BATTERY TESTER

• US 20160077159A1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Measurement Ltd (Measurement Ltd., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Measurement Ltd (Measurement Ltd., Inc.)
• Inventors: Petrucelli, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,746,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/025 concerning dedicated user interfaces, e.g. GUI, or dedicated keyboards G01R31/31912 takes precedence
• 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: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system for monitoring battery status and estimating battery life including a battery monitor configured to connect to a battery. The battery monitor comprises a voltage detection circuit, a temperature sensor and a wireless transmitter configured to transmit voltage and temperature data measured by the voltage detection circuit and the temperature sensor. The system further includes a remote device operative to receive battery voltage and temperature data from the battery monitor, generate a real-time indication of battery voltage, and generate predicted battery life data.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring battery status and estimating battery life comprising:

a battery monitor configured to connect to a battery including;

a voltage detection circuit;

a temperature sensor; and

a wireless transmitter configured to transmit voltage and temperature data measured by the voltage detection circuit and the temperature sensor; and

a remote device comprising one or more computer processors and a memory in communication with the one or more processors and storing program instructions, the one or more computer processors operative with the program instructions to;

receive battery voltage and temperature data from the battery monitor;

generate a real-time indication of battery voltage; and

using the received battery voltage and temperature data, generate predicted battery life data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors of the remote device are further operative with the program instructions to:

receive data related to a geographic location of the battery; and

receive a predetermined rated life of the battery.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors of the remote device are further operative with the program instructions to associate the received geographic location of the battery with an environmental condition.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors of the remote device are further operative with the program instructions to associate the environmental condition with a stress factor, and wherein the step of predicting battery life data includes applying the stress factor to the predetermined rated battery life.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors of the remote device are further operative with the program instructions to transmit the predicted battery life data to a second remote device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors of the remote device are further operative with the program instructions to transmit at least one of the received battery voltage and temperature data to a second remote device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors of the remote device are further operative with the program instructions to:

determine from the received battery voltage data indicative of a charging state of the battery; and

generate a real-time indication of the charging state of the battery.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors of the remote device are further operative with the program instructions to transmit the data indicative of the charging state of the battery to a second remote device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile telephone.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors of the remote device are further operative with the program instructions to receive and store data indicative of a date of first use of the battery,

wherein the predicted battery life data is generated using the received battery voltage and temperature data, and the data indicative of the date of first use of the battery.

11. A method for monitoring the status of a battery and estimating the life of the battery comprising:

measuring the battery voltage;

measuring a temperature associated with the battery;

transmitting the measured voltage and temperature to a first remote computing device;

receiving with the first remote computing device the measured battery voltage and temperature;

generating a real-time indication of the measured battery voltage; and

using the received measured battery voltage and temperature, generating and displaying an estimate of remaining battery life.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

receiving data related to a geographic location of the battery; and

receiving a predetermined rated life of the battery.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of identifying a battery stress factor associated with the geographic location of the battery.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of applying the stress factor to the predetermined rated battery life in order to generate the estimate of remaining battery life.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of transmitting the estimate of remaining battery life to a second remote computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the estimate of remaining battery life is transmitted via a mobile telephone network.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of transmitting at least one of the received measured battery voltage and temperature data to a second remote computing device.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

determining from the received battery voltage data indicative of a charging state of the battery; and

generating a real-time indication of the charging state of the battery.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of transmitting the data indicative of the charging state of the battery to a second remote computing device.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of receiving and storing data indicative of a date of first use of the battery,

wherein the estimated remaining battery life is generated using the received measured battery voltage and temperature data, and the data indicative of the date of first use of the battery.