Programmable battery

• US 5,563,002 A
• Filed: 02/21/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harshe, Girish R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US08/391,741
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 429/160, 429/161, 429/158, 429/162, 429/127, 429/121, 429/130, 429/150, 429/204, 429/206, 429/124, 429/7, 429/61
• US Class Current: 429/7
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/491 Porosity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5016 Multimode utilisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A programmable battery capable of providing a variable voltage and/or current depending upon the needs of a particular host device. The battery is formed on a separator substrate (10) and includes a plurality of discrete battery cells (102-124) which may be resettably interconnected in various configurations in order to provide varying voltage and/or current. The discrete cells (102-124) are electrically interconnected via a resettable micropositioner switch (500) The micropositioner switch determines the voltage and/or current needs of a particular device and electrically interconnects a sufficient number of discrete cells in series and/or parallel, in order to satisfy the requirements of the device.

Claims

1. A programmable battery pack including a plurality of discrete battery cells, said programmable battery comprising:

a separator material having a plurality of pores formed therein, and having unidirectional ionic conductivity, the pores of said separator material being filled with an ionically conducting electrolyte;

a plurality of first battery electrodes disposed on a first side of said separator, each said first electrode formed substantially on top of at least one of said electrolyte filled pores and having a first electrode contact region associated therewith;

at least one second battery electrode disposed on a second side of said separator, said second electrode, at least one of said first electrodes and at least one of said electrolyte filled pores defining a discrete battery cell;

at least one conductive lead formed through said separator, said conductive lead electrically connected to said second battery electrode, and forming a second electrode contact region on the first side of said separator; and

resettable connector switch means including a plurality of switch contacts, for connecting said discrete battery cells.

2. A battery pack as in claim 1 wherein said resettable connector switch means electrically interconnects at least one battery cell with a host device.

3. A battery pack as in claim 1, wherein said discrete battery cells are electrically coupled in parallel by said resettable connector switch means to form a variable current battery.

4. A battery pack as in claim 1, wherein said second electrode comprises a plurality of discrete, battery electrodes.

5. A battery pack as in claim 4, wherein each second battery electrode includes a conductive lead forming a second electrode contact region on said first side of said separator.

6. A battery pack as in claim 5, wherein said discrete battery cells are electrically coupled in series by said resettable connector switch, to provide a variable voltage battery pack.

7. A programmable battery including a plurality of discrete battery cells connected in parallel relationship, said programmable battery comprising:

a separator substrate having a plurality of pores formed therethrough, each said pore being filled with an electrolyte material;

a plurality of first battery electrodes disposed on a first side of said separator substrate, each said first electrode formed substantially on top of at least one of said pores;

a continuous layer of a second battery electrode material disposed on a second side of said separator substrate; and

a resettable connector switch for electrically interconnecting said plurality of discrete battery cells, wherein each said discrete battery cell comprises at least one electrolyte filled pore, a corresponding first battery electrode and said layer of second battery electrode material.

8. A programmable battery as in claim 7, wherein each said resettable connector switch electrically interconnects at least one discrete battery cell to a host device.

9. A programmable battery as in claim 7, further including a conductive lead formed through said separator substrate for providing a second battery electrode contact region on said first side of said separator substrate.

10. A programmable battery as in claim 7, further including a plurality of contact regions found on said first side of said separator substrate, each said contact region being electrically connected to a corresponding one first battery electrode.