Batteries, battery systems, battery submodules, battery operational methods, battery system operational methods, battery charging methods, and battery system charging methods
First Claim
1. A battery system comprising:
- a first system terminal;
a second system terminal;
a plurality of rechargeable batteries coupled with the first and second system terminals and configured to supply electrical energy to a load coupled with the first and second system terminals and to receive electrical energy from a charger coupled with the first and second system terminals to charge the rechargeable batteries; and
control circuitry configured to monitor individual ones of the rechargeable batteries and to control an amount of electrical energy supplied to at least one of the rechargeable batteries using the monitoring;
wherein the rechargeable batteries individually comprise switching circuitry coupled between at least one of the first and second system terminals and the rechargeable cells of the respective individual battery, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the switching circuitry of the at least one of the rechargeable batteries to control the amount of electrical energy supplied to the at least one of the rechargeable batteries; and
wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the switching circuitry of another of the rechargeable batteries to electrically isolate the another of the rechargeable batteries from at least one of the first and second system terminals while the control circuitry is configured to control the switching circuitry of the at least one of the rechargeable batteries to electrically couple the at least one of the rechargeable batteries to the first and second system terminals.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Batteries, battery systems, battery submodules, battery operational methods, battery system operational methods, battery charging methods, and battery system charging methods are described. According to one aspect, a battery includes a first battery terminal, a second battery terminal, and a plurality of submodules individually comprising a first submodule terminal, a second submodule terminal, a plurality of rechargeable cells electrically coupled between the first and second submodule—terminals, and switching circuitry configured to electrically couple one of the first and second battery terminals with one of the first and second submodule terminals of one of the submodules during an engaged mode of operation of the one of the submodules and to electrically isolate the one of the first and second battery terminals from the one of the first and second submodule terminals of the one of the submodules during a disengaged mode of operation of the one of the submodules.
66 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A battery system comprising:
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a first system terminal; a second system terminal; a plurality of rechargeable batteries coupled with the first and second system terminals and configured to supply electrical energy to a load coupled with the first and second system terminals and to receive electrical energy from a charger coupled with the first and second system terminals to charge the rechargeable batteries; and control circuitry configured to monitor individual ones of the rechargeable batteries and to control an amount of electrical energy supplied to at least one of the rechargeable batteries using the monitoring; wherein the rechargeable batteries individually comprise switching circuitry coupled between at least one of the first and second system terminals and the rechargeable cells of the respective individual battery, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the switching circuitry of the at least one of the rechargeable batteries to control the amount of electrical energy supplied to the at least one of the rechargeable batteries; and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the switching circuitry of another of the rechargeable batteries to electrically isolate the another of the rechargeable batteries from at least one of the first and second system terminals while the control circuitry is configured to control the switching circuitry of the at least one of the rechargeable batteries to electrically couple the at least one of the rechargeable batteries to the first and second system terminals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A battery comprising:
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a first battery terminal; a second battery terminal; a plurality of rechargeable cells electrically coupled between the first and second battery terminals; and switching circuitry configured to control an amount of electrical energy conducted with respect to the rechargeable cells during electrical connection of the rechargeable cells to an external device from a state where the rechargeable cells and the external device are not electrically connected, wherein the switching circuitry comprises at least one semiconductor switching device configured to be biased on to a conducting state from a nonconducting state over a period of time during the electrical connection. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A battery system comprising:
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a plurality of rechargeable cells; first contactor circuitry configured to selectively electrically couple the rechargeable cells with an external device during an engaged mode of operation of the first contactor circuitry and to electrically isolate the rechargeable cells from the external device in a disengaged mode of operation of the first contactor circuitry; second contactor circuitry configured to selectively electrically couple the rechargeable cells with the external device in an engaged mode of operation of the second contactor circuitry and to electrically isolate the rechargeable cells from the external device in a disengaged mode of operation of the second contactor circuitry, and wherein the second contactor circuitry operating in the engaged mode of operation is configured to conduct a reduced amount of current compared with an amount of current conducted through the first contactor circuitry operating in the engaged mode of operation; and a plurality of switching circuits configured to electrically couple respective ones of the rechargeable cells with the external device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A battery system comprising:
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a first system terminal; a second system terminal; a plurality of rechargeable batteries coupled with the first and second system terminals, wherein the rechargeable batteries individually comprise; a plurality of rechargeable cells configured to receive electrical energy from the first and second system terminals during charging of the individual rechargeable battery and to supply electrical energy to the first and second system terminals during discharging of the individual rechargeable battery; and processing circuitry configured to implement at least one operation for the individual rechargeable battery with respect to at least one of the charging and discharging of the individual rechargeable battery; and management circuitry configured to communicate with the processing circuits of the rechargeable batteries, wherein the rechargeable batteries individually comprise a plurality of submodules individually comprising; a plurality of the rechargeable cells electrically coupled between the first and second system terminals and wherein the rechargeable cells receive charging electrical energy from the first and second system terminals; and switching circuitry configured to selectively electrically isolate the rechargeable cells of the respective individual submodule from at least one of the first and second system terminals. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A battery system charging method comprising:
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supplying electrical energy to electrically charge a plurality of rechargeable batteries of a battery system; monitoring the rechargeable batteries of the battery system during the supplying; and using the monitoring, controlling an amount of the electrical energy supplied to at least one of the rechargeable batteries, wherein the controlling comprises controlling switching circuitry of the at least one of the rechargeable batteries to control the amount of electrical energy supplied to the at least one of the rechargeable batteries; and wherein the method further comprises controlling switching circuitry of another of the rechargeable batteries to electrically isolate the another of the rechargeable batteries from a source of the electrical energy while controlling the switching circuitry of the at least one of the rechargeable batteries to supply electrical energy to the at least one of the rechargeable batteries. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A battery system operational method comprising:
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storing electrical energy using a plurality of rechargeable cells of a battery system; using contactor circuitry, electrically conducting electrical energy between the rechargeable cells and an external device during charging and discharging of the rechargeable cells during an engaged mode of operation of the battery system; using the contactor circuitry, electrically isolating the rechargeable cells and the external device during a disengaged mode of operation of the battery system; changing the mode of the operation of the battery system from the disengaged mode of operation to the engaged mode of operation; closing a first contactor of the contactor circuitry during the changing; closing a second contactor of the contactor circuitry during the changing and after the closing the first contactor; and using a plurality of switching circuits, selectively electrically coupling respective ones of the rechargeable cells with the external device. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A battery system operational method comprising:
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conducting electrical energy with respect to a plurality of rechargeable batteries of a battery system and wherein the rechargeable batteries individually comprise a plurality of rechargeable cells; for individual ones of the rechargeable batteries, implementing operations for the respective individual ones of the rechargeable batteries using respective processing circuits of the individual ones of the rechargeable batteries; and using management circuitry of the battery system, communicating with the processing circuits of the rechargeable batteries; wherein the conducting, for an individual one of the batteries, comprises conducting electrical energy with respect to a plurality of submodules of the individual one of the batteries, and the submodules individually comprise a plurality of the rechargeable cells and switching circuitry configured to selectively electrically isolate the rechargeable cells of the individual submodule from an external device coupled with the battery system. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification