Method for determining power supply usage

• US 8,229,689 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwest Electronic Energy Corporation (Ultralife Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Southwest Electronic Energy Corporation (Ultralife Corporation)
• Inventors: Davis, Clint Alfred, Perkins, Dean, Benckenstein, Claude Leonard Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARBEE, MANUEL L
• Application Number:
  US13/036,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20110153240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 702/60, 702/61, 702 63- 65, 702/136, 320/132, 320/149, 324426-428
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/06 by measuring current and voltage G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3832 without measurement of battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence

Abstract

The remaining capacity of a battery may be monitored with a microprocessor by integrating a voltage measured across a current sense resistor coupled in series with the battery. The microprocessor may measure electrons passing through the battery by sampling the integrator and summing the values recorded from the integrator. Each time the integrator is sampled, the microprocessor may reset the integrator to prevent the integrator from saturating. The remaining capacity of the battery may be calculated based on calibration values and the sum of electrons measured by the integrator. The remaining capacity may be communicating to remote users through a network and displayed in an executive dashboard.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring, at a processor, a capacity of a battery, in which the step of monitoring comprises;

counting electrons flowing through the battery;

determining whether the electron count has reached a predetermined number;

activating a storage device to add the electron count to a total count after the determining step indicates the electron count has reached the predetermined number;

resetting the electron count after the determining step indicates the electron count has reached the predetermined number; and

determining the capacity of the battery from the total count;

reporting, to a remote monitor, the capacity of the battery through a network; and

reporting, to a user of the remote monitor, the capacity of the battery through a graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a second capacity of a second battery; and

reporting, to the remote monitor, the second capacity of the second battery through the network.

3. The method of claim 1, in which reporting to the remote monitor comprises pushing updates of the capacity through the network without receiving a request from the user.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, in which the at least one processor is configured;

to count electrons flowing through a battery to create an electron count;

to determine whether the electron count has reached a predetermined number;

to activate the memory to add the electron count to a total count after the determining step indicates the electron count has reached the predetermined number;

to reset the electron count after the determining step indicates the electron count has reached the predetermined number; and

to determine a capacity of the battery from the total count.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the at least one processor, in which the at least one processor is configured to obtain the electron count from the analog-to-digital converter.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising an integrator coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, in which the at least one processor is configured to reset the integrator.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, in which the integrator is a Deboo integrator.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a current sense resistor coupled to the integrator and coupled in series with the battery, in which the integrator is configured to sum electrons flowing through the current sense resistor.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the at least one processor, in which the at least one processor is further configured to monitor an ambient temperature of the battery with the temperature sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a light emitting diode coupled to the at least one processor, in which the at least one processor is configured to indicate the capacity of the battery with the light emitting diode.