Battery, battery pack, battery charger, and battery charging system

• US 9,269,992 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okamura, Kenichi, Morita, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US13/353,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20120206102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/112, 320/116, 320/122, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• 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 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 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/88 Providing power supply at the sub-station
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a battery. The battery includes a contactless communication control block configured to execute contactless communication as a transponder and a reader/writer which are based on electromagnetic induction. The battery further includes an antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the transponder; and an antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the reader/writer. The battery further includes a battery control block configured to control a charge operation of a cell block. The contactless communication control block communicates, in a contactless manner, a charge state of the cell block supplied from the battery control block.

Claims

1. A battery comprising a plurality of battery cells interconnected in series, each battery cell having:

a contactless communication control block configured to execute contactless communication as a transponder and a reader/writer based on electromagnetic induction;

a first antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the transponder;

a second antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the reader/writer; and

a battery control block configured to control a charge operation of a cell block;

wherein,

the contactless communication control block communicates, in a contactless manner, a charge state of the cell block supplied from the battery control block with the contactless communication control block of the battery cell adjacent to one of the connection sides of the cell block, and

the first antenna is arranged at one end portion of the battery and the second antenna is arranged at an opposite end portion of the battery with respect to a length direction of the battery.

2. The battery according to claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to switch between a normal mode in which a charge current is supplied from a charger to the cell block and a bypass mode in which the cell block is bypassed, the battery control block also controlling the switch.

3. The battery according to claim 2, wherein the switch is set to the bypass mode when no voltage is applied.

4. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the contactless communication control block transmits data by using a carrier wave received when the contactless communication control block operates as the transponder as a carrier wave for use when the contactless communication control block operates as the reader/writer.

5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the battery is a battery pack.

6. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of battery cells interconnected in series;

each of the plurality of battery cells having

(a) a contactless communication control block configured to execute contactless communication as a transponder and a reader/writer that are based on electromagnetic induction,

(b) a first antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the transponder,

(c) a second antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the reader/writer, and

(d) a battery control block configured to control a charge operation of a cell block, wherein,

the contactless communication control block communicates, in a contactless manner, a charge state of the cell block supplied from the battery control block with the contactless communication control block of the battery cell adjacent to one of connection sides of the battery cell.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, wherein the first antenna is arranged at one end of each of the plurality of battery cells and the second antenna is arranged at another end of each of the plurality of battery cells.

8. The battery pack according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of rows of two or more battery cells interconnected in series are arranged perpendicular to a length direction of the plurality of battery cells.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of rows of two or more battery cells arranged perpendicular to the length direction of the plurality of battery cells are shifted adjacently from each other in the length direction.

10. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein a separator is arranged between the plurality of rows of two or more battery cells arranged perpendicular to the length direction of the plurality of battery cells.

11. The battery pack according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells includes a switch for switching between a normal mode in which a charge current from a charger is supplied to the cell block and a bypass mode in which the cell block is bypassed, the switch being set to the bypass mode when no voltage is applied.

12. The battery pack according to claim 11, further comprising:

a voltage regulator configured to make constant a voltage to be outputted to outside.

13. A charging system comprising:

a battery pack; and

a charger,

wherein,

the battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells interconnected in series, each of the plurality of battery cells having

(a) a contactless communication control block of a battery cell configured to execute contactless communication as a transponder and a reader/writer which are based on electromagnetic induction,

(b) a first antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the transponder,

(c) a second antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the reader/writer, and

(d) a battery control block configured to control a charge operation of a cell block,

the contactless communication control block of the battery cell communicating, in a contactless manner, a charge state of the cell block supplied from the battery control block with the contactless communication control block of the battery cell adjacent to one of connection sides of the battery cell, and

the charger includes

(a) a contactless communication control block of the charger configured to execute contactless communication as a transponder and a reader/writer which are based on electromagnetic induction,

(b) a third antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the transponder,

(c) a fourth antenna configured to execute the contactless communication as the reader/writer, and

(d) a charge control block configured to control a charge current to be supplied to a battery pack,

the contactless communication control block of the charger communicating a charge state of the battery pack in a contactless manner, the charge control block controlling the charge current in accordance with a charge state of the battery received by the contactless communication.

14. The charging system of claim 13, wherein each battery cell further comprises a switch configured to switch between a normal mode in which a charge current is supplied from a charger to the cell block and a bypass mode in which the cell block is bypassed, the battery control block also controlling the switch.

15. The charging system of claim 14, wherein the switch is set to the bypass mode when no voltage is applied.

16. The charging system of claim 13, wherein the contactless communication control block of each battery cell transmits data by using a carrier wave received when the contactless communication control block of the battery cell operates as the transponder as a carrier wave for use when the contactless communication control block operates as the reader/writer.