Battery remaining capacity measuring device

• US 5,798,934 A
• Filed: 10/28/1996
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Shimoyama, Kenichi, Saigo, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US08/738,863
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 364/483, 364/481, 324/427, 324/430, 324/431, 324/428, 429/92, 320/48, 320/43, 320/39, 320/35
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements

Abstract

A current/voltage detecting section detects current flowing through a load and terminals voltage of a battery. A correlation determining section obtains the correlation coefficient between a plurality of current values and a plurality of voltage values detected by the current/voltage detecting section to determine whether or not the correlation coefficient is equal to or less than the predetermined value. A data acquisition range determining section determines a data acquisition range adjacent to the previous approximating line stored in a memory when the predetermined values is determined as equal to or less than the predetermined value, and deletes data which are not included in the data acquisition range from the plurality of the current values and the plurality of the voltage values detected by the current/voltage detecting section. An approximating line calculating section calculates the approximating line to be stored in the memory based on a plurality of current values and a plurality of voltage values determined by the data acquisition range determining section. A remaining capacity calculating section calculates the remaining capacity of battery based on the plurality of the current values and the plurality of the voltage values determined by the data acquisition range determining section.

Claims

1. A battery remaining capacity measuring device, comprising:

storing means for storing therein the approximating line data;

current/voltage detecting means for detecting current flowing through a load and terminals voltage of a battery;

correlation determining means for calculating a correlation coefficient between a plurality of current values and a plurality of voltage values detected by said current/voltage detecting means at every predetermined time, and for determining whether or not said correlation coefficient is equal to or less than a predetermined value;

data acquisition range determining means for determining a data acquisition range adjacent to a previous approximating line stored in said storing means when said correlation coefficient is determined as equal to or less than said predetermined value, and for deleting data which are not included in said data acquisition range from the plurality of the voltage values and the plurality of the current values detected by said current/voltage detecting means;

approximating line calculating means for calculating a approximating line based on a plurality of voltage values and a plurality of current values determined by said data acquisition range determining means, and for storing the approximating line in said storing means; and

remaining capacity calculating means for calculating a remaining capacity of said battery based on the plurality of the voltages values and the plurality of the current values determined by said data acquisition range determining means.

2. A battery remaining capacity measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein although said correlation coefficient is determined as equal to or less than said predetermined value by said correlation determining means, when the previous approximating line data stored in said storing means are data before an elapse of a predetermined time, said data acquisition determining range means does not carry out its process, and a approximating line is calculated based on the plurality of the voltage values and the plurality of the current values obtained by said approximating line calculating means.

3. A battery remaining capacity measuring device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising second storing means for storing therein the plurality of the current values and the plurality of the voltage values detected by said current/voltage detecting means, wherein said data acquisition determining means is for deleting the data which are not included in said data acquisition range from the plurality of the current values and the plurality of the voltage values stored in said second storing means, said approximating line calculating means for calculating the approximating line based on the plurality the current values and the plurality of the voltage values stored in said second storing means.

4. A battery remaining capacity measuring device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second storing means correspondingly stores therein data collected number, said correlation coefficient, and correlation determined number.

5. A battery remaining capacity measuring device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the remaining capacity of said battery calculated by said remaining capacity calculating means.

6. A battery remaining capacity measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said approximating line calculating means is for calculating said approximating line by least square method.

7. A battery remaining capacity measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined value of said correlation coefficient in said correlation determining means is set to -0.9.

8. A battery remaining capacity measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of the current values and the plurality of the voltage values are pair data of 100 pieces.