Battery Pack

• US 20110050175A1
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Hiromitsu, Odaohhara, Shigefumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,287,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack that can avoid an abnormal condition caused by heat generation associated with water adhesion to a connector part and a function stopping method of the battery pack are provided. A battery controller determines an abnormality and executes an operation of interrupting a charge/discharge path for a battery set formed by a charge/discharge circuit, when a detected temperature of a connector is equal to or more than a first threshold, and also a discharge current is equal to or more than a second threshold and/or a difference between the detected temperature of the connector and a detected temperature of another part (a discharge protection switch, a charge protection switch, and the battery set) is equal to or more than a third threshold.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more elements requiring power;

a housing that houses the one or more elements;

a battery pack for supplying power, the battery pack having a connector that connects the battery pack to the one or more elements, the battery pack further comprising;

a charge/discharge circuit that forms a charge/discharge path;

a first temperature element disposed near the connector;

a second temperature element disposed near another part of the battery pack; and

a discharge measurement element for measuring a discharge current; and

a controller configured to disable the battery pack responsive to determining a spill abnormality characterized by heat generation due to water adhesion to the connector.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to disable the battery pack responsive to determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at the first temperature element and determining a discharge is above another predetermined threshold at the discharge measurement element.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to disable the battery pack responsive to determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at the first temperature element and determining a temperature difference is above another predetermined threshold, the temperature difference being defined as a difference value as determined by subtracting a temperature value measured at the first temperature element from a temperature value measured by the second temperature element.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to disable the battery pack responsive to one or more of:

determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at the first temperature element and determining a discharge is above another predetermined threshold at the discharge measurement element; and

determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at the first temperature element and determining a temperature difference is above another predetermined threshold, the temperature difference being defined as a difference value as determined by subtracting a temperature value measured at the first temperature element from a temperature value measured by the second temperature element.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein to disable the battery pack further comprises temporarily disabling the battery pack via a switching element.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein to disable the battery pack further comprises blowing a fuse.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a mobile phone, a PDA, an electric tool, and a piece of transportation equipment.

8. A method comprising:

determining a spill abnormality characterized by heat generation due to water adhesion to a connector of a battery pack; and

disabling the battery pack responsive to determining the spill abnormality.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein determining a spill abnormality further comprises:

determining a temperature at a first temperature element disposed near the connector;

determining a discharge at a discharge measurement element; and

responsive to determining that the temperature is above a first predetermined threshold and the discharge is above another predetermined threshold, determining the spill abnormality.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein determining a spill abnormality further comprises:

determining a temperature at a first temperature element disposed near the connector;

determining a second temperature at a second temperature element disposed near another part of the battery pack; and

responsive to determining the first temperature is above a predetermined threshold and a temperature difference is above another predetermined threshold, the temperature difference being defined as a difference value as determined by subtracting the first temperature value from the second temperature value, determining the spill abnormality.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein determining a spill abnormality further one or more of:

determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at a first temperature element and determining a discharge is above another predetermined threshold at a discharge measurement element; and

determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at the first temperature element and determining a temperature difference is above another predetermined threshold, the temperature difference being defined as a difference value as determined by subtracting a temperature value measured at the first temperature element from a temperature value measured by a second temperature element.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein to disabling the battery pack further comprises temporarily disabling the battery pack via a switching element.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein disabling the battery pack further comprises blowing a fuse.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising placing the battery pack within an apparatus selected from the group consisting of a computer, a mobile phone, a PDA, an electric tool, and a piece of transportation equipment.

15. A battery pack comprising:

a connector that connects the battery pack to the one or more elements requiring power;

a charge/discharge circuit that forms a charge/discharge path;

a first temperature element disposed near the connector;

a second temperature element disposed near another part of the battery pack;

a discharge measurement element for measuring a discharge current; and

a controller configured to disable the battery pack responsive to determining a spill abnormality characterized by heat generation due to water adhesion to the connector.

16. The battery pack according to claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to disable the battery pack responsive to determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at the first temperature element and determining a discharge is above another predetermined threshold at the discharge measurement element.

17. The battery pack according to claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to disable the battery pack responsive to determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at the first temperature element and determining a temperature difference is above another predetermined threshold, the temperature difference being defined as a difference value as determined by subtracting a temperature value measured at the first temperature element from a temperature value measured by the second temperature element.

18. The battery pack according to claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to disable the battery pack responsive to one or more of:

determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at the first temperature element and determining a discharge is above another predetermined threshold at the discharge measurement element; and

determining a temperature is above a predetermined threshold at the first temperature element and determining a temperature difference is above another predetermined threshold, the temperature difference being defined as a difference value as determined by subtracting a temperature value measured at the first temperature element from a temperature value measured by the second temperature element.

19. The battery pack according to claim 15, wherein disabling the battery pack further comprises temporarily disabling the battery pack via a switching element.

20. The battery pack according to claim 15, wherein disabling the battery pack further comprises blowing a fuse.