Modular battery tester

• US 20020003423A1
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bertness, Kevin I., McShane, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,586,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]

Abstract

An electronic battery tester includes battery test circuitry configured to couple to a battery. A memory is configured to log data from the battery test circuitry and a databus configured to exchange logged data with external circuitry.

Claims

1. An electronic battery tester comprising:

battery test circuitry configured to couple to a battery;

a memory configured to log data from the battery test circuitry; and

a databus configured to exchange logged data with external circuitry.

2. The electronic battery tester of claim 1 including a Kelvin connection configured to couple to the battery.

3. The electronic battery tester of claim 2 wherein the battery tester is configured to measure a dynamic parameter of the battery as a function of an applied forcing function.

4. The electronic battery tester of claim 3 including a memory configured to store data related to dynamic voltage and dynamic current measurements.

5. The electronic battery tester of claim 1 wherein the data stored in the memory is time stamped.

6. The electronic battery tester of claim 1 wherein the databus comprises a physical connection.

7. The electronic battery tester of claim 6 wherein the databus is in accordance with the RS232 communication standard.

8. The electronic battery tester of claim 1 wherein the databus comprises a non-physical connection.

9. The electronic battery tester of claim 8 wherein the non-physical connection comprises an infrared connection.

10. The electronic battery tester of claim 8 wherein the non-physical connection comprises a radio frequency (RF) connection.

11. The electronic battery tester of claim 1 wherein the databus is configured to couple to a personal data assistance (PDA).

12. A personal data assistance (PDA) configured to couple to the databus of the electronic battery tester of claim 11.

13. The personal data assistance (PDA) of claim 12 wherein the display is configured to display information retrieved from the memory of the electronic battery tester.

14. The personal data assistance (PDA) of claim 12 including an input and wherein the PDA is configured to communicate with the battery test circuitry through the databus as a function of data received from an operator through the input.

15. The personal data assistance (PDA) of claim 12 including an output configured to couple to a printer.

16. The battery tester of claim 1 wherein the databus is in accordance with the OBD (on-board databus) standard.

17. A PCMCIA card configured to couple to the databus of the electronic battery tester of claim 1.

18. An automotive vehicle diagnostic system comprising:

a scan tool configured to retrieve diagnostic information from a vehicle; and

battery test circuitry configured to perform a battery test on a vehicle.