AUTOMATIC CHECKING, VALIDATION, AND POST-PROCESSING OF A BATTERY OBJECT

• US 20130317639A1
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Technology AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Choi, Sangeun, Nidamarthi, Srinivas, Rickin, Michael M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,811,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/109
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/386 using test-loads
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A machine such as an industrial robot operates either in a stand-alone or in-production mode to perform a number of tests on a battery object having one of several different assembly levels and packaging geometries. The machine has selectable testing programs that correspond to various combinations of object assembly levels and geometries. The machine performs the tests either by coming into contact with a predetermined location on the conductive material of the object or viewing that location. The test results are analyzed to determining if retesting is necessary. After all of the tests are completed on an object, the tested object is assigned a grade and then sorted by grade. The tested objects may be kept at the machine location or sent on for further processing based on the assigned grade. After the testing is completed on one object, the machine tests the next object to be tested.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a machine to perform predetermined tests on a battery object, said system comprising:

a computing device having therein program code usable by said computing device, said program code comprising;

code configured to cause said machine to be positioned at predetermined locations on conductive material of said battery object, each of said predetermined locations associated with one or more of said predetermined tests;

code configured to cause said machine to perform said one or more of said predetermined tests that is associated with each of said predetermined locations;

code configured to analyze the results of said performed one or more of said predetermined tests and determine if retesting of said performed one or more of said predetermined tests is needed; and

code configured to determine if all of said predetermined tests have been performed on said battery object.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said program code further comprises code configured when all of said predetermined tests have been performed on said battery object to assign said tested battery object one of a predetermined number of grades associated with a tested battery object.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said system comprises a predetermined number of receptacles each associated with a respective one of said predetermined number of grades associated with a tested battery object to receive a tested battery object that has been given said associated grade.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein one of said predetermined number of assigned grades is for a rejected battery object and said predetermined number of receptacles includes a receptacle for rejected battery objects assigned said rejected battery object grade.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said program code further comprises code configured to select for further processing a tested battery object based on the grade assigned to said tested battery object.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said machine comprises a tool for performing said predetermined tests and said machine brings said tool into contact with said predetermined location on said conductive material of said battery object when said tests are to be performed.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said machine is an industrial robot.

7. A computer program product for controlling a machine to perform predetermined tests on a battery object, said computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code configured to cause said machine to be positioned at predetermined location on conductive material of said battery object, each of said predetermined locations associated with one or more of said predetermined tests;

computer usable program code configured to cause said machine to perform said one or more of said predetermined tests that is associated with each of said predetermined locations;

computer usable program code configured to analyze the results of said performed one or more of said predetermined tests and determine if retesting of said performed one or more of said predetermined tests is needed; and

computer usable program code configured to determine if all of said predetermined tests have been performed on said battery object.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising computer usable program code configured to when all of said predetermined tests have been performed on said battery object assign said tested battery object one of a predetermined number of grades associated with a tested battery object.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising computer usable program code configured to send a tested battery object that has been given said associated grade to that one of a predetermined number of receptacles that are each associated with a respective one of said predetermined number of grades.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein one of said predetermined number of assigned grades is for a rejected battery object and said computer program code further comprises computer usable program code configured to send a battery object assigned a rejected grade to that one of said predetermined number of receptacles for rejected battery objects.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising computer usable program code configured to select for further processing a tested battery object based on the grade assigned to said tested battery object.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said machine comprises a tool for performing said predetermined tests and said computer program product further comprises computer usable program coded for bringing said tool into contact with said predetermined location on said conductive material of said battery object when said tests are to be performed.

20. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said machine is an industrial robot.

13. A method for performing predetermined tests on a battery object comprising:

causing a machine for performing said predetermined tests to be positioned at predetermined locations on conductive material of said battery object, each of said predetermined locations associated with one or more of said predetermined tests;

causing said machine to perform said one or more of said predetermined tests associated with each of said predetermined locations;

analyzing the results of said performed one or more of said predetermined tests and determine if retesting of said performed one or more of said predetermined tests is needed; and

determining if all of said predetermined tests have been performed on said battery object.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising when all of said predetermined tests have been performed on said battery object to assign said tested battery object one of a predetermined number of grades associated with a tested battery object.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising sending a tested battery object that has been given said associated grade to that one of a predetermined number of receptacles that are each associated with a respective one of said predetermined number of grades.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising when one of said predetermined number of assigned grades is for a rejected battery object sending a battery object assigned a rejected grade to that one of said predetermined number of receptacles for rejected battery objects.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising selecting for further processing a tested battery object based on the grade assigned to said tested battery object.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said machine comprises a tool for performing said predetermined tests and said method further comprises bringing said tool into contact with said predetermined location on said conductive material of said battery object when said tests are to be performed.

21. A machine for testing battery objects, said battery objects to be tested grouped in a plurality of sets of one or more battery objects, said one or more battery objects in a first of said sets of battery objects having an identical set of characteristics which are different than the set of identical characteristics of one or more battery objects in a second set of battery objects to be tested, said machine comprising:

a computing device having therein program code usable by said computing device, said program code comprising;

code configured to cause said machine to select from a plurality of testing programs each associated with a respective one of said plurality of sets of battery objects to be tested a testing program associated with said first set of battery objects to be tested, each of said testing programs having a predetermined number of tests to be performed on said associated one of said plurality of sets of battery objects;

code configured to cause said machine to be positioned at predetermined locations on conductive material of each of said one or more battery objects in said first set of battery objects to be tested, each of said predetermined locations associated with one or more of said predetermined tests;

code configured to cause said machine to perform said one or more of said predetermined tests that is associated with each of said predetermined locations;

code configured to analyze the results of said performed one or more of said predetermined tests and determine if retesting of said performed one or more of said predetermined tests is needed; and

code configured to determine if all of said predetermined tests have been performed on said each of said one of more battery objects in said first set.

22. The machine of claim 21 further comprising a tool for performing said predetermined tests on each of said battery objects in said first set.

23. The machine of claim 22 wherein said tool comprises one or more tools each associated with one or more of said predetermined tests to be performed on each of said battery objects in said first set.

24. The machine of claim 23 wherein all of said one or more tools are all components of a single tool permanently attached to said machine.

25. The machine of claim 23 further comprising a tool changer adapted to allow said machine to change said tool to that of said one or more tools that is associated with said one or more of said predetermined tests to be performed on each of said battery objects in said first set.

26. The machine of claim 21 further comprising a gripper for said machine to pick up and bring to a predetermined testing location each of said battery objects in each of said sets of battery objects to be tested.