Battery testing device and battery testing method

• US 8,228,039 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeno, Kazuhiko, Kanai, Takayuki, Uemura, Haruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, DANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US12/335,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 320/124, 320127-136, 324/427
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/386 using test-loads
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health

Abstract

The present invention applies load to a portable telephone by charging and discharging a secondary battery conforming to the actual way of use of the portable telephone, so that the performance of the secondary battery in a portable telephone connected for charging can be accurately tested. A battery testing device of the present invention has: a charge control circuit for controlling input power which is input to a lithium ion battery via an AC adapter; and a radio circuit for controlling output power which is output from the lithium ion battery and discharging the lithium ion battery, wherein when the lithium ion battery reaches a fully charged state, the radio circuit starts discharging while the charge control circuit stops charge of the lithium ion battery using the AC adapter, and when the lithium ion battery reaches a predetermined charged state, the charge control circuit starts charge of the lithium ion battery using the AC adapter while the radio circuit stops discharge of the lithium ion battery.

Claims

1. A battery testing device that charges a chargeable secondary battery by using a charging module, comprising:

an input control module that controls an input power that the charging module inputs to the secondary battery;

an output control module that controls an output power that is output from the secondary battery and discharges the secondary battery;

a temperature adjustment device configured to heat and cool the secondary battery, the temperature adjustment device configured to increase the temperature of the secondary battery from a first temperature of about 50°

C. to a second temperature of about 150°

C. for a period of about 3 hours when a battery capacity of the secondary battery falls below a threshold,

wherein the temperature adjustment device judges whether the temperature of the secondary battery rises to 160°

C. or more while performing adjustment to hold the temperature of the secondary battery at the second temperature, and displays a result of the judgment on an external device,

wherein the input control module and the output control module are configured to cyclically perform a plurality of charge/discharge cycles, and

each charge/discharge cycle includes;

when the secondary battery reaches a fully charged state, the output control module starts discharging the secondary battery while the input control module stops charging the secondary battery using the charging module, and

when the secondary battery reaches a predetermined charged state, the input control module starts charging the secondary battery using the charging module while the output control module stops discharging the secondary battery.

2. The battery testing device according to claim 1, wherein the output control module discharges the secondary battery until reaching a state of 95% of the battery capacity in the fully charged state when the secondary battery reaches the fully charged state.

3. The battery testing device according to claim 1, wherein the input control module controls the input power that is input to the secondary battery at the temperature adjusted by the temperature adjustment device, using the charging module, and

the output control module discharges the secondary battery by controlling the output power that is output from the secondary battery at the temperature adjusted by the temperature adjustment device.

4. The battery testing device according to claim 3, wherein:

the input control module controls the input power, which is input in use of the charging module, to the secondary battery held at the first temperature as adjusted by the temperature adjustment device, and

the output control module discharges the secondary battery by controlling the output power that is output from the secondary battery held at the first temperature as adjusted by the temperature adjustment device.

5. The battery testing device according to claim 4, wherein the temperature adjustment device makes the adjustment to hold the temperature of the secondary battery at the second temperature for three hours when the battery capacity of the secondary battery reaches 75%, 50% or 25% of a battery capacity of an unused secondary battery of the same type as the secondary battery, by the cyclically performed plurality of charge/discharge cycles of the secondary battery.

6. A battery testing method that charges a chargeable secondary battery by using a charging module, comprising:

controlling an input power that the charging module inputs to the secondary battery; and

controlling an output power that is output from the secondary battery and discharges the secondary battery; and

increasing a temperature of the secondary battery from a first temperature of about 50°

C. to a second temperature of about 150°

C. for a period of about 3 hours when a battery capacity of the secondary battery falls below a threshold,

judging whether the temperature of the secondary battery rises to 160°

C. or more while performing adjustment to hold the temperature of the secondary battery at the second temperature, and displaying a result of the judgment on an external device,

wherein the controlling an input power and controlling an output power are cyclically performed in a plurality of charge/discharge cycles, and

each charge/discharge cycle includes;

when the secondary battery reaches a fully charged state, discharging the secondary battery is started in the controlling an output power, and the controlling an input power is stopped, and

when the secondary battery reaches a predetermined charged state, charging the secondary battery using the charging module is started in the controlling an input power, and the controlling an output power is stopped.