Remaining battery energy indicating instrument

• US 5,963,140 A
• Filed: 01/22/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Kenji, Toriyama, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LA, ANH V
• Application Number:
  US08/785,955
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636, 340/815.58, 324/433, 324/435, 320/48, 320/127, 320/136, 429/90, 429/92
• US Class Current: 340/815.58
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/12 Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/90 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/374 with means for correcting the measurement for temperature or ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3828 using current integration
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3832 without measurement of battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A remaining battery energy indicating instrument with a reduced integration error even if a battery is repeatedly charged and discharged without being fully discharged. A remaining battery energy indicating instrument has a detecting member for detecting a predetermined discharged time and a predetermined fully charged time of a battery for storing electric energy, an integrating member for integrating electric energy which has been charged and discharged, while regarding as an integrated value a value corresponding to an amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time when the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time are reached. A display device is provided for displaying the absolute value of a remaining amount of electric energy stored in the battery based on an output signal from said integrating member.

Claims

1. A remaining battery energy indicating instrument comprising:

a detecting means for detecting a predetermined discharged time and a predetermined fully charged time of a battery for storing electric energy;

an integrating means for integrating the amount of electric energy which has been charged and discharged, said integrating means utilizing an integrated value corresponding to an amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time when the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time are reached; and

a display means for displaying the absolute value of a remaining amount of electric energy stored in the battery based on an output signal from said integrating means.

2. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 1, wherein said integrating means stops integrating the electric energy when said detecting means detects the amount of electric energy stored in the battery as being equal to or greater than the amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the fully charged time.

3. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 1, wherein said display means comprises a bar-graph meter for displaying an amount of electric energy equal to or smaller than the amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the fully charged time.

4. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 2, wherein said display means comprises a bar-graph meter for displaying an amount of electric energy equal to or smaller than the amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the fully charged time.

5. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 1, wherein the battery includes a battery for storing electric energy for producing power for an electrically operated vehicle.

6. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 2, wherein the battery includes a battery for storing electric energy for producing power for an electrically operated vehicle.

7. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 3, wherein the battery includes a battery for storing electric energy for producing power for an electrically operated vehicle.

8. A remaining battery energy indicating instrument comprising:

a detector detecting a predetermined discharged time and a predetermined fully charged time of a battery for storing electric energy;

an integrator integrating the amount of electric energy which has been charged and discharged, said integration means utilizing an integrated value corresponding to an amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time when the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time are reached; and

a display device displaying the absolute value of a remaining amount of electric energy stored in the battery based on an output signal from said integrator.

9. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 8, wherein said integrator stops integrating the electric energy when said detector detects the amount of electric energy stored in the battery as being equal to or greater than the amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the fully charged time.

10. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 8, wherein said display device comprises a bar-graph meter for displaying an amount of electric energy equal to or smaller than the amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the fully charged time.

11. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 9, wherein said display device comprises a bar-graph meter for displaying an amount of electric energy equal to or smaller than the amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the fully charged time.

12. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 8, wherein the battery includes a battery for storing electric energy for producing power for an electrically operated vehicle.

13. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 9, wherein the battery includes a battery for storing electric energy for producing power for an electrically operated vehicle.

14. The remaining battery energy indicating instrument according to claim 10, wherein the battery includes a battery for storing electric energy for producing power for an electrically operated vehicle.

15. A method of detecting a remaining battery energy comprising the following steps:

detecting a predetermined discharged time and a predetermined fully charged time of a battery for storing electric energy;

storing as an integrated value corresponding to an amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time when the predetermined discharged time and the predetermined fully charged time are reached;

integrating electric energy which has been charged and discharged based on said integrated value;

generating an output signal from said integrating of said electric energy; and

displaying the absolute value of a remaining amount of electric energy stored in the battery based on said output signal from said integrating of said electric energy.

16. The method of detecting the remaining battery energy according to claim 15, wherein said integrating stops integrating the electric energy when said detecting detects the amount of electric energy stored in the battery as being equal to or greater than the amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the fully charged time.

17. The method of detecting the remaining battery energy according to claim 15, wherein said displaying comprises a bar-graph meter for displaying an amount of electric energy equal to or smaller than the amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the fully charged time.

18. The method of detecting the remaining battery energy according to claim 16, wherein said displaying comprises a bar-graph meter for displaying an amount of electric energy equal to or smaller than the amount of electric energy stored in the battery at the fully charged time.

19. The method of detecting the remaining battery energy according to claim 15, wherein the battery includes a battery for storing electric energy for producing power for an electrically operated vehicle.

20. The method of detecting the remaining battery energy according to claim 16, wherein the battery includes a battery for storing electric energy for producing power for an electrically operated vehicle.