Battery pack event-proof monitoring and analysis system and method

• US 7,518,336 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sellers, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/897,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20060028173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/112, 429/96, 429/97, 429/98, 429/99, 429/100, D13/103
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack comprises an event monitoring system at least partially disposed in an event-proof enclosure of the battery pack. The event-proof enclosure is adapted to enable the event monitoring system to retain data acquired by the event monitoring system for analysis after occurrence of a service event of the battery pack.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

an event monitoring system at least partially disposed in an event-proof enclosure of the battery pack, the event-proof enclosure adapted to enable the event monitoring system to retain data acquired by the event monitoring system for analysis after occurrence of a service event of the battery pack.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the event monitoring system comprises a memory disposed within the event-proof enclosure.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the event monitoring system is adapted to monitor at least one battery cell parameter value of the battery pack.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the event monitoring system is adapted to store in a memory disposed within the event-proof enclosure at least one battery cell parameter value of the battery pack.

5. The battery pack of claim 4, wherein the at least one battery cell parameter value comprises a physical dimension of at least one battery cell of the battery pack.

6. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the event monitoring system is adapted to monitor at least one battery cell parameter value selected from the group consisting of a charge level, a charge rate, a discharge rate, and a temperature, of at least one battery cell of the battery pack.

7. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the event-proof enclosure is adapted to enable the event monitoring system to retain the data after occurrence of a battery cell leak.

8. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the event-proof enclosure is adapted to enable the event monitoring system to retain the data after occurrence of a flammable event.

9. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the event-proof enclosure is adapted to enable the event monitoring system to retain the data after occurrence of an explosive event.

10. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the event monitoring system comprises a monitoring block communicatively coupled to at least one battery cell of the battery pack.

11. The battery pack of claim 1, the event monitoring system comprising a memory sized to store data acquired for a predetermined period of time.

12. A battery pack event monitoring method, comprising:

monitoring at least one parameter associated with at least one battery cell of the battery pack; and

storing a value of the at least one parameter in a memory disposed in an event-proof enclosure of the battery pack, the event-proof enclosure adapted to enable an event monitoring system to retain the parameter value after occurrence of a service event of the battery pack.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein monitoring comprises monitoring at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a charge level, a charge rate, a discharge rate, and a temperature, of the at least one battery cell.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising analyzing the stored parameter value after occurrence of the service event to determine at least one cause of the service event.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising automatically purging the parameter value after receipt of a predetermined quantity of values associated with the monitored parameter.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising retrieving the value after the occurrence of the service event.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising comparing, after occurrence of the service event, the value to an acceptable value corresponding to the parameter to determine at least one cause of the service event.

18. A battery pack, comprising:

means for monitoring at least one parameter associated with at least one battery cell of the battery pack; and

means for storing a value of the at least one parameter in a memory disposed in an event-proof enclosure of the battery pack, the event-proof enclosure adapted to enable the monitoring means to retain the parameter value after occurrence of a service event of the battery pack.

19. The battery pack of claim 18, wherein the means for monitoring comprises means for monitoring at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a charge level, a charge rate, a discharge rate, and a temperature, of the at least one battery cell.

20. The battery pack of claim 18, further comprising means for automatically purging the value after receipt of a predetermined quantity of values associated with the monitored parameter.

21. A battery pack event analysis system, comprising:

a diagnostic system operable to analyze at least one value stored in a memory of a battery pack to determine at least one cause of a service event of the battery pack, the at least one value associated with a battery cell parameter of the battery pack.

22. The system of claim 21, the diagnostic system adapted to be communicatively coupled to the memory of the battery pack to access the at least one value.

23. The system of claim 21, the diagnostic system adapted to communicate with the memory of the battery pack via a docking station.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the diagnostic system is adapted to retrieve the at least one value from the memory.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the diagnostic system is adapted to compare the at least one stored value with an acceptable value corresponding to the battery cell parameter.