Battery boost apparatus

• US 8,610,396 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baccus Global LLC
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hunter, Murray D., Shaver, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US12/941,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20110127947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 320/105
• US Class Current: 320/105
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• 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]

Abstract

A battery boost apparatus is described. The battery boost apparatus monitors that amount of voltage in the vehicle battery and the current flowing to the vehicle battery to determine an existence of a fault condition. If a fault condition exists, a vehicle battery is cutoff from the boost battery and the charge of the boost battery is maintained until the fault condition is remedied.

Claims

1. A portable battery boost apparatus for charging a vehicle battery comprising:

a boost battery that couples to the vehicle battery;

a voltage monitoring module that monitors an amount of voltage in the vehicle battery and outputs a voltage reading indicative of an amount of voltage in the vehicle battery;

a fault monitoring module that determines an existence of a fault condition based on at least one of the voltage reading and a current reading indicating an amount of current flowing from the boost battery to the vehicle battery;

a load determining module that determines an existence of a load in the vehicle drawing power from the vehicle battery based on the voltage reading, wherein a fault condition exists when the voltage reading does not increase by at least a predetermined amount over a predetermined time period; and

a boost battery cutoff module that decouples the boost battery from the vehicle battery upon determining the existence of the fault condition.

2. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 1 wherein the voltage monitoring module monitors the amount of current flowing from the boost battery to the vehicle battery.

3. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a connection monitoring module that determines an existence of a faulty connection between the boost battery and the vehicle battery based on the current reading, wherein the fault condition exists when the current reading is less than or equal to a predetermined lower threshold.

4. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a vehicle battery state monitoring module that determines an existence of a deep discharge condition in the vehicle battery based on the voltage reading, wherein the fault condition exists when an initial voltage reading is below a predetermined threshold.

5. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a charge cutoff detection module that determines an existence of charge being discontinued based on the current reading, wherein the fault condition exists when the current flowing from the boost battery to the vehicle battery is cutoff before the vehicle battery is charged.

6. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a timer monitoring an amount of time the current is cutoff, wherein the fault condition exists when the amount of time the current is cutoff exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a charge timer that monitors an amount of time the boost battery is delivering a current to the vehicle battery, wherein the vehicle battery is charged when no fault condition exists and the amount of time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a maintenance module that determines a status of the boost battery based on an amount of time since the boost battery was previously charged, wherein a visual indicator indicates that the boost battery needs to be recharged when the amount of time since the boost battery was previously charged exceeds a predetermined threshold.

9. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an LED panel including a plurality of LEDs that indicate statuses of the apparatus, wherein the plurality of LEDs include:

a first LED that indicates a load in the vehicle drawing power from the vehicle battery;

a second LED that indicates a faulty connection between the boost battery and the vehicle battery;

a third LED that indicates a deep discharge condition in the vehicle battery;

a fourth LED that indicates a current to the vehicle battery has been cutoff; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of LEDs is switched on based on a type of fault condition determined by the fault monitoring module.

10. A method for vehicle battery charging using a boost battery apparatus having a boost battery, the method comprising:

coupling the boost battery to the vehicle battery;

monitoring an amount of voltage in the vehicle battery and determining a voltage reading indicative of an amount of voltage in the vehicle battery;

determining an existence of a fault condition based on at least one of the voltage reading and a current reading indicating an amount of current flowing from the boost battery to the vehicle battery;

decoupling the boost battery from the vehicle battery upon determining the existence of the fault condition, and

determining a status of the boost battery based on an amount of time since the boost battery was previously charged, wherein a visual indicator indicates that the boost battery needs to be recharged when the amount of time since the boost battery was previously charged exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining an existence of a load in the vehicle drawing power from the vehicle battery based on the voltage reading, wherein a fault condition exists when the voltage reading does not increase by at least a predetermined amount over a predetermined time period.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising monitoring the amount of current flowing from the boost battery to the vehicle battery.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining an existence of a faulty connection between the boost battery and the vehicle battery based on the current reading, wherein the fault condition exists when the current reading is less than or equal to a predetermined lower threshold.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining an existence of a deep discharge condition in the vehicle battery based on the voltage reading, wherein the fault condition exists when an initial voltage reading is below a predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining whether charge is discontinued based on the current reading, wherein the fault condition exists when the current flowing from the boost battery to the vehicle battery is cutoff before the vehicle battery is charged.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising monitoring an amount of time the current is cutoff, wherein the fault condition exists when the amount of time the current is cutoff exceeds a predetermined threshold.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising monitoring an amount of time the boost battery is delivering a current to the vehicle battery, wherein the vehicle battery is charged when no fault condition exists and the amount of time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising indicating statuses of the apparatus to a user via a plurality of LEDs, wherein the plurality of LEDs include:

a first LED that indicates a load in the vehicle drawing power from the vehicle battery;

a second LED that indicates a faulty connection between the boost battery and the vehicle battery;

a third LED that indicates a deep discharge condition in the vehicle battery;

a fourth LED that indicates a current to the vehicle battery has been cutoff; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of LEDs is switched on based on a type of fault condition.

19. A portable battery boost apparatus for charging a vehicle battery comprising:

a boost battery that couples to the vehicle battery;

a voltage monitoring module that monitors an amount of voltage in the vehicle battery and outputs a voltage reading indicative of an amount of voltage in the vehicle battery;

a fault monitoring module that determines an existence of a fault condition based on at least one of the voltage reading and a current reading indicating an amount of current flowing from the boost battery to the vehicle battery;

a boost battery cutoff module that decouples the boost battery from the vehicle battery upon determining the existence of the fault condition; and

a maintenance module that determines a status of the boost battery based on an amount of time since the boost battery was previously charged, wherein a visual indicator indicates that the boost battery needs to be recharged when the amount of time since the boost battery was previously charged exceeds a predetermined threshold.

20. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a vehicle battery state monitoring module that determines an existence of a deep discharge condition in the vehicle battery based on the voltage reading, wherein the fault condition exists when an initial voltage reading is below a predetermined threshold.

21. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a charge cutoff detection module that determines an existence of charge being discontinued based on the current reading, wherein the fault condition exists when the current flowing from the boost battery to the vehicle battery is cutoff before the vehicle battery is charged.

22. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a charge timer that monitors an amount of time the boost battery is delivering a current to the vehicle battery, wherein the vehicle battery is charged when no fault condition exists and the amount of time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

23. The portable battery boost apparatus of claim 19 further comprising an LED panel including a plurality of LEDs that indicate statuses of the apparatus, wherein the plurality of LEDs include:

a first LED that indicates a load in the vehicle drawing power from the vehicle battery;

a second LED that indicates a faulty connection between the boost battery and the vehicle battery;

a third LED that indicates a deep discharge condition in the vehicle battery;

a fourth LED that indicates a current to the vehicle battery has been cutoff; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of LEDs is switched on based on a type of fault condition determined by the fault monitoring module.