Battery condition indicator

• US 4,638,237 A
• Filed: 01/03/1985
• Issued: 01/20/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Fernandez, Emilio A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salce, Patrick R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Simpson, Mark D.
• Application Number:
  US06/688,327
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 320/48, 320/43, 320/44, 320/39, 340/636, 324/433, 368/107
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

A battery condition indicator provides an indication of both the charge used and the life remaining in a rechargeable battery. The time of use of the battery between charges is measured to provide an indirect measure of the charge remaining. The total time of service of the battery is measured to provide an indirect measure of the age or life of the battery.

Claims

1. A battery condition indicator for indicating both the charge used and the life remaining in a rechargeable battery comprising:

rate multiplying and counting means for indirectly measuring the charge used by the battery between charges;

means for supplying variable rate clock pulses to said rate multiplying and counting means, the rate of said clock pulses being a function of whether a high current consumption load is connected to the battery or not;

timing means for measuring the total time in service of the battery;

charge used display means responsive to said rate multiplying and counting means for providing an indication of the charge remaining in the battery; and

age display means responsive to said timeing means for providing an indication of the life or age of the battery.

2. The battery condition indicator as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for supplying variable rate clock pulses to said rate multiplying and counting means generates clock pulses at a first predetermined rate if the load is not connected to the battery and at a second predetermined higher rate than said first predetermined rate if the load is connected to the battery.

3. The battery condition indicator as recited in claim 2 wherein said rate multiplying and counting means comprises:

a rate multiplier connected to receive said clock pulses and provide a rate pulse output for integral numbers of said clock pulses and a clock pulse output, and

a binary counter connected to said rate multiplier to count count pulses therefrom, said binary counter providing a binary count output to said rate multiplier for controlling the multiplication rate thereof as a function of the number of count pulses counted, said rate multiplier providing an output pulse rate indicative of the counted time period.

4. The battery condition indicator as recited in claim 3 wherein said rate multipling and counting means further comprises means responsive to the output pulse rate of said rate multiplier for determining a percent of charge used and supplying an output to said charged used display means.

5. The battery condition indicator as recited in claim 4 further comprising reset means for resetting said rate multiplying and counting means when said battery has been fully recharged.

6. The battery condition indicator as recited in claim 5 further comprising full charge indicating means connected to said reset means to be set thereby and further connected to said counting means to be reset thereby after a predetermined count has been accumulated in said counter means.

7. The battery condition indicator as recited in claim 2 wherein said timing means is responsive to the presence of said clock pulses for measuring the age of the battery as a function of the time the battery is connected to supply current, said timing means being disabled when said battery is disconnected.

8. The battery condition indicator as recited in claim 7 wherein said timing means and said age display means are an electrolysis time measuring device which provides a direct indication of the measured time.