Battery pack using a secondary battery and connection system for connecting the battery pack to a charging device or a loading device

• US 8,148,939 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Katsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun
• Application Number:
  US11/918,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20090039833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 320/112
• US Class Current: 320/112
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/547 via DC power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In a battery pack (1), control means (3) reads identification information or operating state detection information out of identification information memory means (4) or battery operating state detection means (10) and inputs it to a modulation circuit (5). The modulation circuit (5) modulates the information into an information signal which can be superimposed on a direct-current power transmission line and sends it to a charging device (20) or a loading device (30) through a positive charge and discharge terminal (11). The charging device (20) or the loading device (30) demodulates the sent information signal to take out the identification information or the operating state detection information and allows power source control means (25, 35) to control the output of charging energy from a charging power source (23) or the output of discharging energy to a load (33). Thus, in addition to the transmission of direct-current power, information can be transmitted only by the connection of two positive and negative terminals.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising a secondary battery, a positive charge and discharge terminal and a negative charge and discharge terminal which are connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the secondary battery, respectively, and battery operating state detection means for detecting an operating state of the secondary battery, wherein:

the battery operating state detection means includes at least one of a temperature detection means for detecting battery temperatures, a voltage detection means for detecting a battery voltage, and a current detection means for detecting a charging and discharging current,

the battery pack is provided with information signal sending means which modulates operating state detection information detected by the battery operating state detection means into an operating state detection signal, which can be transmitted to a charging device for supplying charging energy to the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal or a loading device which is operated by the discharging energy of the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal, and sends the operating state detection signal thereto.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack is electrically connected to the charging device or the loading device only by positive and negative two connection terminals.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the information signal sending means is configured to send the identification signal or the operating state detection signal, into which a carrier wave having a predetermined frequency is modulated with the identification information or the operating state detection information by a predetermined modulation method, through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the information signal sending means is configured to subject a charging or discharging current flowing through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal to a pulse modulation with the identification information or the operating state detection information.

5. A battery pack comprising a secondary battery, a positive charge and discharge terminal and a negative charge and discharge terminal which are connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the secondary battery, respectively, and battery operating state detection means for detecting the operating state of the secondary battery, wherein:

the battery operating state detection means includes at least one of a temperature detection means for detecting battery temperatures, a voltage detection means for detecting a battery voltage, and a current detection means for detecting a charging and discharging current, and

the battery pack is provided with identification information memory means which stores identification information and information signal sending means which modulates the identification information read out of the identification information memory means or operating state detection information detected by the operating state detection means into an information signal, which can be transmitted to a charging device for supplying charging energy to the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal or a loading device which is operated by the discharging energy of the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal, and sends the information signal thereto.

6. A battery pack comprising a secondary battery, a positive charge and discharge terminal and a negative charge and discharge terminal which are connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the secondary battery, respectively, and battery operating state detection means for detecting the operating state of the secondary battery, wherein:

the battery operating state detection means includes at least one of a temperature detection means for detecting battery temperatures, a voltage detection means for detecting a battery voltage, and a current detection means for detecting a charging and discharging current, and

the battery pack is provided with identification information memory means which stores identification information, information signal receiving means which demodulates a question signal transmitted from a charging device or a loading device through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal to take out question information, and information signal sending means which modulates the identification information read out of the identification information memory means or operating state detection information detected by the operating state detection means into an information signal, which can be transmitted to the charging device for supplying charging energy to the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal or the loading device which is operated by the discharging energy of the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal, in response to a request described in the question information and sends the information signal thereto.

