Upgradable smart battery pack

• US 7,041,400 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smart Power Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smart Power Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Sang-Min, Youn, Dae-Young, Kim, Dae-Jeong, Kim, Hun-June
• Primary Examiner(s): Crepeau, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US10/264,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20030175560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/7
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or 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 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An upgradable SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) battery pack capable of upgrading a SMART function thereof is provided, including a battery array, a host interface for supplying power to a host and performing a SMART communication therewith, a protection circuit for protecting battery cells in the battery array from overcurrent or overvoltage, a microprocessor for monitoring a current state of the battery array, calculating a battery capacity thereof and controlling the SMART communication with the host via the host interface, a nonvolatile memory for storing an operational program of the microprocessor and battery information, a signal processor for converting a level of a signal to be sent to the host via the host interface into a predetermined level that is desired by the host and processing the level-converted signal, and an input/output port for performing an interfacing operation between the host and the microprocessor to download a control program and data from the host.

Claims

1. An upgradable Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) battery pack, comprising:

a battery array;

a host interface for supplying power to a host and performing a SMART communication with said host;

a protection circuit for protecting a battery cell in said battery array from overcurrent or overvoltage;

a microprocessor for monitoring a current state of said battery array, calculating a battery capacity of said battery array and controlling said SMART communication between said host and said host interface;

a memory for storing an operational program of said microprocessor and battery information;

a signal processor for converting a level of a signal to be sent to said host via said host interface into a predetermined level that is desired by said host and processing the level-converted signal; and

an input/output port for performing an interfacing operation between said host and said microprocessor to download a control program and data from said host;

wherein said input/output port includes;

a reset terminal for erasing data stored in said battery pack in response to a control signal of said host; and

a first serial output terminal for downloading said control program and data from said host to said battery pack.

2. The upgradable SMART battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein said input/output port further includes a second serial output terminal for uploading said control program and data from said battery pack to said host.

3. The upgradable SMART battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein said host interface and said input/output port are connected in a single connector.

4. The upgradable SMART battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein the memory is a nonvolatile memory.

5. The upgradable SMART battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein said downloaded control program and data are stored in said memory.

6. The upgradable SMART battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein said host interface communicates with said host in one-wire synchronous communication manner, one-wire asynchronous communication manner, two-wire synchronous communication manner, or two-wire asynchronous communication manner.

7. The upgradable SMART battery pack as set forth in claim 1, wherein said input/output pan includes a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface.