State of charge indicator method and system

• US 9,559,536 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Brockman, Daryl C., Douglass, James Cameron
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US14/266,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20150318725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• 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 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

A state of charge indicator for providing an indication of a state of charge of a battery module includes an indicator light configured to emit a first wavelength of light representative of the state of charge of the battery module. The state of charge indicator also includes a connector configured to be removably coupled to a mating connector of the battery module. The connector includes a plurality of electrical contacts. The plurality of electrical contacts includes a first electrical contact configured to receive a signal from the battery module indicative of the state of charge of the battery module and to transmit the signal to the state of charge indicator to activate the indicator light.

Claims

1. A state of charge indicator for providing an indication of a state of charge of a battery module, comprising:

an indicator light configured to emit a first wavelength of light representative of the state of charge of the battery module;

a first connector configured to be removably coupled to a mating connector of the battery module, wherein the first connector comprises a plurality of electrical contacts, and wherein the plurality of electrical contacts comprises a first electrical contact configured to receive a signal from the battery module indicative of the state of charge of the battery module and to transmit the signal to the state of charge indicator to activate the indicator light; and

a reset switch configured to be selectively transitioned between an on state and an off state, and wherein the plurality of electrical contacts comprises a second electrical contact configured to transmit a signal to the battery module in response to a change in state of the reset switch, wherein the signal is configured to transition the battery module from an operational mode to a sleep mode or vice versa.

2. The state of charge indicator of claim 1, wherein the first connector comprises a male pin-out connector.

3. The state of charge indicator of claim 1, wherein the first connector comprises a proprietary geometry that conforms to a connection standard that provides a specific intrusion protection rating.

4. The state of charge indicator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts comprises a second electrical contact configured to receive power from the battery module.

5. The state of charge indicator of claim 4, wherein the state of charge indicator is configured to use the power received from the battery module to power the indicator light.

6. The state of charge indicator of claim 1, comprising a second indicator light configured to emit a second wavelength of light representative of the state of charge of the battery module.

7. The state of charge indicator of claim 6, wherein the first indicator light and the second indicator light are configured to be selectively activated by the signal received by the first electrical contact.

8. The state of charge indicator of claim 1, comprising a second connector configured to couple to a mating connector of a charging device for charging the battery module.

9. The state of charge indicator of claim 8, wherein the second connector comprises a pair of electrical contacts configured to transmit charging power through the state of charge indicator.

10. The state of charge indicator of claim 9, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts of the first connector comprises a second electrical contact and a third electrical contact, and wherein the state of charge indicator is configured to receive charge from the charging device using the first and second electrical contacts of the second connector and to transmit the received charge to the battery module using the second and third electrical contacts of the first connector.

11. The state of charge indicator of claim 8, wherein the plurality of contacts of the first connector comprises a second electrical contact configured for data input and the second connector comprises a first electrical contact configured for data output, and wherein the state of charge indicator is configured to transmit data from the battery module to the charging device.

12. The state of charge indicator of claim 1, wherein the reset switch comprises a button configured to be depressed.

23. The state of charge indicator of claim 1, comprising a housing and a cable extending from the housing, wherein the connector is coupled to a distal end of the cable extending from the housing.

13. A state of charge indicator, comprising:

a housing;

a reset switch disposed on the housing, wherein the reset switch is configured to be selectively transitioned between an on state and an off state;

a multi-conductor connector coupled to the housing, wherein the multi-conductor connector is configured to be coupled to a mating connector of a battery module, and wherein the multi-conductor connector comprises a first conductor configured to transmit a signal to the battery module to transition the battery module from an operational mode to a sleep mode, or from the sleep mode to the operational mode, in response to a change in state of the reset switch; and

a cable coupled between the multi-conductor connector and the housing.

14. The state of charge indicator of claim 13, wherein the state of charge indicator is configured to receive a signal from the battery module via a second conductor of the multi-conductor connector and to provide an indication of a state of charge of the battery module based upon the received signal.

15. The state of charge indicator of claim 13, comprising a first indicator light disposed in the housing and configured to emit a first color of light and a second indicator light disposed in the housing and configured to emit a second color of light, wherein the multi-conductor connector comprises a second conductor configured to receive a signal from the battery module, and wherein the signal selectively activates the first indicator light or the second indicator light.

16. The state of charge indicator of claim 15, wherein the multi-conductor connector comprises a third conductor configured to receive power from the battery module, and wherein the state of charge indicator is configured to use the power received from the battery module to power the first indicator light or the second indicator light.

17. The state of charge indicator of claim 13, comprising a second connector coupled to the housing, wherein the second connector is configured to couple the state of charge indicator to a charging device, and wherein the state of charge indicator is configured to receive charging power through two conductors of the second connector, and wherein the state of charge indicator is configured to transmit the charging power to the battery module through a second conductor and a third conductor of the multi-conductor connector.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving charging power from a charging device through two conductors of a first multi-conductor connector of a state of charge indicator;

transmitting the charging power to a connector of a battery module through a first conductor and a second conductor of a second multi-conductor connector of the state of charge indicator;

receiving a data signal indicative of a state of charge of the battery module through a third conductor of the second multi-conductor connector of the state of charge indicator; and

providing an indication of the state of charge of the battery module based on the received data signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the indication of the state of charge of the battery module comprises activating an indicator light of the state of charge indicator.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

receiving power from the battery module through a fourth conductor of the second multi-conductor connector of the state of charge indicator; and

using the power received from the battery module to power the indicator light.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising:

receiving a data signal indicative of a state of charge of the battery module from the battery module, wherein the data signal is received through a third conductor of the second multi-conductor connector of the state of charge indicator; and

transmitting the data signal to the charging device through an additional conductor of the first multi-conductor connector of the state of charge indicator.

22. The method of claim 20 comprising transmitting a signal to the battery module through a third conductor of the second multi-conductor connector in response to a change of state of a reset switch disposed on a housing of the state of charge indicator, wherein the signal is configured to transition the battery module from an operational mode to a sleep mode or from the sleep mode to the operational mode.