PROTECTION MODULE AND METHOD FOR MANAGING STATUS DATA OF THE PROTECTION MODULE

• US 20120206107A1
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Saito, Takahiro, ONO, Kimitoshi
• Application Number:
  US13/360,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20120206107A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A protection module interposed between a chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery and a load, the protection module includes a first switching element connected to the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery, a second switching element connected to the load, a protection unit configured to prevent over-charge and over-discharge of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery by switching on/off the first and the second switching elements, a storage unit configured to store status data of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery and threshold data pertaining to a status of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery, a status monitor unit configured to monitor the status of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery. The status monitor unit is configured to set plural storage areas in the storage unit and store the status data and a flag data indicating whether the status data is a latest status data in one of the plural storage areas.

Claims

1. A protection module interposed between a chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery and a load, the protection module comprising:

a first switching element connected to the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery;

a second switching element connected to the load;

a protection unit configured to prevent over-charge and over-discharge of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery by switching on/off the first and the second switching elements;

a storage unit configured to store status data of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery and threshold data pertaining to a status of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery;

a status monitor unit configured to monitor the status of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery;

wherein the status monitor unit is configured to allocate a plurality of storage areas in the storage unit and store the status data and a flag data indicating whether the status data is a latest status data in one of the plural storage areas.

2. The protection module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the status monitor unit is configured to set the flag data with respect to a status item selected from a plurality of status items included in the status data.

3. The protection module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selected status item includes a plurality of groups, wherein the status monitor unit is configured to set the flag data in correspondence with each group of the plural groups.

4. The protection module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plural storage areas are three or more storage areas, wherein the status monitor unit is configured to obtain a degradation degree of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery based on chronological storage data obtained from the three or more storage areas.

5. A method for managing status data of a protection module interposed between a chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery and a load, the method comprising the steps of:

a) monitoring a status of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery; and

b) storing status data of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery in a storage unit of the protection module;

wherein the step a) includes allocating a plurality of storage areas in the storage unit; and

wherein the step b) includes storing the status data and a flag data indicating whether the status data is a latest status data in one of the plural storage areas.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, the step a) further includes setting the flag data with respect to a status item selected from a plurality of status items included in the status data.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the selected status item includes a plurality of groups, wherein the step a) further includes setting the flag data in correspondence with each group of the plural groups.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plural storage areas are three or more storage areas, wherein the step a) further includes obtaining a degradation degree of the chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery based on chronological storage data obtained from the three or more storage areas.