Battery residual capacity measuring system and battery residual capacity measuring for electric vehicles

• US 5,963,016 A
• Filed: 05/30/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Arai, Yoichi, Shimoyama, Kenichi, Kumagai, Ryo, Saigo, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US08/866,389
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/136, 320/DIG. 21, 324/427, 324/428, 340/636, 429/90
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• 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 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3828 using current integration
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In each time slot, along with processing collected sets of amperage data and voltage data and a data on a reference current to provide a first value as an estimated residual capacity for a normal travelling, the amperage data are processed to provide a second value representative of a discharge quantity, and the second value is subtracted from the first value to provide a third value as a residual capacity for a high load condition, permitting the first value to be displayed in the normal travelling and the third value to be displayed under the high load condition, as this condition is detected by checking a significance of correlation in dispersion of the collected sets of data.

Claims

1. A battery residual capacity measuring system for electric vehicles, the system comprising:

first means for detecting a discharge current of a battery to provide a first data;

second means for detecting a discharge voltage of the battery to provide a second data;

third means for processing the first and the second data and a third data on a reference current to estimate a first value representative of a residual capacity of the battery under a first condition;

fourth means for processing the first data to provide a second value representative of a discharge quantity of the battery; and

fifth means for subtracting the second value from the first value to provide a third value representative of the residual capacity of the battery under a second condition higher in load than the first condition.

2. A battery residual capacity measuring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises sixth means for detecting a recovery current of the battery to provide a detection signal; and

the fourth means is responsible for the detection signal to have the second value representing a cancelled discharge.

3. A battery residual capacity measuring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

display means for displaying the first value under the first condition and the third value under the second condition.

4. A battery residual capacity measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the third means comprises:

a data sampling means for sampling the first and the second data to provide a set thereof;

a data storing means for storing the set of the first and the second data to have a plurality of sets of data collected therein; and

a data processing means for processing the plurality of sets of collected data by a method of least squares to estimate an approximate line to a linear function of the discharge current with respect to the discharge voltage and for processing the third data to calculate the first value from an intersect between the approximate line and the reference current.

5. A battery residual capacity measuring system according to claim 4, wherein:

the fifth means checks the plurality of sets of collected data for a significant correlation in dispersion thereof to tell the first condition from the second condition.

6. A battery residual capacity measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the fourth means comprises:

a data integration means for integrating the first data to determine an integrated value; and

a clearing means for clearing the integrated value, as it is read as the second value and subtracted from the first value.

7. A battery residual capacity measuring system according to claim 6, wherein:

the fourth means further comprises a data storage means for storing the integrated value and a preset value, and

the fifth means reads as the second value one of the integrated value and the preset value, as the integrated value is significant relative to the preset value.

8. A battery residual capacity measuring method for electric vehicles, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a discharge current of a battery to provide a first data;

detecting a discharge voltage of the battery to provide a second data;

processing the first and the second data and a third data on a reference current to estimate a first value representative of a residual capacity of the battery under a first condition;

processing the first data to provide a second value representative of a discharge quantity of the battery; and

subtracting the second value from the first value to provide a third value representative of the residual capacity of the battery under a second condition higher in load than the first condition.

9. A battery residual capacity measuring method according to claim 8, wherein:

the method further comprises a step of detecting a recovery current of the battery to provide a detection signal; and

the step of processing the first data includes responding to the detection signal to have the second value representing a cancelled discharge.

10. A battery residual capacity measuring method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of:

displaying the first value under the first condition and the third value under the second condition.