Single and multiple cell lithium ion battery with built-in controller

• US 20070212596A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragan Nebrigic, James Sherrill, Milan Jevtitch, Nicholas Busko, Peter Hansen, Vladimir Gartstein, William Milam
• Original Assignee: Dragan Nebrigic, James Sherrill, Milan Jevtitch, Nicholas Busko, Peter Hansen, Vladimir Gartstein, William Milam
• Inventors: Busko, Nicholas, Nebrigic, Dragan, Gartstein, Vladimir, Hansen, Peter, Milam, William, Jevtitch, Milan, Sherrill, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,397,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/61
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The invention concerns single and multiple cell lithium ion batteries. Embodiments of the invention concern single and multiple cell lithium ion batteries with built-in controllers that monitor the cell or cells and provide a safety disconnect when certain monitored conditions are detected by the controller. Preferred embodiment single and multiple cell lithium ion batteries have their cell or cells within a container having a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The built-in controller monitors the cell or cell for each of the following conditions: over temperature, short-circuit, overcharge, and over-discharge and the controller provides a safety disconnect when one of the monitored conditions exist. A multiple cell lithium ion battery of embodiments of the invention include a built-in controller that monitors the temperature of the cells and provides a safety disconnect that electronically disconnects all of the cells when at least one of the cells exceeds a predetermined temperature, or a controller that monitors the state of charge of each of the cells and individually controls the charge cycle of each of the cells, or a controller that monitors the temperature of the cells and to provides a safety disconnect when at least one of the cells exceeds a predetermined temperature.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a battery comprising a container including a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

an electrochemical cell disposed within said container, said cell having a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a cell voltage measured across said positive electrode and said negative electrode of said cell; and

a controller to monitor said cell for each of the following conditions within said cell;

over temperature, short-circuit, overcharge, and over-discharge and to provide a safety disconnect when one of said conditions exist.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller provides a safety disconnect in the event of excessive hydrogen generation.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller provides a safety disconnect in the event of over pressure within the cell.

4. The device of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said controller electronically disconnects said cell from at least one of said terminals of said container.

5. The device of claims 1 wherein said controller electronically disconnects said cell from both of said terminals of said container.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cell during the charging of said cell and provides a safety disconnect when said cell exceeds a predetermined temperature during charging.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cell during the discharge of said cell and provides a safety disconnect when said cell exceeds a predetermined temperature during discharge of said cell.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cell during the charging and discharge of said cell and provides a safety disconnect when said cell exceeds a predetermined temperature during either charging or discharging of said cell.

9. The device of any of claims 6, 7 or 8 wherein said controller electronically disconnects said cell from at least one of said terminals of said container.

10. The device of claims any of claims 6, 7 or 8 wherein said controller electronically disconnects said cell from both of said terminals of said container.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cell during the charging of said cell and controls the charging current supplied to said cell based on said temperature of said cell.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the state of charge of said cell.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the cell to determine the ability of said cell to maintain a charge.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the cell during charging to determine the ability of said cell to maintain a charge.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the cell during discharging to determine the ability of said cell to maintain a charge.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cell during the charging of said cell and adjusts the charging current supplied to said cell based on said temperature of said cell.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of electrochemical cells are disposed within said container, each of said cells having a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a cell voltage measured across said positive electrode and said negative electrode of said cell; and

wherein said controller monitors each of said cells for each of the following conditions within said cells;

over temperature, short-circuit, overcharge, and over-discharge and provides a safety disconnect when one of said conditions exist in at least one of said cells.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller provides a safety disconnect in the event of excessive hydrogen generation within at least one of said cells.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller provides a safety disconnect in the event of over pressure within at least one of said cells.

20. The device of any of claims 18, 19 and 20 wherein said controller electronically disconnects at least one of said cells from at least one of said terminals of said container.

21. The device of any of claim 17, wherein said controller detects the terminal voltage and an internal impedance of each of said cells to determine a remaining charge of each of said cells and disconnects a cell when over-discharge of the cell is detected.

22. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of each of said cells during the charging of said cells and provides a safety disconnect when at least one of said cells exceeds a predetermined temperature during charging.

23. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of each of said cells during the discharging of said cells and provides a safety disconnect when at least one of said cells exceeds a predetermined temperature during discharging of said cell.

24. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of each of said cells during the charging and discharging of said cell and provides a safety disconnect when at least one of said cells exceeds a predetermined temperature during either charging or discharging of said cell.

25. The device of any of claims 22, 23, and 24 wherein said controller electronically disconnects at least one of said cells from at least one of said terminals of said container.

26. The device of any of claims 22, 23 and 24 wherein said controller electronically disconnects at least one of said cells from both of said terminals of said container.

27. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller is adapted to monitor the ability of each of said cells to maintain a charge.

28. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller monitors the cells during charging to determine the ability of each of said cells to maintain a charge.

29. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller monitors the cells during discharging to determine the ability of each of said cells to maintain a charge.

30. The device of any of claims 27, 28 or 29 wherein said controller is adapted to identify a cell that is unable to maintain a charge as a defective cell.

31. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cells during the charging of said cells and controls the charging current supplied to said cells based on said temperature of said cells

32. The device of claim 17 wherein said cells are connected in one of series, parallel or series-parallel configuration

33. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller adjusts the charging current supplied to said cells to prevent said cells from exceeding a predetermined temperature.

34. The device of claim 17 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cells during the charging of said cells and adjusts the charging current supplied to said cells based on said temperature of said cells.

35. An electronic device comprising:

a battery comprising a container including a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed within said container, each of said cells having a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a cell voltage measured across said positive electrode and said negative electrode of said cell; and

at least one controller to monitor the temperature of said cells and to provide a safety disconnect that electronically disconnects all of said cells when at least one of said cells exceeds a predetermined temperature.

36. The device of claim 35 wherein said controller further monitors each of said cells for each of the following conditions within said cells:

over temperature, short-circuit, overcharge, and over-discharge and provides the safety disconnect when any one of said conditions exists in at least one of said cells.

37. The device of claim 36 wherein said controller provides the safety disconnect in the event of over pressure within at least one of the cells.

38. The device of any of claims 35, 36, and 37 wherein said controller electronically disconnects said cells from at least one of said terminals of said container.

39. The device of any of claims 35, 36 and 37 wherein said controller electronically disconnects said cells from both of said terminals of said container.

40. The device of claim 35 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of each of said cells during the charging of said cells and provides the safety disconnect when at least one of said cells exceeds a predetermined temperature during charging.

41. The device of claim 37 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of each of said cells during the discharging of said cells and provides the safety disconnect when at least one of said cells exceeds a predetermined temperature during discharging of said cell.

42. The device of claim 35 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of each of said cells during the charging and discharging of said cell and provides the safety disconnect when at least one of said cells exceeds a predetermined temperature during either charging or discharging of said cell.

43. The device of claim 35 wherein said controller further checks said cells to identify a cell that is unable to maintain a charge and identify it as a defective cell.

44. The device of claim 35 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cells during the charging of said cells and controls the charging current supplied to said cells based on said temperature of said cells.

45. The device of claim 35 wherein said cells are connected in one of a series, parallel or series-parallel configuration.

46. The device of claim 35 wherein said controller adjusts the charging current supplied to said cells to prevent said cells from exceeding a predetermined temperature.

47. The device of claim 35 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cells during the charging of said cells and adjusts the charging current supplied to said cells based on said temperature of said cells.

48. An electronic device comprising:

a battery comprising a container including a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

a plurality of individual electrochemical cells disposed within said container, said cells having a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a cell voltage measured across said positive electrode and said negative electrode of said cell; and

a controller adapted to monitor the state of charge of each of said cells and to individually control the charge cycle of each of said cells.

49. The device of claim 48 wherein the controller optimizes the charging of each of said cells based on feedback to maximize the number and efficiency of each charge cycle of each of said cells.

50. The device of claim 49 wherein said controller optimizes the charging of each of said cells by monitoring the voltage of each of said cells.

51. The device of claim 49 wherein said controller optimizes the charging of each of said cells by monitoring the internal impedance of each of said cells.

52. The device of claim 49 wherein said controller provides control of the charging current to optimize the charging rate for each of said cells by examining the particular electrochemistry, memory effect, fatigue status, and temperature of each of said cells.

53. The device of claim 49 wherein said controller determines a charge value and maximum charge capacity of each of said cells to optimize the charging for each of said cells.

54. The device of claim 53 wherein said controller monitors the cell voltage, the charging current and temperature of each of said cells to optimize charging.

55. The device of claim 49 wherein said controller monitors the cell voltage, the charging current, temperature and the internal impedance of the cell to optimize charging.

56. The device of claim 48 wherein said controller directs charging current to other cells when at least one of said cell reaches full charge status.

57. The device of claim 48 wherein said controller reduces charging current supplied to a cell when it reaches full charge status.

58. The device of claim 48 wherein said cells are charged in series and said controller shunts charging current to another cell when a cell being charged reaches full charge status.

59. The device of claim 48 wherein said controller adjusts charging current supplied to said cells based on the charge level of said cells.

60. The device of claim 48 wherein said cells are connected in parallel and said controller disconnects a cell that has reached full charge status from charging current.

61. The device of claim 48 wherein said controller reduces charging current supplied to cells determined to have a higher charge level than other cells.

62. The device of claim 48 wherein said controller monitors the temperature of said cells during the charging of said cells and provides a safety disconnect when at least one of said cells exceeds a predetermined temperature.

63. The device of claim 48 wherein said controller determines an instantaneous charge value and maximum charge capacity of each of said cells to optimize the charging for each of said cells.

64. The device of claim 48 wherein said cells are connected in one of a series, parallel or series-parallel configuration.

65. The device of claim 48 wherein said controller adjusts charging current supplied to said cells to prevent said cells from exceeding a predetermined temperature.

66. The device of claim 48 wherein said controller monitors temperature of said cells during charging of said cells and adjusts the charging current supplied to said cells based on the temperature of said cells.

67-73. -73. (canceled)