Method and apparatus for monitoring energy storage devices

• US 7,911,088 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Mutabdzija, Srdan, Demissie, Eyob, Masciarelli, Francis J., Falcinelli, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman; Jared J
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAVALLARI-SEE, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US12/610,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 429/96, 429/97, 429/98, 429/100, 307/48, 307/150
• US Class Current: 307/150
• 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 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5412 by modofying wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An improved battery, monitoring circuit and method for communicating with the battery is provided. Such batteries and communication methods are particularly useful in UPS systems that use such batteries to provide back-up power to electrical loads. In one aspect, performance, manufacturing, trend and/or other data are stored in non-volatile memory of the battery and are communicated to an external system such as a UPS. In another aspect, a method for communicating via single-wire interface is provided. In one aspect, a same interface is used to communicate with both conventional batteries and improved batteries having increased monitoring capabilities.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a battery, comprising acts of:

providing for a single-wire interface to the battery;

receiving, at the battery over the single-wire interface, a request for information from an external system; and

transmitting, by the battery to the external system over the single-wire interface, a response to the request; and

wherein the battery receives power over the single-wire interface and wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting data over the single-wire interface by interrupting current.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting data asynchronously.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting battery model type data to the external system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting serial number data to the external system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting rating information related to the battery to the external system.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting manufacturing data to the external system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting a manufacturing date of the battery to the external system.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting battery constant data to the external system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting temperature data to the external system.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting data relating to a temperature sensor of the battery to the external system.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting manufacturing data to the external system.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the battery comprises a resistor used to detect current and wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting one or more parameters that relate to the resistor to the external system.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting a serial number of the battery to the external system.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the battery includes a processor that executes software and wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting a software identifier of the software to the external system.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting comprises an act of transmitting battery type data that identifies a type of the battery to the external system.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of storing performance data relating to the performance of the battery in a memory of the battery.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the act of storing further comprises an act of storing the performance data in a nonvolatile memory associated with the battery.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the external system is a UPS.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of receiving, by a monitor circuit of the battery, power over the single-wire interface.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising an act of providing for communicating to the battery over a single-wire interface, the interface being used to provide power to a monitoring circuit of the battery.