Battery pack for electric power tool, and battery connection device

• US 9,083,184 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Okabayashi, Hisakazu, Noda, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): DO, THUAN V
• Application Number:
  US13/513,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20120235628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 320/128
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A battery connection device is provided with an authentication data creating unit that creates authentication data, a conversion unit that performs a first conversion of the authentication data, a transmission unit that transmits the authentication data to a battery pack, a receiving unit that receives from the battery pack a battery-side conversion result that is data obtained after the authentication data is converted by the battery pack, a reverse conversion unit that, on an assumption that the battery pack creates the battery-side conversion result by performing the first conversion and a second conversion on the authentication data, performs a reverse conversion of the second conversion on the battery-side conversion result, and a determination unit that determines whether or not the battery pack is an authentic product by comparing a result of the reverse conversion with a result of the first conversion.

Claims

1. A battery connection device that is electrically connected to a battery pack for electric power tools, the device comprising:

an authentication data creating unit that creates authentication data;

a conversion unit that performs a first conversion of the authentication data created by the authentication data creating unit;

a transmission unit that transmits to the battery pack the authentication data created by the authentication data creating unit when the battery pack is electrically connected to the battery connection device;

a receiving unit that receives from the battery pack a battery-side conversion result that is data obtained after the authentication data is converted by the battery pack;

a reverse conversion unit that, on an assumption that the battery pack as an authentic product creates the battery-side conversion result by performing the first conversion and further a second conversion on the authentication data, performs a reverse conversion of the second conversion on the battery-side conversion result received by the receiving unit; and

a determination unit that compares a result of the reverse conversion performed by the reverse conversion unit with a result of the first conversion performed by the conversion unit and determines whether or not the battery pack is an authentic product.

2. The battery connection device according to claim 1, wherein the battery connection device is a charging device of the battery pack.

3. The battery connection device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit, if it determines that the result of the reverse conversion is equal to the result of the first conversion, allows charging of the battery pack.

4. The battery connection device according to claim 2, wherein

the determination unit, if the result of the reverse conversion is different from the result of the first conversion, prohibits or restricts charging of the battery pack, and

the battery connection device further comprises a warning unit that, if the determination unit determines that the result of the reverse conversion is different from the result of the first conversion, warns of abnormity.

5. The battery connection device according to claim 1, wherein

the battery connection device is a electric power tool body powered by the battery pack.

6. The battery connection device according to claim 5, wherein

the determination unit, if it determines that the result of the reverse conversion is equal to the result of the first conversion, allows supply of electric power from the battery pack.

7. The battery connection device according to claim 5, wherein

the determination unit, if it determines that the result of the reverse conversion is different from the result of the first conversion, prohibits supply of electric power from the battery pack, and

the battery connection device further comprises a warning unit that, if the determination unit determines that the result of the reverse conversion is different from the result of the first conversion, warns of abnormity.

8. The battery connection device according to claim 1, wherein

the conversion unit performs the first conversion using one fixed formula.

9. The battery connection device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication data creating unit creates the authentication data by encrypting specified random number data with specified data for encryption.

10. The battery connection device according to claim 9, wherein the authentication data creating unit is configured to create the random number data based on either voltage data or temperature data of the battery pack.

11. The battery connection device according to claim 10, wherein the authentication data creating unit is configured to create the data for encryption based on either voltage data or temperature data of the battery pack.