Battery testing system and method

• US 9,312,575 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Franklin Grid Solutions, LLC (EBW, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Stukenberg, Todd J., Kehoe, Thomas, Kielian, Slawomir, Mertogul, Zafer
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/276,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20140340231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636.1, 340/514, 320/132
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• 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 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery testing system includes a battery test module configured to couple to a battery. The battery test module is further configured to measure battery parameters and transmit the measured battery parameters. The battery testing system also includes a portable tablet device configured to receive the transmitted measured battery parameters. The portable tablet device is further configured to determine a battery test result from the measured battery parameters and display the battery test result.

Claims

1. A battery testing system, comprising:

a battery test module configured to couple to a battery, the battery test module is further configured to measure battery parameters and to transmit the measured battery parameters; and

a portable tablet device configured to receive the transmitted measured battery parameters, the portable tablet device further configured to determine a battery test result from the measured battery parameters and display the battery test result.

2. The battery testing system of claim 1 and wherein the battery test module is configured to wirelessly transmit the measured battery parameters.

3. The battery testing system of claim 2 and wherein the battery test module is configured to wirelessly transmit the measured battery parameters via a Bluetooth wireless network.

4. The battery testing system of claim 1 and wherein the battery test module is without a keypad for entering battery-related information.

5. The battery testing system of claim 1 and further comprising a remote database, wherein the portable tablet device is configured to access the remote database.

6. The battery testing system of claim 1 and wherein the battery test module comprises at least one of a barcode scanner or radio frequency identification (RFID) reader.

7. The battery testing system of claim 1 and wherein the portable tablet device comprises a user interface that enables a user to select and download battery testing applications form a remote server.

8. The battery testing system of claim 7 and wherein the user interface displays a list of the battery testing applications in response to entry of a valid username and password.

9. The battery testing system of claim 1 and wherein the portable table device is configured to initiate a battery test.

10. The battery testing system of claim 5 and wherein the portable tablet device is configured to automatically update the remote database with the battery test result.

11. A method comprising:

connecting a battery test module to a battery;

measuring, by the battery test module, battery parameters;

transmitting, by the battery test module, the measured battery parameters;

receiving the measured battery parameters in a portable tablet device;

determining, by the portable tablet device, a battery test result from the measured battery parameters; and

displaying the battery test result via a display unit of the portable tablet device.

12. The method of claim 11 and further comprising updating, by the tablet device, a remote database with the battery test result.

13. The method of claim 11 and further comprising obtaining, by the battery test module, battery information from a tag affixed to the battery.

14. The method of claim 11 and further comprising initiating a battery test by the portable tablet device.

15. The method of claim 11 and further comprising displaying, by the portable tablet device, a list of battery testing applications downloadable from a remote server.

16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising:

receiving, by the portable tablet device, a username and password;

validating, by the portable tablet device, the username and password; and

upon determining that the username and password are valid, downloading, by the portable tablet device, at least one of the battery testing applications form the remote server.

17. The method of claim 11 and wherein the battery is one of a plurality of batteries of a battery string to be tested, and wherein the method further comprises:

entering site identification information into the portable tablet device, the site identification information indicative of a location of the battery string to be tested;

obtaining, via the portable tablet device, a test sequence indicative of an order of testing the batteries in the battery string;

initiating, by the portable tablet device, the test sequence;

applying a battery test module to individual ones of the batteries in the string based on the test sequence;

transmitting, by the test module, measured battery parameters obtained from the individual ones of the batteries in the string to the portable tablet device; and

computing, by the portable tablet device, test results for the individual ones of the batteries in the battery string; and

displaying the test results via the display unit of the portable tablet device.

18. The method of claim 17 and further comprising obtaining the test sequence from a remote database in response to entering the site identification into the portable tablet device.

19. The method of claim 18 and further comprising updating, by the tablet device, the remote database with the test results.

20. The method of claim 17 and further comprising obtaining, by the battery test module, battery information form a tag affixed to the battery.