DETACHABLE BATTERY STATUS ALARM AND BATTERY DETECTOR THEREOF

• US 20090179763A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DHC Specialty Corp.
• Original Assignee: DHC Specialty Corp.
• Inventors: SHENG, Hsien-Fang
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/636.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/364 Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A detachable battery status alarm has an alarm device and at least one battery detector. The battery detector is directly mounted on the battery and electronically connected to the battery. The alarm device links to the battery detector to obtain the battery status in a physical connection or a wireless connection. Therefore, the alarm device does not physically connect to the battery or batteries to test the battery or batteries.

Claims

1. A detachable battery status alarm comprising:

at least one battery detector having;

a casing;

two electrode terminals mounted on the casing and adapted to electronically connected to a battery; and

a detecting and communicating circuit mounted inside the casing, electronically connected to the two electrode terminals to obtain a battery status of the battery and then output the battery status; and

an alarm device linking to each of the at least one battery detector, dual-communicating with the battery detector and having;

a shell; and

a communicating and alarm circuit mounted inside the shell, receiving and storing the battery statuses from each of the at least one battery detector, and determining whether the battery statuses are abnormal;

if a determining result positive, the communicating and alarm circuit alarms.

2. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting and communicating circuit comprises:

a power detecting unit having;

an electronic switch; and

a resistor load electronically connected to the two electrode terminals through the electronic switch and adapted to selectively connected to the battery;

a first processing unit electronically connected to the power detecting unit and has a test procedure to control the electronic switch to turn on or turn off, and then the resistor load selectively connected to the two electrode terminals;

a first communicating unit electronically connected to the first processing unit and transmitting the battery status to the alarm device;

a power regulator electronically connected to the two electrode terminals, regulating a voltage of the battery and then outputting a DC voltage to the first processing unit, the first communicating unit and power detecting unit.

3. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 2, wherein the test procedure has steps of:

(a) obtaining an initial voltage of the battery;

(b) applying the resistor load to the battery for a first time period;

(c) measuring a first voltage at the end of the first time period;

(d) removing the resistor load;

(e) measuring a second voltage at the end of a first recovery time period after removing the resistor load;

(f) measuring a third voltage at the end of a second recovery time period after removing the resistor load; and

(g) analyzing the condition of the battery having acts of;

(g1) calculating an internal resistance of the battery by an equation;

Ri=(V4−

V2)/(V2/Rload), wherein Ri is the internal resistance and Rload is the resistor load;

(g2) calculating a current capacity of the battery by the internal resistance;

(g3) determining whether the current capacity of the battery is greater than a preset capacity;

if a determining result is positive, the battery is normal and on the contrary, the battery is abnormal; and

(g4) determining a difference between the third voltage and the second voltage is greater than a preset voltage;

if a determining result is positive, the battery is normal and on the contrary, the battery is abnormal.

4. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second recovery time is longer than the first recovery time period and the second time period is longer than the first time period.

5. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first time period is 0.1 ms to 1 s or 1 ms, the first recovery time period is 0.2 ms to 1 s or 0.5 ms to 5 s and the second recovery time period is 0.6 ms to 10 s or 60 ms to 100 s.

6. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first processing unit further obtains or calculates the battery voltage, the battery current, the cold cranking ampere (CCA), the ampere-hour (AH), the cranking amps (CA), the marine cranking ampere (MCA), charge status, watt-hour (WH).

7. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 3, further comprising an environment status detecting unit electronically connected to the first processing unit, adapted to mount next to the battery, wherein the first processing unit obtains an environment status of the battery through the environment status detecting unit.

8. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 4, further comprising an environment status detecting unit electronically connected to the first processing unit, adapted to mount next to the battery, wherein the first processing unit obtains an environment status of the battery through the environment status detecting unit.

9. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 5, further comprising an environment status detecting unit electronically connected to the first processing unit, adapted to mount next to the battery, wherein the first processing unit obtains an environment status of the battery through the environment status detecting unit.

10. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 6, further comprising an environment status detecting unit electronically connected to the first processing unit, adapted to mount next to the battery, wherein the first processing unit obtains an environment status of the battery through the environment status detecting unit.

11. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 7, wherein the environment status detecting unit comprises an environment sensor and the environment sensor is a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a hygrometer, an acid and alkaline detector or an oxygen sensor.

12. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first processing unit is a microprocessor or a single chip.

13. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 11, wherein the communicating and alarm circuit of the alarm unit comprises:

a second communicating unit linking to the first communicating unit of each of the at least one battery detector to receive the battery statuses and environment statuses;

a second processing unit electronically connected to the second communicating unit to receive the battery status and environment statuses, and having inputs, outputs and an alarm procedure to determine whether the battery status or environment is abnormal;

an output unit electronically connected to outputs of the second processing unit, so the second processing unit outputs the battery statuses or environment statuses to the output unit, and controlling the output unit to alarm after the battery status or environment status is abnormal; and

an input unit electronically connected to the inputs of the second processing unit to set parameters of the second processing unit.

14. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 13, wherein

the output unit is a display, a printer, a buzzer or a light indicator;

and

the input unit is a keyboard or a mouse.

15. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 13, wherein the alarm device further comprises a connecting port electronically connected to the second processing unit and adapted to connect to an external device.

16. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 14, wherein the alarm device further comprises a connecting port electronically connected to the second processing unit and adapted to connect to an external device.

17. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 16, wherein the connecting port is RS-232, RJ45, Bluetooth, RE, UART, USB, I²C or IR module.

18. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first and second communicating units are physically connected or wireless connected to each other.

19. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first processing unit of each of the at least one battery detector further comprises a first data communicating procedure, wherein the first data communicating procedure comprises steps of:

executing a handshake connecting process to link the alarm device;

waiting to receive a response request from the alarm device, wherein the response request including a battery detector identification and an alarm device identification;

determining whether the battery detector identification matches a battery detector identification preset inside the battery detector;

if not, go to the step of executing a handshake connecting process and if so, go to next step; and

transmitting the battery status and the environment status to the alarm device after the response request is received.

20. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second processing unit of the alarm device further comprises a second data communicating procedure, wherein the second data communicating procedure comprises steps of:

executing a handshake connecting process to link the corresponding battery detector;

transmitting a response request to the corresponding battery detector, wherein the response request includes an battery detector identification of the corresponding detector battery detector and the alarm device identification;

waiting to receive the battery status or environment status from the corresponding battery detector; and

outputting the battery status or environment status to the output unit.

21. A compact battery detector, comprising:

a casing;

two electrode terminals mounted on the casing and adapted to electronically connected to a battery; and

a detecting and communicating circuit mounted inside the casing, electronically connected to the two electrode terminals to obtain a battery status of the battery and then output the battery status.

22. The compact battery detector as claimed in claim 21, wherein the detecting and communicating circuit comprises:

a power detecting unit having;

an electronic switch; and

a resistor load electronically connected to the two electrode terminals through the electronic switch and adapted to selectively connected to the battery;

a first processing unit electronically connected to the power detecting unit and has a test procedure to control the electronic switch to turn on or turn off, and then the resistor load selectively connected to the two electrode terminals; and

a first communicating unit electronically connected to the first processing unit.

23. The compact battery detector as claimed in claim 22, wherein the test procedure has steps of:

(a) obtaining an initial voltage of a battery;

(b) applying the resistor load to the battery for a first time period;

(c) measuring a first voltage at the end of the first time period;

(d) removing the resistor load;

(e) measuring a second voltage at the end of a first recovery time period after removing the resistor load;

(f) measuring a third voltage at the end of a second recovery time period after removing the resistor load; and

(g) analyzing the condition of the battery having acts of;

(g1) calculating an internal resistance of the battery by an equation;

Ri=(V4−

V2)/(V2/Rload), wherein Ri is the internal resistance and Rload is the resistor load;

(g2) calculating a current capacity of the battery by the internal resistance;

(g3) determining whether the current capacity of the battery is greater than a preset capacity;

if a determining result is positive, the battery is normal and on the contrary, the battery is abnormal; and

(g4) determining a difference between the third voltage and the second voltage is greater than a preset voltage;

if a determining result is positive, the battery is normal and on the contrary, the battery is abnormal.

24. The detachable battery status alarm as claimed in claim 23, wherein the second recovery time is longer than the first recovery time period and the second time period is longer than the first time period.

25. The compact battery detector as claimed in claim 24, wherein the first time period is 0.1 ms to is or 1 ms, the first recovery time period is 0.2 ms to 1 s or 0.5 ms to 5 s and the second recovery time period is 0.6 ms to 10 s or 60 ms to 100 s.

26. The compact battery detector as claimed in claim 23, wherein the first processing unit further obtains or calculates the battery voltage, the battery current, the cold cranking ampere (CCA), the ampere-hour (AH), the cranking amps (CA), the marine cranking ampere (MCA), charge status, watt-hour (WH).

27. The compact battery detector as claimed in claim 21, further comprising an environment status detecting unit electronically connected to the first processing unit, adapted to mount next to the battery, wherein the first processing unit obtains an environment status of the battery through the environment status detecting unit.

28. The compact battery detector as claimed in claim 27, wherein the environment status detecting unit comprises an environment sensor and the environment sensor is a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a hygrometer, an acid and alkaline detector or an oxygen sensor.

29. The compact battery detector as claimed in claim 22, wherein the first processing unit is a microprocessor or a single chip.

30. The compact battery detector as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first communicating units is a physically communicating module or a wireless communicating module.