Method and system for determining a state of charge of a battery

• US 8,836,280 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Koch, Brian J., Conell, Robert S., Verbrugge, Mark W., Meisner, Gregory P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US13/415,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20120161757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/132, 320/107, 320/135, 320/136, 320/108, 320/124, 320/137, 320/149, 320/104, 324/426, 324/200, 324/228, 324/226
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0273 Magnetic circuits with PM for magnetic field generation
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0278 for generating uniform fields, focusing, deflecting electrically charged particles for magnetic separation by Lorentz force B03C1/023; specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/383
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for determining a state of charge of a battery. The battery is subjected to a predetermined magnetic field such that the battery and the predetermined magnetic field jointly create a resultant magnetic field. The resultant magnetic field is sensed. The state of charge of the battery is determined based on the resultant magnetic field.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a battery;

a magnetic field generator configured to subject the battery to a predetermined magnetic field such that the battery and the magnetic field generator jointly create a resultant magnetic field; and

a magnetically responsive component configured to generate an electromagnetic response to the resultant magnetic field.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to:

communicate with the magnetically responsive component;

detect the electromagnetic response; and

determine a state of charge of the battery based on the electromagnetic response.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic response is a change in a magnetic susceptibility of the magnetically responsive component.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnetically responsive component is a wire coil.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnetically responsive component comprises a conductor configured to carry a current from a current source and receive substantially magnetic flux lines from a permanent magnet that are substantially perpendicular the magnetically responsive component.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein determining the state of charge of the battery comprises integrating a current flowing through the battery with respect to time.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein integrating the current flowing through the battery with respect to time comprises referring the electromagnetic response to a look up table.

8. A system comprising:

a battery;

a magnetic field generator configured to subject the battery to a constant predetermined magnetic field such that the battery and the magnetic field generator jointly create a resultant magnetic field; and

a magnetically responsive component configured to generate an electromagnetic response to the resultant magnetic field.

9. A system comprising:

a battery;

a magnetic field generator configured to subject the battery to predetermined magnetic field such that the battery and the magnetic field generator jointly create a resultant magnetic field; and

a wire coil configured to generate an electromagnetic response to the resultant magnetic field.