Battery controller for multiple battery technologies

• US 10,186,877 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Plag, Kenneth F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US15/458,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20180269693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An apparatus comprises an interface configured to communicate with a first battery of a first battery type and a second battery of a second battery type. The apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: obtain first parameters related to at least one first characteristic of the first battery, the one or more first parameters stored in a universal format that is implemented by both the first battery and the second battery; perform one or more first charging operations for the first battery based on the obtained one or more first parameters; obtain one or more second parameters related to at least one second characteristic of the second battery, the one or more second parameters stored in the universal format; and perform one or more second charging operations for the second battery based on the obtained one or more second parameters.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a battery controller, comprising;

a first interface configured to communicate with a first battery of a first battery type having an associated first charging algorithm and a second battery of a second, different battery type having an associated second charging algorithm; and

first processing circuitry configured to;

obtain, via the first interface, one or more first parameters related to at least one first characteristic of the first battery; and

perform one or more first charging operations based on the obtained one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery; and

the first battery, comprising;

one or more first memory devices configured to store the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery, the one or more first parameters stored in a universal format that is implemented by both the first battery and the second battery; and

second processing circuitry configured to;

monitor the at least one first characteristic of the first battery using one or more sensors; and

store the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery in the one or more first memory devices; and

a second interface communicatively coupled to the one or more first memory devices and the second processing circuitry, the second interface configured to communicate with the battery controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first processing circuitry of the battery controller is configured to;

obtain, via the first interface, one or more second parameters related to at least one second characteristic of the second battery, the one or more second parameters stored in one or more second memory devices of the second battery in the universal format that is implemented by both the first battery and the second battery; and

perform one or more second charging operations for the second battery based on the obtained one or more second parameters related to the at least one second characteristic of the second battery; and

wherein the first processing circuitry of the battery controller is configured to obtain the one or more second parameters related to the at least one second characteristic of the second battery and perform the one or more second charging operations for the second battery without requiring modification to the battery controller.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second processing circuitry of the first battery is configured to periodically store updated values of the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery in the one or more first memory devices, the updated values for the one or more first parameters reflecting a change in the at least one first characteristic of the first battery.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first processing circuitry of the battery controller is configured to:

periodically obtain the updated values of the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery; and

modify the one or more first charging operations based on the obtained updated values of the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first parameters comprise one or more of:

a charge parameter;

a discharge parameter; and

a battery life parameter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processing circuitry of the battery controller is configured to verify the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first battery and the battery controller are installed in an aircraft.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with a first battery of a first battery type having an associated first charging algorithm and a second battery of a second battery type having an associated second charging algorithm;

processing circuitry configured to;

obtain, via the interface, one or more first parameters related to at least one first characteristic of the first battery, the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery stored in one or more first memory devices of the first battery in a universal format that is implemented by both the first battery and the second battery;

perform one or more first charging operations for the first battery based on the obtained one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery;

obtain, via the interface, one or more second parameters related to at least one second characteristic of the second battery, the one or more second parameters related to the at least one second characteristic of the second battery stored in one or more second memory devices of the second battery in the universal format that is implemented by both the first battery and the second battery; and

perform one or more second charging operations for the second battery based on the obtained one or more second parameters related to the at least one second characteristic of the second battery.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to perform the one or more first charging operations for the first battery and the one or more second charging operations for the second battery without requiring modifications to the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

periodically obtain updated values for the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery, the updated values reflecting a change in the at least one first characteristic of the first battery; and

modify the one or more first charging operations based on the obtained updated values of the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery comprise one or more of:

a charge parameter;

a discharge parameter; and

a battery life parameter.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to verify the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is installed in an aircraft.

14. A method, comprising:

communicatively coupling a battery controller to a first battery of a first battery type having an associated first charging algorithm via an interface;

obtaining, by the battery controller, one or more first parameters related to at least one first characteristic of the first battery from one or more first memory devices of the first battery, the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery stored in a universal format that is implemented by both the first battery and a second battery of a second battery type having an associated second battery charging algorithm; and

performing, by the battery controller, one or more first charging operations for the first battery based on the obtained one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

communicatively coupling the battery controller to the second battery via the interface;

obtaining, by the battery controller, one or more second parameters related to at least one second characteristic of the second battery from one or more second memory devices of the second battery, the one or more second parameters related to the at least one second characteristic of the second battery stored in the universal format that is implemented by both the first battery and the second battery; and

performing, by the battery controller, one or more second charging operations for the second battery based on the obtained one or more second parameters related to the at least one second characteristic of the second battery.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of performing the one or more second charging operations for the second battery is performed without requiring modifications to the battery controller.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

periodically obtaining updated values for the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery, the updated values reflecting a change in the at least one first characteristic of the first battery; and

modifying the one or more first charging operations based on the obtained updated values of the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more first parameters comprise one or more of:

a charge parameter;

a discharge parameter; and

a battery life parameter.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising verifying the one or more first parameters related to the at least one first characteristic of the first battery.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the battery controller is installed in an aircraft.