LITHIUM CELL SIMULATING DEVICE

• US 20120239340A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Askey Computer Corporation (ASUSTek Computer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Askey Computer Corporation (ASUSTek Computer, Inc.)
• Inventors: HSIEH, CHING-FENG, CHEN, HUNG-CHIH
• Application Number:
  US13/150,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239340A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A lithium cell simulating device includes a programmable power supplying module for generating multiple powers; a lithium cell status controlling module for generating multiple lithium cell statuses; a load setting module for simulating a lithium cell status; a device under test (DUT) status detecting module for detecting whether a device under test (DUT) is actuated; and a control unit for controlling a test procedure in its entirety. Accordingly, the lithium cell simulating device is suitable for use with DUTs of different power requirements and effective in simulating a charging/discharging status, a battery level status, and a battery temperature status under different conditions in the absence of a lithium cell and other complicated test apparatuses, so as to enable a great reduction of costs incurred in performing a test on a production line.

Claims

1. A lithium cell simulating device comprising:

a programmable power supplying module for converting an external power into a set power to be supplied to a device under test (DUT);

a lithium cell status controlling module for providing a lithium cell status signal to the DUT;

a load setting module adapted to set a battery level and a charging mode and electrically connected to the DUT so as to receive the set power via the DUT;

a control unit electrically connected to the programmable power supplying module, the lithium cell status controlling module, and the load setting module, adapted to allow the programmable power supplying module to provide the set power suitable for use by the DUT, adapted to allow the lithium cell status controlling module to set different statuses of the lithium cell according to preset testing criteria, and adapted to allow the load setting module to set different battery levels and different charging modes according to the preset testing criteria; and

a device under test (DUT) status detecting module electrically connected to the DUT and the control unit to generate a status signal for indicating whether the DUT is ON or not and send the status signal to the control unit.

2. The lithium cell simulating device of claim 1, wherein the load setting module comprises:

an electronic load controlling unit for setting, under the control of the control unit, at least three voltage levels according to at least three testing criteria, respectively, to simulate the battery levels;

a charging current controlling unit for simulating a charging of the electronic load controlling unit and setting, under the control of the control unit, at least three charging modes according to each of the testing criteria to simulate the charging modes; and

a feedback unit electrically connected to the electronic load controlling unit and the charging current controlling unit and adapted to feed back the battery level of the electronic load controlling unit to the charging current controlling unit.

3. The lithium cell simulating device of claim 2, wherein the control unit enables the electronic load controlling unit to set the battery level to a low, intermediate, and high voltage level according to the three testing criteria, and enables the charging current controlling unit to set the charging mode to a constant current charging mode, a constant voltage charging mode, or a trickling charging mode according to each of the testing criteria, so as to perform the test in the three charging modes according to each of the three testing criteria.

4. The lithium cell simulating device of claim 3, wherein the lithium cell status controlling module sets, under the control of the control unit, the lithium cell status signal to a high temperature status signal or a normal temperature status signal according to each of the testing criteria so as to test and determine whether a charging/discharging protection mechanism of the DUT is functioning well.

5. The lithium cell simulating device of claim 1, further comprising:

a lithium cell anti-theft identification module controlled by the control unit and adapted to provide an identifier signal to the DUT for verification,

wherein, upon completion of the verification, the control unit starts a testing procedure only when the status signal for indicating whether the DUT is ON or not indicates that the DUT is ON.

6. The lithium cell simulating device of claim 5, wherein the load setting module comprises:

an electronic load controlling unit for setting, under the control of the control unit, at least three voltage levels according to at least three testing criteria, respectively, to simulate the battery levels;

a charging current controlling unit for simulating a charging of the electronic load controlling unit and setting, under the control of the control unit, at least three charging modes according to each of the testing criteria to simulate the charging modes; and

a feedback unit electrically connected to the electronic load controlling unit and the charging current controlling unit and adapted to feed back the battery level of the electronic load controlling unit to the charging current controlling unit.

7. The lithium cell simulating device of claim 6, wherein the control unit enables the electronic load controlling unit to set the battery level to a low, intermediate, and high voltage level according to the three testing criteria, and enables the charging current controlling unit to set the charging mode to a constant current charging mode, a constant voltage charging mode, or a trickling charging mode according to each of the testing criteria, so as to perform the test in the three charging modes according to each of the three testing criteria.

8. The lithium cell simulating device of claim 7, wherein the lithium cell status controlling module sets, under the control of the control unit, the lithium cell status signal to a high temperature status signal or a normal temperature status signal according to each of the testing criteria so as to test and determine whether a charging/discharging protection mechanism of the DUT is functioning well.