Asynchronous multi-purpose battery interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11258106-B2
Application number	US-202016823022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Mar 18, 2020
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a battery operating mode. The method includes connecting an electronic processor to a first electrical contact of a battery interface via a switch; generating, with the electronic processor, an initialization pulse for a signal demultiplexer of a battery; transmitting the initialization pulse to the signal demultiplexer; generating, with the electronic processor, a data word indicating a desired operating mode; transmitting the data word to the signal demultiplexer; generating, with the signal demultiplexer, a signal to electrically connect a first battery switch to the first electrical contact, the first battery switch selected based on the data word; receiving, with an analog to digital converter of the electrical device, a signal indicating the operating mode voltage; and verifying, with the electronic processor, a correct operating mode based on the operating mode voltage.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus for controlling a battery operating mode, the apparatus comprising
an electrical device, the electrical device including a plurality of switches, an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive an operating mode voltage and an electronic processor, the electronic processor configured to
generate an initialization pulse,
generate a data word indicating a desired operating mode, and
verify a correct operating mode based on the operating mode voltage;

a battery interface, the battery interface including a first electrical contact, a first one of the plurality of switches electrically connecting the electronic processor to the first electrical contact; and
a battery, the battery including a plurality of battery switches and a signal demultiplexer electrically connected to the first electrical contact, the signal demultiplexer configured to
receive the initialization pulse,
receive the data word,
generate a signal to electrically connect a first battery switch of the plurality of battery switches to the first electrical contact for transmitting the operating mode voltage to the analog-to-digital converter of the electrical device, the first battery switch selected based on the data word.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a pulse width of the initialization pulse is greater than a pulse width of a reset pulse of a current operating mode of the battery.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal demultiplexer generates a signal to connect the first battery switch to a pull-up resistor when the initialization pulse is received.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the electrical device further comprising a pull-down resistor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the electrical device generates the initialization pulse and the data word using the first one of the plurality of switches and the pull-down resistor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to generate a signal to electrically connect a second one of the plurality of switches to a second electrical contact of the battery interface based on the correct operating mode being verified.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the signal demultiplexer is further configured to generate a signal to electrically connect the second one of the plurality of battery switches to the second electrical contact.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second one of the plurality of battery switches is selected based on the data word.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the battery operating mode is an operating mode selected from the group consisting of an I2C operating mode, a near-field communication operating mode, a battery cell voltage monitoring operating mode, and a one-wire operating mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data word is received during a specified time window after receiving the initialization pulse.

11. A method for controlling a battery operating mode, the method comprising:
connecting an electronic processor of an electrical device to a first electrical contact of a battery interface via a first one a plurality of switches;
generating, with the electronic processor of the electrical device, an initialization pulse for a signal demultiplexer of a battery;
transmitting the initialization pulse to the signal demultiplexer via the first electrical contact of the battery interface;
generating, with the electronic processor, a data word indicating a desired operating mode of the battery;
transmitting the data word to the signal demultiplexer via the first electrical contact;
generating, with the signal demultiplexer, a signal to electrically connect a first battery switch of a plurality of battery switches to the first electrical contact, the first battery switch selected based on the data word;
receiving, with the signal demultiplexer, a signal indicating an operating mode voltage from the first battery switch;
receiving, with an analog-to-digital converter of the electrical device, a signal indicating the operating mode voltage to the electronic processor via the first electrical contact; and
verifying, with the electronic processor, a correct operating mode based on the operating mode voltage.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a pulse width of the initialization pulse is greater than a pulse width of a reset pulse of a current operating mode of the battery.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the signal demultiplexer generates a signal to connect the first battery switch to a pull-up resistor when the initialization pulse is received.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrical device includes a pull-down resistor.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electronic processor generates the initialization pulse and the data word using the first one of the plurality of switches and the pull-down resistor.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating, with the electronic processor, a signal to electrically connect a second one of the plurality of switches to a second electrical contact of the battery interface based on the correct operating mode being verified.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising generating, with the signal demultiplexer, a signal to electrically connect a second battery switch of the plurality of battery switches to the second electrical contact.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second battery switch is selected based on the data word.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the battery operating mode is an operating mode selected from the group consisting of an I2C operating mode, a near-field communication operating mode, a battery cell voltage monitoring operating mode, and a one-wire operating mode.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data word is received during a specified time window after receiving the initialization pulse.

Assignees

• Motorola Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Alfaro Javier
• Bartels Peter J
• Garcia Hugo

Classifications

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · 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

• H02J7/855

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• H01M2010/4278

  Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller · CPC title