Electronic battery tester with relative test output

• US 7,003,410 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bertness, Kevin I., Vonderhaar, J. David
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Carol S. W.
• Application Number:
  US10/870,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery determines a condition of the battery. The condition is a relative condition and is a function of a dynamic parameter of the battery and an empirical input variable.

Claims

1. An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery, comprising:

Kelvin connections configured to couple to terminals of the battery;

measurement circuitry coupled to the Kelvin connections configured to measure a dynamic parameter of the battery and a voltage across terminals of the battery;

an empirical variable input configured to receive an empirical input variable;

computation circuitry configured to provide a relative battery test output as a function of the dynamic parameter and the empirical input variable, the relative test output indicative of a condition of the battery.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the measurement circuitry is further configured to measure a voltage across terminals of the battery and the relative test output is further a function of a voltage and is indicative of a time to charge the battery.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dynamic parameter is measured using a time varying signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a result of a load test.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a result of a bounce back load test.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises voltage measurements.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises state of charge measurements.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a visual observation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the visual observation is related to corrosion of terminals of the battery.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the visual observation is related to a cracked battery case.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to acceptance of charge by the battery from an alternator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the battery tester includes a charging source and the empirical input variable is indicative of charge acceptance by the battery from the source.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to operator behavior.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of vehicle age.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of vehicle condition.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a change in a dynamic parameter of the battery.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of charge acceptance of the battery during charging.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a previous test of the battery.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of battery weight.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of geographic information.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to time required to charge the battery.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to a time period during which the battery can power a particular load.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a vehicle size or engine size that the battery can operate.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the empirical input variable is related to the number of engine starts performed by the battery per day.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted end of life of the battery.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted number of engine starts of the vehicle which the battery can perform.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted number of charge and discharge cycles which the battery is capable of experiencing.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a time to reach an end voltage.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the time to reach an end voltage is further a function of current draw and temperature.

30. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a predicted time to charge the battery based upon a charge current and a temperature.

31. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a largest current at which a load test applied to the battery can be passed.

32. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a reserve capacity of a battery.

33. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a number of amp hours remaining in the battery.

34. A method for testing a storage battery comprising:

coupling Kelvin connectors to positive and negative terminals of the battery;

measuring a dynamic parameter of the battery using the Kelvin connectors;

receiving an empirical input variable;

determining a relative test output indicative of a condition of the battery based upon the dynamic parameter in the empirical input variable.

35. The method of claim 34 including measuring a voltage across terminals of the battery and the relative test output is further a function of a voltage and is indicative of a time to charge the battery.

36. The method of claim 34 including applying a time varying signal to the battery and wherein the dynamic parameter is measured using a time varying signal.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a result of a load test.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a result of a bounce back load test.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable will comprise voltage measurements.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable comprises state of charge measurements.

41. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable comprises a visual observation.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the visual observation is related to corrosion of terminals of the battery.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the visual observation is related to a cracked battery case.

44. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to acceptance of charge by the battery from an alternator.

45. The method of claim 34 including charging the battery and the empirical input variable is indicative of charge acceptance by the battery.

46. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to operator behavior.

47. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of vehicle age.

48. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of vehicle condition.

49. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a change in a dynamic parameter of the battery.

50. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of charge acceptance of the battery during charging.

51. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a previous test of the battery.

52. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of battery weight.

53. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of geographic information.

54. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to time required to charge the battery.

55. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to a time period during which the battery can power a particular load.

56. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is indicative of a vehicle size or engine size that the battery can operate.

57. The method of claim 34 wherein the empirical input variable is related to the number of engine starts performed by the battery per day.

58. The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted end of life of the battery.

59. The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted number of engine starts of the vehicle which the battery can perform.

60. The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output is indicative of a predicted number of charge and discharge cycles which the battery is capable of experiencing.

61. The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a time to reach an end voltage.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein the time to reach an end voltage is further a function of current draw and temperature.

63. The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a predicted time to charge the battery based upon a charge current and a temperature.

64. The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a largest current at which a load test applied to the battery can be passed.

65. The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a reserve capacity of a battery.

66. The method of claim 34 wherein the relative test output comprises a prediction of a number of amp hours remaining in the battery.

67. An electronic battery tester implementing the method of claim 34.