Apparatus and Method of Testing for Battery

• US 20080290877A1
• Filed: 11/24/2006
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK On Company Limited (SK Innovation Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SK Energy Corporation (SK Innovation Company Limited)
• Inventors: Oh, Jeon Keun, Jang, Soo Yeup, Lee, Joong Hui
• Granted Patent: US 8,232,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for testing batteries, which can prevent errors from occurring due to the tolerance of voltage sensors when the charged states of batteries are measured, and can charge a battery having a charged state deteriorated due to the difference in the resistance of each battery. The apparatus includes a voltage circuit for measuring voltages of N batteries. A resistance circuit decreases voltages of batteries, which are greater than a reference voltage. A connection switch unit selects any one of the N batteries. A divert change unit separates polarities of each battery and changes positions of an cathode and a anode of the battery depending on separated polarities. A selection switch unit selectively connects the cathode and anode of the battery to an cathode and a anode of the voltage circuit or the resistance circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for testing batteries, comprising:

at least one voltage circuit for measuring voltages of N batteries;

at least one resistance circuit for decreasing voltages of batteries, which are greater than a reference voltage, among the N batteries;

a connection switch unit connected to the N batteries and adapted to select any one of the N batteries;

a divert change unit for separating polarities of each battery connected thereto through the connection switch unit and changing positions of an cathode and a anode of the battery depending on separated polarities; and

a selection switch unit for selectively connecting the cathode and anode of the battery, separated by the divert change unit, to an cathode and a anode of the voltage circuit or the resistance circuit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the connection switch unit comprises first to N-th connection switches, first ends of which are connected to cathodes of the N batteries, and an N+1-th connection switch, a first end of which is connected to a anode of the N-th battery, and

second ends of odd-numbered connection switches, among the N+1 connection switches, and second ends of even-numbered connection switches are connected in common to different positions, respectively.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the divert change unit comprises:

a first divert change, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the odd-numbered connection switches, thus collecting cathodes of odd-numbered batteries at a single position;

a second divert change, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the odd-numbered connection switches, thus collecting anodes of the odd-numbered battery at a single position;

a third divert change, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the even-numbered connection switches, thus collecting cathodes of even-numbered batteries at a single position; and

a fourth divert change, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the even-numbered connection switches, thus collecting anodes of the even-numbered batteries at a single position.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second ends of the odd-numbered connection switches and first ends of the first divert change and the second divert change are connected in common to a first node, and the second ends of the even-numbered connection switches and first ends of the third divert change and the fourth divert change are connected in common to a second node.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first and second nodes are formed in either one of the connection switch unit and the divert change unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first and second nodes are formed between the connection switch unit and the divert change unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein second ends of the first divert change and the third divert change are connected in common to each other, and second ends of the second divert change and the fourth divert change are connected in common to each other.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the selection switch unit comprises:

a first selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the first divert change and the third divert change, and a second end of which is connected to an cathode of the voltage circuit;

a second selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the second divert change and the fourth divert change, and a second end of which is connected to a anode of the voltage circuit;

a third selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the first divert change and the third divert change, and a second end of which is connected to an cathode of the resistance circuit; and

a fourth selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the second divert change and the fourth divert change, and a second end of which is connected to a anode of the resistance circuit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein second ends of the first divert change and the third divert change and first ends of the first selection switch and the third selection switch are connected in common to a third node, and second ends of the second divert change and the fourth divert change and first ends of the second selection switch and the fourth selection switch are connected in common to a fourth node.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the third and fourth nodes are formed in either one of the divert change unit and the selection switch unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the third and fourth nodes are formed between the divert change unit and the selection switch unit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a display unit for displaying discharged states of the batteries; and

a control unit for controlling the display unit in response to a discharging signal provided by the resistance circuit while controlling the connection switch unit, the divert change unit, and the selection switch unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

at least one charging circuit for charging batteries, having voltages which are less than the reference voltage among the N batteries, to the reference voltage;

a display unit for displaying charged and discharged states of the batteries; and

a control unit for controlling the display unit in response to a discharging signal and a charging signal, which are provided by the resistance circuit and the charging circuit, respectively, while controlling the connection switch unit, the divert change unit and the selection switch unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the selection switch unit comprises:

a first selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the first divert change and the third divert change, and a second end of which is connected to an cathode of the voltage circuit;

a second selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the second divert change and the fourth divert change, and a second of which is connected to a anode of the voltage circuit;

a third selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the first divert change and the third divert change, and a second end of which is connected to an cathode of the resistance circuit;

a fourth selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the second divert change and the fourth divert change, and a second end of which is connected to a anode of the resistance circuit;

a fifth selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the first divert change and the third divert change, and a second end of which is connected to an cathode of the charging circuit; and

a sixth selection switch, a first end of which is connected to second ends of the second divert change and the fourth divert change, and a second end of which is connected to a anode of the charging circuit.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein second ends of the first divert change and the third divert change and the first ends of the first selection switch, the third selection switch, and the fifth selection switch are connected in common to a third node, and second ends of the second divert change and the fourth divert change and the first ends of the second selection switch, the fourth selection switch and the sixth selection switch are connected in common to a fourth node.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the display unit is a light emitting diode.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the voltage circuit sequentially measures voltages of the N batteries.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein voltage circuits, resistance circuits, and charging circuits can each be used in a number ranging from 2 to N.

19. An apparatus for testing batteries, comprising:

at least one charging circuit for charging any one of N batteries, having voltages less than a reference voltage, to the reference voltage;

a connection switch unit connected to the N batteries and adapted to select any one of the N batteries;

a divert change unit for separating polarities of each battery connected thereto through the connection switch unit and changing positions of an cathode and a anode of the battery depending on separated polarities; and

a selection switch unit for selectively connecting the cathode and anode of the battery separated by the divert change unit to an cathode and a anode of the charging unit, respectively.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the charging circuit sequentially charges the N batteries.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein charging circuits are used in a number ranging from 2 to N.

22. A method of testing batteries, comprising the steps of:

selecting any one of N batteries;

measuring a voltage of the selected battery; and

decreasing the voltage of the battery when the measured voltage is greater than a reference voltage.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the voltage measuring step comprises the step of sequentially measuring voltages of the N batteries in order from the first to N-th batteries.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of separating polarities of the selected battery, and changing positions of an cathode and a anode of the selected battery depending on the separated polarities.

25. A method of testing batteries, comprising the steps of:

selecting any one of N batteries having voltages less than a reference voltage; and

charging the selected battery to the reference voltage.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the N batteries are sequentially charged in order from the first to N-th batteries.