Method and System for Managing Battery Inventory

• US 20080143296A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, James Ellis
• Granted Patent: US 7,741,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/134
• 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 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Provided are a method and a system for inventorying batteries. In exemplary embodiments, a computer assisted method for inventorying batteries includes identifying a battery string at a location and reading battery identification data associated with one or more batteries in the battery string which includes a battery voltage. After reading the battery identification data and aggregating the magnitudes of the battery voltages in the battery string, if the aggregate of the magnitudes of the voltages is not equal to a required voltage then an error message is generated. If the aggregate of the voltages of the batteries is equal to the required voltage then the process may be repeated for the next string, if any, at the location.

Claims

1. A computer assisted method to inventory batteries comprising:

detecting battery identification data associated with one or more batteries in a battery string;

determining a voltage magnitude for each of the one or more batteries;

aggregating the voltage magnitudes of the one or more batteries in the battery string,

if the aggregate of the voltage magnitudes of the one or more batteries does not equal a required voltage then generating a first error message; and

if the aggregate of the voltage magnitudes of the one or more batteries equals the required voltage then saving the battery identification data associated with the one or more batteries in the battery string.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery identification data includes a model identification data, wherein further the battery voltage is a component of the model identification data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first error message is an under voltage error message if the aggregate of the battery voltages in a string is less than 48 volts and an over voltage error message if the aggregate of the battery voltages in a string is more than 48 volts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a voltage magnitude for each of the one or more batteries includes looking up the voltage magnitude in a data record.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein reading battery identification data includes:

querying a user as to whether the battery string being inventoried is the first battery string at the location;

if a user reply is yes, then reading and recording the battery identification information;

if the user reply is no, then requesting and receiving the identity of the battery string being inventoried;

if the battery string being inventoried has previously been recorded, then generating a second error message.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing the model identification data to a data record;

if the model identification data does not match the data record then generating a third error message;

if the model identification data matches the data record then accepting the battery identification data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting of battery identification data is accomplished by a computing device equipped with one of a 2D scanner, an infrared scanning wand and a laser scanner.

8. A computer readable medium containing instructions comprising:

detect battery identification data associated with a battery in a battery string;

determine a voltage magnitude for the battery;

if there is more than one battery in the battery string, repeat the detect and determine instructions for each battery in the battery string until all batteries in the battery string have been detected and their voltage magnitude determined;

aggregate the voltage magnitudes associated with each battery in the battery string,

if the aggregate of the voltage magnitudes does not equal a required voltage then generate a first error message; and

if the aggregate of the voltage magnitudes equals the required voltage then store the battery identification data associated with the one or more batteries in the battery string.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the battery identification data includes a model identification data, wherein further the battery voltage is a component of the model identification data.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first error message is an under voltage error message if the sum of the battery voltages in a string is less than 48 volts and an over voltage error message if the sum of the battery voltages in a string is more than 48 volts.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining a voltage magnitude for each of the one or more batteries includes looking up the voltage magnitude in a data record.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the instruction to determine battery identification data includes:

query a user as to whether the battery string being inventoried is the first battery string at the location;

if a user reply is yes, then read and record the battery identification information;

if the user reply is no, then request and receive the identity of the battery string being inventoried;

if the battery string being inventoried has previously been recorded, then generate a second error message.

13. The computer assisted method of claim 9, further comprising:

compare the model identification data to a data record;

if the model identification data does not match the data record then generate a third error message;

if the model identification data matches the data record then accept the battery identification data.

14. The computer assisted method of claim 8 wherein the instruction to determine battery identification data is accomplished by a computing device equipped with one of a two dimensional scanner, an infrared scanning wand and a laser scanner.

15. An apparatus to inventory batteries comprising:

a computing device;

an inventory software application executing on the computing device, wherein the inventory software application contains instructions to;

detect battery identification data associated with one or more batteries in the battery string;

determine a voltage magnitude for each of the one or more batteries;

aggregate the magnitudes of the battery voltages in the battery string, if the aggregate of the magnitudes of the battery voltages in the string does not equal a required voltage then generate a first error message; and

a data reader capable of reading battery identification data into the inventory software application.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a server in communication with the computing device; and

a database resident on the server, wherein the database includes a subtending dataset defining an approved set of data entries for the inventory software application.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein determining a voltage magnitude for each of the one or more batteries includes comparing the battery identification data to the approved set of data entries to look up the battery voltage magnitude.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the data reader is a bar code reader that is capable of reading both linear and 2D bar codes into the software application.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the linear bar codes use one of Code 11-39 and Code 128 symbology the 2D bar codes use Micro-PDF417 symbology.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the required voltage magnitude is 48 volts.