Battery monitoring method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A battery monitoring apparatus comprising:
- (a) a voltage sense input port to which leads extending to a battery may be connected such that a signal representing the voltage across the battery is provided to the voltage sense input port;
(b) a current sense input port to which leads extending to a current sensor may be connected such that a signal representing the current through the battery is provided to the current sense input port;
(c) an output communications port through which data may be communicated;
(d) a non-volatile memory; and
(e) a programmable microcontroller connected to the voltage sense and current sense input ports to receive signals therefrom and connected to the output communications port to at least transmit signals thereto, the microcontroller connected to provide data to and from the non-volatile memory, the microcontroller programmed to monitor the signal from the current sense port to detect a change in battery state from one of the states of battery charging, discharging, and open circuit to another state, and to define a battery event between changes of state, to monitor the battery voltage and current during each event, to store data to the non-volatile memory after an event including at least the time and state of the event and the total current over time as supplied from or to the battery during the event, and to selectively transfer data from the non-volatile memory through the output communications port after a period of time in which events have occurred.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Activity based battery monitoring is carried out with a minimal requirement for data memory capacity by determining events defined between changes in the battery states of charge, discharge and open circuit. Battery parameters are sampled at high sampling rates but only a relatively small number of memory data fields are stored in a non-volatile memory and updated after each event. In operation, battery current is monitored to determine a change in battery state. At the end of an event, at which time the battery changes state, a limited number of data fields, which nonetheless accurately categorizes the event, can be stored to the non-volatile memory, including the event type, the event start time, total ampere hours during the event, and various transient conditions during the event such as maximum voltage, current and temperature and minimum voltage, their times of occurrence, and any alarms that are triggered during the event.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A battery monitoring apparatus comprising:
-
(a) a voltage sense input port to which leads extending to a battery may be connected such that a signal representing the voltage across the battery is provided to the voltage sense input port;
(b) a current sense input port to which leads extending to a current sensor may be connected such that a signal representing the current through the battery is provided to the current sense input port;
(c) an output communications port through which data may be communicated;
(d) a non-volatile memory; and
(e) a programmable microcontroller connected to the voltage sense and current sense input ports to receive signals therefrom and connected to the output communications port to at least transmit signals thereto, the microcontroller connected to provide data to and from the non-volatile memory, the microcontroller programmed to monitor the signal from the current sense port to detect a change in battery state from one of the states of battery charging, discharging, and open circuit to another state, and to define a battery event between changes of state, to monitor the battery voltage and current during each event, to store data to the non-volatile memory after an event including at least the time and state of the event and the total current over time as supplied from or to the battery during the event, and to selectively transfer data from the non-volatile memory through the output communications port after a period of time in which events have occurred. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of monitoring the condition of a battery over time comprising:
-
(a) monitoring the current to or from the battery to detect the change in battery state from one of the states of battery charging, discharging, and open circuit to another state, and defining a battery event between changes of state; and
(b) monitoring the battery voltage and current during each event and, after each event, storing data to a non-volatile memory which includes at least the time and state of the event and the total current over time as supplied from or to the battery during the event. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A current sensor that may be connected to detect the level and direction of current flowing in a circuit such as through a battery, comprising:
-
(a) a shunt of a known resistance which may be connected to have current flow therethrough;
(b) a high gain amplifier and a low gain amplifier, each amplifier connected to receive the voltage across the shunt; and
(c) an analog to digital converter having a first channel connected to receive an output from the high gain amplifier and a second channel connected to receive an output from the low gain amplifier, digital output signals of the analog to digital converter channels available for connection to a digital data communications link. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
-
Specification