Node-enabled battery apparatus and packaging systems with integrated environmental detection and reporting, and improved systems for coordinated mediation action in response to an environmental anomaly using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11095718-B2
Application number	US-201916546451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2019
Priority date	Sep 22, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A node-enabled battery system having integrated environmental detection and reporting. The system may have a battery and sensor-based node attached to the battery. The system's sensor-based node has a processor, memory (maintaining a battery monitoring program code and a battery threshold metric value), a wireless communication interface and a sensor operative to sense a battery status condition for the battery. When executing the battery monitoring program code, the processor is programmatically configured and adapted to be operative to receive status data from the sensor reflecting the battery status condition as sensed by the sensor, automatically trigger generation of a layered alert notification related to the battery when the received status data is inconsistent with the battery threshold metric value, and cause the wireless communication interface to broadcast the layered alert notification to initiate a mediation response related to the battery status condition for the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A node-enabled battery system having integrated environmental detection and reporting, the system comprising:
a battery;
a sensor-based node attached to the battery, the sensor-based node comprising,
a node processor,
a node memory storage coupled to the node processor, the node memory storage maintaining at least a battery monitoring program code and a battery threshold metric value,
a wireless communication interface coupled to the node processor, and
a sensor coupled to the node processor, the sensor being operative to sense a battery status condition for the battery; and

wherein the node processor is programmatically configured, when executing the battery monitoring program code, to be operative to
receive status data from the sensor, the status data reflecting the battery status condition as sensed by the sensor,
automatically trigger generation of a layered alert notification related to the battery when the received status data is inconsistent with the battery threshold metric value, wherein the layered alert notification identifies a targeted mediation action as a type of mediation response based upon a level of how much the received status data is inconsistent with the battery threshold metric value, and
cause the wireless communication interface to broadcast the layered alert notification to initiate the identified targeted mediation action related to the battery status condition for the battery.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the battery status condition sensed by the sensor on the sensor-based node comprises a charge status condition of the battery.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the node processor is programmatically configured to be operative to automatically trigger generation of the layered alert notification when the battery threshold metric value comprises a threshold voltage value and when the received status data on the charge status condition of the battery is less than the threshold voltage value.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the battery status condition sensed by the sensor on the sensor-based node comprises a temperature condition of the battery.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the node processor is programmatically configured to be operative to automatically trigger generation of the layered alert notification when the battery threshold metric value comprises a threshold temperature value and when the received status data on the temperature condition of the battery exceeds the threshold temperature value.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor coupled to the node processor comprises one of a plurality of battery sensors disposed on different points of the battery; and
wherein the battery status condition sensed by each of the battery sensors on the sensor-based node comprises a plurality of temperature conditions of the battery, each of the temperature conditions being at the relative different points of the battery where the respective battery sensor is disposed.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the node processor is programmatically configured to be operative to receive the status data by receiving individual status information from each of the battery sensors as the status data.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the node processor is programmatically configured to be operative to automatically trigger generation of the layered alert notification related to the battery by automatically triggering generation of the layered alert notification related to the battery when at least one of the received individual status information reflects that at least one of the temperature conditions of the battery exceeds a threshold temperature value for the battery.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the node processor is programmatically configured to be operative to receive the status data by receiving individual status information from each of the battery sensors as the status data over a time period, and
wherein the node processor is programmatically configured to be operative to automatically trigger generation of the layered alert notification by being further operative to
monitor the received individual status information from each of the battery sensors over the time period to identify relative changes in the individual status information over the time period, and
automatically trigger generation of the layered alert notification related to the battery when at least one of the identified relative changes in the individual status information over the time period exceeds a time-based relative temperature change threshold for the battery.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the node processor is programmatically configured, when executing the battery monitoring program code, to be operative to automatically activate the sensor-based node from a low power mode when the received status data is inconsistent with the battery threshold metric value.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the battery comprises a multiple battery pack based upon lithium battery cells.

12. The system of claim 3 , wherein the layered alert notification is generated by the node processor based upon how much the charge status condition differs from the threshold voltage value.

13. The system of claim 5 , wherein the layered alert notification is generated by the node processor based upon how much the temperature condition of the battery exceeds the threshold temperature value.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the layered alert notification is generated by the node processor based upon how much at least one of the temperature conditions of the battery exceeds the threshold temperature value for the battery.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the layered alert notification is generated by the node processor based upon how many of the battery sensors have their respective battery status condition exceeding the threshold temperature value for the battery.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mediation response comprises a request for intervention in transport of the battery.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mediation response comprises a request for automatic fire suppression intervention for the battery.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the node memory storage further maintains battery specifier data related to the battery; and
wherein the layered alert notification related to the battery includes an identification of the battery based upon the battery specifier data.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the battery specifier data comprises information on a characteristic category of the battery.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the characteristic category comprises a lithium-ion battery.

21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the node processor is further programmatically configured to be operative to receive the battery specifier data over the wireless communication interface and store the battery specifier data within the node memory storage.

22. A node-enabled package system for a battery having integrated environmental detection and reporting, the system comprising:
a battery package for housing the battery when transporting the battery;
a sensor-based node attached to the battery package, the sensor-based node comprising,
a node processor,
a node memory storage coupled to the node processor, the node memory storage maintaining at least a battery monitoring program code and a battery threshold metric value,
a wireless communication interface coupled to the node processor, and
a sensor coupled to the nod

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter

Classifications

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/44

  between battery management systems and power sources · CPC title

• H04L41/04

  Network management architectures or arrangements · CPC title

• H04Q2209/823

  where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm · CPC title

• H04Q2209/40

  using a wireless architecture · CPC title