System and Method of Battery Life Estimation

• US 20150142351A1
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Safety Distribution AG (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: FRISON, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 9,658,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A device which includes a plurality of substantially identical batteries coupled via switching circuits to a power bus. Control circuits coupled to the batteries and the switching circuits to provide electrical energy to the bus from each of the batteries during a sequence of predetermined time intervals wherein one of the batteries provides electrical energy to the bus during a greater percentage of each tie intervals than the others of the plurality. Estimating remaining battery life of the others of the plurality in response to sensing that the one battery is substantial discharged.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

first circuitry to sense voltage output from a plurality of batteries, so as to use all of the batteries at least intermittently, and to selectively switch among the members of the plurality wherein one of the batteries is used to provide energy to local elements wherein a selected battery is used for a greater percentage of a predetermined time interval;

second circuitry to determine when the selected battery has been discharged in accordance with a predetermined discharge parameter; and

third circuitry to estimate a remaining lifetime of the other members of the plurality.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a housing that carries the circuitry along with at least one ambient condition sensor.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 which includes a programmable processor and battery switching circuits coupled to the circuitry.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3 where the second circuitry establishes a life-time parameter for the selected battery.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4 which includes establishing a remaining life-time parameter for the rest of the batteries.

6. An apparatus as in claim 2 which includes a programmable processor and battery switching circuits coupled to the circuitry and which determines when the selected battery is substantially discharged.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6 which determines a usable remaining operating interval for the remaining batteries.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 with circuitry to transmit an indicator as to the remaining operating interval to a displaced location.

9. An apparatus as in claim 2 where the sensor is selected from a class which includes at least a smoke sensor, a gas sensor, a fire sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a motion sensor, a radiant energy sensor, and a position sensor.

10. An ambient condition detector comprising:

at least one sensor;

a plurality of batteries;

control circuits coupled to the battery switching circuits to provide electrical energy intermittently from the members of the plurality of batteries and where the batteries are switched such that all of the batteries are used to provide energy to the control circuits on an intermittent basis, during a sequence of predetermined time intervals.

11. An apparatus as in claim 10 where one of the batteries is used for a greater percentage of each of the predetermined time intervals than are the remaining batteries.

12. An apparatus as in claim 11 wherein the one battery is intermittently tested to determine an output characteristic, and in response thereto, generating an indicator to provide an indicium of remaining life of all other members of the plurality.

13. An apparatus as in claim 10 which includes at least one of a smoke sensor, a gas sensor, a fire sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a motion sensor, a radiant energy sensor, and a position sensor.

14. An apparatus as in claim 12 which includes at least one of a smoke sensor, a gas sensor, a fire sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a motion sensor, a radiant energy sensor, and a position sensor.

15. A method of estimating remaining life of a group of batteries comprising:

providing a group of batteries;

using all of the batteries intermittently during each of a sequence of predetermined time intervals to provide electrical energy to a load wherein a selected battery is used for a greater percentage of time than each of the other members of the group during each predetermined time interval;

determining when the selected battery is substantially discharged;

determining a remaining life parameter for the remaining batteries; and

using the determined remaining life parameter in carrying out a battery replacement process.

16. An apparatus as in claim 15 which includes determining a percentage of use of the remaining batteries to establish when all but one of those batteries will be discharged.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16 which includes establishing a remaining life parameter of the one battery.

18. An apparatus as in claim 16 which includes transmitting an indicium as to a remaining life parameter of the one battery to a displaced location.