BATTERY TESTERS WITH SECONDARY FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20130090870A1
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kevin I. Bertness
• Original Assignee: Kevin I. Bertness
• Inventors: Bertness, Kevin I.
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging 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: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic vehicle tester includes a battery tester configured to measure a parameter of a battery of a vehicle. A tire tester is configured to receive a parameter of a tire of the vehicle. A wireless receiver can be configured to receive pressure information from a transmitter associated with a tire of a vehicle.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method for performing an electronic battery test on a storage battery, comprising:

electrically connecting Kelvin connectors to the storage battery;

applying a forcing function through the battery using the Kelvin connectors;

responsively measuring a dynamic parameter of the storage battery through the battery using the Kelvin connectors;

coupling to a data module through a databus;

communicating between the microprocessor and the data module through the databus.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes a serial connection.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes electrical connections to first and second Kelvin connections.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes a power supply connection.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes a reset connection.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes an analog voltage connection.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes a bar code reader connection.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes an infrared driver connection.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes a frequency count connection.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes an I²C connection.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes an SPI connection.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein the data bus includes a load control connection.

39. The method of claim 27, including receiving data from a vehicle through a connection to the digital module.

40. The method of claim 27, including sending data to a printer on the data bus.

41. The method of claim 27, including receiving software from the digital module through the data bus.

42. The method of claim 27, including receiving a software key from the spaced apart digital module through the data bus.

43. The method of claim 27, including calibrating measurements by coupling to a calibrated reference to the spaced apart digital module.

44. The method of claim 27 wherein the databus comprises a non-physical connection.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the non-physical connection comprises an RF connection.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein the non-physical connection comprises an IR connection.

47. The method of claim 27 including electrically scaling a voltage sensed from the storage battery.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the electrical scaling is configured to scale a battery from a highbred vehicle to electrical circuitry in the battery tester.

49. The method of claim 27 including providing multi-meter functionality using the module.

50. The method of claim 27 including providing a backup battery to electrical circuitry of the battery tester using the module.

51. The method of claim 27 including coupling to a communication network using the removable module.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the communication network implements a TCP/IP protocol.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein the communication network comprises a cellular network.