SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING BATTERIES

• US 20150140379A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tricopian, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tricopian, LLC
• Inventors: Yau, Chi W.
• Application Number:
  US14/398,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20150140379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/90
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4221 with battery type recognition
• 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 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/124 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Various embodiments of a system and method for identifying a battery are generally described. In some embodiments, the battery identification system comprises a battery with a portion of exposed can and electrodes configured to measure an electrical property of the battery. In some embodiments, the measured electrical property is the voltage between the can and a first terminal of the battery. In some embodiments, a battery is identified based on an identification mark such as a ringed barcode or two-dimensional barcode.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a battery comprising:

a battery comprising

a can;

a first terminal;

a second terminal; and

an insulating jacket disposed on the can, the insulating jacket comprising a computer readable identification mark; and

an identification unit configured to identify the battery.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the identification mark is an exposed portion of the can.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the exposed portion of the can is a band extending circumferentially around the battery, and wherein the band is located near the first terminal or near the second terminal.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the identification unit is configured to sense electrical properties at the first terminal, the second terminal, and the exposed portion of the can.

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11. A system for identifying a battery comprising:

a battery comprising;

a can;

a first terminal;

a second terminal; and

an electrically insulating jacket disposed on the can such that a portion of the can is exposed;

a first electrode configured to contact a first area of the battery;

a second electrode configured to contact a second area of the can; and

an identification unit comprising a sensing device, wherein the sensing device is in electrical contact with the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the sensing device is configured to measure a property of the battery sensed across the first and second electrodes and to communicate the measured property to the identification unit; and

wherein the identification unit is configured to identify the battery based on the measured property.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first area of the battery corresponds to the first terminal and the second area of the battery corresponds to the second terminal.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the first area of the battery corresponds to the first terminal and the second area of the battery corresponds to the exposed portion of the can.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the sensing device senses voltage.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the sensing device senses resistance.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the identification unit positively identifies the battery based on the measured property.

19. The system of claim 13 further comprising a third electrode configured to contact the second terminal.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the identification unit is configured to positively identify the battery when the voltage measured across the first electrode and the second electrode is a non-zero voltage.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the identification unit is configured to positively identify the battery when the voltage measured across the first electrode and the second electrode is zero or nearly zero.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the identification unit is configured to positively identify a battery based on a voltage 2-point signature.

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28. A method of identifying a battery comprising:

receiving a target battery, the battery comprising;

a first terminal;

a second terminal;

a can; and

a jacket disposed on a can wherein the jacket at least partially exposes the can;

contacting a first area of the battery with a first electrode;

contacting a second area battery with a second electrode;

measuring an electrical property of the battery using the first and second electrodes; and

identifying the battery based on the measured electrical property of the battery.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the first area corresponds to the first terminal and the second area corresponds to the exposed band.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

contacting the second terminal with a third electrode;

measuring the electrical property of the battery using the second and third electrodes; and

identifying the battery based on the measured electrical property of the battery.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein measuring the electrical property comprises measuring voltage.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein measuring the electrical property comprises measuring resistance.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein identifying the battery comprises positively identifying the battery when the measured voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode is a non-zero voltage.

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