Conformable wearable battery with removable command module

• US 9,564,761 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventus Power, Co.
• Original Assignee: Palladium Energy
• Inventors: Hopfer, Albert Nicholas III, Batts, William Mark, Habegger, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US14/550,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20160233695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 320/128
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• 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 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• 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 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/46 of flat cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/505 Cells combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5066 Type recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery assembly has a command module with a power connection interface and a battery matrix interface. A battery matrix has a plurality of battery cells, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) and a command module interface. The battery matrix interface may be removably interconnected with the command module interface, enabling power delivery from the battery matrix through the command module to the power connection interface and review of the EEPROM for capacity feedback with respect to remaining electrical power of the battery matrix.

Claims

1. A battery assembly, comprising:

a command module with a power connection interface and a battery matrix interface;

a battery matrix with a plurality of battery cells, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) and a command module interface;

a retention slot provided in an overbody of the battery matrix and a retention fin protruding from a case of the command module;

the retention fin mating with the retention slot, aligning the command module interface with the battery matrix interface;

the battery matrix interface removably interconnected with the command module interface; and

the EEPROM electrically connected to the command module via the command module interface;

the plurality of battery cells electrically connected to the command module via the command module interface and through the command module to the power connection interface.

2. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the battery matrix interface has three conductors.

3. The battery assembly of claim 1, further including a capacity feedback on the command module.

4. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the capacity feedback is a plurality of light emitting diodes.

5. The battery assembly of claim 1, further including a main power switch on the command module;

the main power switch operable to electrically couple the plurality of battery cells with the power connection interface.

6. The battery assembly of claim 5, wherein the main power switch also actuates a capacity feedback on the command module.

7. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the power connection interface includes conductors of a system management bus.

8. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the battery cells are single use battery cells.

9. A battery assembly, comprising:

a command module with a power connection interface and a battery matrix interface;

a battery matrix with a plurality of battery cells, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) and a command module interface;

the battery matrix interface removably interconnected with the command module interface; and

the command module interface is provided on a raised base of a housing of the battery matrix;

a cover portion of the command module covering the raised base when the command module interface is interconnected with the battery matrix interface;

the EEPROM electrically connected to the command module via the command module interface;

the plurality of battery cells electrically connected to the command module via the command module interface and through the command module to the power connection interface.

10. A method for monitoring the power level of a battery matrix, comprising;

coupling a command module to the battery matrix;

reading an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) of the battery matrix; and

coupling one or both of a power management system and a load to a power connection interface of the command module and reading a value of an EEPROM data obtained by the command module, via a system management bus.

11. The method of claim 10, further including the step of illuminating a capacity feedback corresponding to a monitored power level.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the illumination of the capacity feedback is for a preset period from actuation of a main power switch of the command module.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the coupling between the command module and the battery matrix is via insertion of a retention fin protruding from a case of the command module into a retention slot provided in an overbody of the battery matrix;

the retention fin mating with the retention slot aligning a command module interface of the battery matrix with a battery matrix interface of the command module.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the EEPROM includes a read-only identifying data indicating a battery type.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the EEPROM includes a read-only identifying data indicating a cell chemistry of the battery matrix.