POWER CELL MONITORING
First Claim
1. A signaling system for use with a plurality of power cells each cell having a different supply voltage interval ((V(Ci−
- ), V(Ci+)) and each cell having its respective signaling device, and whereby each signaling device is powered by the correspondent power cell, the signaling system comprising;
at least, an (i−
1)th and an ith signaling device;
a communication link for transmitting signals from an output terminal of said (i−
1)th signaling device to an input terminal of said ith signaling device;
said communication link consisting of an electrical conducting connection;
wherein said (i−
1)th signaling device comprises means for varying the electrical potential at said output terminal in dependence upon the signal to be transmitted; and
said ith signaling device comprises means for sensing, via said communication link and said input terminal, the variation of potential of said output terminal and for outputting a signal which varies in dependence upon the sensed variation of potential and said ith signaling device further comprises means for limiting the variation of electrical potential at the output terminal of the (i−
1)th signaling device to the supply voltage interval [V(Ci−
1−
), V(Ci−
1+)] of said (i−
1)th signaling device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a signaling system for use in a system for monitoring and/or controlling a stack of power cells. The stack of power cells is series connected, i.e. the negative terminal of one power cell is connected to the positive electrode of the adjacent power cell. A monitoring device is associated with each power cell to monitor characteristics of the power cell (temperature, voltage). Every monitoring device is powered by the power cell it is associated. The monitoring device monitors the status of the cell (e.g. it measures the difference of potential between the positive terminal and the negative terminal of that cell but it may also measure the temperature of the power cell, the pH of the electrolyte if the power cell Ci is a battery, etc. and communicates information on the status of the cell to other monitoring devices. The monitoring devices are daisy chained. Data cannot be exchanged between a monitoring device from one cell and a monitoring device from another cell without that the data sent by the one device transits by the other devices in the chain.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A signaling system for use with a plurality of power cells each cell having a different supply voltage interval ((V(Ci−
- ), V(Ci+)) and each cell having its respective signaling device, and whereby each signaling device is powered by the correspondent power cell, the signaling system comprising;
at least, an (i−
1)th and an ith signaling device;a communication link for transmitting signals from an output terminal of said (i−
1)th signaling device to an input terminal of said ith signaling device;said communication link consisting of an electrical conducting connection; wherein said (i−
1)th signaling device comprises means for varying the electrical potential at said output terminal in dependence upon the signal to be transmitted; andsaid ith signaling device comprises means for sensing, via said communication link and said input terminal, the variation of potential of said output terminal and for outputting a signal which varies in dependence upon the sensed variation of potential and said ith signaling device further comprises means for limiting the variation of electrical potential at the output terminal of the (i−
1)th signaling device to the supply voltage interval [V(Ci−
1−
), V(Ci−
1+)] of said (i−
1)th signaling device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- ), V(Ci+)) and each cell having its respective signaling device, and whereby each signaling device is powered by the correspondent power cell, the signaling system comprising;
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7. A signaling method for use with a plurality of power cells, each cell having a different supply voltage interval ((V(Ci−
- ), V(Ci+)) and each cell having its respective signaling device and whereby each signaling device is powered by the correspondent power cell, the signaling method comprising;
transmitting signals from an output terminal of said (i−
1)th signaling device to an input terminal of said ith signaling device;wherein the method further comprises; varying the electrical potential at said output terminal of said (i−
1)th signaling device in dependence upon the signal to be transmitted; andlimiting the variation of said electrical potential to the supply voltage interval [V(Ci−
1−
), V(Ci−
1+)] of said (i−
1)th signaling device;sensing at the input terminal of said ith signaling device, the variation of potential of said output terminal and for outputting a signal which varies in dependence upon the sensed variation of potential. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- ), V(Ci+)) and each cell having its respective signaling device and whereby each signaling device is powered by the correspondent power cell, the signaling method comprising;
Specification