ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM CHARGER WAKE-UP

• US 20160261126A1
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Vertech Incorporated, Eversight, Inc. (Maplebear Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Energy Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Amit, Ron, Tremelling, Gregory, Kerbel, Oleg, Maltsev, Yevgeny
• Granted Patent: US 10,291,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6874 in a symmetrical configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In an embodiment, an energy storage system includes one or more storage cells, charge/discharge circuitry, and charger wakeup circuitry. After the storage cells become depleted below an energy level threshold, the charge/discharge circuitry disconnects the storage cells from a main circuit associated with the storage system. The charger wakeup circuitry allows a limited amount of current to bypass the charge/discharge circuitry in order to present a current-limited voltage from the storage cells at the terminals. The voltage presented at the terminals is pulsed on and off when an external device is connected across the terminals. The voltage presented to the terminals is detected by the external device. After detecting the voltage, the external device performs an operation in response to detecting the condition.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of terminals;

one or more storage cells; and

electronic circuitry for;

detecting that the storage cells have reached an energy level threshold,

generating a condition based on the detection that the storage cells have reached the energy level threshold, and

presenting the condition to the terminals to cause an external device connected to the terminals to perform one or more of;

generate an output for charging the storage cells,

measure an output of the storage cells, and

monitor an output of the storage cells.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external device is a charging device that generates an output for charging the storage cells.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external device is a monitoring device that performs one or more of:

measures an output of the storage cells, and

monitors an output of the storage cells.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condition includes a steady voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condition includes one or more voltage pulses.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a duty cycle of the one or more voltage pulses is defined based at least on a magnitude of a resistance of the external device.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a pulse width of the one or more voltage pulses is defined based at least on a magnitude of a resistance of the external device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the storage cells are included in an energy storage system.

8. A method comprising:

detecting that one or more storage cells have reached an energy level threshold;

generating a condition based on the detection that the one or more storage cells have reached the energy level threshold; and

presenting the condition to terminals to which an external device is connected to cause the external device to perform one or more of;

generate an output for charging the storage cells,

measure an output of the storage cells, and

monitor an output of the storage cells.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the condition includes one or more voltage pulses.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a duty cycle of the one or more voltage pulses is dependent on a resistance of the external device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a pulse width of the one or more voltage pulses is dependent on a resistance of the external device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the condition includes a steady voltage.

14. A system comprising:

one or more storage cells for storing electrical energy; and

charger wakeup circuitry for;

detecting that the one or more storage cells have reached an energy level threshold,

generating a condition based on the detection that the one or more storage cells have reached the energy level threshold, and

presenting the condition to terminals to which an external device is connected to cause the external device to perform one or more of;

generate an output for charging the storage cells

measure an output of the storage cells, and

monitor an output of the storage cells.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the condition includes one or more voltage pulses.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a duty cycle of the one or more voltage pulses is dependent on a magnitude of a resistance of the external device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein a pulse width of the one or more voltage pulses is dependent on a magnitude of a resistance of the external device.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

charge/discharge circuitry for;

disconnecting the storage cells from the terminals after the storage cells have reached the energy level threshold, and

wherein the condition is presented to the terminals after the charge/discharge circuitry disconnects the storage cells from the terminals.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the condition includes a steady voltage.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the external device is one or more of:

a charging device, and

a monitoring device.