on calibration values and the sum of electrons measured by the integrator. The remaining capacity may be communicating to remote users through a network and displayed in an executive dashboard. | 06-23-2011 |
20120086400 | Module Bypass Switch for Balancing Battery Pack System Modules - A battery pack system module may include a module bypass switch for allowing charge current to bypass the battery pack system module. A charge switch and a discharge switch may be coupled with the module bypass switch. When other battery pack system modules are coupled in series with the module, balancing between modules may be achieved by allowing charge current to bypass the unbalanced modules and charge other modules. For example, when an unbalanced module is at a higher level of charge than other modules, a charge switch and a discharge switch in the unbalanced module de-activate and a module bypass switch activates to allow charge current to rapidly bring other modules into balance. The discharge switch and the charge switch allow the charging current to bypass the unbalanced module creating little or no additional heat dissipation. | 04-12-2012 |
20120259564 | Power Supply Usage Determination - The remaining capacity of a power source, such as a battery, may be monitored with a microprocessor by integrating data received from a current sensor. The microprocessor may measure electrons passing through the battery by sampling the integrator and summing the values recorded from the integrator. Each time the integrator is sampled, the microprocessor may reset the integrator to prevent the integrator from saturating. The microprocessor may sample the integrator when the integrator approaches a predetermined value. The remaining capacity of the battery may be calculated based on calibration values and the sum of electrons measured by the integrator. The remaining capacity may be communicated to remote users through a network and displayed in an executive dashboard. | 10-11-2012 |
20120319658 | MODULE BYPASS SWITCH WITH BYPASS CURRENT MONITORING - A battery pack system module may include a module bypass switch for allowing charge current to bypass the battery pack system module. The module bypass switch may be activated to divert charging current from the battery pack system module to other battery pack system modules. The charging current may be diverted to bring other battery pack system modules into balance with the battery pack system module. That is, to bring the state of charge of all battery pack system modules into coarse balance. When the module bypass switch is activated, charging current through the module bypass switch may be monitored by a current sensing device such as a current sensing resistor. A microprocessor may receive information about the bypass current level and use the information to determine when to de-activate the module bypass switch. Sensing current through a module bypass switch allows more accurate and quicker inter-module balancing. | 12-20-2012 |
20130018606 | Short Detection in Battery CellsAANM White; David A.AACI HoustonAAST TXAACO USAAGP White; David A. Houston TX USAANM Benckenstein, JR.; Claude L.AACI StaffordAAST TXAACO USAAGP Benckenstein, JR.; Claude L. Stafford TX US - Internal shorts and other failures in lithium-ion battery cells may be detected during balancing of the battery cells. A counter may be used to detect when a battery cell is behaving differently than other battery cells by balancing more or less frequently. The counter may increment each time a battery cell is balanced to the other battery cells. A misbehaving battery cell may be flagged, when the counter exceeds a threshold value, for safety checks before an overheating event occurs. This misbehaving battery cell may be faulty due to an internal short. If the faulty battery cell is not corrected by replacement with a different battery cell or corrected by a user resetting the counter, the misbehaving battery cell may be disconnected to prevent the overheating event. | 01-17-2013 |
20130065093 | Historical Analysis of Battery Cells for Determining State of Health - Battery cells may be monitored and a historical profile of the battery generated. The historical profile may be used to analyze a state-of-health of the battery cell. For example, the historical profile may be used to determine when a battery cell has developed an internal short that creates a safety hazard. The historical profile may include a count of the number of times the battery cell was out of balance and a count of the number of Coulombs the battery cell was out of balance. The number of Coulombs may be counted for a window of time. When the number of Coulombs exceeds a Coulomb threshold, a state-of-health flag may be set for the battery cell. The Coulomb threshold may be adjusted based, in part, on the counted number of times the battery cell is out of balance. | 03-14-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090015191 | Solar Panel With Pulse Charger - A rechargeable power assembly having at least one lithium ion cell comprising an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte gel; a pulsed balancing circuit connected to the at least one lithium ion cell for maintaining the at least one lithium ion cell in a balanced phase; at least two photovoltaic cells concurrently connected to the pulsed balancing circuit and at least one lithium ion cell, wherein the at least two photovoltaic cells are connected in series for recharging the at least one lithium ion cell; an insulating layer between the at least one lithium ion cell and the at least two photovoltaic cells, wherein the at least two photovoltaic cells each have a surface for absorbing radiation, the surfaces for absorbing radiation are disposed opposite the respective insulating layers forming an apparatus for providing usable DC current directly from an electric circuit connected to the at least one lithium ion cell. | 01-15-2009 |
