Fuel gauging system and method thereof

• US 8,717,034 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energizer Brands, LLC (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crawford, John D., Hoffman, Peter F., Spartano, David A., Huang, Frank F., Jakubiak, Adam R., Osmialowski, Stephen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/367,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20120194197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 324/430, 320/106, 320/146
• US Class Current: 324/430
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 14/023 having two or more, or different light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/378 specially adapted for the type of battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4221 with battery type recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• 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: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A lighting system (10) is provided that includes at least one lighting device (14A,14B,14C), a plurality of external power sources (20,22,24,26,27) and an internal power source (16) applying a first electrical current to illuminate at least one lighting source (18A,18B,18C), wherein the internal power source (16) supplies the first electrical current. Further, a fuel gauging system and method (1230) detects an electrochemical composition of a power source (16,20,22,24,26,27), which can be at least one of the internal power source (16) and the external power source (20,22,24,26,27), and then determines a state of charge of the power source (16,20,22,24,26,27) based upon the determined electrochemical composition of the power source (16,20,22,24,26,27).

Claims

1. A fuel gauging system comprising:

hardware circuitry adapted to electrically connect to a power source that has an electrochemical composition;

an electrochemical composition detection device configured to determine said electrochemical composition of said power source based on a voltage discharge of the power source; and

a fuel gauging device configured to determine a state of charge of said power source based upon said determined electrochemical composition of said power source.

2. The fuel gauging system device of claim 1, wherein said fuel gauging device determines said state of charge of said power source based upon a voltage potential of said power source and an internal resistance of said power source.

3. The fuel gauging system device of claim 1, wherein said fuel gauging device utilizes a lookup table to determine said state of charge of said power source based upon a closed circuit voltage potential and an internal resistance of said power source.

4. The fuel gauging system device of claim 1, wherein said electrochemical composition detection device determines said electrochemical composition of said power source based upon an open circuit voltage potential of said power source, a closed circuit voltage potential of said power source, and an internal resistance of said power source.

5. The fuel gauging system device of claim 1, wherein said electrochemical composition detection device determines said electrochemical composition of said power source as a function of a recovery time of said power source.

6. The fuel gauging system device of claim 1, wherein said fuel gauging device intermittently determines said state of charge and the electrochemical composition of said power source at predetermined time intervals.

7. The fuel gauging system device of claim 6, wherein the predetermined time intervals are delayed to limit a power consumption of the fuel gauging device.

8. The fuel gauging system device of claim 1, wherein said electrochemical detection device and said fuel gauging device are used with at least one comprising:

a lighting device;

a cellular telephone;

a personal digital assistant (PDA);

a recharger device; and

a multimedia device.

9. The fuel gauging system device of claim 1 further comprising at least one fuel gauging indicator configured to indicate said determined state of charge.

10. The gauging system of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical composition detection device determines the electrochemical composition by comparing a voltage recovery characteristic to known characteristics for a plurality of electrochemical compositions.

11. A method of determining a state of charge of a power source electrically connected to hardware circuitry, said method comprising the steps of:

determining an electrochemical composition of a power source based on a voltage response of the power source; and

determining a state of charge of said power source based upon said determined electrochemical composition of said power source.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of determining said state of charge of said power source comprises the steps of:

determining a voltage potential of said power source; and

determining an internal resistance of said power source, such that said state of charge is determined as a function of said determined voltage potential and said determined internal resistance.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said of determining said state of charge and the electrochemical composition, of said power source are performed intermittently during time intervals.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising delaying between the time intervals to limit a power consumption in determining the state of charge and the electrochemical composition of the power source.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of determining said electrochemical composition comprises the step of determining said electrochemical composition of said power source as a function of recovery time of said power source.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining said state of charge of said power source comprises the steps of:

determining a closed circuit voltage of said power source;

determining an internal resistance of said power source; and

utilizing a lookup table to determine said state of charge of said power source as a function of said determined closed circuit voltage and said determined internal resistance.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the electrochemical composition of the power source comprises comparing a voltage recovery characteristic to known characteristics for a plurality of electrochemical compositions.

18. A fuel gauging system comprising:

hardware circuitry adapted to electrically connect to a power source that has an electrochemical composition;

an electrochemical composition detection device configured to determine said electrochemical composition of said power source based on a signal response of the power source; and

a fuel gauging device configured to determine a state of charge of said power source based upon said determined electrochemical composition of said power source.