Volumetric battery health sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9509020-B1
Application number	US-201414228141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 27, 2014
Priority date	Mar 27, 2014
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

Techniques, apparatuses, and systems for monitoring battery pack health based on detection of dimensional changes in the battery pack are provided. A sensor may be configured to detect dimensional change in a battery pack in at least one dimension beyond a first threshold amount. Detection of such dimensional change may cause a notification to be provided that indicates that the battery pack is potentially degraded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a battery pack;
a housing; and
a sensor, wherein:
the battery pack is insertable into the housing,
the sensor is configured to generate an output signal that indicates that at least one dimension of the battery pack has increased beyond a first threshold amount,
the sensor includes one or more conductive traces and a conductive bridge,
a circuit is completed when the one or more conductive traces and the conductive bridge are in physical contact with each other,
the one or more conductive traces and the conductive bridge are in physical contact when the at least one dimension of the battery pack increases beyond the first threshold amount while the battery pack is installed in the housing, and
at least one of (a) the conductive bridge and (b) the one or more conductive traces are art of the battery pack, and the other of (a) the conductive bridge and (b) the one or more conductive traces are part of the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductive traces are located on an exterior surface of the battery pack and the conductive bridge is located on an interior surface of the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the housing includes a lid that covers the battery pack and the conductive bridge is located on an interior surface of the housing that is part of the lid.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the lid is made of an electrically conductive material and the lid is the conductive bridge.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductive traces are located on an interior surface of the housing and the conductive bridge is located on an exterior surface of the battery pack.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the housing includes a lid that covers the battery pack and the one or more conductive traces are located on an interior surface of the housing that is part of the lid.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the lid is made of an electrically conductive material and the lid is the one or more conductive traces.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an additional sensor configured to generate an additional output signal that indicates that an additional dimension of the battery pack has increased beyond a second threshold amount, wherein the additional dimension is different from the at least one dimension.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
control logic configured to:
a) receive the output signal from the sensor,
b) determine, based on the output signal, when the output signal from the sensor indicates that the at least one dimension of the battery pack has increased beyond the first threshold amount, and
c) generate a first notification responsive to step b).

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first notification is a message with one or more pieces of content selected from the group consisting of: content indicating that the battery pack is compromised, content indicating that the battery pack is degrading, content indicating that the battery pack is unsafe, content indicating that the battery pack may be unsafe, content indicating that the battery pack needs to be replaced, content indicating an error code, and content indicating that service for the apparatus should be sought.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising
a second sensor, wherein:
the second sensor is configured to generate a second output signal that indicates that the at least one dimension of the battery pack has increased beyond a second threshold amount larger than the first threshold amount,
the second sensor includes one or more second conductive traces and a second conductive bridge,
another circuit is completed when the one or more second conductive traces and the second conductive bridge are in physical contact with each other,
the one or more second conductive traces and the second conductive bridge are in physical contact when the at least one dimension of the battery pack increases beyond the second threshold amount while the battery pack is installed in the housing, and
at least one of (a) the second conductive bridge and (b) the one or more second conductive traces are part of the battery pack, and the other of (a) the second conductive bridge and (b) the one or more second conductive traces are part of the housing
the control logic is further configured to generate a second notification in response to the generation of the second output signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the control logic is configured to send the first notification to a third party in association with information identifying the apparatus or the owner of the apparatus.

13. A method of detecting battery pack degradation, the method comprising:
receiving, by a device, an output signal from a sensor, wherein:
the sensor is configured to generate the output signal responsive to at least one dimension of a battery pack of the device increasing beyond a first threshold amount,
the sensor includes one or more conductive traces and a conductive bridge,
a circuit is completed when the one or more conductive traces and the conductive bridge are in physical contact with each other,
the one or more conductive traces and the conductive bridge are in physical contact when the at least one dimension of the battery pack increases beyond the first threshold amount while the battery pack is installed in the device, and
at least one of (a) the conductive bridge and (b) the one or more conductive traces are part of the battery pack, and the other of (a) the conductive bridge and (b) the one or more conductive traces are part of a housing of the device;

determining, by the device, that the output signal from the sensor indicates that the at least one dimension of the battery pack has increased beyond the first threshold amount; and
generating, by the device, a first notification.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first notification is a message with one or more pieces of content selected from the group consisting of: content indicating that the battery pack is compromised, content indicating that the battery pack is degrading, content indicating that the battery pack is unsafe, content indicating that the battery pack may be unsafe, content indicating that the battery pack needs to be replaced, content indicating an error code, and content indicating that service for an apparatus containing the battery pack should be sought.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising sending the first notification to a third party in association with information identifying the device or an owner of the device.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one dimension is the thickness of the battery pack.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Wang Libo
• Shen Jianbin
• Farshi Jasmin B

Classifications

• H01M10/48 Primary

  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

• H01M10/488

  Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density · CPC title

• H01M50/204

  Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells · CPC title

• H01M50/271

  Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings · CPC title

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title