Battery Management System and Method

• US 20140312831A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Columbia Insurance Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SHAW Industries Group Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lewis, Ishmal R., Pierce, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,440,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A system and method for managing batteries having a plurality of batteries, each battery comprises a battery ID attached thereto; a plurality of chargers, each charger comprising a charger ID attached thereto and being configured to selectively charge a battery; a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle comprises a vehicle ID attached thereto; a plurality of ID sensor units, each ID sensor unit configured to read the respective battery, charger and vehicle IDs; and a management server coupled to plurality of ID sensor units for selective control and management of identified batteries.

Claims

1. A battery management system, comprising:

a plurality of batteries, each battery comprising a battery ID attached thereto,

a plurality of chargers, each charger comprising a charger ID attached thereto and being configured to selectively charge a battery,

a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle comprising a vehicle ID attached thereto,

a plurality of ID sensor units, each ID sensor unit configured to read the respective battery, charger and vehicle IDs; and

a management server coupled to a plurality of ID sensor units that is configured for;

receiving information sent from each of the plurality of chargers regarding the number of charging cycles for a battery associated with the battery ID;

cumulatively summing the received number of charging cycles for each battery ID;

associating the battery ID with the cumulatively summed number of chargings and allowing the number of charging cycles to be recorded; and

determining that the corresponding battery has reached its useful life limit when the cumulatively summed number of charging cycles has reached a predetermined number for the respective battery ID.

2. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein each of the battery IDs, the charger IDs, and the vehicle IDs comprise an optical storage means.

3. The battery management system of claim 2, wherein the optical storage means further comprises a bar code.

4. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein each of the battery IDs, the charger IDs, and the vehicle IDs comprise an RFID tag.

5. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein the charger is configured to selectively charge the battery by supplying DC electricity thereto.

6. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein the charger further comprises a battery detection unit adapted to detect when a battery is operatively coupled thereto.

7. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein the charger further comprises a control unit adapted to measure the voltage and resistance of a battery operatively coupled the charger.

8. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein the charger further comprises a communication unit adapted to send information to the management server.

9. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensor ID units comprise an optical reader.

10. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensor ID units comprise an RFID reader/writer.

11. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensor ID units are selectively positioned in a facility.

12. The battery management system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor ID units are positioned in a facility is positioned proximate a charger stand.

16. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensor ID units comprise an optical reader.

17. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensor ID units comprise an RFID reader/writer.

18. The battery management system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensor ID units are selectively positioned in a facility.

19. The battery management system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensor ID units are positioned in a facility is positioned proximate a charger stand.

13. A battery management system, comprising:

a plurality of batteries, each battery comprising a battery ID attached thereto,

a plurality of chargers, each charger comprising a charger ID attached thereto and being configured to selectively charge a battery,

a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle comprising a vehicle ID attached thereto,

a plurality of ID sensor units, each ID sensor unit configured to read the respective battery, charger and vehicle IDs; and

a management server coupled to a plurality of ID sensor units that is configured for;

receiving information sent from each of the plurality of chargers.

14. The battery management system of claim 13, wherein the management server is further configured to receive information from each of the plurality of sensor ID units.

15. The battery management system of claim 14, where the management server is further configured to associate a battery ID and either a charger ID or a vehicle ID in a pair relationship.