초록 ▼

A unit that can be a tiny module within a battery pack includes a microprocessor operating through onboard sensors and read circuitry to monitor battery current, voltage and temperature and to develop fast charge termination control data. Various termination schemes are available including negative

A unit that can be a tiny module within a battery pack includes a microprocessor operating through onboard sensors and read circuitry to monitor battery current, voltage and temperature and to develop fast charge termination control data. Various termination schemes are available including negative delta V, dT/dt, dV/dt, absolute temperature, absolute voltage, and override timer. The microprocessor also operates to develop state of charge, percentage of capacity charge and other status data, to store such data along with setup and calibration data, in an EEPROM, to report data to a host periodically or when polled to and to operate automatically or at a user\s request to initially perform and update a calibration as to actual battery capacity. During times when the pack is idle, the unit automatically reverts to a low-power mode in which measuring circuitry is deenergized but during such times, it operates periodically to compensate for self-discharge as a function of temperature. In the read circuitry, a ramp generator generates a linear ramp voltage that is compared with voltages proportional to battery voltage, supply voltage, battery current and temperature, using comparators connected to pins of a common port of the microprocessor and using a mask to obtain all readings from a single generation of the ramp. Voltage dividers of the read circuitry are so arranged as to permit accurate readings of current in either direction and to operate in a bridge configuration to obtain normalized measurements independent of ramp slope. Dynamic correction of readings and other features are also provided.

대표청구항 ▼

A monitoring unit for monitoring the condition of charge of a battery, comprising: processor means operable during flow of charge current to said battery and discharge current from said battery for performing periodic read and processing operations, each read operation including producing a battery

A monitoring unit for monitoring the condition of charge of a battery, comprising: processor means operable during flow of charge current to said battery and discharge current from said battery for performing periodic read and processing operations, each read operation including producing a battery current reading corresponding to net current flowing to said battery, and each processing operation including producing an output reading from said battery current, and adding said output reading to a stored accumulated charge value indicating the condition of charge of said battery, said producing of said output reading from said battery current reading including adjusting said battery current reading as function of operating conditions to produce said output current reading as a function of net change in energy stored in said battery since a last preceding read operation.