7. A connection system of a battery pack, for connecting a battery pack which includes a secondary battery, a positive charge and discharge terminal and a negative charge and discharge terminal which are connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the secondary battery, respectively, and battery operating state detection means for detecting an operating state of the secondary battery, to a charging device for supplying charging energy to the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal or to a loading device which is operated by the discharging energy of the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal, wherein:

the battery operating state detection means includes at least one of a temperature detection means for detecting battery temperatures, a voltage detection means for detecting a battery voltage, and a current detection means for detecting a charging and discharging current, and

the battery pack is provided with information signal sending means which modulates operating state detection information detected by the battery operating state detection means into an operating state detection signal, which can be transmitted to the charging device or the loading device by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal, and sends the operating state detection signal thereto, and the charging device or the loading device is provided with information signal receiving means which demodulates the information signal transmitted through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal and read out the operating state detection information and power source control means which controls an output of charging energy from the charging device or an input of discharging energy into the loading device on the basis of the read out operating state detection information.

8. The connection system of a battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the information signal sending means is configured to send the identification signal, the operating state detection signal, or the question signal, into which a carrier wave having a predetermined frequency is modulated with the identification information, the operating state detection information, or the question information by a predetermined modulation method, through the direct-current power transmission line.

9. The connection system of a battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the information signal sending means is configured to subject a charging or discharging current flowing through the direct-current power transmission line to a pulse modulation with the identification information, the operating state detection information, or the question information.

10. The connection system of a battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the information signal receiving means is configured to demodulate the identification signal, the operating state detection signal, or the question signal transmitted through the direct-current power transmission line by a predetermined demodulation method and to take out the identification information, the operating state detection information, or the question information.

11. The connection system of a battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the information signal receiving means is configured to take out variation of a current in the pulse-modulated charging or discharging current flowing through the direct-current power transmission line for demodulation.

12. A connection system of a battery pack, for connecting a battery pack which includes a secondary battery, a positive charge and discharge terminal and a negative charge and discharge terminal which are connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the secondary battery, respectively, and battery operating state detection means for detecting the operating state of the secondary battery, to a charging device for supplying charging energy to the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal or to a loading device which is operated by the discharging energy of the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal, wherein:

the battery operating state detection means includes at least one of a temperature detection means for detecting battery temperatures, a voltage detection means for detecting a battery voltage, and a current detection means for detecting a charging and discharging current, and

the battery pack is provided with identification information memory means which stores identification information and information signal sending means which modulates the identification information read out of the identification information memory means or operating state detection information detected by the battery operating state detection means into an information signal, which can be transmitted to the charging device or the loading device through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal, and sends the information signal thereto, and the charging device or the loading device is provided with information signal receiving means which demodulates the information signal transmitted through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal and read out the identification information or the operating state detection information and power source control means which controls an output of charging energy from the charging device or an input of discharging energy into the loading device on the basis of the read out identification information or operating state detection information.

13. A connection system of a battery pack, for connecting the battery pack which includes a secondary battery, a positive charge and discharge terminal and a negative charge and discharge terminal which are connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the secondary battery, respectively, and battery operating state detection means for detecting the operating state of the secondary battery, to a charging device for supplying charging energy to the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal or to a loading device which is operated by the discharging energy of the secondary battery by connecting it to the positive charge and discharge terminal and the negative charge and discharge terminal,

wherein:

the battery operating state detection means includes at least one of a temperature detection means for detecting battery temperatures, a voltage detection means for detecting a battery voltage, and a current detection means for detecting a charging and discharging current, and

the battery pack is provided with identification information memory means which stores identification information, information signal receiving means which demodulates a question signal transmitted from the charging device or the loading device through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal to take out question information, and information signal sending means which modulates the identification information read out of the identification information memory means or operating state detection information detected by the battery operating state detection means into a response signal in response to a request described in the question information and sends the response signal through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal, and the charging device or the loading device is provided with information signal sending means which modulates the question information into a question signal which can be transmitted through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal and sends the question signal to the connected battery pack, information signal receiving means which demodulates the response signal transmitted from the battery pack through the positive charge and discharge terminal or the negative charge and discharge terminal and read out the identification information or the operating state detection information, and power source control means which decodes the read out identification information or the operating state detection information and controls an output of charging energy from the charging device or an input of discharging energy into the loading device.