Packed battery examining apparatus

• US 6,229,281 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Murakami, Takahiro, Fuchizaki, Tatsuya, Okuma, Toshiaki, Tatsumi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/446,127
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/110, 320/112, 320/128, 320/132, 320/149
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3004 Current or voltage test
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• 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: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A controller comprises means for transmitting to an interface device, when predetermined data for examination must be acquired from a communication and charge or discharge controller in a packed battery which is an examination object in the step of performing examination processing, a communication command for acquiring the data for examination, the interface device comprises means for converting, when it receives the communication command from the controller, the received communication command into protocol data corresponding to a communication protocol used for communication with the packed battery which is an examination object, means for transmitting the obtained protocol data to the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object, and means for receiving the data for examination which has been fed from the communication and the charge or discharge controller in the packed battery and transmitting the data for examination to the controller.

Claims

1. A packed battery examining apparatus comprising an interface device connected to a packed battery which is an examination object and a controller connected to the interface device for performing examination processing, wherein

the controller comprises means for transmitting to the interface device, when predetermined data for examination must be acquired from a communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object in the step of performing the examination processing, a communication command for acquiring the data for examination, and

the interface device comprises means for converting, when it receives the communication command for acquiring the data for examination from the controller, the received communication command into protocol data corresponding to a communication protocol used for communication with the packed battery which is an examination object, means for transmitting the obtained protocol data to the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object, and means for receiving the data for examination which has been fed from the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery and transmitting the data for examination to the controller.

2. The packed battery examining apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that

the controller performs the examination processing in accordance with an examination procedure file for defining the procedure for examination processing, and the communication command for acquiring the predetermined data for examination from the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object is described by a common communication instruction irrespective of the type of the packed battery in the examination procedure file, and

the controller stores communication command systems respectively corresponding to a plurality of types of packed batteries which are to be examination objects, converts, when the communication instruction described in the examination procedure file is transmitted to the interface device, the communication instruction into a communication command corresponding to the command system corresponding to the packed battery which is an examination object, and transmits the obtained communication command to the interface device.

4. The packed battery examining apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein the controller is constituted by a personal computer.

5. The packed battery examining apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein the controller and the interface device are constituted by the same personal computer.

3. A packed battery examining apparatus comprising an interface device connected to a packed battery which is an examination object and a controller connected to the interface device for performing examination processing, wherein

a communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object comprises means for generating, when the packed battery which is an examination object enters a predetermined state, data for state confirmation indicating that the packed battery enters the predetermined state,

the controller comprises means for transmitting, when the data for state confirmation which is generated by the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object must be acquired in the step of performing the examination processing, a communication command for acquiring the data for state confirmation to the interface device, and

the interface device comprises means for receiving and holding data for examination which is generated from the communication and charge or discharge controller in the packed battery which is an examination object, and means for transmitting, when it receives the communication command for acquiring the data for state confirmation from the controller, the preserved data for state confirmation to the controller.