Method and apparatus for monitoring energy storage devices

• US 7,612,472 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Mutabdzija, Srdan, Demissie, Eyob, Masciarelli, Francis J., Falcinelli, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Paladini; Albert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAVALLARI, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US10/764,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: 307/66, 307/150, 702/63, 429/61, 320/132, 320/133, 320/106, 320/107
• US Class Current: 307/150
• 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: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5412 by modofying wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An improved battery, monitoring circuit and method for communicating with the battery is provided. Such batteries and communication methods are particularly useful in UPS systems that use such batteries to provide back-up power to electrical loads. In one aspect, performance, manufacturing, trend and/or other data are stored in non-volatile memory of the battery and are communicated to an external system such as a UPS. In another aspect, a method for communicating via single-wire interface is provided. In one aspect, a same interface is used to communicate with both conventional batteries and improved batteries having increased monitoring capabilities.

Claims

1. A battery having an apparatus for monitoring the battery, the battery comprising:

one or more cells that provide power to at least one output; and

a monitor that is adapted to monitor and store performance information relating to the operation of the one or more cells, and which is adapted to communicate with an external system, and that is adapted to receive a monitor signal from the external system, wherein the monitor is coupled to the one or more cells and is adapted to receive power for the monitor from the external system and wherein the monitor communicates with the external system by actively suspending current of received power provided to the monitor by the external system.

2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the external system comprises a portion of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system.

3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the monitor further comprises a processor, the processor including a circuit to reset the processor if the received power is insufficient.

4. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the monitor includes an associated memory in which the monitor is adapted to store the performance information.

5. The battery according to claim 4, wherein the memory is a nonvolatile-type memory.

6. The battery according to claim 5, wherein the nonvolatile-type memory is an EEPROM.

7. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the monitor is adapted to receive a monitor signal from the external system and wherein the monitor is adapted to receive power from the external system via the monitor signal.

8. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate in an asynchronous manner with the external system.

9. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the monitor is adapted to store performance information indicating performance of the battery.

10. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the monitor is adapted to store the performance information periodically.

11. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the performance information includes a count of the number of discharges of the battery, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the number of discharges of the battery to the external system.

12. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the performance information includes a software identifier of the monitor, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the software identifier of the monitor to the external system.

13. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the performance information includes a temperature of the battery, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the temperature of the battery to the external system.

14. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the performance information includes an accumulated time that the battery is in a charge state, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the accumulated time to the external system.

15. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the performance information includes an accumulated time that the battery is in a floating state, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the accumulated time to the external system.

16. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the performance information includes an accumulated time the battery is in a discharging state, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the accumulated time to the external system.

17. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the performance information includes a maximum temperature experienced by the battery, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the maximum temperature to the external system.

18. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the monitor is adapted to store manufacturing information relating to the battery.

19. The battery according to claim 18, wherein the manufacturing information includes a model type of the battery, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the model type to the external system.

20. The battery according to claim 18, wherein the manufacturing information includes a serial number of the battery, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the serial number to the external system.

21. The battery according to claim 18, wherein the manufacturing information includes rating information of the battery, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the rating information to the external system.

22. The battery according to claim 18, wherein the manufacturing information includes a manufacturing date of the battery, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the manufacturing date to the external system.

23. The battery according to claim 18, wherein the manufacturing information includes one or more battery constants, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the one or more battery constants to the external system.

24. The battery according to claim 18, wherein the manufacturing information includes one or more battery constants that relate to the battery'"'"'s expected performance, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the one or more battery constants to the external system.

25. The battery according to claim 18, wherein the battery further comprises a temperature sensor, and wherein the manufacturing information includes one or more constants relating to the temperature sensor, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the one or more constants to the external system.

26. The battery according to claim 18, wherein the battery further comprises a resistor used to detect current provided by the battery, and wherein the manufacturing information includes parameters related to the resistor, and wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate the parameters related to the resistor to the external system.

27. A battery having an apparatus for monitoring the battery, the battery comprising:

one or more cells that provide power to at least one output; and

a monitor that is adapted to monitor and store performance information relating to the operation of the one or more cells, and which is adapted to communicate with an external system, and that is adapted to receive a monitor signal from the external system, wherein the monitor is coupled to the one or more cells and is adapted to receive power for the monitor from the external system and wherein the monitor communicates with the external system by actively suspending current of received power provided to the monitor by the external system,

wherein the monitor is adapted to communicate in an asynchronous manner with the external system, and

wherein a start of communication with the battery is initiated by the external system by interrupting the current of the power supply.

28. The battery according to claim 27, wherein the monitor is adapted to detect the start of communication, and is adapted to receive, after the start of communications is detected, a request message from the external system.

29. The battery according to claim 28, wherein the monitor is adapted to transmit a response message in response to the received request message.

30. The battery according to claim 29, wherein the monitor comprises an LC-type oscillator that provides clocking for the monitor.

31. The battery according to claim 29, wherein the monitor comprises a crystal oscillator that provides clocking for the monitor.