1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to a battery and an associated management system, and more particularly to a battery management system wherein the system is disposed to integrate an intelligent electronic device within a battery to allow for the storage of a plurality of evaluation parameters, and to provide a periodic measurement and analysis of the battery to the battery management system through a controller.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
Presently, batteries may be utilized in a variety of applications, and due to the lack of the intelligent battery management system that could provide a better life prediction, concurrent with the batteries use, exists the premature disposal prior to the end of each battery's life.
A typical battery management/maintenance system currently relies on either a failed battery, or a routine replacement of the battery based on the default manufacturing information provided about the battery. This type of system/process may ultimately lead to either a system failure, if the battery is not replaced on time, or if the disposal of a battery occurs prior to the battery's end life. On average, the life of a battery usually depends on its characteristics at the time of manufacturing and as such, these characteristics may change over the course of time, through either a physical environment and/or the usage behavior (i.e. charge/discharge, etc.). Therefore, as a result, each individual battery possesses a different and unique life expectancy in contrast to the standard value indicated by a manufacturer.
Thus, due to the battery management system/maintenance processes that currently exist, a business may experience an increased battery cost coupled with waste of the battery due to premature disposal, to ensure that either a primary and/or a backup battery system is properly functioning at all times, in the event the primary system fails.
The instant invention, as illustrated herein, is clearly not anticipated, rendered obvious, or even present in any of the prior art mechanisms, either alone or in any combination thereof.
In order to maximize the usage of the life of a battery in conjunction with reducing the waste of a battery and to reduce the overall cost of battery management, the instant invention provides for a plurality of electronic devices to be preferably integrated to a battery and an overall battery management system. The electronic device of the instant invention possesses a plurality of functionalities and measurement capabilities to allow for the maximization of battery life usage and to manage the cost of a battery system efficiently. Wherein these functionalities include but are not limited to:
In one embodiment, the plurality of self stored information contained within an electronic device may include information relating to a battery from the date of manufacture, and periodic measurement information to the end of the battery life. Furthermore, the plurality of self-stored information may include data relating to the electronic device and/or battery identification (i.e. manufacturing date, factory name, location, serial number etc.) type, capacity, measurement data (i.e. resistance and/or emmittance, and/or impedance and/or conductance, voltage, current, temperature) as well as the date of each measurement. As such, in one embodiment, the plurality of self-stored information contained within the electronic device is disposed to create a unique profile for each battery, and thereby minimize the risk of the losing historical information for each battery.
In another embodiment, the periodic measurement and analysis function is disposed to allow for a battery to automatically conduct a self test of a plurality of battery characteristics and battery health, wherein the frequency of measurements may be determined based on the needs of an individual user or the requirements of a system. Once the information obtained from the self-test is obtained by the electronic device, it may be stored in the device for further analysis.
In yet another embodiment, the analysis function of the electronic device may include information requested by a controller, wherein the controller is in data and electronic communication with the overall battery management system. This information may include, but is not limited to the resistance and/or emmittance, the impedance and/or conductance, voltage, current and temperature, wherein the information may be transmitted to the battery management system to provide an estimate on the life of a particular battery within a system. In one embodiment, the analysis function may provide an indication of the health of a battery through a light emitting diode (“LED”) indicator disposed within the battery.
The communication function of the electronic device is disposed to allow for data and electronic communication between a controller and a corresponding battery. In one embodiment, the data communication may either be hard wired, or alternatively communicate through a wireless connection, including but not limited to Bluetooth®, Zigbee® or Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”). In one embodiment, the controller may be incorporated within the battery management system to allow for remote management, thus allowing for both the measurement and communication function of the electronic device to reduce the cost of routine management of a battery system.
In yet another embodiment, the battery management system connection reliability function requires the use of a permanently affixed connection to an exterior terminal, post, or internal strap of the battery. As such, in order to preserve the integrity of a plurality of battery data, the connection should be permanent to insure a consistent connection.
Therefore, by integrating the electronic device into a battery, and within the battery management system as previously described, the cost and safety concerns from the implementation after a battery has been taken into use can be significantly reduced while the external factors affecting the measurement accuracy may be kept to a minimum. Furthermore, the instant invention utilizes a plurality of data from the electronic devices to monitor and analyze the performance and life expectancy of a plurality of batteries. Moreover, since the plurality of data from the electronic sensors is disposed to be available from the initial manufacturing date of the battery through periodical measurement of the battery, a higher level of accuracy may be achieved in terms of the estimation of the life of a battery contained within a system.
Furthermore, the instant invention may allow for the end-to-end management of the life cycle of a battery through a plurality of unique information created for each battery via a plurality of electronic sensors contained within the battery. Thus, each battery life usage may be maximized by replacing a battery in failure in a timely manner while concurrently reducing battery waste by eliminating premature disposal.
