Battery ohmic resistance calculation system and method

• US 20080224718A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battery Patent Trust
• Original Assignee: Cobasys LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Melichar, Robert J., Johnson, Hans I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,782,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/693
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables

Abstract

An apparatus that estimates the ohmic resistances of N batteries includes voltage and current measurement modules that respectively measure the voltage and current of each of the N batteries. An ohmic resistance estimating module over N+1 time periods receives the voltage and current measurements of each of the N batteries and receives consecutive voltage and current measurements for one of the N batteries. N is a positive integer and the ohmic resistance estimating module estimates the ohmic resistance of the battery that is associated with the consecutive voltage and current measurements.

Claims

1. An apparatus that estimates the ohmic resistances of N batteries, comprising:

voltage and current measurement modules that respectively measure the voltage and current of each of the N batteries; and

an ohmic resistance estimating module that over N+1 time periods receives the voltage and current measurements of each of the N batteries and that receives consecutive voltage and current measurements for one of the N batteries, wherein N is a positive integer and wherein the ohmic resistance estimating module estimates the ohmic resistance of the battery that is associated with the consecutive voltage and current measurements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the consecutive voltage and current measurements are associated with a different one of the N batteries every N+1 periods.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating module estimates a difference between the consecutive current measurements.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating module estimates an absolute value of the difference between the consecutive current measurements.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating module compares the absolute value to a predetermined current limit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating module selectively estimates the ohmic resistance based on the comparison.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating module estimates the ohmic resistance based on

8. A method of estimating the ohmic resistances of N batteries, comprising:

periodically measuring the voltage and current of each of the N batteries and over N+1 periods measuring the voltage and current of each battery and consecutively measuring the voltage and current of one of the N batteries; and

estimating the ohmic resistance of the battery associated with the consecutive measurements wherein the estimation is based on the consecutive measurements and wherein N is a positive integer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the consecutive voltage and current measurements are associated with a different one of the N batteries every N+1 periods.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising estimating a difference between the consecutive current measurements.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising estimating an absolute value of the difference between the consecutive current measurements.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising comparing the absolute value to a predetermined current limit.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising selectively estimating the ohmic resistance based on the comparison.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the ohmic resistance is based on

16. An apparatus that estimates the ohmic resistances of N batteries, comprising:

voltage and current measurement means for respectively measuring the voltage and current of each of the N batteries; and

ohmic resistance estimating means for periodically receiving the voltage and current measurements associated with the N batteries and over N+1 periods receiving the measurements associated with each of the N batteries and receiving consecutive voltage and current measurements for one of the N batteries, wherein N is a positive integer and wherein the ohmic resistance estimating means estimates the ohmic resistance of the battery that is associated with the consecutive voltage and current measurements.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the consecutive voltage and current measurements are associated with a different one of the N batteries every N+1 periods.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating means estimates a difference between the consecutive current measurements.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating means estimates an absolute value of the difference between the consecutive current measurements.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating means compares the absolute value to a predetermined current limit.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating means selectively estimates the ohmic resistance based on the comparison.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the ohmic resistance estimating means estimates the ohmic resistance based on