Secondary battery pack and authentication method

• US 9,653,761 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Envision AESC Energy Devices Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Energy Devices, Ltd. (Envision Group /TX/)
• Inventors: Kono, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US14/421,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20150207185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 320107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An authenticator (5, 11) is compatible with a plurality of authentication systems to authenticate an external device connected with a connection terminal (OUT, ID), and the authenticator executes authentication processes by the plurality of authentication systems in order, and permits transfer of electric power between the external device and a secondary battery part (1) when any one of authentication processes is successful.

Claims

1. A secondary battery pack comprising:

a secondary battery;

a connection terminal connectable to an external device that transmits electric power to or receives the electric power from said secondary battery; and

an authenticator compatible with a plurality of authentication systems to authenticate the external device connected to said connection terminal, the authenticator is configured to execute authentication processes of the plurality of authentication systems in order and to permit transfer of the electric power between the external device and said secondary battery in response to any one of the authentication processes being successful, wherein

the external device is a battery charger that charges said secondary battery, and

a first one of the plurality for authentication systems comprises a first one of the authentication processes of the external device and is executed based on a value of current supplied from the external device to said secondary battery.

2. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1, wherein an authentication time period required for completing determination of whether an authentication process is possible is different among the authentication systems.

3. The secondary battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the authenticator implements the plurality of authentication systems in order, starting from an authentication system comprising a shortest authentication time period.

4. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1, wherein any one of the plurality of authentication systems is a first authentication system in which an authentication process for the external device is executed based on an external signal for executing the authentication process for the external device, the external signal being input by the external device.

5. The secondary battery pack according to claim 4, wherein the authenticator first implements the first authentication system.

6. The secondary battery pack according to claim 5, wherein

a second one of the plurality of authentication systems comprises a second one of the authentication processes for the external device and is executed based on a second value of the current supplied from the external device to said secondary battery, and

the authenticator secondly implements the second authentication system.

7. The secondary battery pack according to claim 6, wherein, in the second one of the plurality of authentication systems, the second one of the authentication processes for the external device is executed based on whether the second value of the current falls within a predetermined current value range.

8. The secondary battery pack according to claim 4, wherein, in the first authentication system, the authentication process for the external device is executed based on whether the external signal is the H level or the L level.

9. An authentication method performed in a secondary battery pack comprising a secondary battery and a connection terminal connectable to an external device that transmits electric power to or receives the electric power from the secondary battery, the secondary battery pack being compatible with a plurality of authentication systems to authenticate the external device connected to the connection terminal, the method comprising:

executing authentication processes by the plurality of authentication systems in order; and

permitting transfer of the electric power between the external device and the secondary battery in response to any one of the authentication processes being successful, wherein

the external device is a battery charger that charges said secondary battery, and

a first one of the plurality for authentication systems comprises a first one of the authentication processes of the external device and is executed based on a value of current supplied from the external device to said secondary battery.