Programmable battery charge indicator

• US 5,550,475 A
• Filed: 04/11/1995
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Timothy M. Shafer
• Original Assignee: Timothy M. Shafer
• Inventors: Shafer, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TOKAR, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/420,145
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 324/425, 324/426, 324/427, 324/429, 324/430, 324/433, 324/434, 324/436
• US Class Current: 324/433
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3646 for indicating electrical conditions or variables, e.g. visual or audible indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/378 specially adapted for the type of battery or accumulator
• 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: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A programmable battery charge indicator including a pair of electrically-conductive terminals coupleable to a test battery; a user-actuated and timer-controlled power delivery mechanism coupled with the terminals for allowing transmission of electrical power from a test battery for a given period of time; a reference voltage generating mechanism coupled to the power delivery mechanism for generating a standard battery reference voltage and a user-programmed battery reference voltage; a comparator mechanism coupled to the reference voltage generating mechanism and power delivery mechanism for generating an overcharged designator signal representing an overcharged battery condition and for generating an undercharged designator signal representing an undercharged battery condition; and a display mechanism operatively coupled to the comparator mechanism and power delivery mechanism for indicating the charge condition on a test battery and displaying the optimum level of discharge state at which the test battery should be recharged to maximize battery life.

Claims

1. A programmable battery charge indicator for allowing a user to monitor the condition and charge of a regular and deep cycle 12 volt lead-acid battery comprising, in combination:

a hollow rigid box-shaped housing having a bottom wall, a top wall, a pair of opposed side walls, a back wall, and a front panel with a peripheral border therearound;

a charge indicator circuit disposed within the housing and further comprising;

a pair of electrically-conductive sheathed terminal wires with one wire designated as a negative terminal wire and the other wire designated as a positive terminal wire, each terminal wire having a base end and a tip end with each tip end extended through the housing and terminated with a spring-loaded battery clip or permanently attached battery terminal connector, each battery clip coupleable to a separate pole of a test battery;

timer-controlled power delivery circuitry coupled to the base ends of the terminal wires and having an activated mode for allowing transmission of electrical power from a test battery for a period of between about 10 to 15 seconds and further having a de-activated mode for preventing such transmission;

a first light-emitting diode coupled to the timer-controlled power delivery circuitry for receiving electrical power from a test battery for operation and extended through the front panel of the housing, the first light-emitting diode illuminated when the timer-controlled power delivery circuitry is placed in the activated mode;

a normally open single pole single throw push button switch coupled between the base end of the negative terminal wire and the timer-controlled power delivery circuitry, the push button switch having a momentarily closed orientation for generating a timer activation signal for placing the timer-controlled power delivery circuitry in an activated mode and further having an open orientation for preventing such generation;

reference voltage generating circuitry coupled to the timer-controlled power delivery circuitry for receiving electrical power from a test battery for operation and having a standard mode for generating a standard battery reference voltage for comparison with a voltage supplied from a test battery and further having a programmable mode for generating a user-selected battery reference voltage initially set based upon a voltage supplied from a user'"'"'s fully-charged test battery acting as a calibration source, the reference voltage generating circuity including display driver circuitry for generating a sequence of bar graph driver signals that are activated in sequence as a function of a voltage on a test battery;

comparator circuitry coupled to the reference voltage generating circuitry for receiving a reference voltage therefrom and further coupled to the timer-controlled power delivery circuitry for receiving electrical power from a test battery for operation and a voltage from a test battery for testing, the comparator circuitry generating an overcharged designator signal representing an overcharged battery condition when a voltage on a test battery is greater than the reference voltage, the comparator circuitry generating an undercharged designator signal representing an undercharged battery condition when a voltage on a test battery is less than about 10% of the reference voltage;

a second light-emitting diode operatively coupled to the comparator circuitry and timer-controlled power delivery circuitry and extended through the front panel of the housing, the second light-emitting diode illuminated for indicating an overcharged battery condition based on the receipt of an overcharged designator signal and further illuminated for indicating an undercharged battery condition based on the receipt of an undercharged designator signal; and

a set of ten light-emitting diodes coupled to the timer-controlled power delivery circuitry and display driver circuitry and further extended through the front panel of the housing in a linear bar graph-type configuration, a number of diodes from the set selectively illuminated in sequence based upon receipt of the bar graph driver signals and with the number of diodes illuminated indicating a percentage of charge on a test battery ranging from about 10% up to 100%.

2. A programmable battery charge indicator comprising:

a pair of electrically-conductive terminals each coupleable to a separate pole of a test battery;

user-actuated timer-controlled power delivery means coupled with the terminals and having an activated mode for allowing transmission of electrical power from a test battery for a given period of time;

reference voltage generating means coupled to and in dependent operative association with the timer-controlled power delivery means and having a standard mode for generating a standard battery reference voltage and further having a programmable mode for generating a user-selected battery reference voltage;

comparator means coupled to and in dependent operative association with the reference voltage generating means and timer-controlled power delivery means for generating an overcharged designator signal representing an overcharged battery condition when a voltage on a test battery is greater than the reference voltage and for generating an undercharged designator signal representing an undercharged battery condition when a voltage on a test battery is less than the reference voltage; and

display means operatively coupled to and in dependent operative association with the comparator means and timer-controlled power delivery means for indicating an overcharged battery condition, an undercharged battery condition, and a percentage of charge on a test battery.

3. The programmable battery charge indicator as set forth in claim 2 wherein the user-actuated timer-controlled power delivery means, reference voltage generating means, comparator means, and display means are encased and in a rigid container.

4. The programmable battery charge indicator as set forth in claim 2 wherein the timer-controlled power delivery means is transmits electrical power for about 10 to 15 seconds when in the activated mode.

5. The programmable battery charge indicator as set forth in claim 2 further including a light source coupled to the timer-controlled power delivery means with the light source illuminated when the timer-controlled power delivery means is placed in the activated mode.

6. The programmable battery charge indicator as set forth in claim 2 wherein an overcharged designator signal is generated by the comparator means when a voltage on a test battery is less than about 10% of the reference voltage.