Reusable battery indicator with lock and key mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11024891-B2
Application number	US-201615340773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2016
Priority date	Nov 1, 2016
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A reusable battery indicator includes a voltage sensor configured to convert sensed analog characteristics of a battery to digital information; a communication circuit communicatively connected to the voltage sensor; an antenna operatively coupled to the communication circuit; and a connection mechanism having at least a first connector and a second connector that are electrically connected to the voltage sensor, the first connector and the second connector being adapted to be removably connected to a first battery terminal and to a second battery terminal, respectively, thereby completing an electrical circuit between the voltage sensor and the first and second battery terminals when the connection mechanism is coupled to the first battery terminal and to the second battery terminal. One or more of the first connector and the second connector include part of a mechanical lock and key assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reusable battery indicator comprising:
a voltage sensor configured to convert sensed analog characteristics of a battery to digital information;
a communication circuit communicatively connected to the voltage sensor;
an antenna operatively coupled to the communication circuit; and
a connection mechanism having a first connector and a second connector that are electrically connected to the voltage sensor, the first connector and the second connector being adapted to be removably connected to a first battery terminal and to a second battery terminal, respectively, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the first and second battery terminals,
wherein at least one of the first connector and the second connector includes a part of a mechanical lock and key assembly with at least one of the first battery terminal and the second battery terminal.

2. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein the first connector has a first mechanical lock and key assembly and the second connector has a second mechanical lock and key assembly.

3. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein the first connector includes a male connection of the mechanical lock and key assembly and the first battery terminal includes a female connection of the mechanical lock and key assembly.

4. The reusable battery indicator of claim 3 , wherein the male connection is a triangular key.

5. The reusable battery indicator of claim 3 , wherein the female connection is a triangular recess.

6. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , further comprising a voltage booster electrically connected to or incorporated in the voltage sensor.

7. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first connector and the second connector comprises at least one of a metal, a metal alloy, cold-rolled steel, carbon, or any combination thereof.

8. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit comprises at least one of radio-frequency identification circuitry, Bluetooth circuitry, Bluetooth low energy circuitry, Wi-Fi circuitry, Zigbee circuitry, LORA circuitry, and Z-wave circuitry.

9. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein the voltage sensor is capable of reading an open circuit voltage of less than 1.8 Volts.

10. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein the voltage sensor and the communication circuit are formed on a double sided printed circuit board that is adapted to be inserted between the first connector and the second connector.

11. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , further comprising a housing, the voltage sensor and the communication circuit being mounted within the housing, the housing being sized and shaped to fit between two cylindrical batteries that are arranged side-by-side.

12. The reusable battery indicator of claim 11 , wherein the housing has a cross-section that is in the shape of a triangular prism.

13. The reusable battery indicator of claim 12 , wherein the housing has one side that is concave.

14. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical lock and key assembly includes a curved channel with an electrical contact being formed at one end of the curved channel.

15. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein the voltage sensor is one of a thin disc BLE, UHF, or RF module.

16. An electrical device comprising the reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein the reusable battery indicator is mounted within a battery receptacle of the electronic device.

17. The reusable battery indicator of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical lock and key assembly both completes an electrical circuit between a PCB and a battery terminal and simultaneously prevents the reusable battery indicator from being used on an incorrect battery type.

18. A remote battery indication system, the system comprising:
a computing device;
a battery; and
a reusable battery indicator, the battery indicator including a voltage sensor configured to convert sensed analog characteristics of a battery to digital information; a communication circuit communicatively connected to the voltage sensor; an antenna operatively coupled to the communication circuit; and a connection mechanism having a first connector and a second connector that are electrically connected to the voltage sensor, the first connector and the second connector being adapted to be removably connected to a first battery terminal and to a second battery terminal, respectively, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the first and second battery terminals,
wherein at least one of the first connector and the second connector includes a part of a mechanical lock and key connection with at least one of the first battery terminal and the second battery terminal.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the computing device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a software routine that causes the processor to detect a wireless communication signal from the reusable battery indicator; to remotely control battery circuitry through the reusable battery indicator to determine battery characteristic data; and to send the battery characteristic data to a user interface.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the battery characteristic data comprises at least one of an electrical capacity; a voltage; an impedance, a temperature, a current; an age, a charge/discharge cycle count, and a coulomb count.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the software routine, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine at least one of a battery type, a physical location of the battery, and an electrical device that the battery is powering.

22. A combination reusable battery indicator and battery cell comprising:
a reusable battery indicator including a voltage sensor configured to convert sensed analog characteristics of a battery to digital information; a communication circuit communicatively connected to the voltage sensor; an antenna operatively coupled to the communication circuit; and a connection mechanism having a first connector and a second connector that are electrically connected to the voltage sensor, the first connector and the second connector being adapted to be removably connected to a first battery terminal and to a second battery terminal, respectively, thereby providing an electrical connection between the voltage sensor and the first and second battery terminals, wherein at least one of the first connector and the second connector includes a part of a mechanical lock and key assembly with at least one of the first battery terminal and the second battery terminal; and
a battery cell including another part of a mechanical lock and key assembly located on an outer surface thereof.

23. The combination of claim 22 , wherein the part of the mechanical lock and key assembly on the battery includes a recess and the part of the mechanical lock and key assembly on the reusable battery indicator includes a protrusion.

24. The combination of claim 23 , wherein the recess and the protrusion are complementary in shape and size.

25. The combination of claim 23 , wherein the recess is triangular-shaped and the protrusion is triangular-shaped.

26. The combination of claim 23 , wherein the recess is annular in shape and the protrusion is annular in shape.

27. A batter

Assignees

• Duracell Us Operations Inc

Inventors

• Riemer Joern
• Pavlinsky Robert
• Bourilkov Jordan
• Specht Steven J
• Turco George
• Coronado Sergio

Classifications

• 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

• H01M50/559

  Terminals adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round, elliptic or button cells (H01M50/553 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/548

  on opposite sides of the cell · CPC title

• H01M10/4285

  Testing apparatus · CPC title

• G01R31/3835

  involving only voltage measurements · CPC title