REUSABLE BATTERY INDICATOR WITH ELECTRICAL LOCK AND KEY

• US 20180120386A1
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duracell U.S. Operations, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Duracell U.S. Operations, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Riemer, Joern, Pavlinsky, Robert, Bourilkov, Jordan, Specht, Steven J., Turco, George, Coronado, Sergio
• Granted Patent: US 10,151,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/0011 Cancer antigens
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 48/00 Medicinal preparations containing genetic material which is inserted into cells of the living body to treat genetic diseases; Gene therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/86 Viral vectors
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6886 for cancer immunoassay for cancer G01N33/574
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/574 for cancer
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/364 Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• 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 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• 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 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• 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 50/103 : prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/107 : having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/103, H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• 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: H01R 13/639 : Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 : with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A reusable battery indicator includes a voltage sensor, a communication circuit communicatively connected to the voltage sensor, an antenna operatively coupled to the communication circuit, and a connection mechanism having a connector and a retainer. The connector and the retainer are electrically connected to the voltage sensor, and the connector is adapted to be removably connected to a first battery terminal, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the first battery terminal. The retainer is adapted to removably secure the voltage sensor to a can of a battery, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the can of the battery. An electrical circuit is completed between the voltage sensor and the first battery terminal and between the voltage sensor and the can. The connection mechanism includes part of an electrical lock and key assembly.

Claims

1. A reusable battery indicator comprising:

a voltage sensor configured to convert sensed analog characteristics of a battery to digital information;

a communication circuit communicatively connected to the voltage sensor;

an antenna operatively coupled to the communication circuit; and

a connection mechanism having a connector and a retainer, the connector being electrically connected to the voltage sensor, the connector being adapted to be removably and electrically connected to a first battery terminal, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the first battery terminal when the battery end cap connector is connected to the first battery terminal, and the retainer being adapted to be removably and electrically connected to a can of a battery, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the can of the battery;

wherein the connection mechanism includes part of an electrical lock and key connection with the first battery terminal and with the battery can.

2. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1, wherein the retainer is electrically connected to a positive battery cathode through the battery can and the connector is electrically connected to a negative battery anode through the first battery terminal.

3. The reusable battery indicator of claim 2, wherein the connector includes a connector tab that extends away from the connector, the connector tab forming an electrical connection with the first battery terminal.

4. The reusable battery indicator of claim 3, wherein voltage sensor and the communication circuit are formed on a printed circuit board and the connector is an annular platform that is electrically connected to a first side of the printed circuit board.

5. The reusable battery indicator of claim 4, wherein the retainer is electrically connected to a second side of the printed circuit board.

6. The reusable battery indicator of claim 5, wherein the retainer includes a retainer tab that extends away from the connector, the retainer tab being adapted to form an electrical connection with the battery can.

7. The reusable battery indicator of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of connector tabs and plurality of retainer tabs, the plurality of connector tabs being disposed radially outward of the plurality of retainer tabs.

8. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1, further comprising a voltage booster electrically connected to the voltage sensor.

9. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit comprises at least one of radio-frequency identification circuitry, Bluetooth circuitry, Bluetooth low energy circuitry, Wi-Fi circuitry, Zigbee circuitry, LORA circuitry, and Z-wave circuitry.

10. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1, wherein the voltage sensor is capable of reading an open circuit voltage of less than 1.8 Volts.

11. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1, further comprising a housing, the voltage sensor, and the communication circuit being mounted within the housing, the housing being sized and shaped to fit between two cylindrical batteries that are arranged side-by-side.

12. The reusable battery indicator of claim 11, wherein the housing has a cross-section that is in the shape of a triangular prism.

13. The reusable battery indicator of claim 12, wherein the housing has one side that is concave.

14. The reusable battery indicator of claim 12, wherein the housing has two sides that are concave.

15. The universal, reusable battery indicator of claim 1, wherein the voltage sensor is a thin disc BLE, UHF, or RF module.

16. An electronic device comprising the reusable battery indicator of claim 1, wherein the reusable battery indicator is mounted within a battery receptacle of the electronic device.

17. A remote battery indication system, the system comprising:

a computing device;

a battery; and

a reusable battery indicator, the reusable battery indicator including a voltage sensor configured to convert sensed analog characteristics of a battery to digital information;

a communication circuit communicatively connected to the voltage sensor;

an antenna operatively coupled to the communication circuit; and

a connection mechanism having a connector and a retainer, the connector being electrically connected to the voltage sensor, the connector being adapted to be removably and electrically connected to a first battery terminal, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the first battery terminal when the connector is connected to the first battery terminal, and the retainer being adapted to be removably and electrically connected to a can of a battery, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the can of the battery;

wherein the connector and the retainer form part of an electrical lock and key connection with the first battery terminal and with the battery can, respectively.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a software routine that causes the processor to detect a wireless communication signal from the reusable battery indicator, to remotely control battery circuitry through the reusable battery indicator to determine battery characteristic data;

and to send the battery characteristic data to a user interface.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the battery characteristic data comprises at least one of an electrical capacity;

a voltage;

an impedance, a temperature, a current;

an age, a charge/discharge cycle count, and a coulomb count.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the software routine, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine at least one of a battery type, a physical location of the battery, and an electrical device that the battery is powering.

21. A combination reusable battery indicator and battery cell comprising:

a reusable battery indicator including a voltage sensor configured to convert sensed analog characteristics of a battery to digital information;

a communication circuit communicatively connected to the voltage sensor;

an antenna operatively coupled to the communication circuit; and

a connection mechanism having a first connector and a second connector that are electrically connected to the voltage sensor, the first connector and the second connector being adapted to be removably connected to a first battery terminal and to a second battery terminal, respectively, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the first and second battery terminals, wherein the reusable battery indicator includes a part of an electrical lock and key assembly; and

a battery cell including another part of the electrical lock and key assembly located on an outer surface thereof.

22. The combination of claim 21, wherein the electrical lock and key assembly includes a split matching antenna network.

23. The combination of claim 22, wherein the split matching antenna network includes a printed component on the battery cell.

24. The combination of claim 23, wherein the printed component comprises one of a carbon film resistor or a capacitor.

25. The combination of claim 23, wherein the split matching antenna network includes a wireless module antenna that requires the presence of the printed component to function.

26. The combination of claim 21, wherein the electronic lock and key assembly includes a Hall-effect sensor on the reusable battery indicator and a printed magnetic strip on the battery cell.

27. The combination of claim 22, wherein the electronic lock and key assembly includes an optical sensor on the reusable battery indicator and an optical pattern on the battery.

28. The combination of claim 22, wherein the electrical lock and key assembly includes a capacitive coupling connection.

29. The combination of claim 28, wherein the capacitive coupling connection includes a label capacitive connection on the battery can.

30. The combination of claim 29, wherein the label capacitive connection is a foil paid with micro-piercings.

31. The combination of claim 29, wherein the reusable battery indicator includes a foil pad with a deformable conductive polymer.

32. A battery with an electrical lock portion of an electrical lock and key assembly, the battery comprising:

a housing, the housing having an electrical lock portion in an outer surface thereof.

33. The battery of claim 32, wherein electrical lock portion is one of a carbon film resistor or a capacitor.

34. The battery of claim 32, wherein the electrical lock portion is a conductive plate.

35. The battery of claim 32, wherein the electrical lock portion is a printed magnetic strip.

36. The battery of claim 32, wherein the electrical lock portion is an optical pattern.

37. The battery of claim 32, wherein the electrical lock portion is a foil pad with micro-piercings.