Graphic state of charge indicator for a battery charging system and method of use

• US 8,125,186 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryten Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: Steve Carkner
• Inventors: Carkner, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US12/140,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20090309548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 320DIG 18-DIG 21, 320/132, 324/426
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/18 Indicator or display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/19 Charger status, e.g. voltmeter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

A graphic state of battery charge indicator is used to provide the user with a visual indication of state of battery charge, magnitude of current flow and direction of current flow by using displays such as multi-segment LCD or LED displays in the shape of a battery. The indicator is able to provide these parameters by sequencing the on/off operation of the segmented displays. A microcontroller is provided battery state data from a battery monitor and converts this information to on/off commands for the segmented displays. There may be up to 10 segmented displays in the indicator with each segment proportionally representing a percentage of the state of battery charge. State of charge is indicated by a single on display at the appropriate location in the display. Current flowing into the battery is represented by a ripple effect in the displays in the positive direction. Current flowing out of the battery is represented by a ripple effect in the display in the negative direction.

Claims

1. A multi-mode display for graphically displaying a state of charge and a rate of charge for a battery connected to at least one load and a battery charging system, wherein said battery charging system comprises at least one source of charging power, a microcontroller for sensing said state of charge and rate of charge, wherein said multi-mode display is connected to said microcontroller, and wherein the multi-mode display comprises a plurality of horizontally stacked display segments commencing at a lowest magnitude segment and ending at a highest magnitude segment for displaying a plurality of indications representing the sensed state of charge and rate of charge;

wherein said plurality of horizontally stacked display segments display a positive ripple rate from said lowest magnitude segment to said highest magnitude segment and a negative ripple rate from the highest magnitude segment to the lowest magnitude segment;

wherein said positive ripple rate is directly proportional to said rate of charge.

2. The multi-mode display of claim 1, wherein each display segment of said plurality of horizontally stacked display segments has an enabled mode, a disabled mode and a blinking mode.

3. The display of claim 2, wherein the state of charge and rate of charge comprise at least the following:

i. a state of charge of the battery;

ii. a magnitude of said state of charge of the battery;

iii. a direction of current flow; and

,

iv. a magnitude of said current flow.

4. The display of claim 3, wherein said state of charge of the battery and said magnitude of the state of charge of the battery are displayed.

5. The display of claim 3, wherein the state of charge of the battery, the magnitude of the state of charge of the battery and said direction of current flow are displayed.

6. The display of claim 3, wherein the state of charge of the battery, the magnitude of the state of charge of the battery, the direction of current flow and said magnitude of current flow are displayed.

7. The display of claim 3, wherein when the state of charge of the battery is sensed at least one display segment of said plurality of horizontally stacked display segments will operate in said enabled mode.

8. The display of claim 7, wherein when the magnitude of the state of charge of the battery is sensed a proportional number of the horizontally stacked display segments will operate in the enabled mode thereby displaying the state of charge and the magnitude of the state of charge.

9. The display of claim 8, wherein when said direction of said current flow is sensed the plurality of horizontally stacked segments will operate in one of said positive ripple mode and said negative ripple mode the result being that the positive ripple mode indicates a charging battery and the negative ripple mode indicates a discharging battery.

10. The display of claim 9, wherein when said magnitude of the current flow is sensed the positive ripple mode and the negative ripple mode will assume said variable ripple rate proportional to the magnitude of current flow, the result being that said ripple rate for a larger current flow is faster than the ripple rate for a smaller current flow, and the direction of current flow and the magnitude of current flow are displayed.

11. The display of claim 10, wherein when the battery is discharged the plurality of horizontally stacked segments will operate in said disabled mode.

12. The display of claim 11, wherein the state of charge of the battery, the magnitude of the state of charge of the battery, the direction of the current flow and the magnitude of the current flow are displayed sequentially over a predetermined period of time, and wherein within said predetermined period of time the state of charge of the battery and the magnitude of the state of charge of the battery will be displayed for a longer period of time than the direction of the current flow and the magnitude of the current flow.

13. A method for a multi-mode simultaneous display of a state of charge and a rate of charge of a battery comprising the steps of:

i. displaying a plurality of horizontally stacked display segments having an enabled mode, a disabled mode, a blinking mode and a rippling mode having a rippling rate, wherein a bottom display segment represents a lower value and a top display segment represents a higher value;

ii. sensing said state of charge and enabling at least said bottom display segment;

iii. sensing a magnitude of the state of charge and enabling a proportional number of horizontally stacked display elements;

iii. sensing a direction of current flow and enabling said rippling mode in the said direction of current flow between the bottom display segment to said top display segment;

iv. sensing rate of charge and displaying said rippling rate directly proportional to the sensing rate of charge;

v. sensing a discharged battery and disabling the plurality of horizontally stacked display segments.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when said step of sensing said direction of current flow includes the step of sensing said battery charging and enabling the rippling mode from the bottom display segment to the top display segment.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of sensing the direction of current flow includes the step of sensing the battery discharging and enabling the rippling mode from the top display segment to the bottom display segment.