Method and device for depassivation of a battery of a cash and valuables container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10950898-B2
Application number	US-201715397764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2017
Priority date	Jan 11, 2016
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A method (100) for depassivation of a battery (BATT) of a cash and valuables container (10) includes at least one electronically controllable component (14) and an associated control circuit (18) being supplied by the battery (BATT). The control circuit (18) executes at least one control procedure for the at least one electronically controllable component (14). The valuables container can be transportable, e.g. a cash box (10), and includes an invalidation unit, in particular an ink dyeing system (14). The control circuit (18) then also executes the depassivation (120) of the battery (BATT) each time before activating or deactivating the at least one control procedure (130) or a sub-routine thereof, such as the sub-routine for controlling and driving the ink dyeing system. Specifically, the depassivation of the battery (BATT) is performed before each first/initial execution of the least one control procedure (130).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for depassivation of a battery of a cash and valuables container having at least one electronically controllable component, the electronically controllable component having an operating parameter which can be set and can be not set, and an associated control circuit powered by the battery to measure the decrease and subsequent increase of the battery voltage, the method comprising;
the control circuit executing the depassivation of the battery operating at a defined load in connection with an activation or deactivation of a first control procedure or a sub-routine thereof in response to the measured value of the battery voltage in comparison to the predetermined reference value;
the associated control circuit executing, after successful completion of depassivation of the battery, a second control procedure for the at least one electronically controllable component; and
the second control procedure further including the continuous checking of whether the operating parameter of the electronically controllable component is set and whether the operating parameter of the electronically controllable component is not set, for an entry into an operating state;
activating, if the operating parameter is set, a first operating mode, by entry into the first operating state;
activating, if the operating parameter is not set, a second operating mode, by entry into a second operating state;
checking, while in the first operating state, if the operating parameter is still set;
maintaining the first operating state if the operating parameter is still set, the first operating mode remaining activated;
otherwise, it is switched to the second operating state;
checking, while in the second operating state, if the operating parameter is still not set;
maintaining the second operating state if the operating parameter is still not, the second operating mode remaining activated;
otherwise, it is switched to the first operating state.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising executing the depassivation of the battery each time case before and/or after a first execution of the at least one control procedure or a sub-routine thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising executing the depassivation of the battery in dependence on operating conditions and/or operating modes that are activated and/or deactivated by the at least one control procedure or by a sub-routine thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein by means of the at least one control procedure or sub-routine, in dependence on variable operating parameters, a plurality of operating modes for the at least one electronically controllable component is enabled/activated or disabled/deactivated, and that at least one of the operating modes is enabled or disabled only when the depassivation of the battery has been executed successfully.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the depassivation of the battery is executed before each first activation or deactivation of at least one of the operating modes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the valuables container is a removable container for valuables, the at least one electronically controllable component is a validation unit for in the cash and valuables container transported valuables, banknotes and/or vouchers, and the control procedure for an event-driven operation of the invalidation unit is carried out for an operation involving an invalidation of the valuables that when occurring on the cash and valuables container tamper event is carried out.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the step for checking the clamp voltage, said voltage is monitored for a predetermined period of time to obtain the temporal development of the clamp voltage in comparison with the reference value, and that depending on the identification it is decided whether to end or to continue with the depassivation of the battery.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein in the step for checking the clamp voltage, the reference value is preset in dependence on the ambient temperature, and in particular that reference value is increased when the ambient temperature rises.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating modes include an output state to start the operation of the cash and valuables container, and an initialization state for the factory delivery of the cash and valuables container.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating mode of the respective activated operation state is displayed on a display of the cash and valuables container, and a depassivation mode is displayed when the depassivation of the battery is executed.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising showing, on said display or on a specific one of the cash and valuables container, a display element for the magnitude of the measured clamp voltage.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depassivation of the battery is executed after the deactivation of the control procedure or of a sub-routine thereof.

13. A cash and valuables container, comprising at least one electronically controllable component having an operating parameter which can be set and can be not set, an associated control circuit and a battery, the control circuit being configured to execute one or more control procedures for the at least one electronically controllable component, wherein
the control circuit is capable of initiating depassivation of the battery, and
the one or more control procedures includes;
activating, if the operating parameter is set, a first operating mode, by entry into the first operating state;
activating, if the operating parameter is not set, a second operating mode, by entry into a second operating state;
checking, while in the first operating state, if the operating parameter is still set;
maintaining the first operating state if the operating parameter is still set, the first operating mode remaining activated;
otherwise, it is switched to the second operating state;
checking, while in the second operating state, if the operating parameter is still not set;
maintaining the second operating state if the operating parameter is still not, the second operating mode remaining activated;
otherwise, it is switched to the first operating state.

14. The cash and valuables container of claim 13 , wherein the cash and valuables container comprises at least one of the following features:
the battery is a lithium battery;
the control circuit comprises a micro-controller;
the at least one electronically controllable component is an ink dyeing system, for the cash, banknotes, vouchers and valuables being transported in the container;
the cash and valuables container comprises a display for displaying operating modes of each activated operating state and for displaying a depassivation mode and for displaying a display element for the magnitude of the measured clamp voltage of the battery.

Assignees

• Wincor Nixdorf Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Schild Michael
• Ringel Sascha

Classifications

• H02J7/875

  Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation · CPC title

• H01M6/50 Primary

  Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance, e.g. for maintaining operating temperature (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• H01M10/48

  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 title

• G07D11/225

  for detecting or indicating tampering · CPC title

• G07D11/009 Primary

  Depositing devices · CPC title