BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND CHARGER

• US 20100241377A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: KAGAWA, Ryohei
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00038 using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors identification by mechanical connections H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery management system includes a battery attached with an identification ID; and a plurality of chargers for reading the identification ID attached to the battery, the chargers associating the read identification ID with information indicative of an end of charging the battery and sending the information, the chargers charging the battery. The battery management system also includes a management server connected to each of the chargers for receiving the information indicative of the end of charging the battery associated with the identification ID and sent from each of the chargers. The management server cumulatively sums, as the number of chargings, the number of receptions of the information indicative of the end of charging the battery for each identification ID, and the management server associates the identification ID with the cumulatively summed number of chargings and allows the number of chargings to be recorded.

Claims

1. A battery management system comprising:

a battery attached with an identification ID;

a plurality of chargers for reading the identification ID attached to the battery, the chargers associating the read identification ID with information indicative of an end of charging the battery and sending the information, the chargers charging the battery; and

a management server connected to each of the chargers for receiving the information indicative of the end of charging the battery associated with the identification ID and sent from each of the chargers, the management server cumulatively summing, as the number of chargings, the number of receptions of the information indicative of the end of charging the battery for each identification ID, the management server associating the identification ID with the cumulatively summed number of chargings and allowing the number of chargings to be recorded, the management server managing battery service life based on the number of chargings.

2. The battery management system according to claim 1, wherein

the battery attached with the identification ID is loaded in a processing device for performing predetermined processing;

in place of the information indicative of the end of charging the battery, the charger associates the identification ID with the information indicative of the end of the processing performed by the processing device and sends the information; and

the management server receives the information indicative of the end of the processing associated with the identification ID and sent from each of the chargers, the management server cumulatively summing, as the number of times of processing, the number of receptions of the information indicative of the end of the processing for each identification ID, the management server associating the identification ID with the cumulatively summed number of times of processing and allowing the number of times of processing to be recorded, the management server managing battery service life based on the number of times of processing.

3. A battery management system comprising:

a battery attached with an identification ID;

a plurality of chargers for reading the identification ID attached to the battery and associating the read identification ID with the number of chargings of the battery for storage, the chargers associating an identification ID with the recorded number of chargings of the battery and sending the number of chargings, the chargers erasing the recording of the sent number of chargings of the battery and charging the battery; and

a management server connected to each of the chargers for receiving the number of chargings of the battery associated with the identification ID and sent from each of the chargers, the management server cumulatively summing the number of chargings of the battery for each identification ID, the management server associating the identification ID with the cumulatively summed number of chargings and allowing the number of chargings to be recorded, the management server managing battery service life based on the number of chargings.

4. The battery management system according to claim 3, wherein

the battery attached with the identification ID is loaded in a processing device for performing predetermined processing;

in place of the number of chargings of the battery, the charger associates the identification ID with the number of times of processing performed by the processing device and sends the number of times of processing; and

the management server receives the number of times of processing associated with the identification ID and sent from each of the chargers, the management server cumulatively summing the number of times of processing for each identification ID, the management server associating the identification ID with the cumulatively summed number of times of processing and allowing the number of times of processing to be recorded, the management server managing battery service life based on the number of times of processing.

5. A battery management system comprising:

a processing device for reading an identification ID attached to a loaded battery, the processing device associating the read identification ID with the number of chargings of the battery and allowing the number of chargings to be recorded, the processing device performing predetermined processing;

a plurality of chargers for associating the identification ID with the number of chargings of the battery recorded in the processing device and sending the number of the chargings, the chargers erasing the recording of the sent number of chargings of the battery and charging the battery; and

a management server connected to each of the chargers for receiving information regarding the number of chargings of the battery associated with the identification ID and sent from each of the chargers, the management server cumulatively summing the received number of chargings of the battery for each identification ID, the management server associating the identification ID with the cumulatively summed number of chargings and allowing the number of chargings to be recorded, the management server managing battery service life based on the recorded number of chargings.

6. The battery management system according to claim 5, wherein

in place of the number of chargings of the battery, the processing device associates the identification ID with the number of times of processing performed by the processing device and allows the number of times of processing to be recorded;

the charger associates the identification ID with the number of times of processing performed by the processing device and sends the number of times of processing; and

the management server receives the number of times of processing sent from each of the chargers and associated with the identification ID, the management server cumulatively summing the number of times of processing, the management server associating the identification ID with the cumulatively summed number of times of processing and allowing the number of times of processing to be recorded.

7. A charger constituting a battery management system in conjunction with another charger and a management server, the charger sending information for centralized management of service life of a battery to the management server and charging the battery, the charger comprising:

a readout unit for reading an identification ID attached to the battery; and

a sending unit for associating the read identification ID with the information indicative of an end of charging the battery and sending the information as the information for centralized management of the service life of the battery.

8. A charger constituting a battery management system in conjunction with another charger and a management server, the charger sending information for centralized management of service life of a battery to the management server and charging the battery, the charger comprising:

a readout unit for reading the identification ID attached to the battery;

a recording unit for associating the read identification ID with the number of chargings of the battery and allowing the number of chargings to be recorded as information for centralized management of the service life of the battery;

a sending unit for associating the number of chargings of the battery recorded in the recording unit with the identification ID and sending the number of chargings; and

an erase unit for erasing from the recording unit the recorded number of chargings of the battery sent by the sending unit.