SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING BATTERY CONDITIONS

• US 20120249284A1
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Almquist, Edward, Krajci, Martin, Blasko, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A system and method for controlling battery conditions. The system includes a network access device battery. The network access device battery powers a network access device. A heating element may be connected to the network access device battery. The heating element may be a resistive load for determining a status of the network access device battery or the heating element may be activated based on a heating schedule.

Claims

1. A system for controlling battery conditions, the system comprising:

a network access device;

a network access device battery configured to communicate with the network access device for providing supply power; and

a battery control circuit comprising a resistive load selectively connected to the network access device battery and a sensor configured to determine a status of the network access device battery based on the resistive load, wherein the resistive load is also configured to heat the network access battery.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resistive load is configured to heat the network access device battery uniformly.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resistive load is a printed circuit board.

4. The system according to claim 1, the resistive load is comprised of traces on a flexible substrate.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resistive load is in thermal communication with the network access device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resistive load is coupled to the network access device by a thermal conductor.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resistive load is configured to heat the network access device battery based on a temperature threshold.

8. A system for controlling battery conditions, the system comprising:

a network access device;

a network access device battery configured to communicate with the network access device for providing supply power; and

a battery control circuit comprising a heating element in thermal communication with the network access device;

a processor configured to activate the heating element based on a heating schedule.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein processor is configured to activate the heating element at a predetermined time.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein processor is configured to determine the heating schedule based on operation times.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein processor is configured to determine the heating schedule based on length of operation data associated with the operation times.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein processor is configured to determine the heating schedule based on temperature data associate with the operation times.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein processor is configured to determine the heating schedule based on a battery status.

14. A method for controlling battery conditions, the method comprising:

powering a network access device;

connecting a resistive load to a network access device battery;

determining a status of the network access device battery based on the resistive load; and

heating the network access battery with the resistive load.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the resistive load is formed of traces on a flexible substrate.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising coupling the resistive load thermally to the network access device by a thermal conductor.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the resistive load heats the network access device battery based on a temperature threshold.

18. A method for controlling battery conditions, the method comprising:

powering a network access device;

heating a network access battery with a heating element;

activating the heating element based on a heating schedule.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein processor is configured to determine the heating schedule based on operation times.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein processor is configured to determine the heating schedule based on length of operation data associated with the operation times.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein processor is configured to determine the heating schedule based on temperature data associate with the operation times.