Monitoring and controlling system for battery and battery charger

• US 6,114,833 A
• Filed: 09/24/1997
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lester Electrical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lester Electrical Incorporated
• Inventors: Dean, James J., Langston, Charles R., Carrier, James L., Bauer, Mark T., Schukar, Michael L., Long, Ronald E., Jesse, Jerom James, Hartz, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US08/936,330
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 320/48, 320/49, 320/54-55, 320/47, 320/43, 320/61, 320/40, 320/42, 320/33, 320/34, 320/38, 320/2, 320/109, 320/107, 320/104, 320/DIG. 21, 320/DIG. 18
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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

In operating a battery powered vehicle, a battery charger is located at a stationary location but the battery charger control circuit is mounted on the vehicle and powered from the DC battery of the vehicle. During a charging operation, a microprocessor within the battery charger control circuit detects that a charging operation is taking place and locks the vehicle in position and when the battery charger is disconnected, the battery charger is de-energized prior to disconnecting the electrical contact between it and the vehicle to avoid arcing. The microprocessor and its memory within the battery charger control circuit records information about the energy state of the battery and controls the battery both by measuring input and output power to the battery and by measuring the rate of change of charging current. It also controls operations such as trouble lights within the vehicle and may control a speed control circuit within the vehicle as well.

Claims

1. A battery-operated vehicle comprising:

a drive system;

a battery for operating the drive system;

battery charger control means;

means for connecting a battery charger to at least one of the battery and the battery charger control means;

circuit means for controlling the operation of the vehicle; and

means for receiving power from the battery charger;

said means for receiving power from the battery charger including means for terminating the flow of energy to the battery from the battery charger before the means for supplying energy to the battery is fully disconnected from at least one of the battery charger control means and the battery.

2. A battery-operated vehicle in accordance with claim 1 in which the battery charger control means and the circuit means for controlling the vehicle operation are mounted on a single printed circuit board for cooperative operation.

3. A battery-operated vehicle in accordance with claim 1 in which the battery charger control means and the circuit means are mounted separately on different printed circuit boards.

4. A battery-operated vehicle in accordance with claim 1 in which one microprocessor is operatively connected to the battery charger control means and the circuit means.

5. A battery-operated vehicle in accordance with claim 1 in which the battery charger control means includes means for measuring the amount of electrical energy removed from a battery and for measuring the amount of electrical energy added to the battery wherein the amount of charge in the battery may be determined.

6. A battery-operated vehicle in accordance with claim 1 in which the battery charger control means includes means for measuring the amount of energy added to the battery and the amount of energy removed from the battery wherein the state of charge of the battery may be determined and includes means for measuring the rate of change of charging the battery wherein the control of the rate of charging of the battery may be controlled under some circumstances.

7. A battery-operated vehicle according to claim 6 further including means for recording the energy of the battery.

8. A battery-operated vehicle in accordance with claim 1 in which the means for terminating the flow of energy to the battery includes a connector whereby the battery charger is connected to the vehicle;

said connector including a plug and a receptacle with the plug and the receptacle having at least two connectors for applying energy between the battery charger and at least one of the battery charger control means and the battery and a third probe of a different size than a first and a second probe wherein the third probe is disconnected before the first and second probes are disconnected;

the third probe being connected to computer means for terminating the flow of energy between the battery charger and the battery-operated vehicle before the first and second probes are disconnected.

9. A battery-operated vehicle in accordance with claim 1 in which the battery charger control means is powered by DC power from the battery within the battery-operated vehicle;

which battery is also used to drive the vehicle.

10. A battery-operated vehicle according to claim 1 further including an interlock system, and means for causing the interlock system to lock a drive system of the vehicle when connector means between the battery charger and the vehicle is connected.

11. A battery-operated vehicle in accordance with claim 1 further including:

means for generating a coded signal containing information about the condition of said battery; and

means for transmitting said coded information by radiant energy to a portable monitor, wherein the status of the battery may be monitored with a remotely held portable monitor.

12. A method of operating a battery-operated vehicle comprising the steps of:

driving a vehicle including a battery charger control circuit under the power of a battery;

periodically connecting one of the battery and the battery charger control circuit to a battery charger not on the vehicle; and

receiving power from a battery charger;

said step of receiving power from the battery charger including the steps of terminating the flow of energy to the battery from the battery charger before stopping the flow of energy to the battery.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein circuit means and the battery charger control circuit are operated by the same microprocessor.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 further including the steps of:

measuring the amount of electrical energy removed from the battery;

measuring the amount of electrical energy added to the battery; and

determining the amount of energy in the battery.

15. A method according to claim 13 further including the step of periodically monitoring the battery by reading a radiant energy code into a portable display.

16. A method in accordance with claim 12 further including the steps of measuring the amount of energy added to the battery and the amount of energy removed from the battery wherein the state of charge of the battery may be determined and measuring the rate of change of charging the battery wherein the control of the rate of charging of the battery may be controlled under some circumstances.

17. A method in accordance with claim 12 in which the step of terminating the flow of energy to the battery includes the step of connecting the battery charger to the vehicle;

the step of disconnecting a third probe before a first and a second probe are disconnected;

wherein the third probe is connected to computer means for terminating the flow of energy between the battery charger and the battery-operated vehicle before the first and second probes are disconnected.

18. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the battery charger control circuit is powererd by DC power from the battery within the battery-operated vehicle;

and the battery is used to drive the vehicle.

19. A method according to claim 12 further including the step of causing an interlock system to lock a drive system when connector means between the battery charger and the vehicle is connected.

20. A method in accordance with claim 12 further including the steps of:

generating a coded signal containing information about the condition of said battery; and

transmitting said coded information by radiant energy to a portable monitor, wherein the status of the battery may be monitored with a remotely held portable monitor.

21. A portable measuring device, comprising:

means for connecting the portable measuring device to a vehicle;

means operatively connected to means for connecting to a battery for dissipating energy from the battery at a controlled rate; and

cooling means for cooling said means for dissipating energy;

said cooling means being battery driven wherein said portable measuring device may measure the amount of energy dissipated from the battery without overheating.

22. The combination of a portable monitor for batteries and a battery operated vehicle comprising:

a microprocessor mounted to said battery operated vehicle;

means for measuring and recording the condition of a battery on a battery powered vehicle;

said microprocessor including means for calculating the condition of the battery on the vehicle and encoding it;

a portable monitor, comprising means for receiving a coded signal containing information about the condition of a battery transmitted with an infrared radiated carrier from the vehicle; and

means for translating said coded information transmitted by the infrared radiated carrier to displayed indications mounted in the portable monitor, wherein the status of the battery may be monitored with the portable monitor.

23. A battery-operated vehicle comprising:

a drive system;

a battery for operating the drive system;

battery charger control means;

means for connecting a battery charger to at least one of the battery and the battery charger control means; and

circuit means for controlling the operation of the vehicle;

said battery charger being at a station separated from said vehicle and said battery charger control means being on said vehicle, wherein a plurality of vehicles may be served by one charger and a microprocessor may control both the circuit means and the battery charger control means;

wherein the battery charger control means includes means for measuring the amount of energy added to the battery and the amount of energy removed from the battery wherein the state of charge of the battery may be determined and includes means for measuring the rate of change of charging the battery wherein the control of the rate of charging of the battery may be controlled under some circumstances.