Method and system for battery protection

• US 8,436,584 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Johnson, Todd W., Rosenbecker, Jay J., Meyer, Gary D., Zeiler, Jeffrey M., Glasgow, Kevin L., Zick, Jonathan Z., Brozek, Jeffrey M., Scheucher, Karl F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US12/558,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20100167110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 320/119, 320/125, 320/124, 320/128, 320/116, 320/132, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, 320/134, 320/135, 320/136, 320/137
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/008 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• 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 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/505 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 : Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 : using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 : Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 : Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 : Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 : Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 : using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0034 : using reverse polarity correcting or protecting circuits mechanical means of polarity protection H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 : concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 : with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 : with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 : Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack. The battery pack includes a housing, a plurality of terminals, a plurality of lithium-based battery cells, and a controller. The plurality of terminals electrically connect to an electrical device. The electrical device is able to support the battery pack. Each of the plurality of battery cells are individually tapped and have an individual state of charge. The plurality of terminals includes a sense terminal. The controller is operable to monitor a characteristic of each of the plurality of battery cells and to communicate the monitored characteristic of each of the plurality of battery cells to the electrical device via the sense terminal.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of terminals to electrically connect to a hand held power tool, the battery pack supportable by the hand held power tool, the plurality of terminals including a sense terminal;

a plurality of lithium-based battery cells, each of the plurality of battery cells being individually tapped and having an individual state of charge; and

a controller operable to monitor the individual state of charge of each of the plurality of battery cells and to communicate a signal based on the individual state of charge of each of the plurality of battery cells to the hand held power tool via the sense terminal,

wherein the signal is operable to control the operation of the hand held power tool.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminals includes at least three terminals including a positive terminal, a negative terminal, and the sense terminal.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the controller communicates serially with the hand held power tool via the sense terminal.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the hand held power tool sends a command to the battery pack.

5. The battery pack of claim 4, wherein the command is to determine an average of voltage measurements of the plurality of battery cells over a period of time.

6. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the controller is also operable to communicate data to a battery charger, the data including at least one of calibration data, charging instructions, a quantity of charge cycles executed, an estimated life expectancy, and discharging data.

7. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery cells have a lithium-manganese spinel chemistry.

8. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack is operable to provide an average discharge current of 20 amps.

9. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack has a capacity of at least 3.0 ampere-hours.