Battery pack with monitoring function utilizing association with a battery charging system

• US 6,107,802 A
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David Louis Freeman, John Edward Landau, Wallace Edward Matthews
• Original Assignee: David Louis Freeman, John Edward Landau, Wallace Edward Matthews
• Inventors: Matthews, Wallace Edward, Landau, John Edward, Freeman, David Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Diep N.
• Application Number:
  US09/174,693
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 324/426, 324/427, 324/428, 324/431, 324/433, 324/435, 320/106, 320/132, 320/134, 320/137, 320/149, 320/152, 340/633, 702/63, 708/105
• US Class Current: 324/427
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/374 with means for correcting the measurement for temperature or ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3832 without measurement of battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery charging system is provided which is comprised of a battery pack (30) and a charging system (20). The battery pack (30) includes a battery (10) and a battery capacity detect circuit (32). The battery capacity detect circuit (32) is interfaced with the charging system (20) through a single line to output a CHG-Bar signal. The battery capacity detect circuit (32) is operable to perform numerous monitoring operations on the battery by detecting the charge input to the battery and detecting charge taken away from the battery in a discharge operation. This operation is performed independent of the charging operation by the charging system (20). However, the charging operation of the charger (22) can be affected with the CHG-Bar signal.

Claims

1. A battery charging system, comprising:

a battery pack having;

a battery having first and second power terminals,

an integrated circuit for monitoring the operation of said battery and determining parameters associated therewith that define the charge state of said battery;

a charging system for interfacing with the first and second terminals of said battery in said battery pack for charging said battery from an external source and controlling the charging operation thereof;

a communication link disposed between said integrated circuit and said charging system; and

said integrated circuit operable to generate and transfer information to said charging system over said communication link, which information corresponds to parameters of the monitoring operation of said integrated circuit and is utilized by said integrated circuit to control at least a portion of the charging operation of said charging system.

2. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring operation of said integrated circuit comprises circuitry for determining the charge state of said battery.

3. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring operation of said integrated circuit is independent of the operation of said charging system, such that all monitoring operations in said integrated circuit are performed with no input from said charging system.

4. The charging system of claim 3, wherein said integrated circuit is operable to determine the charge state of said battery.

5. The charging system of claim 4, wherein said integrated circuit is operable to determine the capacity of said battery.

6. The charging system of claim 5, wherein said integrated circuit includes discharge circuitry for determining the amount of charge removed from said battery when a load is disposed on said battery and charging circuitry for determining how much charge is input to said battery as a result of the operation of said charging system and further including a memory for storing the state of charge of said battery which is decreased during a discharge operation and increased during a charge operation.

7. The charging system of claim 1 wherein said communication link comprises a single signal wire such that there is provided a first power supply wire disposed between said charging system and said first power terminal of said battery and a second power supply wire between said charging system and said second power terminal of said battery and said single signal wire such that only three wires are required to provide the charging operation to said battery and to receive information from said integrated circuit.