System for controlling battery conditions

• US 8,890,467 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Almquist, Edward, Krajci, Martin, Blasko, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US13/073,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 320/128, 320/104, 320/101, 320/109, 320/134, 320/135, 320/108, 307/10.6, 307/10.7
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus 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: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A system and method for controlling battery conditions. The system includes a network access device battery. The network access device battery powers a network access device. A heating element may be connected to the network access device battery. The heating element may be a resistive load for determining a status of the network access device battery or the heating element may be activated based on a heating schedule.

Claims

1. A system for controlling battery conditions, the system comprising:

a wireless network access device;

a first battery, configured to provide power to the wireless network access device;

a backup battery configured to provide power to the wireless network access device when the first battery is not able to provide power to the wireless network access device;

and

a battery control circuit comprising a resistive load in thermal communication with the backup battery, and comprising a sensor configured to determine a temperature of the backup battery, the battery control circuit being additionally configured to provide electric power to the resistive load and thereby provide heat to the backup battery responsive to a determination that the temperature of the backup battery temperature is below a first threshold temperature.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the battery control circuit is additionally configured to provide electric power to the resistive load, from the first battery.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resistive load comprises a printed circuit board, at least a portion of which is thermally coupled to the backup battery.

4. The system according to claim 1, the resistive load comprises a trace on a flexible substrate.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an alternator and wherein the battery control circuit is configured to cause the alternator to provide electric power to the resistive load.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resistive load is coupled to the network access device by a thermal conductor.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein battery control circuit is configured to learn a time when to provide heat the backup battery based on a measured temperature of the backup battery.