Graphic State of Charge Indicator for a Battery Charging System and Method of Use

• US 20090309548A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryten Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: Steve Carkner
• Inventors: Carkner, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,125,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/18 Indicator or display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/19 Charger status, e.g. voltmeter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

A graphic state of battery charge indicator is used to provide the user with a visual indication of state of battery charge, magnitude of current flow and direction of current flow by using displays such as multi-segment LCD or LED displays in the shape of a battery. The indicator is able to provide these parameters by sequencing the on/off operation of the segmented displays. A microcontroller is provided battery state data from a battery monitor and converts this information to on/off commands for the segmented displays. There may be up to 10 segmented displays in the indicator with each segment proportionally representing a percentage of the state of battery charge. State of charge is indicated by a single on display at the appropriate location in the display. Current flowing into the battery is represented by a ripple effect in the displays in the positive direction. Current flowing out of the battery is represented by a ripple effect in the display in the negative direction.

Claims

1. A graphic state of battery charge indicator connected to a battery in a battery charging system comprising a source of charging power, a microcontroller and a battery monitor connected to said microcontroller and adapted to provide a plurality of battery operating parameters for display on said graphic state of battery charge indicator in a predetermined sequence.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of parameters includes:

a state of charge of the battery, a direction of current flow and a magnitude of current flow.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the graphic state of battery charge indicator is adapted to display the plurality of parameters in said predetermined sequence controlled by the microcontroller.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the graphic state of charge indicator comprises a plurality of display segments operatively connected to the microcontroller for on and off operation including a bottom display segment and a top display segment.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each display segment of said plurality of display segments comprises one of the following display segments:

LCD, LED, organic LED, DLP and active matrix indicator.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the plurality of display segments comprises between three and ten segments.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the plurality of display segments are formed into a graphic display in the shape of a battery.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said plurality of segments are switched off by the microcontroller when said battery is depleted.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said bottom display segment is switched on when the battery is in a low charge state and wherein said top segment is switched on by the microcontroller when the battery is fully charged.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each display segment of the plurality of display segments represents a state of charge proportion to the number of segments of the plurality of segments.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the battery is connected to an at least one load and an at least one source of charging power and wherein the microcontroller is adapted to calculate an aggregate sum and direction of current flow and displays said sum and direction on the graphic state of charge indicator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the aggregate sum of current flow is displayed on the state of charge indicator as a single on segment and said direction of current flow is displayed as a ripple display originating from said single on segment.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a positive current flow into the battery is displayed as a positive ripple originating from said single on segment and a negative current flow out of the battery is displayed as a negative ripple from the single on segment.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the magnitude of current flow is displayed as and is directly proportional to a rate of ripple.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said positive and said negative ripples are displayed for a predetermined period of time after which the graphic state of charge indicator will display the state of charge of the battery.

16. A method of using a graphic state of battery charge indictor in a battery charging system comprising a source of charging power, a microcontroller and a battery monitor connected to said microcontroller and adapted to provide a plurality of battery operating parameters for display on said graphic state of battery charge indicator wherein the graphic state of battery charge indicator comprises a plurality of display segments including a top segment and a bottom segment adapted for on and off

i. connecting the graphic state of battery charge indicator to said battery charging system;

ii. adapting said battery monitor to detect and measure a plurality of battery parameters including state of charge of the battery, current direction and magnitude flowing into and out of the battery;

iii. sending said plurality of battery parameters to the microprocessor;

iv. converting the plurality of battery parameters to on and off signals for said display segments; and

,

v. sending said on and off signals as required to the graphic state of battery charge indicator in a predetermined sequence for visual display.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

i. sending off signals to the plurality of display segments when the battery is in a depleted state;

ii. sending an on signal to said bottom display segment when the battery is in its lowest charge state;

iii. sending an on signal to said top display segment when the battery is in its fully charged state;

iv. sending an on signal to an intermediate display element disposed between the top display segment and the bottom display segment when the state of charge of the battery is between said lowest charge state and said highest charge state wherein the relative position of said intermediate display segment indicates a relative state of charge of the battery between its lowest charge state and its highest charge state.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

i. sending a positive ripple signal to the plurality of display segments when said current flow is positive into the battery;

ii. sending a negative ripple signal to the plurality of display segments when the current flow is negative out of the battery; and

,

iii. modulating the rate of ripple so that a fast ripple indicates a high current flow and a slow ripple indicates a low current flow.