The instant invention provides for the following advantages in several aspects, including but not limited:
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of an intelligent battery management and monitoring system in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty, which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
In one embodiment, the controller 16 and the monitoring application 18 are disposed to collect a plurality of information measured and stored by the electronic devices 12. Furthermore, the plurality of electronic devices 12 are disposed to perform a periodic measurement of a variety of evaluation parameters for each batter 14 contained within the overall system 10 according to either a pre-determined schedule, or a command transmitted from either the controller 16 and/or monitoring application 18.
In yet another embodiment, the electronic devices 12 are disposed to store the measurement data collected for a pre-determined amount of time, according to either an individual user of the system 10 or a specific use of the system 10. Preferably, the self-stored information contained within the electronic device 12 includes, but is not limited to data pertaining to the battery 14, beginning from the date of the manufacture, through each periodic measurement, all the way to the end of life of the battery 14. Furthermore, the self-stored information contained with the electronic devices 12 may include both identification information for the electronic device 12 and the battery 14 attached with the electronic device 12, including, but not limited to manufacturing date, factory name, location, serial number, type, capacity. Moreover, the measurement data contained within the self-stored information of the electronic device 12 includes but is not limited to: resistance and/or emmitance, impedance and/or conductance, voltage, current and temperature, along with recording the date of each measurement and evaluation parameter. In one embodiment, if the storage capacity of the electronic device 12 is near or at capacity, the oldest data excluding the identification may be purged from the electronic device 12.
In one embodiment, the plurality of electronic devices 12 of the instant invention preferably will utilize a visual identification to provide a status indication of the battery 14, such as a light emitting diode (“LED”) 28 or other similarly function LED device. In alternate embodiments, the electronic device 12 is disposed to incorporate a method for standalone direct retrieval of battery information via USB, Fire wire Serial or other communication protocol. The electronic device 12 may utilize a unique fixed serialized identification number, in addition to optionally incorporating a quick connect methodology for attaching a circuit board of the electronic device 12 to the terminals of the battery 14.
In addition, the electronic device 12 includes the following optional elements and/or embodiments:
In yet another embodiment, and in additional to evaluation parameters previously disclosed, the electronic device 12 is device measure and/or store at least one of the following parameters of a battery 14, including, but not limited to:
Furthermore, the plurality of electronic devices 12 of the system 10 are disposed to be in data communication with either the controller 16 and/or the monitoring application 18 in several embodiments, including, but not limited to:
Moreover, the electronic device 12 should be replaceable in order to replace a defective device 12 without needing to dispose of the entire battery 14. In one embodiment, the manufacturer of a battery 14 possesses the ability to download an individual battery's profile to the electronic device 12 prior to storing the battery 14 in a warehouse or shipping to the local supplier/customer.
As discussed above, each unique battery 14 profile and electronic device 12 profile such as device 12 and battery 14 identification (manufacturing date, factory name, location, serial number and the like), type, capacity, measurement data (resistance and or emmitance and or impedance and or conductance, voltage, current and temperature, etc.) may be stored in a manufacture's database system for future purpose. Thus, for example if the electronic device 12 fails prior to the end life of the battery 14, the supplier or customer is able to download the unique battery 14 profile from the manufacturer's database to a new electronic device 12, in combination with replacing the defected device 12 as opposed to disposing of the entire battery 14.
Therefore, in one embodiment, when a battery 14 is situated in either a warehouse or during shipping, the electronic device periodically performs self testing of the health of the battery 14 according to a predefined schedule or signal from the controller 16 and/or monitoring application 18, and stores the measurement of the evaluation parameters within the electronic device 12. This embodiment allows the option for either a battery manufacturer and/or a local battery supplier to obtain the measurement data from the electronic device 12 or the monitoring application 18 regularly by having the controller 16 installed in the warehouse, and using the battery ID, electronic device ID, or combined Battery 14 and electronic device 12 ID in the controller 16 or monitoring application 18. This may be realized when the communication between the controller 16 and electronic device is accomplished utilizing wireless technology. The measurement data from the electronic devices 12 may be utilized in a variety of applications, including, but not limited to:
Therefore, the instant invention provides for a low cost, accurate and real time battery health and performance monitoring system and device which may be realized in one embodiment by the following:
Following integration of the system 10, the customer monitoring system 10 enables maintenance personnel to undertake numerous functions, including, but not limited to:
The unique battery information that is made available from the instant invention enables the customer to maximize the usage of the battery life, to minimize the battery waste, and to reduce the overall cost of battery management. In addition, the information allows the manufacturer to improve the demand-supply chain, and the research and development in battery performance and quality which in turn, further minimize the battery waste to the global environment.
Therefore, in summary the instant invention discloses a variety of unique solutions for the secure pairing and operation of between a device and a data transfer medium through a secure information exchange device located on the device, which is disposed to function as a trusted element that the device and the data transfer medium utilize to establish and to operate in a secure encrypted method.
While several variations of the present invention have been illustrated by way of example in preferred or particular embodiments, it is apparent that further embodiments could be developed within the spirit and scope of the present invention, or the inventive concept thereof. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and are inclusive, but not limited to the following appended claims as set forth.
This application claims the benefit of and takes priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/378,657 filed on Aug. 31, 2010 the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61378657 | Aug 2010 | US |