20090289599 | SYSTEM FOR BALANCING BATTERY PACK SYSTEM MODULES - A system for balancing a plurality of battery pack system modules connected in series comprising: a plurality of battery pack system modules, wherein a high charge module of the plurality of battery pack system modules has a charge greater than a that of other modules. At least one zener diode connected in series with a current limiting resistor is connected in parallel to the plurality of battery pack system modules. A power source is in communication with a disconnect circuit of at least one of the battery pack system modules. The disconnect circuit is actuated when the battery pack system module reaches a predetermined state of charge. The zener diode enables current from the power source to bypass charged battery pack system modules to charge other battery pack system modules. | 11-26-2009 |
20110089901 | BALANCING OF BATTERY PACK SYSTEM MODULES - A system for balancing a plurality of battery pack system modules connected in series comprising: a plurality of battery pack system modules, wherein a high charge module of the plurality of battery pack system modules has a charge greater than a that of other modules. At least one zener diode connected in series with a current limiting resistor is connected in parallel to the plurality of battery pack system modules. A power source is in communication with a disconnect circuit of at least one of the battery pack system modules. The disconnect circuit is actuated when the battery pack system module reaches a predetermined state of charge. The zener diode enables current from the power source to bypass charged battery pack system modules to charge other battery pack system modules. | 04-21-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130332094 | Power Supply Usage Determination - The remaining capacity of a power source, such as a battery, may be monitored with a microprocessor by integrating data received from a current sensor. The microprocessor may measure electrons passing through the battery by sampling the integrator and summing the values recorded from the integrator. Each time the integrator is sampled, the microprocessor may reset the integrator to prevent the integrator from saturating. The microprocessor may sample the integrator when the integrator approaches a predetermined value. The remaining capacity of the battery may be calculated based on calibration values and the sum of electrons measured by the integrator. The remaining capacity may be communicated to remote users through a network and displayed in an executive dashboard. | 12-12-2013 |
20140028259 | BALANCING OF BATTERY PACK SYSTEM MODULES - A system for balancing a plurality of battery pack system modules connected in series may include in each battery pack system module a controller configured to detect that the first system module has reached a first state of charge; activate the first charge switch to physically disconnect and to prevent further charging of the first system module after detecting the first state of charge; discharge the plurality of cells after activating the first charge switch to balance the first system module with a second system module coupled to the first system module; de-activate the first charge switch after discharging the plurality of battery cells; and charge the plurality of cells after de-activating the first charge switch. | 01-30-2014 |
20140167780 | HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF BATTERY CELLS FOR DETERMINING STATE OF HEALTH - Battery cells may be monitored and a historical profile of the battery generated. The historical profile may be used to analyze a state-of-health of the battery cell. For example, the historical profile may be used to determine when a battery cell has developed an internal short that creates a safety hazard. The historical profile may include a count of the number of times the battery cell was out of balance and a count of the number of Coulombs the battery cell was out of balance. The number of Coulombs may be counted for a window of time. When the number of Coulombs exceeds a Coulomb threshold, a state-of-health flag may be set for the battery cell. The Coulomb threshold may be adjusted based, in part, on the counted number of times the battery cell is out of balance. | 06-19-2014 |
20140368207 | POWER SUPPLY USAGE DETERMINATION - The remaining capacity of a power source, such as a battery, may be monitored with a microprocessor, such as by counting electrons flowing through the power source. The microprocessor may measure electrons passing through the battery and sleep for predetermined periods, waking up to determine an updated capacity of the battery. The remaining capacity may be communicated to remote users through a network and displayed in an executive dashboard. In one example, the updates regarding remaining capacity may be pushed to users through a graphical user interface or a web page. | 12-18-2014 |