Battery monitoring system

• US 4,217,645 A
• Filed: 04/25/1979
• Issued: 08/12/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ernest A. Dahl, George H. Barry
• Original Assignee: Ernest A. Dahl, George H. Barry
• Inventors: Dahl, Ernest A., Barry, George H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Atkinson, Charles E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/033,286
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 364/481, 364/483, 364/579, 364/580, 340/620, 340/636, 340/663, 320/48, 324/73 AT, 324/426, 324/434, 204/195 R, 429/92, 429/93
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/374 with means for correcting the measurement for temperature or ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/379 for lead-acid batteries

Abstract

A system for automatically monitoring a plurality of parameters of a plurality of cells in a lead-acid storage battery system. A transponder means responsive to a frequency pattern corresponding to a digital command is located at each cell to be monitored and includes a plurality of sensors which provide analog signals having an amplitude related to the value of the parameters being monitored. In a remote scanner/display means, a microprocessor generates a digital interrogation command (containing a transponder address, sensor selection, and reply duration commands) which is converted to a frequency pattern and coupled to the transponder. In response to the command, the transponder couples the analog signal from the selected sensor to a voltage-controlled oscillator and the output of the oscillator is coupled for the selected reply duration to the scanner/display means where the frequency of the signal is determined under the control of the processor. The information is stored and averaged within the microprocessor and may be displayed upon operator request and an alarm provided if any parameter of any cell exceeds specified limits.

Claims

1. A system for automatically monitoring a plurality of parameters of a plurality of cells in a many-cell battery system, which comprises:

a. a plurality of transponder means responsive to a frequency pattern corresponding to a digital command, each transponder means having a unique address associated with each of said plurality of cells for providing a signal having a frequency related to a selected one of said parameters, said transponder means including;

b. a plurality of sensor means for measuring said plurality of parameters, each said sensor means providing an analog signal having an amplitude related to the value of one of said parameters;

c. means for converting an analog signal to a signal having a frequency related to the amplitude of said analog signal; and

d. means responsive to said frequency pattern for selectively coupling one of said plurality of analog signals to said means for converting an analog signal; and

e. scanner/display means for providing said frequency pattern corresponding to a digital command to each of said transponders to selectively couple one of said plurality of analog signals to said means for converting in a selected one of said transponders, said scanner/display means being responsive to said signal having a frequency related to the value of said parameter for providing a visual indication of operational status of plurality of cells.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said scanner/display means includes:

a. means for providing a visual display of the value of said parameter;

b. means for converting said signal having a frequency related to the value of said parameter to a count, said count being related to the value of said parameter; and

c. means responsive to said count for controlling said means for providing a visual indication.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said scanner/display means includes:

a. programmable processor means, responsive to a count related to the frequency of said signal having a frequency related to the value of said parameter, for operating on said count to provide a first digital signal related to the value of said parameter, said processor means further providing a second digital signal containing a command for selectively coupling one of said plurality of analog signals to said means for converting in a selected one of said transponders;

b. means for converting said signal having a frequency related to the amplitude of said analog signal to said count related to the value of said parameter;

c. means for converting said second digital signal to a signal having said frequency pattern corresponding to said second digital signal;

d. means responsive to said first digital signal for providing a visual display of the status of said parameter.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said second digital signal includes a first plurality of binary digits corresponding to a transponder address, a second plurality of binary digits corresponding to a selected sensor means, and a third plurality of binary digits corresponding to a reply duration command;

and wherein said transponder means includes;

a. discriminator means for converting said frequency pattern to a third digital command containing the selected transponder address, the selected sensor means, and the selected reply duration; and

b. means responsive to said third digital command for coupling the analog signal from the selected sensor means to said means for converting an analog signal to a signal having a frequency related to the amplitude of said analog signal, said means for converting being enabled for a time period selected by the reply duration command.

5. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein said means responsive to said third digital command comprises:

a. address recognizer means coupled to said discriminator means to receive said third digital command for decoding the selected transponder address portion of said digital command;

b. command distributor means coupled to said address recognizer means to receive said selected sensor means and selected reply duration portions of said digital command when the selected transponder address corresponds with the address of said transponder, said command distributor decoding the selected sensor means portion of said third digital command to provide a plurality of control signals and decoding the selected reply duration command to provide an additional control signal having a duration equal to the select reply duration; and

c. multiplexer means having a plurality of input channels coupled to receive said plurality of analog signals and an output channel, the control inputs of said multiplexer being coupled to said plurality of control signals from said command distributor means for selectively coupling one of said input channels to said output channel;

d. voltage-controlled oscillator means coupled to the output of said multiplexer means for converting said analog output signal to a signal having a frequency related to the amplitude of said analog output signal, the operation of said multiplexer and said voltage-controlled oscillator being enabled by said additional control signal for the duration of said control signal.