Charging control system

• US 8,797,000 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kubota, Osamu, Tanaka, Akihide, Feng, Xiaoliang
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/160,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20110309801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 320/162, 320/128, 320/134, 320/116
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In a charging control system for recording data regarding charging a secondary battery, a status recording unit refers the charging voltage value and the charging current value and records the referred charging voltage, the referred charging current and reference time when the charging current value is referred and time when the charging voltage value is referred, on the recording unit. A battery protecting unit stops the charging the secondary battery when the charging voltage exceeds the predetermined target voltage value. The status recording unit starts recording of the charging voltage value, the charging current value, and the reference time on the recording unit, when the charging voltage exceeds the target voltage value as a result of a fail in stopping the charging by the battery protecting unit because of occurrence of a trouble in the battery protecting unit.

Claims

1. A charging control system for recording data regarding charging a secondary battery, comprising:

a recording unit configured to store the data;

a voltage measuring unit configured to measure a charging voltage value of the secondary battery;

a current measuring unit configured to measure a charging current value of the secondary battery;

a status recording unit configured to refer the charging voltage value and the charging current value and to record the referred charging voltage value, the referred charging current value, a first reference time when the charging voltage value is referred and a second reference time when the charging current value is referred, on the recording unit; and

a battery protecting unit configured to stop the charging of the secondary battery when the charging voltage exceeds a predetermined target voltage value, wherein the status recording unit starts recording of the charging voltage value, the charging current value, and the first and second reference times on the recording unit, when the charging voltage exceeds a target voltage value as a result of a failure in stopping charging by the battery protecting unit because of occurrence of trouble in the battery protecting unit, and

wherein the status recording unit is configured to record the referred charging voltage value as a recorded charging voltage value, the referred charging current value as a recorded charging current value and the first reference time to which the charging voltage value is referred and the second reference time to which the charging current value is referred as recorded first and second reference times, and wherein

the status recording unit is configured to stop the recording on the recording unit on the basis of values of at least one of the recorded charging voltage value, the recorded charging current value and the recorded first and second reference times after the status recording unit started the recording of the charging voltage, the charging current value, and the first and second reference time on the recording unit.

2. The charging control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after the status recording unit stops the recording of the charging voltage value, the charging current value, and the first and second reference times, the status recording unit starts again the recording of the charging voltage value, the charging current value, and the first and second reference times on the recording unit when the status recording unit detects that the charging voltage value exceeds the target voltage.

3. The charging control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging voltage value, the charging current value, and the first and second reference times are recorded on the recording unit so that the charging voltage value, the charging current value, and the first and second reference times are readable by a third party.

4. The charging control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording unit is configured to be detachable.

5. The charging control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a determining unit and a display unit, wherein

the status recording unit is configured to record the referred charging voltage value as a recorded charging voltage value, the referred charging current value as a recorded charging current value and the first reference time to which the charging voltage value is referred and the second reference time to which the charging current value is referred as recorded reference first and second times, and wherein

the determining unit is configured to determine whether the secondary battery is re-usable on the basis of the recorded charging voltage, the recorded charging current, and the recorded first and second reference times and display a result of of the determination by the determining unit on the display unit.