System for monitoring energy performance of secondary battery, and method therefor

• US 5,600,229 A
• Filed: 11/17/1994
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment Holding Sweden AB
• Original Assignee: Samsung Heavy Industries Company Limited (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Oh, Se-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US08/343,874
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 320/30, 320/39, 320/40, 320/48, 324/426, 324/229, 324/433, 340/635, 340/636
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

A system for monitoring the energy performance of a secondary battery, and a method therefor, are disclosed. A micro-processor (32) is used to compute the energy capacity during the use of the battery by charging and discharging, thereby determining the decrease in the battery capacity. This data is provided to the user and is transmitted to a battery residue capacity measuring means, so that the battery may be charged if needed. The total discharged energy amount is stored in a ROM, and analog signals obtained from a power supply means are converted to digital signals, while an actually used total energy amount is stored in a non-volatile RAM (35). The value stored in the RAM (35) is compared with the value stored in the ROM 33, thereby computing the decrease of the battery capacity. This decrease in the battery capacity is transmitted through an output processing section (37) to a display means (40) for display so that the user and the battery residue capacity measuring means (60) know the decrease in battery capacity. Therefore, the monitoring of the energy performance of the battery can be determined even during the operation of the system. Based on the value of the decrease of the battery capacity, the replacement time of the battery can be determined, and therefore, system malfunctioning due to power failure can be prevented.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring energy performance of a battery, comprising:

a power supply means for supplying a power source to the battery;

a current measuring means for measuring the magnitude of the current generated from said power supply means;

a monitoring means having a micro-processor for determining a value of the energy performance of the battery by comparing a total unused energy amount of the battery with a total used energy amount obtained by measuring a magnitude of current in said current measuring means;

a display means for displaying a value of the energy performance of the battery of said monitoring means;

an input means for inputting information related to the battery by a user;

a residue capacity measuring means for receiving the value of the energy performance of the battery from said monitoring means; and

a charging means for charging the battery in accordance with the value of the energy performance of the battery received from said residue capacity measuring means.

2. A method for monitoring energy performance of a battery using a monitoring system including a micro-processor for monitoring the energy performance of the battery by comparing and computing a total energy amount of the battery, an A/D converter for converting analog signals to digital signals, a ROM and a non-volatile RAM for storing data processed by the micro-processor, a serial/parallel external apparatus connecting circuit functioning as a transmission line to an external apparatus, an input processing section for processing data inputted by a user, and an output processing section for outputting data processed by said micro-processor comprising the steps:

obtaining a total energy amount when the energy performance of the battery is at a set percentage and saving the total energy in said ROM;

converting analog signals representing current from a power supply means to digital data with said A/D converter, and computing a total energy amount of the battery up to a current time and saving the digital data in said non-volatile RAM;

computing a current battery performance at the current time by comparing data stored in said ROM with data stored in said RAM and transmitting the battery performance through said output processing section to the display means for display by the display means; and

transmitting a total present usable energy amount obtained by multiplying the current battery performance by an initial energy amount and transmitting the total present usable energy amount through said serial/parallel external apparatus connecting circuit to a residue capacity measuring means and a charging means.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein:

the set percentage is 60%.